Portland -> OSH

For those in northern Oregon, what's the prefered route to Oshkosh and recomended fuel stops? If the weather doesn't let me head over the Cascades east of Seattle, I may have to swing down through the gorge.

get an instrument rating..

OK not very helpful, but scud running the Gorge is a horrible thing to have to do.

Getting that rating and Going IFR is a huge relief to stressing over whether you can leave or not.

Of course, one then starts to try to fly in bad wx during the Winter so the problems come back..But you can fly in the Summer almost at will.

Frank

This is actually a practical planning exercise. If we get 080 OVC around here, that makes a Cascade crossing up here interesting at best. Going around through the Columbia is a pretty easy route but it makes the eastern routing a bit different once east of the Cascades.

I'll take the Gorge...

...over flying single engine IFR over the Cascades anyday. This time of year, things open up pretty well and your exposure in the Gorge is less than 20 minutes.
Should be lots of folks on here flight planning this trip so I am sure you will get a bunch of really good suggestions.

frankh said:

OK not very helpful, but scud running the Gorge is a horrible thing to have to do.

Getting that rating and Going IFR is a huge relief to stressing over whether you can leave or not.

Of course, one then starts to try to fly in bad wx during the Winter so the problems come back..But you can fly in the Summer almost at will.

Frank

Click to expand...

Flying through the Columbia Gorge is not scud running. There are many days (and most summer/fall days) when you don't have a 3-4K ceiling over the Snoqualmie pass area but you do have an appropriate ceiling over the gorge. You automatically pick up at least 3500 feet of ceiling by flying through the gorge as opposed to the Snoqualmie route. To be sure, you still need to be aware of where the obstacles are and what the winds are doing, so going over the route with an instructor or knowledeable person beforehand is, of course, always a good thing. Having said all of that "flying the gorge" is a safe and common practice. IFR is not necessary.

As to your question, Jim, one possibility is that once you go through the gorge, you can get back on route by flying direct to KSFF in Spokane or KCDA for a fuel stop. Both Felts and Coeur d'Alene usually have reasonable self-serve fuel prices. That way you can more or less follow I90 over the Rocky Mountains if you like to have a major road below. Once over the Rockies, just punch in direct to on the GPS and pick a good fuel stop(s) on that line as necessary. That's what I'd do anyway. True, it will probaby add an extra 15-20 minutes or so to head north. Others who know the Rockies of central Idaho and southern MT better can give you better routing ideas if you don't want to take that extra time to follow I-90.

Have fun!

If you have weather over the Rockies...

There is a pass east of Lake Pend Oreille that is very low and will take you all the way to Missoula without have to go over anything very high.

Kent

Just did the dance trying to get from Arlington to KBFI and then on down to CA without VFR-on-top over ugly terrain. You have the panel to handle it, just leave when it works for your comfort level.
We go to Salt Lake City or Ogden and on from there is pretty safe. You can get down that way via Boise without overflying really ugly stuff but I'm sure some locals wil have better advice.
As for fuel stops, use AirNav's trip planner for your stops and to see the best prices along the way. Always works for me. Found great prices this way at S30 coming and going to the show for both LL and Mogas.
A buddy of mine had to dead stick in twice in a month and that experience has made me rethink my comfort level around mountains and keeps me plenty busy looking around for "what-ifs" while I'm cruising on flight following with Otto at the helm and XM jazz in the ears.....
Just my 2 cents.

That depends

alpinelakespilot2000 said:

Flying through the Columbia Gorge is not scud running. There are many days (and most summer/fall days) when you don't have a 3-4K ceiling over the Snoqualmie pass area but you do have an appropriate ceiling over the gorge. You automatically pick up at least 3500 feet of ceiling by flying through the gorge as opposed to the Snoqualmie route. To be sure, you still need to be aware of where the obstacles are and what the winds are doing, so going over the route with an instructor or knowledeable person beforehand is, of course, always a good thing. Having said all of that "flying the gorge" is a safe and common practice. IFR is not necessary.



Have fun!

Click to expand...

On how low the ceiling is.

