South Idaho Bush Trip For Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020

With the great reviews and feedback from my first two custom Bush Trips for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, I am back with a third from my home state of Idaho. For this adventure, we move to southern Idaho. Desert landscapes that resemble the moon so closely, the Apollo astronauts trained on its volcanic rock. Canyons so deep, they hold waterfalls higher than the mighty Niagara Falls. Mountains so high, they dwarf all the other mountains in Idaho. South Idaho truly is as diverse as it gets for a bush pilot. From the Oregon border in the west to the Wyoming border in the east, this 15-leg bush trip with four custom built airstrips will take you nearly 700 nautical miles over the wild and remote landscapes that make southern Idaho one of the most unique places in the United States.

There are 2 ways to enjoy this custom bush trip on your own schedule.

Option 1: Complete this bush trip as an in game experience, just like the bush trips that came with the game. Your progress will be auto saved and you will have the directions, distance, and ETE embedded in the on screen NavLog as well as access to the ‘back on track’ feature. I have also made it so you can fly whichever plane you like as well as added the ability to adjust date, time and weather, something you could not do in the original bush trips designed by Asobo. Additionally, our in-game experience has detailed weather settings to add to the challenge and beauty of your South Idaho Bush Trip.

If you have not flown the original Central Idaho Bush Trip or North Idaho Bush Trip, for a limited time, you can save by bundling all three into one download. This 48-leg bush trip package covers almost 2,000 nautical miles for an incredible 17 hour adventure through the remote Idaho backcountry, flying between beautiful 12,000 foot jagged mountain peaks, over thousands of miles of untamed river and in front of giant orange supermoons, which rise just as the sun sets.

Download the package from the Premium Trips page.

South Idaho Bush Trip

---

Leg 1: J-Lazy-M Ranch (ID04) to Dickshooter (DKSH)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 26th 2020 8:45AM
Weather Preset Pro – Autumn Sun
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

The Canyon airstrip (known as J-Lazy-M in MSFS) lies deep in the famous Owyhee wilderness, along the border with Oregon in the tiny town of Cliffs. Small ranches were established along Wilson Creek in this location in 1909, but the town has largely remained near empty for decades.

Upon takeoff, find Juniper Mountain Road and head south until the flat road dips into the canyon in a set of switchbacks, next to the Owyhee North Fork Campground.

Make a sharp turn eastward and follow the North Fork of the Owyhee Wilderness River as it snakes northeast. the rising autumn sun will make it hard to see, so you may have to fly low, in the canyon, in order to avoid looking directly into the sun. Look for a split in the river where Juniper Creek breaks off to the north.

Follow the North Fork of the Owyhee Wilderness River southeast until another split, this time with Pleasant Valley Creek.

As the North Fork of the Owyhee Wilderness River abruptly breaks off to the northeast, you want to follow the Pleasant Valley Creek southeast. Eventually you will lose sight of the creek as it dries up in this harsh desert environment.

Continue on almost the same heading until you reconnect with Juniper Mountain Road at Nickel Creek.

Follow Juniper Mountain Road northeast until it meets Current Creek, marked by a dirt road that cuts off of the main road towards the southeast.

Follow Current Creek southeast as it turns into Stoneman Creek. Look for the splits in the river at Hidden Valley.

Follow Deep Creek south, as it cuts through the photogenic canyon. Eventually, Nickel Creek reappears out of your right window.

At the intersection with Nickel Creek, continue following Deep Creek as it begins to turn southeast, before turning south again, where it intersects with Pole Creek.

Continue following Deep Creek south until an unnamed dirt road runs through it.

Follow the road as it begins to run northeast, where it will split.

At the road split, take the dirt road on the right, as it leads you eastward. The road will turn southeast where it will enter a canyon before heading back to the northeast. Look for an intersection marked by a small group of trees.

Continue following the road as it makes a sharp turn south, where you will see the tiny town known for its unfortunate name. Dickshooter, Idaho. Look for the beautiful Dickshooter airstrip (made by me) and touch down as the early morning Autumn Sun begins to warm the crisp air.

*This is a custom made airstrip and cabin which will only show in the Premium Version of this Bush Trip. If you wish to continue without the premium version, just land somewhere flat and prepare for the next leg.

