| |
| Big Horn Benchmark and More, AZ | |
|
| | Big Horn Benchmark and More, AZ | | | |
|
|
Big Horn Benchmark and More, AZ
| | |
|
| Hiking | 6.27 Miles |
461 AEG |
| | Hiking | 6.27 Miles | 5 Hrs 4 Mns | | 2.49 mph |
| 461 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 33 Mns Break | | | |
|
|
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Big Horn Benchmark is located on a small mountain 6 miles northwest of Big Horn Peak.
This triplog name has "And More" at its end, due to the fact a no-name aircraft runway is less than a mile away from the Big Horn disk mountain. The runway is basically "Out in the middle of nowhere."
Also, there is a defunct mine, just northeast of the end of that runway, so my assumption is the 3,100 foot long runway (50 feet wide and unpaved), was affiliated with the mine.
So, after climbing the benchmark mountain, then locating the Big Horn azimuth mark in the flat desert, I then located another benchmark on my way to "touring" the runway and the defunct mine.
I'm sure HAZ hikers have surprises on some of their hikes - I know I do.
My surprise on this hike was - While atop the mountain, looking for the little survey disks, I heard, then saw, a low flying light airplane fly over my mountain. It was a small homebuilt plane. I watched the plane for awhile, then got busy again looking for disks.
Well, the next time I looked up and off the mountain, the homebuilt plane was landing on that runway. This cute red and white homebuilt plane was a "STOL" plane.
STOL = Short Take Off & Landing. They are designed to takeoff and land in amazingly short distances. Plus this one had, relative to it's tiny size, huge oversized tires - All the better to land and takeoff on grass, dirt, and Arizona desert sand.
I grabbed my camera and started taking photos. The 2-seat STOL came to a stop on the runway, then the pilot turned the plane perpendicular to the runway, and came to a full stop. The pilot then shutdown the engine, and got out of the plane onto the runway.
He appeared to be making an adjustment to the door of the plane. After about 15 minutes, he got back into the plane, started up the engine, taxied down the runway, turned the plane around and took off.
Once airborne, he turned the plane around and headed southwest over the runway.
I was able to take a few more photos while it flew by.
Later in my hike, while I was hiking on the runway, I noticed the runway actually had a slight "kink" in its direction. Not much, but enough to get a pilot's attention.
This was a fun hike, with some surprises added. Plus, I had perfect weather. |
| _____________________
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
J.R.R.TOLKIEN |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
