[OK, I suppose, I got your attention ...🙂..., but I wish to (hopefully) justify the Title of my post, here...via the images, below...]

Mountains, small or big, always fascinate me immensely.... the mountains can be considered the embodiments of remarkable geography, history, myth, spirituality, and other such unique qualities. I will always remember, from decades ago, during my sole visit to Kathmandu, glimpses of the incomparable Himalayan Mountain range. While standing on a vantage spot in a street corner, a local resident had pointed out to me the chain of peaks, indicating one of them to be the Mount Everest. Frankly, in the inter-connecting series of (overlapping) mountain peaks in my view, I could not tell which one was Mount Everest..., because, from afar, all looked to me of comparable height...so, I've seen Mount Everest, but, with a caveat, I've not actually seen Mount Everest...🙂... the impressions of the Himalayas are indelible nonetheless... (BTW, consider also this fact, the Himalayan range, incredibly, comprises over 100 peaks exceeding 23,600 ft in elevation)...!

Around here, the Rocky Mountain (in Colorado) is one of the nation’s highest national parks. Within the park’s boundaries are 77 mountain peaks over 12,000 feet (you may wish to compare this fact with that stated above about the Himalayas). Anyway, from my (several) visits to this part of Rockies and this park, I'm a bit familiar with these (incredibly impressive) high mountains. Idaho Rockies is, however, another matter...my only exposure to these mountains was during a short ~10 miles rental car drive, from Boise Airport to the hotel. However, I distinctly recall the highway being flanked, on both sides, by scenic mountains, not as tall as the Colorado Rockies, but, equally beautiful, nonetheless...

In my virtual world, I've had the Orbx NRM (Northern Rocky Mountains), since years ago, but it's only during various SALEs, of the recent past, I finally acquired (Orbx) CRM (Central Rocky Mountains) ...along with the Airport Scenery for KJAC, Jackson Hole, (please see my previous post). This post, here, is about a tiny bit of exploration into the so-called Central Rockies, more specifically my experience of a short (virtual) flight, across ~50 miles, in the Hells Canyon of western Idaho. From the deep-seated Seven Devils Airport (ID17) (it has a privately owned 3,900 feet Turf-Dirt Runway), I've lifted off in my Robin 400, north, towards Slate Creek Airport (1S7), also in Idaho, tracking the "Snake River" (an indomitable river which weirdly flows "northward"...in the deep canyon, up along the Idaho border, to later join Columbia River, and eventually empty into the Pacific Ocean) ...

Immediately after lift-off, I've turned straight westward, over and across the (deceptively) rising Rockies (see images), nearly scraping the nearby mountains, till I am abeam and overhead the Snake River, located deep down in the canyon (see my shots). Then I've followed the river, north, to eventually land on the dirt-strip of Slate Creek Airport (1S7). Let me say, landing into 1S7 was fraught with extreme danger and challenges, ...🙂...with my a/c flying precariously close to those dangerous mountains...! I've approached the Rwy (29/293 degrees) from the south, in the narrow valley, and (somehow) managed to land on the dirt runway, without any mishap or interruption of my flight... (Some of you, with your incredibly realistic-looking MSFS scenery, and with that incredibly versatile Porter plane, may wish to attempt a landing into 1S7, if you feel like it...) ...

Hells Canyon, the deepest canyon in North America (no roads cross Hells Canyon), has stood true to its (infamous) name, for centuries, to this day, and the Snake River runs its course 8,000 feet below the peaks of the Seven Devils Mountains on the Idaho side (all these can be seen in my images below). All in all, the short flight was a nerve-racking adventure of adrenaline..., but was also great fun...especially because I did make it safely to the ground in Slate Creek Airport...along with my Robin, all in one piece...🙂...This Robin DR400, of my post, is a plane, I'm familiar with (in the SIM) since decades ago and have always liked it a lot (has a nice ring to its name...deserving of empathy...). It has been built (and still being built), for nearly half-a-century, by Robin Aircraft (root company was "Avions Pierre Robin") at Darois, near Dijon, France.