Heading	Distance	ETE
163 – Owyhee North Fork Campground	2.87 NM	1’22”
56 – North Fork Of The Owyhee River	1.67 NM	0’47”
94 – Pleasant Valley Creek	1.50 NM	0’42”
103 – End of Pleasant Valley Creek	2.52 NM	1’12
101 – Juniper Mountain Road	4.39 NM	2’52”
41 – Current Creek	2.92 NM	1’23”
109 – Hidden Valley	1.02 NM	0’29”
155 – Nickel Creek	6.52 NM	3’6″
127 – Pole Creek	1.64 NM	0’46”
167 – Unnamed Dirt Road	2.74 NM	1’18”
41 – Split in the Road	2.20 NM	1’2
80 – Intersection With Trees	3.74 NM	1’46
107 – Dickshooter	1.44 NM	0’41

---

Leg 2: Dickshooter (DKSH) to Owyhee (10U)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 26th 2020 3:00PM
Weather Preset Pro – Light Rain
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

After sitting in the warm morning sun and enjoying some breakfast with the townsfolk of Dickshooter, you board your bird in the afternoon as a light rain rolls into the region and take off for the Owyhee airport, just over the Idaho border in Nevada. Upon takeoff, head southwest over the arid high desert until you reconnect with Deep Creek and the widening canyon that heads south.

Follow Deep Creek South until it ends at Piute Creek.

Fly low above Piute Creek southeast until it reaches a fork at the Owyhee River.

Turn south at the fork and follow the Owyhee River south until the canyon that houses the river abruptly ends and opens to the Owyhee plains.

Continue following the Owyhee River on the right as the beautiful Ross Slough winds parallel to the Owyhee River until the river turns into a canal.

Follow Main Canal as it runs parallel to Blue Creek Road . Eventually, you will see the town of Owyhee out of your left window when the farmland becomes noticeably more diverse in colors such as yellow.

Turn southwest until you reach the Owyhee Airport, which houses a 4,700 foot long paved runway, plenty of room to practice your landing before attempting some more challenging landings later in your bush trip through South Idaho.

Heading	Distance	ETE
224- Deep Creek	5.69 NM	2’42”
184 – Piute Creek	4.77 NM	2’16”
94 – Owyhee River	5.42 NM	2’34”
116 – Owyhee Plains	14.47 NM	6”53″
119- Owyhee River Canal	4.49 NM	2’8″
124 – Owyhee	4.38 NM	2’5″
221- Owyhee Airport	2.23 NM	1’3″

---

Leg 3: Owyhee (10U) to Murphy Hot Springs (3U0)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 26th 2020 6:00PM
Weather Preset Pro – Building Storms
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

The town of Owyhee has 953 residents, with the majority being Native American. The town is the primary location of the Shoshone-Paiute tribe’s Duck Valley Indian Reservation. The reservation was established in 1877, but the people have a long history fighting to retain their rights, including an 1884 attempt to establish non-Native American homesteads. After spending the afternoon exploring the area, you take off for your overnight destination at Murphy Hot Springs. Take off as storms build around you, heading to the east and the town of Owyhee and look for the main road, Nevada State Route 225.

Follow Route 225 southeast along the Owyhee River until you reach the town of Mountain City, which sits at the base of, you guess it, some big Nevada mountains!

From Mountain City, begin the climb up the mountains, following National Forest Development Road 17. As the road weaves up, look for the end of the road where it meats National Forest Road 16, running north and south.

From the intersection, continue Northeast until you reach the top of Merritt Mountain the tallest point on the Bruneau Range, also known as The Mahoganies. At 8,792 feet, the mountain is a remote, and supposedly only summited rarely, even though the road leads close to the summit. Gain altitude and fly to the top of the summit of Merritt Mountain.

From the summit of Merritt Mountain, turn southeast until you reach Tennessee Mountain which lacks an apparent summit, but is easily visible as the tallest land before the mighty Jarbridge Mountains in the distance.

From Tennessee Mountain, fly east, gaining the altitude needed to climb the towering Jarbidge Mountains. Look for the highest peak ahead, Matterhorn, which sits at 10,838 feet (3,303 m) above sea level. “Jarbidge” is a name derived from the Shoshone language meaning “devil” as the Native Americans believed the mountains were haunted.

Once you summit Matterhorn, begin your descent east as the sun begins to set behind you and the light begins to fade. Look for the East Fork of the Jarbidge River.

Follow the East Fork of the Jarbidge River north until you reach the town of Murphy Hot Spring on the west bank of the river, and look for the Murphy Hot Spring Airstrip on a plateau to the east of the river.

Heading	Distance	ETE
81- Nevada State Route 225	3.76 NM	1’47”
124 – Mountain City	8.85 NM	4’12”
55- National Forest Road 16	3.88 NM	1’50”
63 – Merritt Mountain	1.96 NM	0”56″
106- Tennessee Mountain	8.85 NM	4’12”
71 – Matterhorn	13.20 NM	6’17”
70- East Fork of the Jarbidge River	2.35 NM	1’7″
344 – Murphy Hot Springs Airstrip	12.35 NM	5’52”

---

Leg 4: Murphy Hot Springs (3U0) To Grasmere (U91)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 27th 2020 8:30AM
Weather Preset Pro – Wildfire
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

After a relaxing night soaking in the local hot springs, you wake up to see that the late season wildfire smoke has begun to descend on the high desert of South Idaho. While hazy, conditions are clear enough to take flight to your next location. Take off from the Murphy Hot Spring landing strip back west to the East Fork of the Jarbidge River where you will pass over the small riverside encampment of Murphy Hot Spring. The Breuneau Desert Flat stretches for miles through southern Idaho, eventually clearing way for a gorge near the East Fork of the Jarbidge River, along the Nevada border. Nestled in this beautiful canyon lies that small settlement of Murphy Hot Springs.

