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HitTheTrail
Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2007
Posts: 5459 | TRs | Pics
Location: 509 |
Our hiking group’s mid-week trip into the Cascades failed to launch last week and was having trouble getting legs this week until we started comparing notes and discovered several members had never been into the B-24 Liberator Bomber wreckage up at the Mission Ridge ski area(John had skied by the wing monument but that doesn’t count). So, I recruited a member from our winter ski group and we had a quorum.
You can get to the plane wreak area several ways but we decided to take the easy way and hike up the ski lift service road while it was still cool and maybe loop back into Marion and Clara Lakes in the trees after it got hot. The ski area is on Forest Service land so hiking access is not a problem. You just need to respect the rules, i.e., no motorized vehicles on the service road (mt. bikes are ok). And, most importantly, don’t take any souvenirs from the wreckage home with you.
The wreckage is scattered over a wide area but most of it is to the left of the Bomber Chutes ski runs and just below Mission Ridge summit (the poor souls almost made it over the top). Anyone who has ever skied the Bomber Bowl run knows one wing has been mounted along with a memorial to the crew at the top of the run. Local lore has it that anyone skiing that run must stop and pay respects to the crew by touching the upper left side of the wing or it will be bad karma for the rest of the day!!!
 MissionWing  Service Road  MidWay lift  Wreckage  Debris  Wing  Rear Stabilizer  John, me, Phil  Debris2  Inspection Team  Engines  John, Phil, Jonathan  Landing Gear2  engine2  Tail Section  Landing Gear  Two Engines  Debris3  Engine  John, Jonathan, Me near top  Clara Lake  Marion Lake
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Bluebird_Daze
Chossbagger
Joined: 06 Aug 2009
Posts: 14 | TRs | Pics
Location: East Wenatchee |
Thanks for the report and pictures. I have paid homage to the bomber wing a zillion and three times in the winter, but have never visited the wreckage site in summer. I will definitely be checking it out soon. Thanks again.
You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing on.
Heraclitus
You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing on.
Heraclitus
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HitTheTrail
Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2007
Posts: 5459 | TRs | Pics
Location: 509 |
Phil checked back in with us later yesterday. He did indeed score a fish at the lake.
 Bomber Hike Catch
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
Joined: 26 Jul 2006
Posts: 13116 | TRs | Pics
Location: Inexorable descent |
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Magellan
Brutally Handsome
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 Thu Oct 28, 2010 9:10 pm |
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Cool! I love to find wreckage.
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wildernessed
viewbagger
Joined: 31 Oct 2004
Posts: 9275 | TRs | Pics
Location: Wenatchee |
Those pics made me do a double take, then I saw the date.
Living in the Anthropocene
Living in the Anthropocene
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TokyoTessie
Member
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 480 | TRs | Pics
Location: Back in the shadow of Tahoma again! |
Wow, I've skiied past that bomber wing many times, but didn't realize there was more wreckage under the snow. Will have to make a summer pilgramage one of these days.
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 7113 | TRs | Pics
Location: Arlington |
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
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Fri Oct 29, 2010 12:17 am |
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Humm. Looked at the pics several times. I wonder why i don't see the blower section attached to any of those engines. Maybe some of the air plane parts got salvaged in the past.
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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HitTheTrail
Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2007
Posts: 5459 | TRs | Pics
Location: 509 |
| Hulksmash wrote: | | Humm. Looked at the pics several times. I wonder why i don't see the blower section attached to any of those engines. Maybe some of the air plane parts got salvaged in the past. |
Phil says a lot of stuff has been salvaged since those kind of parts are getting rare now. Of course that is a big no-no.
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
Joined: 20 Apr 2008
Posts: 7113 | TRs | Pics
Location: Arlington |
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Hulksmash
Cleaning up.
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Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:23 am |
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| HitTheTrail wrote: | | Hulksmash wrote: | | Humm. Looked at the pics several times. I wonder why i don't see the blower section attached to any of those engines. Maybe some of the air plane parts got salvaged in the past. |
Phil says a lot of stuff has been salvaged since those kind of parts are getting rare now. Of course that is a big no-no. |
In the 30's and 40's P&W R1830's were produced in the hundreds of thousands. It has the distinction of being the most produced aircraft engine.
At one point in the past they were so common, that if there was a failure of some sort, prop strike, over-speed, operators would just get a new engine and basically dispose of the old one. This is because so many were available it was less expensive then overhauling it. Of course now this is not the case. In the late 90's i worked for a company in Everett that overhauled those engines. Even then new old stock parts were still available! Some stuff is in reproduction. There are about 300 DC-3's in flying condition right now which use that engine. Many of those are still in commercial service.
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
"Bears couldn't care less about us....we smell bad and don't taste too good. Bugs on the other hand see us as vending machines." - WetDog
Albuterol! it's the 11th essential
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