I've heard a few stories where the ceiling went down to the water flying the Gorge..Now of course they should not have attempted the flight in the first place but scud running happens through the gorge quite often.

Frank

Yes, but....

frankh said:

On how low the ceiling is.

I've heard a few stories where the ceiling went down to the water flying the Gorge..Now of course they should not have attempted the flight in the first place but scud running happens through the gorge quite often.

Frank

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There are electrical cable going across the gorge at around 300-400 ft.

Beware of scud running...

Kent

frankh said:

I've heard a few stories where the ceiling went down to the water flying the Gorge..Now of course they should not have attempted the flight in the first place but scud running happens through the gorge quite often.

Click to expand...

I don't think Jim's originally post said anything about planning to scud run, through the gorge or anywhere else. If he is a reasonably competent pilot with a reasonable amount of good judgement, he will be able to safely use the gorge route weather permitting, just like the millions of other pilots who do.

Townsend, MT (8U8) has $3.60 gas, courtesy van, pilots lounge and nice grassy area if you want to pitch a tent.

What about up high with oxygen, go over top of it all....sip gas, one fill up?

Webb said:

What about up high with oxygen, go over top of it all....sip gas, one fill up?

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With a single engine and your family on board...............!
I don't want to start an arguement but I quit thinking that way a really long time ago........

RVadmirer said:

With a single engine and your family on board...............!
I don't want to start an arguement but I quit thinking that way a really long time ago........

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No offense taken. It was just one possible way of going.

Personally, I would take the high route on oxygen as opposed to flying the valleys if I was going past the mountains.

Just remember to keep right!...

Flying the Gorge is like flying the Hudson River...keep right! Steve is right in that an awful lot of pilots handle the Gorge...turbulence and all!

Jay Sluiter
Albany, OR

I flew this many years ago in the back of a Long EZ. We went up to 17999ft MSL on Oxygen and spent about 10-20mins over hostile terrain where there really was no where to go if the wheels fell off. Even with that said we had UGS Forest strips picked out if we had to ditch.

Up high over everything with a nice tail wind (one way of course) was a pleasant experience. One bonus of flying up there is that there significantly less traffic to worry about.

Here is the route:

Hillsboro, OR, La Grande OR, Worland WY, Phillip SD, OSH

Ryan

Webb said:

No offense taken. It was just one possible way of going.

Personally, I would take the high route on oxygen as opposed to flying the valleys if I was going past the mountains.

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I will second Webb, Often weather that keeps us in the valley and or the gorge is not at all high just depends on the weather, If and when it?s an option I go over it all, I have flown the gorge many times also, if you have a good head or tail wind in the gorge you might slow a bit around Cascade Locks for possible bumps. Usually you?re in clear sky buy Hood River.

As for the engine quitting? Well if I planed for it to quit on every flight then an airplane would be about worthless to me, I do what I can (flight planning) within reason, keep a tight ship and use it. What about a Cub low and slow, what about running rivers down on the water in your RV like the Columbia or the Willamette? Flying would sure be boring if I thought it was going to quit every time.

MT Fuel

Another good fuel stop is Laurel, 6S8, currently 3.29 100LL. We got to Billings every summer for family reunion. Laurel is next door.

Jerry

Unless it's severe clear, I just take the gorge, it adds about 30 minutes to my first fuel stop at Nampa, but it's almost always flyable. From Nampa, I usually go to Thermopolis, WY (nice FBO and courtesy car), then Mitchell, SD (great FBO, Cabelas, courtesy car) then either a fuel stop at Portage, WI or right to the show (OSH).

Reviving an old thread...

Rather than start a new one. Planning my first flight to Oshkosh from Scappoose, which makes going through (or above) the Gorge on the way regardless of weather. Any additional specific route/fuel stop suggestions? I know there are loads of RVators in the Willamette Valley that have done the trip.

Thanks,

8u8, Townsend MT has fuel($5.08) and courtesy car.

My route has typically been KUAO -> KGTF -> KATY -> KOWA (overnight) -> KOSH. To get through the Rockies, a good route I've found is MQG -> MLP -> MSO