First claimed in 1885 with a squatter’s claim by the Wilkins family, the hot pool was maintained by the daughter Kitty. After getting her education in Washington and California, Kitty eventually settled with her family in Murphy Hot Spring, where she earned a well known reputation as the ‘Horse Queen of Idaho,’ as she became regarded as a master horse trainer who often had 700-900 horses at a time.

From Murphy Hot Springs, continue northwest along the East Fork of the Jarbidge River. Enjoy this easy flight in calm conditions over one of the beautiful canyons of southern Idaho until you reach the large fork where two canyons converge at the Bruneau River.

Follow the Bruneau River west for just a minute until you leave the canyon and fly low over the barren high desert landscape. Continue west until you find Idaho State Route 51, which winds through the desert north to south.

Follow Route 51 until you see your destination, the Grasmere landing strip, on the eastern side of the road, just shy of a shallow green canal.

Heading	Distance	ETE
258- Murphy Hot Springs	1.15 NM	0’32”
311 – Bruneau River	22.37 NM	10’39”
257- Idaho State Route 51	10.82 NM	5’9″
3 – Grasmere Landing Strip	2.65 NM	1”15″

---

Leg 5: Grasmere (U91) To Poplar Point (IDPP)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 27th 2020 6:00PM
Weather Preset Pro – Wildfire
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

The smoky conditions have your airplane behaving a bit strange, so you spend the day in the smoky air tinkering with your bird. Believing you have fixed any issues that may be affecting your flight, you decide to continue north towards the Snake River and onto Mountain Home. Take off from the Grasmere Airstrip and head northeast until you reach Sheep Creek in yet another deep canyon.

Follow Sheep Creek East and Northeast until it connects with the Bruneau River.

Continue north on the Bruneau River where you will see a road and parking lot to the east that overlook the canyon. This is the famous Bruneau Canyon Overlook. Now would be a good time to enter Active Pause and take in this postcard worthy view from the Lookout Point.

Continue along the Bruneau River until it begins to enter swampland before reaching the Bruneau Arm of the Snake River. It will appear to be a lake, but it’s just a large arm of the mighty Snake River.

Once you reach the arm, fly northeast until you reach the Snake River. Immediately, your plane begins to violently shake. You don’t know what’s wrong, but you decide the best course of action is to make an emergency landing. Not thinking that you can make it to Mountain Home, you know there is a quirky little riverside strip named Poplar Point. Follow the Snake River east and within 2-3 minutes you should reach a bridge. Just over the bridge, you spot a curved strip of grass on the south side of the river. It looks like the Poplar Point Landing Strip, so you decide to touch down here. After a tricky landing, the sun begins to set. You find an issue with the engine that you are able to McGeyver, but you decide you need a mechanic, but you aren’t going to find one here. But, you know that Mountain Home Air Force base is close by, and airman are always happy to help out!

*This is a custom made airstrip and cabin which will only show in the Premium Version of this Bush Trip. If you wish to continue without the premium version, just land somewhere flat and prepare for the next leg.

Heading	Distance	ETE
43- Sheep Creek	8.93 NM	4’15”
49 – Bruneau River	5.68 NM	2’42”
329- Bruneau Canyon Overlook	12.04 NM	5’44”
315 – Arm Of the Snake River	14.97 NM	7”7″
31 – Snake River	3.63 NM	1’43”
96 – Poplar Point Landing Strip	1.98 NM	0’56”

---

Leg 6: Poplar Point (IDPP) to Mountain Home AFB (KMUO)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 27th 2020 8:30PM
Weather Preset Pro – Wildfire
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

As darkness descends, you decide you don’t want to spend the night on this cold strip of grass, so you feel confident enough with your McGeyver fix to fly your rig to the Mountain Home Air Force Base. It’s only a 6 minute low altitude flight after all. Turn your plane around facing out to the farmland and gain speed quickly to get your bird in the air before you run into the road. Turn Northwest and buckle up for the short flight to the well lit, large runway of Mountain Home Air Force Base.

Heading	Distance	ETE
306- Path to Mountain Home AFB	2.99 NM	1’25”
306 – Mountain Home AFB	5.46 NM	2’35”

---

Leg 7: Mountain Home AFB (KMUO) To Glenns Ferry Mun (U89)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 28th 2020 8:20AM
Weather Preset Pro – Misty
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

After a good nights rest in one of the spare bunks at Mountain Home Air Force Base, you arrive at the hanger before dawn to find that your plane has been fixed by of the knowledgeable mechanics who is used to fixing fighter jets, not a tiny XCub. As you taxi out to the runway, you notice a light autumn mist has descended onto Southern Idaho. Take off from Mountain Home AFB and fly southwest until you reach the Snake River.

