8/2/2007
Johnson Creek airstrip open, but flights are not recommended
BOISE - Heavy smoke from the nearby Cascade Complex fire continues to blanket the Johnson Creek airstrip northeast of Cascade, especially in the mornings and afternoons when conditions normally are best for landing and taking off from the secluded 3,400-foot grass runway, the Idaho Transportation Department announced.
Although the facility has remained open since the fire came to within a mile last week, ITD's Division of Aeronautics recommends that pilots not attempt to use Johnson Creek until conditions improve.
Traffic into the airstrip normally increases in early August for the annual Harmonica Festival in nearby Yellow Pine. Because of area wildfires, the Valley County Sheriffs Office closed the road from Warm Lake to Yellow Pine this afternoon at the request of the U.S. Forest Service. As a result, organizers of the annual Harmonica Festival canceled the event that was scheduled to begin Friday and continue through Sunday morning.
Nestled between peaks that reach about 8,300 feet, the backcountry airstrip presents challenges under ideal conditions. Smoke from nearby fires and the limited visibility make flying into and out of the facility more difficult.
Pilots who choose to fly into the grass strip are urged to use appropriate caution. For information about visibility, call the airport at 208-633-3333. A web camera, operated by Midvale Telephone, also shows current conditions: http://www.ruralnetwork.net/~yellowpinecm/
Before flying into the area, pilots are strongly advised to check for temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. Several TFRs are in effect for areas immediately east and north of Johnson Creek because of aerial fire suppression activity.
ITD crews removed vehicles and equipment from the airstrip early last week as a precautionary measure. Some of the equipment, including one of two courtesy cars normally located at the airstrip, was returned this week.
For information about highway conditions and construction activity in Idaho, call 511 or visit the Idaho Traveler Services Web site at 511.idaho.gov