From: barney@sol.usc.edu (Barney Lum)
Newsgroups: rec.aviation
Subject: Flying/Camping the Sierras: Mariposa
Date: 31 Aug 1992 19:23:38 -0700
Organization: USC University Computing Services, Los Angeles
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: sol.usc.edu

In a nutshell: 
From El Monte, Brian (pilot wannabe), Linda (non-current pp-asel), and 
myself (psp,otn) got to spend a week of flying along the Sierras, camping 
near Yosemite and at Columbia Airport.  In addition, we continued to Grass 
Valley, Lake Tahoe, Carson City, then back via Fresno and Porterville.  We 
packed our tent, bags, stuff, and a cooler into our club's C-5A, er, C172XP 
for the excursion.  

Concerns encountered: Weight/Balance, Fuel Qty Measuring/Determination,
Turbulence, TRW's, Destiny Altitude, Physiology at Altitude, and FUN.

This is the first of n parts to this story:

*********
EMT-O68: El Monte to Mariposa, Day 1
Our pre-trip planning included what we could take based on what they weighed.
Useful load in our C172 is about 1065 pounds, so I set the limit at 900-950.
Allowing for full fuel, this gave each of us about 60 lbs for gear/food/stuff.

It'd been awhile since I'd done a "real" weight AND balance.  All the
large/bulky-but-light items were put in the far rear of the plane, baggage 
area 2... about 25 pounds worth.  The cooler and heavier bags were placed 
in the rear passenger floor/seat, with the rest fitting neatly in the usual
baggage compartment.  Each item was weighed and accounted for while being 
noted, on a w/b sheet.  With all that bulk, it sure didn't "look" right as 
the rear seat and baggage areas were filled to just above the top of the rear 
seatback.   With a few "extras" that showed up, we were carrying about 230 lbs
of "stuff", plus pax and full fuel - total of 940 lbs. This put our takeoff 
weight at about 2430 lbs. (max gross is 2550).

I had filed a flightplan the night before via Contel DUAT.  A quick weather 
update gave "no flight precautions or airmets".. we were ready to launch.

The first leg of this trip was planned for about 2.5 hours.  We departed in 
typical smaze out of the LA basin - 6HK, with temperatures starting to reach
into the 90's.  Car traffic delayed my passengers, so we didn't get an early 
jump on the heat as I had hoped.  For "practice" with the warm air and heavy 
load, I pointed  out, and vowed to stand by, the point along the runway at 
which if we weren't  airborne, the takeoff run would be aborted.  As it turns 
out, we were airborne within 1000 feet (out of 4000) and climbing at almost 
900 fpm.  No problem :).

Departing to the northwest, I switched to Riverside FSS to quickly open 
the flightplan, then switched again to Burbank as we passed the northeast 
sector of their ARSA.  I must've found a lull as they quickly got back to me, 
followed me ~30 miles out,  then handed me off to L.A. Center(!).  I was 
expecting Bakersfield near that area, but what the hell.. I'll take 'em :).  
As it turns out, ZLA immediately told me to squawk VFR and to contact BFL.
Hrmph!

We're now about twenty minutes into the flight and leisurely climbing 
out of 7000' for 8,500'.  The turbulence is light and quite frequent as 
might be expected over the hills.  Brian is now flying the plane...it 
helps keep his mind (and stomach) off of the turbulence :).  There were a 
few bumps that were "interesting", but nothing "BUTT BUSTING" in nature :).

It's a dramatic view as we cross the San Andreas Fault, the ground dropping 
suddenly out from under us into the vast San Joaquin Valley floor.  Smoke/haze
(probably from the forest fires ) filled the air,  limiting visibility to about
20 or 30 miles.  Cumulus were starting to form along the Sierras, but mostly 
of the scattered type that weren't dark and menacing.

I gave Bakersfield a call where  a friendly  female voice came back and
assigned  a squawk.  She sounded VERY familiar, like the person that 
practically held my hand during my long student x-country 4 years ago.  
She advises me of another Skyhawk at my 4 o-clock  and slightly faster. 
Hrmph!  That made me want to put the throttle back to the firewall!
(Is/Wasn't there a netter (or friend of) at BFL?)

They eventually handed me off to Fresno,  and then to Castle TRACONs for the 
last portions of this flight.  Things got a bit bumpy as we descended into 
the Sierra Foothills out of 6000'.  Funny how ridges look particularly 
*close* and HARD as you get lower to them!  It's also interesting how one 
(me, anyway) is reluctant to descent further as the bumps become more 
frequent. 

Mariposa has a rather large hill to the north of its runway 8/26.  With 
some lively breezes, approach and landing was a bit, um...exciting :).  
I think our heavy load help keep the plane from being pushed around too
easily.  The wind also happened to be out of the west, so the landing 
(on 26..uphill) looked like one at Catalina.  And as occasionally happens
at AVX, things didn't look right the first time so a go-around was done.

Our late departure brought us in at about 2:30pm local.  Temperature was 
a toasty 100F as shown by both the OAT gauge, as well as the airport's!
Lack of humidity kept it bearable, though... it was actualy quite nice!  

The rent-a-car I had reserved the week before through the airport office
was there waiting for us.  Along with a bunch of other reservations, ours
was on a Post-It (tm) stuck onto the inside ledge of the counter :).
George Brunnin (sp?) runs the whole show there.  Real nice, friendly older 
man who appeared to like just sitting back and letting aviation take place.  
While he filled out the car's paperwork, I remember to pick up the phone and 
close the flightplan.

Our car is ready...  a high performance 4-seater, probably 90HP inline 
4-banger carbureted Tercel hatchback :}.  It's a wonder that we were able to 
put our stuff and ourselves into it!  We drove it onto the field transfered 
most everything from the plane into the car.  Looks like an 'ol Skyhawk can 
hold more volume-wise... I wouldnt be surprised if weight-wise as well!  It 
was quite a sight to see all that had been crammed into the plane...then try 
to shove it into the car. 

We drove for twenty minutes out of Mariposa where we staked our camp site 
at Indian Flat RV park near El Portal.  We're now about halfway to Yosemite, 
just 20 miles further east.  This place has both RV and tent sites - $12/night
 + $1.00/person over two (i.e. $13/night for 3 ppl) for the latter.  Hot 
showers as well as use of the pool at the lodge next door are some of the 
amenities, with the Merced River just across the (noisy) highway 140.  
Groceries are available in town two miles further down. 

We spent the rest of the day and the next exploring the floor of Yosemite
Valley.  Being the first time that I've spent more than 3 hours there, I 
wanted to do some hiking/exploring of the streams and falls.  Looking at 
the map handout, it looked like an easy walk to Mirror Lake and Vernal Falls;
should be doable in about 2 hours.  Well, no pre-hike planning was done (!@^).
If I had a countour map, I would've seen how *close* the lines were in the
area of Vernal Falls!  It was almost a constant uphill climb, the last portion
being along the walls of falls and nearly straight up some carved-out steps.  
Add to that a thick overcast with occasional thunder, 80 degrees temps, 
(humidity about the same), and we're now at about 4000' elevation (5000' at 
the falls).  FUN (and gasp)!!

Our legs and bodies somewhat aching, we decided to let them rest and 
recoupe the rest of the evening.  The skies had cleared into the night
as a full moon beamed through the darkness.  It was like a floodlight
pouring into the valley, lighting up El Capitan's 3000' walls.  It was 
hard to believe that the top of it was higher than pattern altitude and 
then some!  Higher than many parts of non-TCA airspace in LA, too :).

Next Chapter: On to Columbia. 

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