Once on the Snake River, fly west until you find the bridge where you found the Poplar Point Airstrip to make your emergency landing the previous night. From the bridge, head south on Route 51 for just a second until you see Marsing Murphy Road heading southeast.

Follow Marsing Murphy Road until you see the first main road turnoff, which is the entrance to the Bruneau Sand Dunes.

Follow Bruneau Sand Dunes Rd south until you reach the Bruneau Sand Dunes, sitting high over Dunes Lake. This Idaho State Park is the site of North America’s highest single-structured sand dune which is approximately 470 feet (140 m) high. The State Park is also a dark sky observatory, and the view as the Milky Way rises over the sand dunes is stunning. After you get a couple laps around these random dunes, head back north until you reconnect with the Snake River.

Follow the Snake River through the Snake River Canyon, following the path of this mighty river as farmlands extend on either side of the canyon. Just past the town of Hammett on the north, look for where the river briefly splits.

From the split, look towards the northeast for a group of windmills that you decide will make for a great misty morning photo opportunity.

Once you have explored the windmills, fly to the southeast to reconnect with the Snake River. Right after the river bends southbound, look for the Glenns Ferry Municipal airport just off the northern shore of the Snake River.

Heading	Distance	ETE
136- Snake River	4.83 NM	2’17”
116 – Marsing Murphy Road	3.77 NM	1’47”
95- Bruneau Sand Dunes Road	1.45 NM	0’41”
142 – Bruneau Sand Dunes	2.08 NM	0”59″
1 – Snake River	2.94 NM	1’23”
78 – Hammett	10.57 NM	5’1″
21 – Windmills	3.24 NM	1’32”
108 – Glenns Ferry Mun	3.73 NM	1’46”

---

Leg 8: Glenns Ferry Mun (U89) To To Ziggy’s (0ID1)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 28th 2020 3:00PM
Weather Preset Pro – Towering Clouds
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

The late afternoon brings towering clouds and later autumn storms for the next leg of your trip, which will take you even further down the Snake River before breaking off after your next landing. Just on the east side of the runway lies Three Island Crossing State Park, which is where those on the famous Oregon Trail Crossed landed after crossing the the Snake River from the southern banks. Take off from Glenn’s Ferry and head northeast along the Snake River until the town of King Hill, located on the north bank of the Snake River, just before it turns sharply south.

Follow the Snake River south until it turns sharply to the east.

Follow the Snake River to the east until it reaches the town of Bliss, located on a desert plateau at the northwestern edge of the Magic Valley a mile northeast of the river. Public land covered with sagebrush, grass and prehistoric lava flows surround the small town that was founded in 1883 when the family of David and Lydia Bliss applied for a post office in the little saloon that they had built by their homestead.

From Bliss, follow the river south until it reaches Blue Hear Springs, a small semi heart shaped spring that sits on the northern edge of the Snake River. It should be easily spotted by the boat that is sitting in the enclave.

Immediately past Blue Heart Springs, enter Box Canyon, which houses the 11th largest spring in North America. Head through the canyon, over a 20 foot waterfall, and be amazed by the vibrant blue crystal clear waters that greet you at the end of the canyon.

From the end of the canyon, fly southeast over the expansive farmland until you reconnect with the Snake River at the Niagara Springs State Park. Look for the Springs flowing out of the side of the north canyon wall. Continue on the southeast path on the Snake River until you see Ziggy’s Airstrip on the southern banks.

Heading	Distance	ETE
44- King Hill	6.61 NM	3’8”
146 – Snake River	6.67 NM	3’10”
69- Bliss	8.49 NM	4’2″
141 – Blue Heart Springs	13.44 NM	6”23″
85 – Box Canyon	1.13 NM	0’32”
100 – Ziggy’s Airstrip	9.61 NM	4’34”

---

Leg 9: Ziggy’s (0ID1) To Magic Mountain (IDMM)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 28th 2020 4:00PM
Weather Preset Pro – Scattered Storms
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

The towering clouds have begun to turn into scattered storms throughout the region, so you decide you better get back in the air as soon as possible if you want to safely make it to your overnight cabin at the Magic Mountain Ski Resort. Take off from Ziggy’s and hug the Snake River at a low altitude while flying east. Soon you will reach the city of Twin Falls, which lies on the south side of the river across the Perrine Memorial Bridge, which runs high over the deep Snake River Canyon. Fly under the bridge and look for one of the dozens of base jumpers who hurl themselves off this bridge daily. The Perrine Memorial Bridge is the only man-made structure where base jumping is allowed year-round without a permit.

