I've been wanting to fly up to Cavanaugh Bay on Idaho's Priest Lake ever since I saw read about the place in Hanselman's "Fly Idaho" book. The weather in central and northern Idaho cleared out last Sunday so we planned an 0800 departure from Ogden, UT (OGD). Everyone else at home had to work Monday so it was Kent in his 182 and me in my 9A. A quick stop for fuel and potty at McCall (MYL) then another 1.3 hrs to Cavanaugh Bay (66S).
The runway was closed last year for grass re-seeding (hence the still visible large X) and it is now in good condition. There are 3 places along the runway for aircraft tiedown. Those toward the north end are closest to the shower house, campground, and the resort. The shower house is brand new last month and the caretaker is still installing the final touches. He makes the coffee in the morning and will rent you the courtesy car ($5 + 30 cents a mile). The village of Coolin is 5 miles south. The General Store is incredibly stocked with all manner of supplies.
The nearby Cavanaugh Bay Resort will rent you a cabin, feed you in the restaurant or rent you a pontoon boat. If you plan on catching the "big ones", you really need a boat preferrably with downrigger gear. Otherwise you fish for the "little ones" from the dock.
The Kodiak airplane is built south of CB in Sandpoint, ID. This aircraft is a rugged turbo prop designed for missionary and humanitarian efforts in the jungles and deserts. The factory test pilots use the Cav Bay runway during the test and demo flights to show off the plane's short/soft field abilities.
The flight to Cavanaugh Bay took 3.8 hours on the Hobbs. Idaho's beautiful north country and the amenities at and nearby the strip makes the trip well worthwhile.
The runway was closed last year for grass re-seeding (hence the still visible large X) and it is now in good condition. There are 3 places along the runway for aircraft tiedown. Those toward the north end are closest to the shower house, campground, and the resort. The shower house is brand new last month and the caretaker is still installing the final touches. He makes the coffee in the morning and will rent you the courtesy car ($5 + 30 cents a mile). The village of Coolin is 5 miles south. The General Store is incredibly stocked with all manner of supplies.
The nearby Cavanaugh Bay Resort will rent you a cabin, feed you in the restaurant or rent you a pontoon boat. If you plan on catching the "big ones", you really need a boat preferrably with downrigger gear. Otherwise you fish for the "little ones" from the dock.
The Kodiak airplane is built south of CB in Sandpoint, ID. This aircraft is a rugged turbo prop designed for missionary and humanitarian efforts in the jungles and deserts. The factory test pilots use the Cav Bay runway during the test and demo flights to show off the plane's short/soft field abilities.
The flight to Cavanaugh Bay took 3.8 hours on the Hobbs. Idaho's beautiful north country and the amenities at and nearby the strip makes the trip well worthwhile.