Chicken Strip Death Valley

We found the Chicken Strip in Death Valley on Mon. What a great
flight. I highly recommend it, especially if in SoCal and looking for
something different. Thanks for the help.

GT

On 8 Nov 2006 17:53:36 -0800, "gt" wrote in
.com:

We found the Chicken Strip in Death Valley on Mon. What a great
flight. I highly recommend it, especially if in SoCal and looking for
something different. Thanks for the help.

GT

What is there to do there? Are there hot springs? What is the
surface condition of the strip? Is there any issue with the USAF?

More SoCal obscure strip info he "dirt strips in CA"
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...357b602a953563

Larry Dighera wrote:
On 8 Nov 2006 17:53:36 -0800, "gt" wrote in
.com:

We found the Chicken Strip in Death Valley on Mon. What a great
flight. I highly recommend it, especially if in SoCal and looking for
something different. Thanks for the help.

GT

What is there to do there? Are there hot springs? What is the
surface condition of the strip? Is there any issue with the USAF?

More SoCal obscure strip info he "dirt strips in CA"
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...357b602a953563

Larry Dighera wrote:
On 8 Nov 2006 17:53:36 -0800, "gt" wrote in
.com:

We found the Chicken Strip in Death Valley on Mon. What a great
flight. I highly recommend it, especially if in SoCal and looking for
something different. Thanks for the help.

GT

What is there to do there? Are there hot springs? What is the
surface condition of the strip? Is there any issue with the USAF?

More SoCal obscure strip info he "dirt strips in CA"
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...357b602a953563

The strip in located in the North East portion of the Saline Valley, 47
nautical North West of Furnace Creek in Death Valley. If you are
approaching from the South, you won't see it until you are within 10
miles of it...look for green vegetation; there are palms and shrubs
that are fed by the hot springs. It is the only green you will see in
the valley. Also, a road leads to it that can be used as a
landmark...not too many roads out there.

There are two geothermal pools there. The landing strip is situated
about ¼ to ½ mile upslope from them. I didn't make the walk, but I
have seen pictures of them online. They look as if they would seat
about 12 to 15 people each. The pools are finished with gunite and
tile and are fed by the springs. From what I have read and seen on my
preliminary pass, clothing is optional.

There are two landing strips. The one upslope and about a ½ mile away
from the pools is the "Chicken Strip". The other runway is right
next to the pools, but it is closed. There are X's all over the
runway. It points directly to a canyon and I'm guessing the
occasional very high wind. If the winds were too strong one would land
on the other runway, thus being deemed the "Chicken Strip". I have
read other theories on how the place got its name, but this one makes
the most sense to me having seen the closed runway and knowing how the
wind blows in Death Valley.

The runway is composed of hard packed volcanic sand mostly. There are
undulations that can be unnerving if in the wrong plane. We landed in
a C172-A with wheel pants. Everything worked out all right, but I
would not want to break anything out there. It is so secluded. Study
up on what it takes to get there by car before you go. This is the
place they caught Charles Manson hiding out, the little freak. It
defines remote. One flies out the opposite direction from which he
flies in due to rising terrain. There is a turnabout spot and some
primitive tie downs for those who bring rope. A nicely done wood sign
marks the runway and it's elevation. From the sign hangs an old shoe
with a big piece of donkey crap in it. Oddly charming. I think it was
the Utah Back Country Pilots Association that was instrumental in
getting this strip back open. It had been closed for a number of
years. Thanks to them; this remote strip is a jewel. What a nice
service they provided here.

Death Valley is vast and it is beautiful, even more so from the air.
On the ground though there is Furnace Creek, an airport with good gas
prices. Within walking distance from the airport is an 18 hole golf
course, family activities, a great dinner and a friendly bar. A mile
away is an upscale resort that was built in the 1920's. Scotty's
Castle and Stovepipe Wells is to the North. Badwater, the lowest place
in America is South and the tallest place in America is less than 100
miles to the West, Mt. Whitney. Furnace Creek is the perfect top-off
spot after seeing the Chicken Strip. A phone call from the airport
will bring the hotel shuttle van, but there are no rental cars in Death
Valley. Shame too, there is so much to see there.

GT

On 8 Nov 2006 17:53:36 -0800, "gt" wrote:

We found the Chicken Strip in Death Valley on Mon. What a great
flight. I highly recommend it, especially if in SoCal and looking for
something different. Thanks for the help.

GT

How was the "service"?

z

zatatime wrote:
On 8 Nov 2006 17:53:36 -0800, "gt" wrote:

We found the Chicken Strip in Death Valley on Mon. What a great
flight. I highly recommend it, especially if in SoCal and looking for
something different. Thanks for the help.

GT

How was the "service"?