Shortly past the Perrine Memorial Bridge, look for a paved road on a cliff on the south side of the Snake River. Next to the abrupt ending of that road you will see a slightly different looking ‘mound’. While this mound’s height is not modeled correctly, this is the the launching ramp for Evil Kneivel’s famous Snake River Canyon Jump. On September 8, 1974 at 3:36PM, Kneivel buckled into his Skycycle X-2, a rocket powered motorcycle. He launched off of the ramp successfully, but the drogue parachute launched prematurely, causing the daredevil to softly crash on the southern bank of the Snake River, not far below the launch ramp.

From the launching ramp, you should see a set of waterfalls just to the east. This is the famous Shoshone Falls, which again, is not properly modeled for height, as Shoshone Falls is 212 feet (65 m) high—45 feet (14 m) higher than Niagara Falls.

From Shoshone Falls, continue east along the Snake River until you see the Twin Falls Main Canal waterway come close to the river on the plateau to the south.

Follow the Twin Falls Main Canal south as it weaves through the fertile farmland until it breaks into a fork, with the Low Line Canal heading back to the west and the Twin Falls Main Canal continuing to the south.

Continue following the Twin Falls Main Canal south as it runs parallel to the rural road N 3800 E approaches the foothills. Continue following N 3800 E until the last major intersection in this farmland with E 2900 N.

Continue south along the same road, although N 3800 E is now Rock Creek Rd. The road slowly begins to climb the mountain as it runs parallel to Rock Creek. Climb higher and higher until you reach an intersection where the Third Fork Campground lies.

Continue southwest on Rock Creek Rd. until it begins to level out at the Magic Mountain Ski Resort. Look for the large modern cabin that you will be spending the night in to the west of the road. The Magic Mountain landing strip lies just in front of this cabin.

*This is a custom made airstrip and cabin which will only show in the Premium Version of this Bush Trip. If you wish to continue without the premium version, just land somewhere flat and prepare for the next leg.

Heading	Distance	ETE
96- Twin Falls	7.16 NM	3’24”
86 – Evil Kneivel’s Snake River Canyon Jump Site	1.37 NM	0’39”
74- Shoshone Falls	1.22 NM	0’34”
98 – Twin Falls Main Canal	7.43 NM	3”32″
206 – Twin Falls Main Canal	4.40 NM	2’5″
168- E 2900 N	4.13 NM	1’58”
153 – Third Fork Campground	10.67 NM	5’5″
189 – Magic Mountain Ski Resort Landing Strip	4.09 NM	1’56”

---

Leg 10: Magic Mountain (IDMM) To Albion Muni (39ID)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 29th 2020 9:00AM
Weather Preset Pro – Snow Flury
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

After a restful night in a really cool mountain cabin, you wake up to what you would expect after sleeping at a ski resort, snow. The year’s first snow blankets the ground and there is still snow flurry pockets surrounding you. You will have to navigate the snowy take off carefully as you don’t have much room for error with the trees that line the Magic Mountain Landing Strip. Once safely airborne, head southeast through the high mountain snowy landscape until you reach Badger Mountain. It won’t be an evident peak, but Badger Mountain sits just before an obvious canyon that runs northeast.

Follow the river and the canyon northeast until you reach the thin Lower Goose Creek Reservoir.

Follow the Lower Goose Creek Reservoir south for a minute until you reach the southern end of the frigid body of water.

Exit the Lower Goose Creek Reservoir and begin gaining altitude as you fly southeast towards Middle Mountain, the highest location on the north to south ridge.

From Middle Mountain, keep on the same heading as you descend towards Birch Creek Rd. When you reach the north to south Birch Creek Road, look for East City of Rocks Loop Rd which runs eastward through a small canyon.

Follow the East City of Rocks Loop Rd. into City of Rocks National Reserve. In 1849, emigrant James F. Wilkens came across this small area and described it as the “City of Rocks.” To this day, that name lives on and City of Rocks is one of the most well known rock climbing locations in the west. Follow the winding road until it turns into a straight road facing directly south. At the end of this stretch, follow the road back to the west, where you will see the Twin Sisters, two dramatic granite spires that mark the high points of a mile-long rock ridge. Circle the Twin Sisters and begin heading north to the mammoth Cache Peak which sits at 10,339 feet (3,151 m) above sea level and is the highest peak in the Albion Mountains.

From the top of Cache Peak, turn north until you reach Mt. Harrision, another mighty peak that dominates the landscapes of southern Idaho, just north of the Nevada border.

From the top of Mt. Harrison, follow Howell Canyon Rd. as it descends eastward down the mountain before it intersects with State Route 77.

Follow State Route 77 northwest towards the town of Albion. Before you reach the center of town, look for the airport with one white building that runs right up to Route 77 on the east. The runway runs west to east and is parallel to Walton Lane.

