Date: 202106
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 50
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Operator: Personal
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: None
Mission: Training
Flight phase: Initial Approach
Airspace: Class G ID24
ATC / advisory: TRACON S46
Reporter organization: Personal
Reporter function: Captain; Single Pilot
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Human factors: Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Contributing factors: Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: Landing at ID24 (short grass runway) to the North which meant there is a large hump in the middle of the runway- about 15 feet high but with a short but smooth run up to it. Asked student if I could do the landing as this was the second time I had landed on a grass strip and the first time on a runway with a pronounced hill in the middle and that hill was only about 700 feet past the threshold- I knew we would be rolling over it. If you rolled over too fast it was possible for the plane to want to become temporarily airborne. There were some very tall trees on final and it was a good idea to touch down as close to the threshold as possible. The idea was to fly a very stabilized approach as low as possible over the trees and then get into the flare just as we were crossing the shore of the lake where the runway began. Set up a long straight-in over Garfield Bay; crossed the shore when I realized I did not recognize the landmarks at the lower altitude we were at; and was already descending to what I thought were the tops of the trees on final.  I think we were below the legal altitude limit a few times when considering how far from the airport we were so I climbed a little so as not to bother residents and get a better view.  Then my student who knows the area well spotted the landmarks I needed. Set up the steep approach and the rest went better than expected. Contributing factors were [the] challenging approach and landing in the type of plane we were flying had me anxious- would have been really easy in a Aircraft X. More challenging to me than landing at Telluride with a 25 gusting 35 crosswind during light snow (Aircraft Y). I did not pick out my landmarks for the approach with the idea I could not orient so well when down low. Did not do a low approach to check out the runway where I wouldn't be so worried about getting stabilized on the approach early- we just overflew the airport at pattern altitude having taken off from Timber Basin about 40 minutes earlier. Did not just do a left downwind/base/final because I was worried about being super-stabilized for the short/soft field landing.  I could have just done a longer downwind and my orientation would have been very good. The high terrain on the left downwind had something to do with my decision. How to avoid [is to] do a better job of picking out landmarks for making an approach plan to challenging airports. Fly the pattern as long as it is safe. At short unprepared strips with tall trees all around it do a low approach and check things out; ensure safety and make a good plan.




Synopsis: Instructor Pilot reported descending too low on approach for landing; requiring a climb back above minimum altitude to safely continue the approach.