2002 Pictures Dave Biddle

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2002

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online picture notes.

Pictures Below,

The pictures are in chronological order. Building the new plane took most of my free time for 3 years and painting was completed early in 2002. I decided to go places and do some hiking other than my regular weekly hiking up Squaw Peak here in Phoenix.

http://phoenix.about.com/library/weekly/aa011501a.htm

I started back into hiking in April with a trip south of Tucson to Mount Wrightson in the Santa Rita Mountains. The hike begins at the end of Madera canyon and climbs a vertical gain of over 4000 feet to a 9453’ summit and a very nice view.

http://www.ufrsd.net/staffwww/stefanl/rbse/weekends/hiking.html

On May 3, I flew in with a passenger to a dirt strip at Tuweep on the north side of the Grand Canyon and we met 7 others to hike down the very steep trail to lava falls, the most severe rapids on the Colorado River. This was the most intense hike I have ever done, a vertical drop of 2540 feet in only 1.5 miles. Gloves are a must because “the chute” section is a nearly 45 degree incline of loose rock, requiring hands to get up. It seems that with each step up, you slide 2 steps back.

http://www.swaviator.com/html/issueMA02/Tuweep3402.html

The next weekend was Rocky Point, Mexico, on the Gulf of California, a 3.5 hour drive from Phoenix with a group of about 20 people.

In June, I flew to eastern Arizona’s White Mountains and the towns of Springerville and Greer, and hiked part way up 11,500’ Mount Baldy. There was not enough time to continue on and get back down before dark. Next year I will hike to the top.

I also went tubing down the Salt River east of Phoenix and to the Granite Dells near Prescott for my first time rock climbing.

July, Hike up to Atascosa lookout in southern Arizona, almost to Mexico. Most of the northern Arizona hiking areas were closed due to fire danger because of the lack of rain. It was very dry there too, but not that hot and a nice hike.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/forest/recreation/trails/atascosa.shtml

On July 8, I flew from Glendale, Arizona to Tillamook, Oregon with stops in Delano and Red Bluff California. I toured the Tillamook Air Museum, Evergreen Air Museum (home of the Spruce Goose) in McMinnville and did some hiking in the dense Spruce and Douglass Fir forests along the Coast and inland. Friends Tom and Katie flew in to meet me and we left for Arlington Washington on July 10. Along the way we stopped at Aurora, Oregon to tour the Vans aircraft factory. Then over Portland and past Mount St Helens, Hood, Adams, and Rainer before descending near Seattle into Arlington for the Northwest Regional fly-in. We slept in tents next to our planes and enjoyed the cool evenings, air show, exhibitors and events before heading southeast on July 12 over still snow patched Cascade range, through Washington, Idaho and into Jackpot, Nevada for fuel. Tom and Katie stopped at Cactus Jacks Casino, but I went on from Jackpot to Bryce Canyon Utah, to meet Richard who flew in from Glendale Arizona earlier that day. The next day was spent hiking through Bryce’s colorful spires and rock formations. Sunday July 14 was the end of my 2002 flying trip through the west as we returned to Glendale, with a flight over the Grand Canyon, and Past Mount Humphreys, Kendrick’s Peak, and Sedona.

http://www.tillamookair.com/html/bldg.html

http://www.sprucegoose.org/

http://www.vansaircraft.com/public/rv-6int.htm

http://www.nweaa.org/

http://www.brycecanyoncountry.com/bryce.html

August 25^th I went with the group to the Inner basin trail up Mount Humphreys. A late start kept us from reaching the summit.

http://colonelmustard.s5.com/humphreys.html

August 31^st I flew up to Rifle Colorado northeast of Grand Junction with Wayne so he could visit with family that was gathered for a wedding. En route we enjoyed the scenery of Monument Valley, Southern Utah, and Lake Powell and Rainbow Bridge.

http://www.riflechamber.com

http://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/monument_valley/

http://www.desertusa.com/gc/rainbow/rainbow.html

September – Hike to Fossil springs, near Payson, Arizona

Then another try up Mount Humphreys on the 28^th, this time up the trail from Snowbowl Ski Area. Wind, rain, lightning and snow turned us around short of the top.

Next year I will make it to the top.

In October I flew to Winslow, Arizona and Las Cruces, New Mexico. There were only about 50 homebuilt RV type planes at the Las Cruces Fly-in this year because of bad weather. Last year there were 120.

http://www.landofenchantmentflyin.com/

November ^.Did an exhilarating aerobatic glider flight on the 16^th at Turf Soaring School near Lake Pleasant northwest of Phoenix.

December - flew to Bisbee AZ, a copper mining town in the Mule Mountains in southeast Arizona. I will go back one day and take the underground mine tour, where the temperature is a constant 47 degrees. Sounds like a good thing to do on a hot summer day.

http://www.bisbeearizona.com/

Click on each thumbnail for larger picture