You're thinking of the Chicken Ranch

On 9 Nov 2006 04:53:13 -0800, "gt" wrote in
. com:

Larry Dighera wrote:
On 8 Nov 2006 17:53:36 -0800, "gt" wrote in
.com:

We found the Chicken Strip in Death Valley on Mon. What a great
flight. I highly recommend it, especially if in SoCal and looking for
something different. Thanks for the help.

GT

What is there to do there? Are there hot springs? What is the
surface condition of the strip? Is there any issue with the USAF?

More SoCal obscure strip info he "dirt strips in CA"
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.a...357b602a953563

The strip in located in the North East portion of the Saline Valley, 47
nautical North West of Furnace Creek in Death Valley. If you are
approaching from the South, you won't see it until you are within 10
miles of it...look for green vegetation; there are palms and shrubs
that are fed by the hot springs. It is the only green you will see in
the valley. Also, a road leads to it that can be used as a
landmark...not too many roads out there.

There are two geothermal pools there. The landing strip is situated
about ¼ to ½ mile upslope from them. I didn't make the walk, but I
have seen pictures of them online. They look as if they would seat
about 12 to 15 people each. The pools are finished with gunite and
tile and are fed by the springs. From what I have read and seen on my
preliminary pass, clothing is optional.

There are two landing strips. The one upslope and about a ½ mile away
from the pools is the "Chicken Strip". The other runway is right
next to the pools, but it is closed. There are X's all over the
runway. It points directly to a canyon and I'm guessing the
occasional very high wind. If the winds were too strong one would land
on the other runway, thus being deemed the "Chicken Strip". I have
read other theories on how the place got its name, but this one makes
the most sense to me having seen the closed runway and knowing how the
wind blows in Death Valley.

The runway is composed of hard packed volcanic sand mostly. There are
undulations that can be unnerving if in the wrong plane. We landed in
a C172-A with wheel pants. Everything worked out all right, but I
would not want to break anything out there. It is so secluded. Study
up on what it takes to get there by car before you go. This is the
place they caught Charles Manson hiding out, the little freak. It
defines remote. One flies out the opposite direction from which he
flies in due to rising terrain. There is a turnabout spot and some
primitive tie downs for those who bring rope. A nicely done wood sign
marks the runway and it's elevation. From the sign hangs an old shoe
with a big piece of donkey crap in it. Oddly charming. I think it was
the Utah Back Country Pilots Association that was instrumental in
getting this strip back open. It had been closed for a number of
years. Thanks to them; this remote strip is a jewel. What a nice
service they provided here.

Death Valley is vast and it is beautiful, even more so from the air.
On the ground though there is Furnace Creek, an airport with good gas
prices. Within walking distance from the airport is an 18 hole golf
course, family activities, a great dinner and a friendly bar. A mile
away is an upscale resort that was built in the 1920's. Scotty's
Castle and Stovepipe Wells is to the North. Badwater, the lowest place
in America is South and the tallest place in America is less than 100
miles to the West, Mt. Whitney. Furnace Creek is the perfect top-off
spot after seeing the Chicken Strip. A phone call from the airport
will bring the hotel shuttle van, but there are no rental cars in Death
Valley. Shame too, there is so much to see there.

GT

Thank you for your detailed PIREP.


On 9 Nov 2006 04:53:13 -0800, "gt" wrote in
. com:

This is the place they caught Charles Manson hiding out, the little freak.

I hiked from Ballerat to near Shoshone in '72, and recall Goller Wash
as Manson's hide out:

http://www.aboundinglove.org/interview.php
12. Charles, were you also at the Barker Ranch in Goller Wash on
the outskirts of Death Valley to live among the animals with
Manson?

A: Several times I was at Barker Ranch. We went there after the
murders looking for the Bottomless Pit mentioned in the Revelation
9 of the Bible. I left Manson there in a depressed state, and
returned to Texas after not finding the pit, knowing I had made a
tremendous mistake in judgment, to say the list. You mentioned
animals: There were rattle snakes and other vermins, but we were
the ones acting like animals.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Manson#Capture
[edit] Capture
Barker Ranch, in California's Mojave Desert, is known as the last
hideout of Manson and "the Family" after the gruesome Los Angeles
murder spree. The local county sheriff's department and National Park
Service officers had arrested Manson and his group in 1969 on
suspicion of trespassing and vandalism. At the time of the Manson
arrests, the officers were unaware of other criminal actions by those
they had in custody. They wanted to apprehend and prosecute the
persons responsible for vandalizing road repair equipment in Death
Valley National Park farther north, not knowing that they had Manson
and his followers. Manson was ultimately discovered hiding beneath a
sink in the Barker Ranch bathroom.

http://www.charliemanson.com/places/barker_ranch.htm
http://charliemanson.master.com/texi...Search%3A&s=SS