From: barney@sol.usc.edu (Barney Lum)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
Subject: Flying/Camping the Sierras: Columbia
Date: 3 Sep 1992 15:29:13 -0700
Organization: USC University Computing Services, Los Angeles
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.usc.edu

Part 2 of n ....

O68-O22: Mariposa to Columbia, Day 3

The smell of smoke filled the Mariposa air as we drove back to the airport.
Visibility was down to about 5 miles.  A weather briefing reveals a large 
fire in the Sequoias about 50 miles south and with smoke being carried up 
by the winds.  Bad for the area, but good tailwinds for our next leg.

We returned the car ($40/day, 100 miles/day allowance), and re-crammed 
everything into the plane.  We're a bit lighter now that some of the food 
and ice are gone (hmm... well, maybe they've just been re-arranged :} ).  
Our fuel is down to only 15 gallons, more than enough for the 20 minute hop 
to Columbia.  Temperature was back in the 90's again, but still dry.

The light surface winds were now coming out of the east, so a downhill 
takeoff on runway 8 got us airborne quite quickly.  Our right downwind 
climbout was rather bumpy as we rounded that hill north of the airport. 
We couldn't see where the smoke was coming from, but it did extend northward 
for about 20 miles before thinning out.  

At this point I was trying to contact Flight Service to open the flightplan 
and give a quick PIREP, but wasn't receiving any response from them. After 
switching radios, I gave up and instead just took in the sights as we
climbed out to 6,500'. 

I had given Brian and Linda charts (out of date.. does that make me illegal 
for carrying them? ;) ) so I let them navigate and figger out where we were.
Of course, my *current* chart was in my lap as I monitored our progress.

With all of the fires that had been going on around that area, I planned
to approach Columbia high in case its tanker planes were in the area. 
Tuning the radio in to Columbioa's AWOS, there was nothing coming in.  
The other readio is tuned to CTAF, but there's nothing on that frequency 
either.  Must be either a slow day or my radios have fritzed.  I make a 
couple calls to Unicom, but get no response.   Hmmm... what's the deal here?
Just to be safe, I'll continue high across the airport and come back around.

Another call finally gets a response, but not one I was expecting: "Cessna 
inbound from the south, you've had a stuck mike which was rather obnoxious."  
Uh... was that me?  I guess so... no other Cessna around my area... no 
wonder no one was getting back to me.  Sigh.  At least whatever was causing 
the problem cleared up when it did.

On the ground, I taxi up to Bald Eagle Aviation to let them know we were
there and would be using the campgrounds on the airport.  The guy smiled as
he advised to just go on over and "get close to a picnic table so you 
don't have to carry things too far...that's what I do."

I explained that two (Gus & Robert) friends and their passengers were driving 
up to meet us there, so we were able to have the drive-in gate opened early.
I had called earlier in the week and they said it'd be okay.  However, I had 
to talk to the Airport Manager to unlock it.  She was real nice.. "no problem,
I'll open it on the way home."  It usually isn't opened until Saturday for the 
weekend.  Back into the plane, we taxi across the runway after checking that 
the mic isn't stuck again.  

I was now taxiing alongside the turf runway, 11/29.  This was my first real 
"soft field" experience, so I wasn't too sure what to expect.  With all of 
our stuff (there's that word again), it wasn't hard to hold the yoke back 
and float the nosewheel.  We unloaded the plane and dumped our gear at one 
of the campsites set further back from the aircraft parking.  

It's early Friday afternoon and we're the only ones there at the moment.
The camping area is to the north of 11/29, inside of where it intersects
with 17/35 which forms a "y".  LOTs of trees, there's about 16 tent sites, 
many with BBQ grills in the ~1 acre area.  In addition, there's also a 
large spit with a rotiserrie in case someone brings in their kill!  