Heading	Distance	ETE
110- Badger Mountain	6.69 NM	3’11”
58 – Lower Goose Creek Reservoir	10.46 NM	4’58”
166- Southern End of Lower Goose Creek Reservoir	3.55 NM	1’41”
93- Middle Mountain	5.21 NM	2”28″
91 – East City of Rocks Loop Rd.	2.45 NM	1’9″
99 – City of Rocks National Reserve	3.72 NM	1’46”
357 – Cache Peak	7.49 NM	3’34”
347- Mt Harrison	7.68 NM	3’39”
59 – Idaho State Route 77	6.36 NM	3’1″
318 – Albion Muni	3.56 NM	1’41”

---

Leg 11: To Albion Muni (39ID) To Bird Island (BIRD)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 29th 2020 2:00PM
Weather Preset Pro – Towering Clouds
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

After a slick landing at Albion Muni, you opt to wait until the temperature rises and the snow melts before taking off again. As early afternoon arrives, you take off from Albion Muni and immediately follow State Route 77, the main thoroughfare though Albion, north. Soon, you will reach the center of town and continue on until the road rounds a small hill.

From the small hill, Route 77 will turn into 850 East Road which heads directly north. Follow this road until you reconnect with the Snake River.

Follow the Snake River east until it you fly over the Minidoka Dam and the river opens up to Lake Walcott. The 11,000 acre lake began forming in 1909 when the Dam was completed. Today, Lake Walcott State park lies on the north shore close to Minidoka Dam. The State Park is known for it’s great lakeshore camping, a 21-hole disc golf course and some of the best bird watching in Idaho, as the entire lake lies in the Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge. Navigate the flying flamingos and locate Bird Island and the narrow landing strip on the south side of the lake.

*This is a custom made airstrip and cabin which will only show in the Premium Version of this Bush Trip. If you wish to continue without the premium version, just land somewhere flat and prepare for the next leg.

Heading	Distance	ETE
306 – Idaho State Route 77	4.59 NM	2’11”
347 – Snake River	7.32 NM	3’29”
52 – Bird Island Airstrip	12.67 NM	6’2″

---

Leg 12: Bird Island (BIRD) To Hollow Top (0U7)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 29th 2020 4:00PM
Weather Preset Pro – Thundery But Calm
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

The afternoon winds have begun to blow and lightning and thunder are abound as you enter your plane for takeoff for the flight to Hollow Top Airstrip. Upon takeoff, head northeast, over the Snake River. Soon, you will start to see the landscapes turn to volcanic rock. Keep in the northeast direction until you reach a small volcanic mountain towards the north end of the lava field.

Turn Northwest as you exit the first lava field of your flight. Continue on your northwest path until you reach another lava field, which is much larger than your first and leads to Crater of the Moons National Monument. Look for the dual craters that rise up from the relatively flat lava field, right before a lava ridge.

Turn west and follow the lava field until it turns back to dry desert dirt where the Hollow Top Landing Strip will begin to appear in front of the setting sun.

Heading	Distance	ETE
15 – Volcanic Mountain	14.55 NM	6’55”
325 – Two Volcanic Craters	29.00 NM	13’48”
252 – Hollow Top Airstrip	6.17 NM	2’56”

---

Leg 13: To Hollow Top (0U7) To Star ‘S’ Ranch (ID56)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 31st 2020 4:30PM
Weather Preset Pro – Big and Bold
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

After taking a day off to hike and explore Craters of the Moon National Monument on foot, you wake up on Halloween to find that, in true Idaho Autumn fashion, an overnight snow fall has blanketed parts of the landscape with another early season snowfall. Accompanying the snowfall is cold temperatures, which will be sure to last through the Spring. Take off from the snow covered Hollow Top Landing Strip and head northeast. Within a minute, you will cross the boundary into Craters Of The Moon National Monument. Established in 1924, the Monument contains three major lava fields with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush steppe grasslands. All three lava fields lie along the Great Rift of Idaho, with open rift cracks, including the deepest known on Earth at 800 feet (240 m).  The Monument contains more than 25 volcanic cones, including spatter cones. 60 solidified lava flows that form the Craters of the Moon Lava Field range in age from 15,000 to just 2,000 years. The name Craters of the Moon came after the Apollo astronauts performed part of their training here by learning to look for and collect good rock specimens in an unfamiliar and harsh environment that they believed resembled the moon. After just about three minutes flying northeast you will see the Echo Crater, bordered by a ridge on the east edge of the crater.

From Echo Crater, turn northwest and aim for the large hill just ahead, which is Big Cinder Butte, which at 700-foot-tall (200 m) is one of the world’s largest, purely basaltic, cinder cones.

