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Follow the Colorado River from its source to Grand Canyons and to the ocean


Joop Kruize

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My publications CRT Part 1, the journey from an airport near Denver to Page Municipal Airport, is in FlightGear: May 3, '21. "Follow the Colorado River from its source to the ocean". Check it out at; https://forum.flightgear.org/viewtopic.php?f=67&t=39122

 

Phase 2.1. (FS2004). From Page to Tusayan (224 km ~ 120 Nm.) On Christmas Day '21 I took off from Page Municipal Airport (HDG 330), over Lake Powell, over the Glen Canyon Dam and under the open steel bridge. Follow the Colorado River with HDG 210 and land at L41 Marble Airport. The next day, 26-12, it was foggy and some snow at first. I followed the river through the narrow Marble Canyon. It was too narrow for my C-172 to fly through. Later there was a long straight that was suitable for flying through. After the confluence with the Little Colorado River, I follow the wide Grand Canyon near South Rim and North Rim. It was quite a climb to get out of this deep valley with my Cessna. My destination, the airport, Tusayan AirPort is on the south side. I had the ILS set to 108.9 and it works. With AP, Approach on, I landed on the right side of the runway. CRT 01 Page-Tusayan (short impression).

CRT 01 Colorado-River-Tour Page-Tusayan

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Stage 2.2. from Tusayan to Bar Ten - 1Z1 (186 km ~ 100 Nm.)

 

December 30, '21 I left with a Cessna 208 Caravan at South Rim. A very beautiful flight, but the wide valley soon narrows. Close to my destination, airport “Bar Ten” 1Z1, a short climb to get out. What an airport. A small strip. After a few attempts and go-arounds, it was possible to land with the correct very slow speed. This airport has been family owned for a long time. A great history.

CRT 02 Colorado RT Tusayan Bar 10 1Z1

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Stage 2.3. from the “Bar Ten” strip to Grand Canyon West Airport. (142 km / 77 Nm)

 

January 3, 2022 I left with my Beechcraft Baron 58 heading south to the Colorado River… After a dive to the river I took up the thread again. Tracking downstream. With the faster Beech it was not so easy to stay far from the rock walls. Halfway I saw the Colorado River Island “Wide Island” in a big right turn. I had to fly higher over the narrower Canyons. Further on, there was more space. Full throttle at Airport West to get out of the valley. Landed after some snowfall.

CRT 03 Bar10 - GCWest

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Stage 2.4. from Grand Canyon West Airport to Pearce Ferry Airport (48 km ~ 26 Nm)

 

January 4, 2022 I left with my Heli, the Bell 206B JR, towards North for a short trip. After a long dive from this plateau and left follow the Colorado. A wide valley that you can follow with great beautiful views. After a short break on a snowy ridge with a nice view, I continued. Suddenly the Canyon comes to an end and the steep rocks turn into a beautiful sloping wide plain. On the other side I saw the plateau of Pearce Ferry. There is the Airstrip. Just follow the road to the top…. Again I landed with sometimes poor visibility due to the snow.

CRT 04 GCWest - P.Ferry

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  • 2 weeks later...

Stage 2.5 - Pearce Ferry to Las Vegas Airport and Boulder City. (204 km / 110 Nm)

 

On Jan. 7, '22 I left with my Cessna 208 Caravan Amphibian.

After following the wide valley with plenty of water, there was room enough to land briefly, a second time on Mead Lake for a short break. I forgot to retract the wheels on this trip. Then the journey continued to civilization. Las Vegas came into the picture, landing on “Harry Reid Int. Airport” in the center. Landed, taxied and parked neatly with AP, ILS and APR. In the evening I left with the Heli 206B JR. A tour over the beautifully lit “Strip” of Las Vegas and through the darkness to Airport Boulder City.

CRT 05 Colorado Pearce Ferry Las Vegas.

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Edited by Joop Kruize
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Stage 2.6 - from Boulder to “Havasu City Airport” (219 km)

 

On January 9 I left with my beautiful fast Mooney Bravo. After a piece of Mead Lake, a narrow cove, the Hoover Dam, the last stretch of Cayon follows, in this desert. After this I came in the Lower Colorado River Valley (LCRV), which is somewhat hilly with a lot of agriculture and horticulture with irrigation. This is the “Mohave” country (Mohave Lake) where several Indian reservations were established. I landed on an airport near Havasu.

CRT 06 Colorado LV Boulder Havasu.

 

CD22B954-D8DF-4042-B657-A84CF393B90C.jpeg

Edited by Joop Kruize
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Stage 2.7 - Havasu to Yuma Airport, SAN Luis (287 km)

 

On January 10, '22 I took off in Havasu with my Beech King Air. Nice and fast over a hilly less interesting landscape. I follow many meanders of the once wide river. Sometimes the river is wide. But after the dam there is almost nothing left of the once mighty river. A smal canal for irrigation.

Near Yuma I searched the City-Airport. No ILS? Too bad.

CRT 07 Colorado Havasu Yuma SanLuis.

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Stage 2.8 - from Yuma to “Aeropuerto Int. Mar de Cortez” at the Baja California in Mexico.!! (366km)

 

On January 11, '22 my last trip of the total Colorado River Tour. After Yuma left again with my Cessna 208 CAR Amphibian. Follow the river again if possible in this dry area. After the Imperial Dam it turns right and the river turns into a narrow irrigation canal.

Here I cross the border of the USA, the United States, to Mexico, the Baja and the Mar de Cortez and the Pacific. This is the flat land of the Colorado River Delta to cross. Then, after a few expanses of water and lakes, the large bay follows. The “Baja California” or the “Mar de Cortes” and Mexico..! At Puerto Peñasco there is an Airport and again without ILS.

CRT 08 Colorado Yuma Mexico PP YT.

 

End of this CRT. Totally flown 2,918 km, 1,242 km along the first part from Denver to Page and after that the 1,676 km into Mexico.

The ~600km additional miles flown were in Denver, Las Vegas and Mexico. These were the entrances to and exits from the airports.

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