A Trail of Two Rivers

Looking down at the airport, for a second I am not sure we are where we are supposed to be. The entire area in front of the FBO is taken by US Army helicopters. But two GPS units do not lie, so we fly the pattern and land. Taxiing slowly between the Army helicopters to avoid the blades, we find an open spot for parking.

After I have helped my copilot Arie from Tel-Aviv, Israel, get out of the plane, I run to the crews and ask if I can take pictures. The answer is, "Of course." These are three Apache AH-64 and two Black Hawk UH-60 helicopters on a cross country flight returning from the Mojave desert to Ft. Riley, KS. They have stopped for refueling.

Apache A-64 and two Black Hawks UH-60 in Raton, NM

All this information is provided by CW2 (Chief Warrant Officer) Brett Mathews while I am snapping away with the camera. Where is all this happening? At the small uncontrolled airport in Raton, NM! It gets better. The five birds fire up and, after a lengthy runup with earsplitting noise of turbines and blades, taxi to the runway for takeoff.

Takeoff of Apaches and Black Hawks, Raton, NM

I jog to the runway to see them rise into the air when the FBO races with his pickup truck toward me, shouting "Get away from the runway, more helicopters are coming!" Sure enough, seven helicopters in formation are approaching the other end of the runway. I hurry back to the FBO.

The seven birds land and taxi to the parking area for refueling, and I have the opportunity to interview CW4 Craig A. Yearout and CW2 Joshua E. Bolden. There are four Apaches, two Black Hawks, and one Chinook CH-47, a monster of a helicopter that can carry 27,000 lbs loaded weight. They are on the same cross country flight plan from California to Kansas.

I show my ignorance of turbines in general and helicopters in particular when guessing that the lengthy takeoff check of the previous group was due to the warm-up requirement of the turbines. That’s all wrong. CW4 Yearout patiently explains that due to the short time spent for refueling, the turbines actually are too hot for restart and are first cooled by blowing cold air through them. The long takeoff check is due to the Apache’s requirement that every refueling stop must be followed by a complete operational check. In contrast, the Black Hawk only requires a full operational check once a day.

CW4 Yearout offers to take a picture of me with the Chinook.  So while the crews of the helicopters are politely waiting for me to clear the area before starting the engines, he snaps away and I feel really small next that magnificent machine.

Chinook CH-47, Raton, NM

The Chinook has developed a problem with transmission oil pressure. After refueling,  six helicopters take off in a crescendo of engine and blade noise, while the Chinook crew works on the problem. It has been a privilege to meet the crews with their helicopters.

Why did we land in Raton? It all started with the idea to trace the Rio Grande from the Gulf to its source in Colorado. The final plan modified the trail: It eliminated the lower portion of the Rio Grande, but added tracking of the Arkansas river from its source near Leadville in central Colorado to the plains.

We first fly from Dallas west to Pecos, TX, where we stay overnight. The nearby Balmorhea State Recreation Area, named for three early residents Balcom, Morrow, and Rhea, has a huge spring-fed pool with lots of fish and is highly recommended for swimming, snorkeling, and even scuba diving. The spring supplies 26 million gallons of water per day and is said to be the largest spring-fed swimming pool in the U.S.

We rent a car at the Pecos airport, drive the 40 odd miles to the pool, and dive right in. After the hot drive, it is wonderful to swim in the clear, cool water.

Balmorhea Pool, near Pecos, TX

Calling the FSS the next morning with ”This is N314LB”, the briefer greets me with "Mr. Truemper." Startled, I ask if he has an aircraft/pilot profile. No, he says, but he can create one, and it will simplify future briefings and filing of file plans. Step by step, he collects the information.

From then on, the opening line "There is a profile for N314LB" greatly simplifies contacts with the FSS since type/special equipment, true airspeed, pilot’s name, telephone number, home base, and color of aircraft are already on hand for the briefer and displayed on his screen.

Taking off from Pecos at sunrise and proceeding west, we pick up the Rio Grande shortly after the merger of Interstates 10 and 20. At that point, much of the river has already been used up for irrigation. But it still manages to provide enough water for green communities southeast of El Paso on both sides of the border.

After a fuel stop in El Paso we turn north, flying a corridor between two restricted areas to Alamogordo, NM. At its narrowest point, the corridor is only 1.5nm wide, yet must accommodate both north- and southbound flights. We keep looking for traffic, making sure with GPS that we do not venture beyond the corridor boundaries.

Alamogordo is the city closest to White Sands National Monument, our next destination. With a rented car we take the short trip to the visitor center of the Monument.

Arie at White Sands National Monument, near Alamogordo, NM

Driving on the single road of the Monument and hiking in the dunes is an eerie experience. If it weren’t as hot as the place where the devil is supposed to live, it could be a Canadian winter scene with snow replaced by blindingly white sand, actually gypsum crystals.

Dunes, White Sands National Monument

Road, White Sands National Monument

Late in the day, we drive US82 up the mountain east of Alamogordo and arrive at the small alpine city of Cloudcroft 4700ft above the floor of the valley and 8700ft MSL. It is quite cold. With several other tourists, we are just in time to experience a gorgeous sunset.