From Big Cinder Butte, turn slightly north until you reach Inferno cone, which will be visible to the east of the parking area off of the Craters of the Moon Loop Road. The view from on top of this cone is one of the best ways to see the Monument’s spatter cones.

From Inferno Cone, turn westward and fly over the Big Craters before reaching Silent Cone, another tall hill.

Once past Silent Cone, turn around and fly northeast for just a minute until you reach the North Crater, just before you connect with the Craters of the Moon Loop Road.

Turn north and you will see the Visitor Center and Lava Flow Campground just off of Idaho Highway 20. From here, you can fly back south and explore more of the craters, cones and lavafields or continue along the route. To continue, head east along Highway 20 for just a minute until you reach Blizzard Mt. Road on the left.

Follow Blizzard Mountain Road until it turns northeast and intersects with Champagne Creek Road, which heads west.

Follow Champagne Creek Road through Slaughterhouse Canyon and a tree grouping appears at the Champagne Creek Yurts.

Continue following Champagne Creek Road, which runs alongside Champagne Cree northbound. Look for a dirt road that runs westbound at St. Louis Canyon.

Follow the dirt road northwest until you reach Dry Fork Rd., which runs north/south.

Continue north until you reach Grouse, a small town in a flat clearing along the Antelope Creek.

From Grouse, look for the giant Sheep Mountain to the north. Gain altitude to enter this portion of the White Knob Mountains. Once you reach the mountain peak at 8,148 ft (2,484 m), take in the phenomenal morning view.

From the peak of Sheep Mountain, turn northwest and look for another large mountain, Shelly Mountain. At 11,278 ft. Shelly Mountain is the highest summit in the White Knob Mountains. Just north of the peak of Shelly Mountain is the peak of Redbird Mountain, which is only five feet shorter. Take a moment to active pause and enjoy the incredible view from atop the peak as the highest mountains in Idaho can be seen on every side, including all 9 of the Idaho 12,000 foot mountains and the remote eastern Pioneer Mountains.

Continue northwest until you descend to the tree filled Coyote Creek, running southwest to northeast.

Head southwest for just a minute until you reach the East Fork of the Big Lost River, which runs parallel to the East Fork Rd.

Follow the East Fork of the Big Lost River and East Fork Rd. northwest until the waterway begins to turn north before it turns to the northwest as it runs parallel to Trail Creek Rd.

Follow the East Fork of the Big Lost River along Trail Creek Rd northeast. You will almost immediately see the Twin Bridges Landing Strip from the Central Idaho Bush Trip to the left of the river. Continue past and look for the snow covered Star ‘S’ Ranch landing strip to the right of the river. Look for a white building that will appear shortly before the runway.

Heading	Distance	ETE
25 – Echo Crater	5.52 NM	2’37”
306 – Big Cinder Butte	1.86 NM	0’53”
326- Inferno Cone	1.52 NM	0’43”
265 – Silent Cone	0.84 NM	0”23″
24 – North Crater	0.51 NM	0’14”
356- City of Rocks Visitor Center	0.64 NM	0’18”
330 – Sunset Cone	0.53 NM	0’15”
32 – Blizzard Mountain Road	1.69 NM	0’48”
354 – Champagne Creek Road	3.93 NM	1’52”
276 – Champagne Creek Yurts	2.05 NM	0’58”
328 – St. Louis Canyon	1.53 NM	0’43”
281 – Dry Fork Rd.	1.63 NM	0’46”
348 – Grouse	5.01 NM	2’23”
357 – Sheep Mountain	6.02 NM	2’51”
280 – Shelly Mountain	6.62 NM	3’9″
288 – Coyote Creek	5.22 NM	2’29”
214 – East Fork of the Big Lost River	2.32 NM	1’6″
281 – Trail Creek Road	11.78 NM	5’36”
31 – Star ‘S’ Ranch	4.59 NM	2’11”

---

Leg 14: Star ‘S’ Ranch (ID56) To Mackay (U62)

Set Date, Time and Weather to October 31st 2020 6:20PM
Weather Preset Pro – Cool and Crisp
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

As the chilly temperatures remain through the day, you spend your time warming by the fire inside the Star ‘S’ Ranch with coffee and college football. The clouds continue to stay away as the sun begins to set, exciting you as you board your bird to catch the full moon rising behind Idaho’s highest peak, Mt. Borah. Take off from Star ‘S’ under twilight and turn northeast and follow the river and trail Creek north. You will easily see your destination in the distance, Borah Peak, sitting 12,662 ft (3,859 m) above sea level. Continue gaining altitude to summit the peak as the full moon rises to the east. Shortly before arriving at Borah Peak, get your drone camera out, turn up the zoom and get some great shots of the moonrise behind the peak. Once you have gotten some great photos, fly just above Borah Peak before moving on.

