2016 99s International Conference

July 1st - the Adventure begins: I huess when I think,of adventure, I did not have this exact adventure in mind. All ended well but the first landing was interesting. We departed Hollywood, Fl on schedule at 0600. The goal today was to get to Niagara Falls before the slow moving storms hit in mid afternoon. We got off on time, we filed just to be sure that some of the pesky remenants of yesterdays storms did not rain on our parade, and we sported a nice tailwind. METAR on our first stop was low IFR but it was forecast to improve long before we got there and all of the reporting stations tomthe east, south and north were VFR. a) I should kow better than to rely on a forecast. b) I should know better than to think any stop in the morning in Charlotte are will be clear. But we did not worry because there were so many airports with decent weather that getting in somewhere would be easy.

As we got closer to landing, Stanley Comwas not getting better so we decided to divert to an airport reporting VFR. Once we made the turn, we watch in disbelief as all of the airports in the area suddenly started turned to MVFR then IFR right before our eyes. Our target remained VFR. At 10 miles out, there was no sign of the airport - just a seemingly impenetrable layer of clouds below us. At 5 miles out, ATC asked if we had the airport and offered to veector us on a downwind so we could find it. Solid clouds with the AWOS reporting "few". We asked for vectors for the GPS 32 approach. No worries on this one. We set up the approach and were cleared for the approach. Just as we started the descent both GPSs flagged yellow with a big warning: lost integrity, discontinue approach. I had live needles but were they accurate? What was below us? Were we really where we thought we were? How would the accident report read in the paper?

I stopped the descent with the belly of Wild Mama kissing the cloud tops and asked Myra to radio for the nearest VFR airport that we had a dual GPS failure. I started a climb and turned toward the east to Fayetteville. Once firmly out of the clouds and back under ATC conrrol, the GPS units came alive again.

Once on the ground we tried to figure our options. Niagara Falls was out with approaching storms and an unreliable GPS. Vern suggested filing airways and navigating the old fashioned way with the VORs and looking for airports with an ILS approach. Good idea but severely limiting our options with storms already moving across our path. We could park and drive. It would not be the first time but 50 hours of driving was not our first choice. We decided to go back and test the GPS units to load an approach and see what happened. I lit up the panel. Neither GPS would acquire satellites. Vern suggested shitting off the 430 and get the 530 up since it drives all other avionics. No go. We tried shuttin off the 530 and getting the 430 so we could have something. Success. Now we have one working unit. We are feeling a bit better about this. Cautiously, I turn on the 530 and we have a satellite lock. Back in business but do I want to trust it for an approach? Myra and I have to assess our options.

By this time, the storms that were moving across the Carolinas were dissipating although Niagara Falls was covered in yellows, oranges and reds. We did not was to head toward the front. We needed to stay ahead of it. We did nt want to do a full 3.5 hour leg only to get stuck and be looking for landing options with only 1-1 1/2 hours of fuel left. (I am a bit conservative in that respect.) We grabbed some snacks and pondered. We snapped the "direct to" line to Bar Harbor, our final destination formthe next day. It ran darn close to Frederick, MD. I have been there. They have an ILS and we know 99s in the area. I texted Lin Caywood to see if she had a spare room for unexpected guests and she eagerly said to come on over. The weather was at least MVFR the whole way now to KFDK. I still did not trust the GPSs but I trusted my eyeballs.

We departed VFR and remained at 2000', under the layer that remained somewhat broken above us. It was hazy but clear enough to see. We caught our little tailwind and scooted along until we had to climb to 3000' to clear the low mountains west of Washington DC. Myra called for flight following through the DC area and we arrived in Frederick with ease. Lin met us immediately and ushered us to her house. We invited her to dinner for her hospitality and chatted away for the better part of 5 hours. 99s are awesome!

July 2nd - Bar Harbor or bust: We slept like the dead at Lin's house and got some quality kitty time in the morning with Maberick and Goose. Lin's other half, Carlo, is an IA. He and Vern chatted in the morning and devised a possible solution tomthe GPS issue. With Bar Harbor fogged in, we had plenty of time to let Carlo workmon the solution before departing. We lifted off near 0930 to beautiful blue skies over Frederick.

Forecasts were for a solid crosswind low so we climbed to get over all of the Class C airspace and look for a smidgenof tailwinds. We were well rewarded at 7500' with a quartering tailwind that turned to a more direct tailwind as we headed farther to the northeast. By the time we reached Maine, we were sporting a cruise ground speed of 180 kts and hated to come down. We had been scooting along over mostly cloudy skies watching for holes tomremain open somwe could get down. As we broke the coastline, the whole bequtiful expanse of the Maine coastline came to view. We put Wild Mama into a dive and headed to the airport that now sat under sunny skies. We listened on the radio as we heard discussion of parking clogs at Bar Harbor. I hope,they have room for us.