Sunset, Cloudcroft, NM

Back at the Alamogordo airport for another early takeoff, a Cessna Caravan is parked at the FBO to provide commuter service to Albuquerque. The pilot mistakes us for customers, but soon realizes that we have our own transportation. He has come up the narrow corridor from El Paso, alerting us once more to the dangers of the corridor on our return leg from Alamogordo to El Paso.

Once in El Paso, we turn north to follow the Rio Grande again. The wide river valley is lush with green. But next to the irrigated fields and orchards, the desert abruptly begins. Approaching Truth or Consequences, NM, for refueling, I wonder whether to actually say something like "Truth or Consequences traffic...". The riddle is solved when the FBO begins the traffic advisory with "TCS UNICOM..." A pleasant surprise after landing: TCS has autogas, which the Rotax 912 likes much better than 100LL avgas.

Landing in Grants, NM, thirty minutes west of Albuquerque, for the overnight stay, it seems that time has stood still. Our friend and helpful mechanic Wes is still manning the FBO, and a fellow builder we met two years ago is still repairing damage of a Velocity caused by a landing mishap in turbulent wind.

We are still allowed to squeeze our plane into the main hangar for ten bucks and get a courtesy car for the trip to the motel. Wes tells us that a number of people stop by year after year to visit, talk, and get reacquainted again. No wonder; it is such a nice place to visit.

Six o’clock the next morning, going east from Grants back toward Albuquerque directly into the rising sun, I am so blinded by the glare that I have trouble seeing the panel. My copilot Arie helps out by scanning the instruments. Following the Rio Grande north again, we pass Santa Fe and Taos, and reach the Rio Grande Gorge, a harsh yet beautiful, deep slash in the mesa.

Rio Grande Gorge North of Taos, NM

Continuing north along the river, the terrain becomes flat except for isolated mountains reaching up to our altitude and at times forcing a detour. We stay overnight in Alamosa in southern Colorado.

Taking off once more into a clear and cool morning sky, we skip tracing the Rio Grande to its source about 50 miles away and instead head straight north up the 9,000ft Poncha Pass into central Colorado. The flight over the pass is possible at 1500ft AGL since there is no wind.

We have beautiful views coming across the pass. To the west is the impressive valley leading up to the 11,000ft Monarch Pass. Continuing across Salida, CO, we stop half an hour later in Buena Vista, CO. It is the airport of choice since it has a 7,500ft runway, a prudent length for 8,000ft MSL terrain.

We camp and hike three days in the Collegiate Peaks, so named because a number of the 14,000+ft mountains are named after universities; for example, Mt. Harvard, Mt. Princeton, Mt. Yale. The main hike takes us to 13,000ft, starting from the 12,000ft Cottonwood Pass.

Cottonwood Pass Hike, view East to Buena Vista

Cottonwood Pass Hike, view West to Taylor Lake

On a side trip with our rental car to Leadville, CO, we learn much about the mining history of the region. We visit the National Mining Museum and take a tour of the historic Healy House, which is surrounded by a beautiful garden.

Reflection of Healy House, Leadville, CO

Gazebo of Healy House, Leadville, CO

Flowers in garden of Healy House, Leadville, CO

 

On our final hike into the Midland Hills east of Buena Vista, we have rain for the first time during the entire trip. A local hiker shows us an abandoned mine that is largely hidden under trees.

Abandoned Mine near Buena Vista, CO

Before we started the trip from Dallas, I had repitched the propeller for max takeoff and climb performance. This pays off when we depart from Buena Vista. Despite 10,000ft density altitude, the plane leaps into the air within the first 3,000ft of runway and climbs at 300ft/min.

We trace the Arkansas river along its meandering course, first going south to Salida, then west to Pueblo, CO. For a while, the river is snaking between mountains and in the early sunlight glistens like molten silver.

Arkansas River near Salida, CO

As we exit the Rockies near Pueblo, we turn south for another memorable flight up the Raton pass, then land south of the pass at the Raton Airport.

The fuel pump has developed a small oil leak. The oil drops have a weird bluish tint. We call our trusted Rotax advisor Ronnie Smith in Mississippi. He says that a bit of 100L avgas is mixing into the leaking oil, leaving the bluish tint as it evaporates. Apparently, the pump is not just leaking oil but also over time allowing a few drops of fuel to be squeezed inside the housing past the diaphragm and out the vent hole.

We wipe the engine clean and after a 4min runup confirm the diagnosis by a tiny amount of newly leaked oil near the pump flange. UPS delivers a new pump overnight from a Rotax distributor in Wisconsin. Installation and test are too late in the day for a smooth flight home. The next morning we lift off into cool and sunny air, and with a strong tailwind reach Dallas shortly after noon.

What have we learned? Tracing rivers is not only educational but great fun. Flying in mountainous terrain is much more relaxing when the propeller is repitched for max takeoff and climb performance. Last but not least, planning short legs each day, with all flying done in the morning, produces unhurried, smooth flying where the focus is on sightseeing and not on keeping the plane upright.