RV Bushplane

What is the roughest/shortest/highest strip anyone has had or seen an RV get into and out of? I know RV's aren't bush planes but I seem to remember someone in Alaska putting big tires on an RV-6. Anyone been into some of the tough strips in Idaho? Johnson Creek doesn't count. There is a picture of a Staggerwing Beech at Dewey Moore that I have seen somewhere. http://www.mountainflying.com/Pages/airstrips/id_dewey_moore.htmlSupposedly there was a Ford Tri-motor successfully taken into and out of Mile Hi back in the day as well. http://www.mountainflying.com/Pages/airstrips/id_mile_hi.html Anyone been into any of these in an RV?

I would think there are better suited airplanes for those "airports".

560' x 30'? Wow!

Upper Loon and Big Creek

Here's a video of an RV-4 going into Upper Loon Creek (U72) in Idaho.
5500' elevation and 2500' long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oABOcKDcTJs
And another of an RV-6 going into Big Creek (U60) in Idaho.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oMr5jkkU8A
And the same guy into Upper Loon where it looks like there are a couple of other Rv's already there.
http://www.youtube.com/user/rv6driver#p/u
RV-7 into Big Creek.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgcg2sOVSnU
Same RV-7 into Upper Loon.
http://www.youtube.com/user/RktNo14

RV flight performance makes them pretty good short/steep strip airplanes with adequate engine/prop and a sensible pilot (who knows his limitations) driving. Those strips you mentioned are relatively good - unless you drop a wheel into a whistle pig hole. The RV Achilles heel is the dinky landing gear and low-to-the-ground wheel fairings. Even Johnson or Smiley can beat up your fairings because of the gaps between the bunch grass. Then there's the pulverization on the underside that accumulates because of small rocks and pebbles (with the possibility of jamming), or, if you remove the fairings, the tail plane, on dirt/gravel strips. You'll rapidly deteriorate your RV regularly operating off back country strips, or all at once with bad luck.

The few times I use our -7 on JC or Smiley are for light-load day trips to moderate the beating. The 172 gets taken to all other ID strips.

John Siebold
Boise, ID