There's a clubhouse available for rent... looks like it might have kitchen 
facilities (I forgot to check/ask), as well as hot showers/bathrooms are next 
to a clubhouse that's available to rent for functions.  There's also an ice 
freezer with 7 lb bags for $2.00 each.  Like the $5.75/night/acft camping 
fee,  payment in envelopes (provided) can be deposited in one of the slots 
at the site or over at the terminal building.  

We scamper on foot back to the FBO side of the airport to use the phones.  
A call to the folks' driving up cellular phone (from  the ground :) )  was 
made to get us an update of their arrival time... except they're not sure 
where they are!  We agree to meet in a couple hours at the City Hotel as 
they're probably that far out.  In the meantime, we walk the "trail" from 
the airport into town, an easy mile walk.  During summers, the school 
swimming pool at the city end of the trail is open to the public.

Columbia was a bustlin' city in its heyday during the Gold Rush.  Now it's 
a State Park area that's a timecapsule taking you back tothe 1840's.  No 
motorized vehicles allowed in the town... only horse-drawn carriages and 
a Wells-Fargo stage coach drive the streets.  Otherwise visitors can 
pedomobile on through :).  We woulda tried our panning-for-gold skills,
but our plane was heavy enough ;).

The museum runs a free 20 minute slide show every couple hours.  If nothing
else, that alone gives a very good idea of what the place was about and like 
way back then.  Old-fasioned Ice Cream at the end of the street is the call 
after an afternoon's walk.  The building also houses the repertory theater
which presents regular productions.

Mostly souvenir shops, there's also a couple saloons, a few restaurants, 
and even a blacksmith that will put your initials into a horseshoe.  The 
City Hotel/Restaurant is a ritzy place that also serves as a school for 
aspiring hotel managers and culinary artists.  Looking at the menu, one 
might think the guests are paying the tuition!  Claude Goldsmith had 
recommended the place (with a caveat about the prices), but we passed at 
the $30/person dinners :}.

Having met up with our lost drivers, we had dinner at the Stage Coach Inn
on the main highway.  Nice, home-cooking atmosphere with quasi-chuckwagon
food.  Steaks, chops, or chicken entrees ran between $9-$14.  A bunch
of us went for the "all-you-can-eat" platter consisting of roast beef,
chicken, and (uh oh, i forget what!)... that was $11 .  And the food
was pretty good, too!  It was debatable if bbq'ing would've been better :).

We woke up the following morning to the sound of a couple tail-draggers
making their way around the pattern of the turf runway 11/29.  Being
parked/camped right along side of it, we had a great sideline view
while firing up our breakfast BBQ!  Steak-n-eggs were the call for
that meal :)

It was about 9am and like a neighborhood ice cream truck, a fuel truck 
came by to offer 100LL or 80 but this time to the tune of overhead planes.  
No price difference between him and the fuel pit... just a really neat 
service for planes in need.  The temperature was starting to rise into 
the 90's, so I didn't quite top the plane off, but enough for another three 
hours of flying.  The fueler even gave me a pack of gum... really
neat gesture (or was he giving a hint?!)  :).

A Stearman is also making its rounds, probably belonging to the outfit
that offers rides.  Depending on the "thrill level" desired, rates are
$35 ("Cadet", 10 minutes), $55 ("Cropduster, 15 minutes), or $95 ("Ace, 
25 minute aerobatic). "Feel the air of the cockpit.. 2G turns, loops, 
etc...".  I wonder if they would've been willing to trade rides with 
our 172? :)

Columbia would be a neat place for a fly-in... people can spend the 
night camping to avoid rushing back.  Rafting trips on the nearby 
Stanislaus river are also offered  from an outfit in town... provided 
it's not *too* dry.  

Next stop: 50 minute flight to Grass Valley
A wedding reception/luau there (of all places!) awaits us there.  It'll 
take Gus and Robert about 3.5 hours to drive, so they left at about 11am.  
Once again, we perform the ritual of loading our "stuff" into the plane.  
We figure we should be able to catch up to them in time for the feast :)

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