From Borah Peak, turn southeast and fly across the Lost River Mountain Range. Look for North Massacre Mountain and Massacre Mountain, which appear as a long ridge, just in front of a flat valley with the lone Hawley Mountain in the distance.

From Massacre Mountain, fly southwest and look for Mt. McCaleb, the 34th highest mountain in Idaho. From the peak of Mt. McCaleb, you will see the small town of Mackay at the bottom of a steep drop off.

From Mt. McCaleb, turn back to the southeast and aim for Invisible Mountain at the far south end of the Lost River Range.

Begin your descent from Invisible Mountain and fly south, looking for the two Center-pivot irrigation circles in the valley below. Once past the farmland, look for a lit up Highway 93.

Head north along Highway 93 until you reach the small town of Mackay. On the east side of the road, look for the paved runway of Mackay Airport.

Heading	Distance	ETE
36 – Borah Peak	14.86 NM	7’4”
95 – Massacre Mountain	11.04 NM	5’15”
193 – Mt. McCaleb	5.87 NM	2’47”
99 – Invisible Mountain	3.81 NM	1’48”
152 – Idaho State Highway 93	6.23 NM	2’57”
281 – Mackay Airport	5.80 NM	2’45”

---

Leg 15: Mackay (U62) to Flying Joseph Ranch (0ID2)

Set Date, Time and Weather to November 1st 2020 7:10AM (If it is dark with this time, set the time to 8:10am. This is when sunrise was supposed to be, but MSFS doesn’t seem to take the time change from November 1st)
Weather Preset Pro – Snow Flurry
In Game Preset -Scattered Clouds (More detailed weather settings located in the Premium Version)

Winter has clearly begun to settle into Idaho as you wake up from your motel room in Mackay to see an early morning snow storm has joined the freezing temperatures of yesterday. With relatively calm winds and the patches of snow appearing to be avoiding the mountain peaks, you decide conditions are safe for the final leg of your South Idaho Bush Flight. Take off from the paved Mackay runway and immediately turn northeast back to the Lost River Range. Just to the south of Mt. McCaleb, which you summited the previous night, you will see a canyon that houses Lower Cedar Creek, covered by trees, that slowly ascends into the mountains.

Continue following the Lower Cedar Creek and climbing the canyon, aiming for the pointed and unnamed peak that stands at the end of the climb.

Once you are out of the canyon and above the Lost River Range, turn Northwest and aim for Mt. Breitenbach, Idaho’s 5th highest peak coming in at 12,140 feet. From the summit you can see all 8 of the other 12ers in Idaho.

From the peak of Mt. Breitenbach, turn slightly west and look for Leatherman Peak. At 12,228 feet above sea level, Leatherman Peak is the second highest peak in Idaho and the Lost River Range, just behind Borah Peak.

Speaking of Borah Peak, Idaho’s highest peak will appear in the distance as you begin to turn back to the north. As should be obvious by now, the Lost River Range holds Idaho’s mightiest and most impressive mountain peaks, and is the reason you saved this flight for last. The 12,662 ft (3,859 m) Borah Peak will look much different in the morning winter light as it did when you summited the previous night under a full moon at twilight.

From Borah Peak, continue on the northwest flight plan. As the peaks get lower in altitude, look for route 116 that cuts through the mountain range, just before it ascends again to Dickey Peak.

From Dickey Peak, turn almost true north and begin your slow descent from the world famous Lost River Range. As you descend, you will pass Spring Hill to your east before Grouse Creek Mountain to your west. Continue on as you begin to spot the center-pivot irrigation circles in the valley ahead of you. Once you reach the first farms, continue on past Custer Rd. until you arrive at the Pahsimeroi River.

Turn south and follow the Pahsimeroi River as it weaves through the remote and frigid valley floor. Before the Pahsimeroi River almost connects with Custer Rd. again, you will see the river open up into multiple small creeks that run to the southeast. Just past these creeks you will see the long paved runway of Flying Joseph Ranch. Unfortunately for you though, this airstrip is private, and mysterious as no one knows why there is such a big airstrip and hanger in the middle of nowherre Idaho. But the owner has given you permission to land, but only on the snow covered grass airstrip just off the main runway to the south. With the snow, the short 1,500 foot runway will be hard to spot, and even harder to land at. But when you do, you can bask in the accomplishment that you completed this exciting 15-leg bush trip before the true Idaho winter began.

Heading	Distance	ETE
3 – Lower Cedar Creek	3.41 NM	1’37”
15 – Unnamed Mountain Peak	3.10 NM	1’28”
289 – Mt. Breitenbach	6.52 NM	3’6″
274- Leatherman Peak	2.73 NM	1’18”
315 – Borah Peak	3.87 NM	1’50”
309 – Dickey Peak	7.22 NM	3’26”
348 – Pahsimeroi River	18.37 NM	8’44”
131 – Flying Joseph Ranch Airport	6.99 NM	3’19”