~Breaks Flyin ~ early part of "Bushwheel Awareness Week"-2011

[centmont]

The snow is finally melting; rivers/creeks are full of water and out of their banks in most places. Our normally dry Missouri Breaks landscape looks like a scene from the end of the last glacial period. It is going to be a green and great spring….time to start thinking of warm weather and flying cubs.

Last year Dave Kirsten called and we tied the Breaks Flyin and the Johnson Creek flyins together into a week of back-country exploration and visiting old friends called “Bushwheel Awareness Week ~ Missouri Breaks…to Johnson Creek”.

The Breaks end of Bushwheel Awareness Week will run 10 – 13 June: (JC starts on the 16th June)

For those who haven’t been here before: This is an informal flyin. We will help guide you into one of the “last great places” of N. America…virtually the last place along the Missouri that is as Lewis and Clark found it. There is a great deal of wildlife here; record class elk, mule deer, and big-horn sheep are taken each year by hunters and can be found from the air. We headquarter out of Winifred (9S7) which has a 4000’ sod strip, 100LL, a restaurant, small hotel, grocery store, and one paved street. Folks here are august and friendly and enjoy the flyin every year. We don’t have big raffle items, or a highly organized program…our job is to facilitate your enjoyment of a great wild place to fly and offer help in keeping you comfortable.

New for this year: The 6 breaks strips now have FAA identifiers; if your Garmin is updated, they should appear on screen and charts by this summer.

10 June:
Arrival all afternoon … We will camp Cow Creek … meals on your own… or you can camp at the Winifred Hangar and gorge on one of the local two-handed hamburgers.

11 June:
Morning: Breakfast at Lewistown (LWT), is ca. 25 miles S of Winifred and looks a bit like a town in a valley in the Alps. We fly between the Moccasin and Judith Mountains on approach. This is a combination flyin, pancake feed, and antique aircraft show.

Mid-day: Flying the Missouri Breaks and landing the backcountry strips on your own.

Evening: Cow Creek Bar-B-Que. We will be camping at Cow Creek (CW0). “TheCubWorks.com” is providing Bar-B-Que, salad, bread, fruit salad. All you need is an appetite and something to drink… Cow Creek is a dry camp. It is on a beautiful butte overlooking some of the wildest of lands in the Breaks.

12 June:
Morning: Breakfast on your own: Flyouts to Breaks strips; overflights of C M Russell Wildlife Refuge, Ft. Peck Reservoir, Missouri River, other local sights… on your own.

Mid-day: Move camp to the Winifred Hangar.

Evening: Hangar-burgers and fixins by the plate…and adult malted beverages for those who are through flying for the day.

13 June: ~Departure for Johnson Creek or home via various backcountry strips and fishing-holes in Montana and Idaho~.

Feel free to call. I look forward to seeing you all again. Ralph 406 462 5487

[centmont]

Hold for future info and photos ~~ SJ..when possible can this become a Sticky? R

[dakotacoyote]

Ralph

Plan on coming up... hope to have Ray and the fellow draggers coming out of Spearfish. I might come up early and do some fishing and hiking out of the remote strips.
Looking forward to seeing and meeting all the guys & gals.

L

[mvivion]

If you haven't been there, folks, you owe it to yourselves to visit a great little fly in, with a genuinely Montana friendly host.

Thanks for your efforts, Ralph, and unless the weather tween here and there is as ugly as it was last year, I'll see you at Cow Creek.

MTV

[windy]

Looking forward to seeing everyone again at Winifred and Cow Creek. I hope to make it over to Spearfish to marshall up wuth the Dakota Cubs, nicest bunch of guys to fly with, including the "bling." If the weather's like last year, would you be able to use a helper a day early, Ralph?

windy

[jaypratt]

Carol and I will plan to be there again this year. If you haven't been to this fly in,,,, you are missing out on one of lifes simple pleasures.

[SteveE]

Carol and I will plan to be there again this year. If you haven't been to this fly in,,,, you are missing out on one of lifes simple pleasures.