Hope you enjoy these images below from my short but exhilarating adventure in the rugged Hells Canyon of the spectacular Central Rockies...!

Thanks for your interest and good flying...!!

[Orbx (CRM), JF (Robin DR400)]

Edited December 12, 20214 yr by P_7878

Beautiful shots!

 

30 minutes ago, P_7878 said:

Hells Canyon, the deepest canyon in North America (no roads cross Hells Canyon), has stood true to its (infamous) name, for centuries, to this day, and the Snake River runs its course 8,000 feet below the peaks of the Seven Devils Mountains on the Idaho side (all these can be seen in my images below).

My wife, my two eldest daughters, (2 and 4 years old at the time) and I, following the suggestion of a hotel manager in Boise, completed a drive up to Hells Canyon Dam in 1978. We started off I-84 at Ontario, drove up to the Brownlee Dam, crossed over and continued to Oxbow Dam, then crossed over again and followed the narrow road and the long Hells Canyon Reservoir on up to Hells Canyon Dam.  One of the greatest, if not the greatest scenic trip I have ever taken. 

With each successive flight simulation since Pro Pilot (1998), which introduced accurate terrain mesh, I have flown that canyon low level. 

On my bucket list I hope to revisit those two reservoirs again and this time go fishing.  Just below Hells Canyon Dam we encountered a pair of retired dam workers who had completed an overnight fishing trip and the catch they showed us was incredible.  Cutthroat and small mouth bass!

Fantastic shots from the Snake River , my wife and I use to take rafting trips out of Riggins ID on the Salmon River .

Stunning set of shots !

What a nice Trip.. 

cheers 😉

Edited December 12, 20214 yr by pmplayer

Interesting narration and great shots to follow, P_7878! I still remember, when flying in FSX and ORBX launched their first landclass scenery PNW, how excited I was seeing a somewhat dull countryside suddenly turn into a real eye-opener. So whenever ORBX launched another landclass, I had to buy it. And looking at your fine pictures today, it hasn't lost its shine!

Alaska738, Frank, johnb, pmplayer, bernd:

Many thanks for the comments and reminiscences...!!

 

On 12/11/2021 at 6:42 PM, fppilot said:

 

My wife, my two eldest daughters, (2 and 4 years old at the time) and I, following the suggestion of a hotel manager in Boise, completed a drive up to Hells Canyon Dam in 1978. We started off I-84 at Ontario, drove up to the Brownlee Dam, crossed over and continued to Oxbow Dam, then crossed over again and followed the narrow road and the long Hells Canyon Reservoir on up to Hells Canyon Dam.  One of the greatest, if not the greatest scenic trip I have ever taken. 

With each successive flight simulation since Pro Pilot (1998), which introduced accurate terrain mesh, I have flown that canyon low level. 

On my bucket list I hope to revisit those two reservoirs again and this time go fishing.  Just below Hells Canyon Dam we encountered a pair of retired dam workers who had completed an overnight fishing trip and the catch they showed us was incredible.  Cutthroat and small mouth bass!

Incredible bits of RW adventure, Frank, in the Hells Canyon...🙂...!! Hope you get to visit it again...and do some (relaxed) fishing this time...🙂...!

 

On 12/11/2021 at 9:01 PM, johnbow72 said:

Fantastic shots from the Snake River, my wife and I use to take rafting trips out of Riggins ID on the Salmon River .

Thanks, johnb. I did a short (virtual) trip to the town of Riggins and did observe Salmon River's whimsical turn north at the town... (please see my addendum post). The nearby Seven Devils mountains (btw, from the meager (2D) virtualizations, here, I can only imagine how spectacular these mountains must be in RW), surely must have added a whole lot to the ambience of the rafting experience there...!!

***Wonderful Landscape***

On 12/13/2021 at 6:51 AM, Phantom88 said:

***Wonderful Landscape***

Indeed, it is...in the RW, at least...🙂.... thanks for the comment, Patrick...!!