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Million Dollar Route

A
Jan 13, 2012
308
694
93
Central Washington
I was fishing on Rimrock lake a while back and snapped this photo. Its an F-18.
F18 Blasts Rimrock Lake.jpg


I thought this would be fun. This is a flight over the Eastern Washington Cascades. Get your Seattle sectional out and follow along on Visual Route 1355. How many of the lakes can you identify?

The first half of the video is the White pass, Chinook Pass, Snoqualmie Pass areas. The second half...after leaving Lake kachees goes over Mt. Daniel, Skykomish/Stevens pass area, Mt. David, Glaciel Peak then back to Whidbey Island.

I have fished those lakes and hiked those mountains for the past 60 years. The first low level jets I remember started in the mid to late 1960s. I think I even heard a few sonic booms back then. At first they came right up the Chinook pass Highway. The oldest Seattle sectional I have is 1984. IT depicts VR1355 exactly as it is shown on today's sectional.

In the early 1970s A6 Intruders would fly by the fire lookout on Little bald Mountain off Chinook pass at eye level and give a salute. You couldn't hear them coming. The flag was always flying at the lookout so I think the Pilots liked flying by it.

Anyhow, here's the spots I could identify in the video. Washington people may recognize them too. 0:20 Rimrock lake; 0:45 starting up Indian Cr; 1:31 Blankenship meadow; 1:55 starting down Deep Cr; 2:18 Bumping Lake; 6:55 Keechelus lake off the left wing; 7:21 kachess Lake.

Rimrock to Bumping lake, 15 miles, 1 min 33 seconds = 580 miles per hour. Probably faster with all the turning.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4-VHMkHEUQ
 
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