The Truckee departure is interesting. The morning was interesting. We showed up a bit before 8 AM to prep the plane. It had been cold overnight, when I got to the plane it had dew on it, no issue but as I climbed the wing the dew looked more like frost. Sure enough the top of the cabin was frosted. Frost is a no go so I started by walking around and checking the surfaces, luckily the rest of the plane just had dew. After preflighting we dropped our car off and then fired up.
We took off runway 29 which requires a gentle right turn and then a left turn over I-80. Once you reach Donner Lake, hard left and overfly Tahoe city. If something goes wrong, staying on the precise track is important because it allows you to avoid the terrain and reach a runway at South Tahoe.
Luckily, everything worked as advertised and we easily climbed to 9,500' feet to clear the Mountains West of the lake. We were VFR with flight following again to allow us the ability to stay at non oxygen altitudes and to take a more efficient route.
Our first stop was Tonopah Nevada. This would serve two purposes, we would cross Nevada off the list and we would tank up. The fuel at Moab was pretty pricey so it made sense to get some now. Also unlike Tahoe, it is flat around Tonopah so an engine failure at the higher weight would still allow us to return to land.
The place had mixed reviews so I had called on Thursday to confirm the stop. They assured me they would be there. We touched down and pulled onto the ramp which was a bit of a wreck. There was no apparent pump but there were some hoses strewn about. We shut down by the hose and walked up to the lonely trailer. It was locked and other than a cat staring at me through the window, unattended. The place had a strange vibe, it even had a phone booth with a wired phone.
I called the number on the door and the person said they had gone on an errand and would be back in 20 minutes or so. I had my doubts and we had gas so I called an alternate airport on our route and confirmed they had gas and were open and off we went.
Other than the weird FBO, the flight had been amazing, we enjoyed the terrain and views. The plane did complain a few times. There was no wind so we were able to fly near the terrain. The plane does not like when you fly by a peak, it yells at you and flashes lights. We had 2 terrain warnings but in both cases we had planned the route and had lower terrain to turn towards if needed. It is reassuring that it is looking out for you.
The alternate fuel stop, Richfield, was in a valley between two sets of mountains. We followed I-70 through a gap and aligned with Richfield Runway 01. At 5,300’ elevation, the indicated approach speed stays the same but true airspeed is higher. With 7,100' of runway, I was not concerned with having enough room. We made a nice touchdown and taxied up to the pumps. These were modern/fast and we were soon fueled. I didn’t top off as we needed to watch our weight but I bought as much as my calculations would allow. Technically this marked off Utah as we had landed but we continued on to Moab for our planed sightseeing.
The flight to Moab was short, A quick climb in the valley to top the pass and then a right turn direct. The wind was just a few knots but it was getting warmer and later in the day. Our previously smooth ride turned into a light chop but the flight was only 40 minutes so after a very short cruise we were descending into Moab.
The arrival was smooth but finding the correct parking was a challenge. I called the FBO on unicom but initially no answer. After idling a bit, they got back to me and gave me directions. There was no pull through parking but the end space was open and with some careful maneuvering I slid in and we only had to push the plane back around 6 feet.
Our car was waiting for us and after checking in and paying for parking we out to sightsee. As for parking, it was very reasonable at $15/night. We only paid for parking twice, Medford and here. Medford was $30/night but they waived one night so it averaged out to $15/night. Our first stop were the petroglyphs by the Colorado river. The drawings are interesting but I don’t think the artist would make it today. That said they have stood the test of time. We did a bit more driving, everywhere you look is a sight, no mystery why Moab is so popular. We ended the day walking downtown Moab and grabbing some food.
The town is a tourist town. Again, I just don’t find T-shirt and junk shops quaint. That said, even our hotel room facing the highway had an impressive rock wall. The landing in Utah means we have covered 47 of 48 states on our quest. All of a sudden it is feeling pretty real that we will accomplish our goal but for now we are captivated by the scenery.
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