Days 6 and 7

As planned, all but Ginger and I took a 3 hour hike down in one of the Bryce canyons. Ginger and I had a leisurely breakfast at Ruby’s, paying $2.50 per cup of coffee!! When they returned, we departed Bryce Canyon airport to Boulder City, Nevada. We got up to 12,500 feet to get over the high ridges. On takeoff from Bryce, I thought I would never gain any altitude. I am the slowest climber in the group, so it took forever to get there. Boy, was it a bumpy ride over the ridges. While I may be the slowest climber, Doug had difficulty in keeping up with me in his RV-10 after reaching altitude! This was a surprise to all. My little 160 HP and fixed pitch prop RV-6A is running real good. We made a letdown over the Hoover dam for aerial photos, leaving the cool air for 99 degree heat at Boulder City airport. After spending the night, we took the Hoover Dam tour on Day 7. This was very interesting and informative. The project was done in the 30’s, completed 2 years ahead of schedule , and below budget. Think that could happen today ? We departed Boulder City around noon for Catalina Islands. This route took us thru and over several large airports and military areas. We could easily see from 10,500 feet all the way from Hollywood to San Diego. The Catalinas are 26 miles from the coast line and could also be seen long before reaching the shoreline. The landing on the 3,000 ft runway, located on top of a ridge, was very eventful with multiple unplanned touchdowns! Well, we were able to walk away from it and have lunch. Some of the guys had buffalo burgers. The landing fee is $20. Ginger thought they should have paid us for making the visit. After takeoff, we circled the Islands for photo opportunities before climbing up to 7,500 feet on our way to Big Bear, CA. Upon approach to Big Bear, we were lined up a little too close. I made a 360 to gain needed distance behind the plane in front of me. The area elevation is 7,000 feet, and my landing was very eventful. I had a fierce crosswind, coupled with a big downdraft that took me down about 30 feet just prior to reaching the runway! Boy, did this get mine and Ginger’s attention. Fortunately, the final touchdown was a relief.