September 16, 2022 - Utah Flight -
Green River - Flaming Gorge Reservoir -
Dinosaur National Monument

We landed at Rock Springs early in the afternoon.  We fueled up.  The plan had been to fly the Green River from Green River, Wyoming -- 20 or so miles west of here -- south down to Vernal where we would overnight.  But when I tried to book a motel room on Booking.com there was nothing available!  What the heck?  I called a couple of hotels:  no rooms.  I asked the second hotel what was going on.  She said there was some bike race in Vernal.  Every motel, hotel, Holiday Inn was filled.  So, we decided to just spend the night in Rock Springs.  We would need transportation but the FBO attendant told us he'd take care of us.  Great guy!

 
   
I landed here a few years ago and remember the FBO building as no great shakes.  But since then they have moved into new digs and it's really nice.
 
Here's look at the new FBO facility: Sweetwater Aviation.
   
Parked next to a Texas freight dog plane on the ramp.
   
It was too early in the day to head for the motel, so I proposed flying the Green River down to Vernal as planned but then fly direct back to Rock Springs.  The weather was a little iffy, with winds and scattered rain storms.  We discussed it and decided to give it a shot.  We could always just come back if the weather was a problem.
 
Here we are taxiing for takeoff.
   
Poised at one end of the 10,000 foot runway.  We could have done a four-ship side by side takeoff on this very wide runway if we had so desired.
   
I'm at 500 feet with 5,000 feet of runway still ahead of me!
   
Following I-80 west with Green River, Wyoming in sight ahead.
   
Over the town of Green River looking south at the Green River.  This is the location that John Wesley Powell began his expedition on May 24, 1869 down the Green and Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon.  Powell took advantage of the newly completed transcontinental railroad to have his boats and supplies freighted to Green River.
   
Here we go!  This is the start of the sightseeing portion of the trip.
   
This guy probably has a name but I don't know it.
 
It got a little bumpy at one spot in this area with the wind spilling over into the river canyon.
   

Soon we came to the Flaming Gorge Reservoir.
   
 
   
 
   
Looking down at the pipeline bridge.
   
The winds died down over the reservoir and never returned.
   
A big marina on the reservoir.
   
Our first glimpse at some red rock.  We would see much more red rock on this trip.
   
 
   
Following the reservoir/river into a fairly steep canyon.  Having flown it before two (or three) times helped know what to expect.
   
Flaming Gorge Dam, built between 1958 and 1964.
   
Shortly after passing the Dam, while still over the Green River, I looked to my left (north) and saw an airport and small town.  I knew this had to be Dutch John Airport (U33). home of the famous RV driver Vlad.  So of course we had to fly over and check it out.
   
Dutch John was originally created as a place to house the workers who built the Dam, much like Page, Arizona and Glen Canyon Dam, or Boulder, Nevada and the Hoover Dam.  But now it is it's own town: population 147!
   
Looking down at the nice airport with a nicely paved runway as well as a turf runway.  We were looking for Vlad's RV but did not see it.  He must be out flying around somewhere which he has a slight tendency to do.  Talk about being based central to some of the best flying in the world!
   
We emerged from the Red Canyon into Brown's Park, a scenic mountain valley.
   
Brown's Park was a haven for outlaws such as Butch Cassidy and Tom Horn during the late 19th century and the early 20th century.
   
Then we came to the Gates of Lodore where the Green River enters the Uinta Mountains.   It was named by the Powell Expedition after the English poem Cataract of Lodore.[
   

We have now entered the Dinosaur National Monument.
   
 
   
Still following the Green River.
   
Looking down at Steamboat Rock.
 
Underneath my wing is the confluence of the Green and Yampa Rivers.
   
Looking east at the Yampa River.
   
We turned west to continuing following the Green River down to Vernal.
   
Pretty area to the north.
   
Flying through Split Rock Canyon.
   
Almost out of Split Rock Canyon.  The big valley stretches out to the south with the Green River running through it.  We'll fly that tomorrow.  Vernal is only ten miles or so ahead but we won't go there.
   
Looking down at Split Rock boat ramp.
   
 
   
Looking west with Vernal in the distance.
   
I made a U-turn and headed back into Split Canyon.  I should say that we flew in a loose trail when sightseeing like this.  I was in the lead, with Mugsy, Mark and Chuck behind me at a distance they could keep the plane in front of them in sight but not so close that each plane could maneuver at will.
   
Heading easterly now, about to exit Split Mountain canyon.
   
Now ove the heart of the Dinosaur National Monument with its striking white rock.
   
 
   
We passed by Steamboat Rock and continued east now following the Yampa River.
   
The Yampa really winds back and forth down at the bottom of a steep canyon.
   
Once the Yampa exited the canyon into a big valley, we turned northwest towards Rock Springs.  Chuck had climbed up high and turned on his smoke so we could see him.   I must say ADS-B was very useful on this trip.  I could see the other planes on my i-Pad and they could see me.
   
Mark smokes down low.
   
There was some rain to the left and right of us, but we sailed right on through, dry as a bone.
   
 
   
Following Chuck into Rock Springs.
   
Rugged country.
   
Rock Springs Airport dead ahead!
 
We filled up our fuel tanks again, and Sweetwater Aviation was kind enough to let us take the courtesy car overnight.  This was huge, because the airport is a good seven miles or so east of town.  We checked into our motel, had a nice dinner at a sports bar, and called it a night.  Good day.  It would get better.
   
 
   
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