One of the problems with living in Arizona and loving backcountry flying is that it takes so long to get there. On average, it's a 7 hr. flight from Phoenix to either West Yellowstone, MT or Johnson Creek in ID.
While that means you have to get up very early to make the flight, it's also means you'll get to see a wide array of landscapes passing your window throughout the day.
A flight to West Yellowstone will include the AZ desert, the high forest of the rim country in northern AZ, the Grand Canyon, the Wasatch mountain range in UT, the Grand Tetons in WY, and Yellowstone at the destination.
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Going Home '06
A morning departure from West Yellowstone to Phoenix will soon reveal the west side of the Grand Tetons on the left.
By afternoon, the Monsoon thunderstorms of AZ will be dotting the path to Phoenix. This is a very severe
thunderstorm that I detoured around near Flagstaff. The solid rain shaft was about 20 miles across.
You have to give storms like this one a very wide berth if you want to avoid severe turbulence and possible
hail. Neither of which are pleasant in a light aluminum aircraft.
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