You flyin Shooter?

[FdxLou]

You flyin Shooter?

I think Shooter is still in Utah...?

Probably taking Paul Revere.

[aktango58]

Man, does that sound like a great time!

If I have all things going well, I wonder if my crew would miss me for another week... after I go north to AK airmans show and valdez, head to the Yakutat to fish and then cabins over memorial day....

so much fly-in fun, so little time!

Eaton, I needed you Sunday... had an 'alaskan pig' in the open just standing and waiting for you to take it's picture

[jaypratt]

Want to fly Shooter,,,, We will have to wait on some things to happen.

[skiplane.org]

Strongly considering trying to make this one. It's nearly 10hrs from our strip to Cow Creek in the Champ.

How 'bushy' are these strips? Would an 85hp Aeronca be sufficient?

Best regards,

Doug Beck

[centmont]

Doug: There have been many Aeroncas in and out of those strips... They aren't that "bushy"; some are actually quite nice, and we have been working on the others. The altitude is between 3500 - 4500' and it shouldn't be too hot during the flyin. Come enjoy!! Ralph

[kase]

Cow Creek is a nice strip. Have a friend with a Bonanza that flys in there all the time.

4-16-10 (26).JPG

4-16-10 (28).JPG

[centmont]

Have a friend with a Bonanza that flys in there all the time.

Have seen that Bonanza in some really tight places...He just does it to humble cub drivers. R

[jjack]

" The B Man " ?

[3689A]

planning on going to the fly in anyone wanting to stop (east to west)enroute, stop in sidney mt for fuel, aviation stories, food, beer, motel and etc..also gander at Phils p51 mustang(cloud dancer....jimmy leeward mustang that has raced at reno) or his t28. i live 20 miles west of sdy n42.42.01 w104.35.48 you can a land a cub out here 800 to 1000 ft strip. hanger space or tie it dwn, bbq, food and etc.

[SJ]

Here are some shots Geezer Dan took during the 2008 event. Great fun!

[12Geezer2]

Thanks for moving my pics, SJ--My skills with the computer a MUCH LIMITED.

[centmont]

Fly-in season is well started... greening up here...really looking forward to summer: Click to enlarge: Ralph

Breaks Flyin Poster 2011JPG.jpg

[Pokette]

I planning on attending this event with a couple of local J-3 drivers. If anyone is coming through KSAR let me know - we are heading up wed or thurs, and possibly flying the river to get there... give me a call or pm.

[btracy]

Pokette, Just leave from OK18 with us

[centmont]

All of eastern Montana just got a huge amount of rainfall.... 4 plus inches in 3 days. This place looks like the "land of 10,000 lakes". Even if it stops raining now, and I hope it does, we will be green and gorgeous for the Breaks flyin. I found some old photos and will post them....Mike, thanks for posting on the other thread. I really want to get out and look around. Ralph

[scout88305]

Are the strips above water?

[dakotacoyote]

Ralph

Was just east of you on Saturday and have not seen so much green grass. I think a guy should bring a good camera this year for some pic's to frame. AMAZING COUNTRY

Looks like I will probably go up with Ray and the gang on Friday. Finishing AI work with cows on Thursday.

[FdxLou]

All of eastern Montana just got a huge amount of rainfall.... 4 plus inches in 3 days. This place looks like the "land of 10,000 lakes". Even if it stops raining now, and I hope it does, we will be green and gorgeous for the Breaks flyin. I found some old photos and will post them....Mike, thanks for posting on the other thread. I really want to get out and look around. Ralph

Ralph

Are you planning a camp out at Cow Creek? Guess it depends on the wet factor.

Lou

[centmont]

Melissa on return from a week with her dad.... I'm cleaning the house like crazy. I'll get back to everyone ASAP and after some recon. Sun is shining and a beautiful day.....It is GREEN HERE !!. R

[skiplane.org]

I notice that the Breaks strips are all right in the middle of Hays MOA. Any intel on the status of that airspace during the fly-in? That airspace is used by Great Falls ANG, who I assume use it for low level training in their F-16's.

[centmont]

Will get out to look at strips this evening... MOA not a factor. They have been notified we will be out there and if there is an overlap in activity, we will just need to stay under 500'.....like that is a problem. They also know that if they can put an F15 down on 2000' of turf....we will buy them supper. R

[Rick Papp]

Ralph, I'm planning to start a trek west this weekend. Spearfish and the Breaks are on the itinerary. Looking forward to seeing everyone again and meeting new friends. Probably pick up a few stray cubs along the way. Rick

[kase]

Rick, I talked to Bob and you guys are welcome to stay at his cabin again if you want.

[Amy]

Ralph, I'm planning to start a trek west this weekend. Spearfish and the Breaks are on the itinerary. Looking forward to seeing everyone again and meeting new friends. Probably pick up a few stray cubs along the way. Rick

Remember to stop by DCA outside Sioux Falls for food and lodging (if desired) before heading to Spearfish if your course line brings you close!

[Rick Papp]

Alan, Hope to see you next week sometime. Amy, Dakota Cub would be a great place to see. We will put it on the book. Rick

[centmont]

I visited three of the strips yesterday... all three were dry except for the very end of Cow Creek where we camp. That nice little round area with short vegetation...it is a lake right now. Perhaps we can have a fishing derby. Unless we get more rain, it appears the strips will be dry, but we will have to camp at the other end of Cow Creek...or a few more options.

1. Camp opposite end of Cow Creek
2. Camp on another strip beside Cow Creek (several to pick from- I'll investigate possibilities)
3. Camp in Winifred, just fly the strips during the day (we have done this before).

WX is forecast to bounce off 80 for the first time this weekend... ground can dry completely up here in short order. We appear to be now in our normal early summer weather with calm mornings and scattered showers on some afternoons. These 7 day heavy rain/snow events which have flooded every river in the state are hopefully behind us. Even if it is bone dry and warm between now and the flyin, you will all see this landscape in as good a shape as it can be and rivers all at flood stage. We have record snow pack which has yet to melt.

Anyone interested in a poker run on the strips for Saturday or Sunday? Anyone know how to run a... poker run?

More later... Ralph

[scout88305]

Damn rain is it going to quit?

http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?r...101111&loop=no

[centmont]

We are dodging a bullet....if you look closely at that radar map, Winifred/Breaks is on the fringe.... we are getting a sprinkle while just east of us they are having a "frog choker'.

Gunny....say it ain't so!!

R

[Gunny]

Gunny....say it ain't so!!

Hey Ralph - Sadly it is - my hopes and dreams are dashed, but weather permitting I will be at JC. I'll hope to catch you there and maybe get out to Winifred a little later in the year.

[jaypratt]

Carol has to get results from her Doc ,, might keep us from leaving early, now looking at Thursday morning. We will have to fly the 180 to make up the time. We wanted to start out on Tuesday or Wed in 'Shooter'

[FdxLou]

Ralph

I had planned to arrive with the Spearfish gang but will not be there before late Friday or Sat am. Kathy is going in for neck surgery either Wed or Thurs.
Worst case I will bypass the Breaks and head for JC. Will update as we go along.

Lou

[centmont]

All: Friday is arrival day.... if it is wet we will be in the hangar. If it is nice we will be on a Breaks strip. Saturday morning is when we traditionally go to Lewistown and watch folks land on both ends of the runways at the same time. Sat. night is when we fire up the grill for you all...again hopefully in the Breaks. Sunday night is hangarburgers with the town and other local pilots. Just get here if/when you can and be safe. If your place is empty...you will be missed. Updates as needed. Ralph

[kevin]

Ralph

I had planned to arrive with the Spearfish gang but will not be there before late Friday or Sat am. Kathy is going in for neck surgery either Wed or Thurs.
Worst case I will bypass the Breaks and head for JC. Will update as we go along.

Lou

Hi Lou. This sounds painful. I hope she is OK. Have a safe trip out here.

Kevin G.