Upon landing we were directed to the lower lot where only 3 spota remained. Our assigned spot was number 11!!! They were getting full and were expecting to start tying down in the grass soon. We got unloaded, grabbed rhe car and headed tomthe camp ground. Hadleys was a great spot: close to everything, quiet and meeting all of our needs. We set up camp and headed into town for our first lobster dinner and blueberry pie. Mmmmmm! We wandered about town for a bit and headed back to camp for an early night. We had flown 9 hours in the last 2 days and with the GPS failure on the mind, we were, apparently, more tired than we thought.

July 3rd - Acadia National Park: Tick off my 6th National Park visit for this summer so far. Our day started with an early morning visit to Acadia National Park, only a couple mles from the campground. After checking in to the park we headed off to see the peregrin falcons nesting high upon the cliff. The rangers had telescopes trained on the birds so as not to disturb them. All the trails in the nesting area were closed. We had a nice ranger chat about the birds and headed to sand beach. The tide was full high at about +11.5' and the water glistened against the morning sun. The sand was darker and more coarse than our Florida sand and the rocks made quite a picturesque backdrop. We hiked along the seaside for a bit before turning back amidst mounting traffic.

We were warned that the crowds would be thick and the parking impossible. We decided to make the drive around the loop stopping at places where we could park and taking scenic site hikes as we could. We drove up Cadillac Mountain for a breath taking view and a wind to rival Mount Washington. We hike the sieur de Mon trails, boardwalk and historical native American museum. With the traffic mounting, we headed back to Bar Harbor for an early dinner and a walk around town.

Our Tuesday plan was to tour the island, we decided to catch a few towns starting with Northeast Harbor. This is a quaint village with lots of artists shops and few tourists compared to Bar Harbor. Most shops were closing so we put that back on our revisit list for Tuesday. On the way home, we stopped for some firewood for our campfire tonight. It was a bit cool for us FL gals so a warm fire would be welcome. Being the fire goddess, I knew it was not an issue to get the fire started. My problem was keeping it relatively small as I can usually birn a rick of wood in a short day. After some effort, I got the fire at just the right size: large enough to enjoy, small enough to put out in short order. Tomorrow is the big Independence Day celebration starting wi blueberry pancake breakfast, a parade, lobster races and Maine lobster lunch, craft show and an evening concert and fireworks. It will be a full day, indeed.

Independence Day - Bar Harbor style: It was an early day at camp. We wanted to get a full day parking spot downtown and they were few and far between. The Rotary Club was hosting a blueberry pancake breakfast at 0600 so we were aiming to be there early formparking and pancakes. We were successful on both counts, fetching THE last highly coveted parking spot and joining hundreds of others for wild blueberry pancakes. Mmmm.

A highlight of the Maine 4th festival is the local hometown parade. The streets were lines with chairs by the time we were eating our pancakes and the crowds on,y got thicker when the parade started at 10:00 am. It was an hour long parade withnlocal dignitaries and lots of floats 100thnbirthdaynof Acadia National Park. There were lots of lobster themes, kids, dogs and a host of entertaining characters. The Shriners zipped by in all sorts of minature motorized vehicles and lots threw candy and small toys to the kids along the parade path.

With the parade over, the masses headed back to the Rotary park for lobster lunches. We had broiled lobster, fries and yummy corn on the cob with blueberry pie. No dieting today. With bellies full, it was time to walk off some calories around town. We had scoped out lots of shops with local artists displaying their wares. There were the typical souvenier shops and all sorts of things. We wandered out on the boardwalk on West Street and decided to make the snadbar crossing to Bar Island at low tide. The 12' drop in tide exposes the rocky bottom allowing all ofmthe folks to cross and get a view of the town with the mountains in the backdrop. We had to wait until about 3:30 pm to cross. We were thirsty and stopped in a local restaurant for a quick beverage and to relax. We struck up a conversation with the fellow sitting next to us. He was looking for hotels for a large family. I suggested VRBO and asked him about an interesting tatoo on his arm. He said it was a tribute to his grandmother who encouraged him into hismcurrent line of work as a singer. Come to find out, it was Billie Gilman, a country singer with a #1 hit called One Voice.mwe chatted about music and airplanes for the better part of the afternoon before it was time for us to head to the sandbar.

We crossed the sandbar and climbed to the summit of Bar Island for the breathtaking view of the village. On the way down, Myra twisted her knee and could not walk back to the car. I grabbed the car and fetched Myra to head back to camp for some leg propping and icing. The evening is reserved for fireworks with fellow 99, Marilyn Shafer and her travel buddy, Melody.

July 5th - Mount Desert Island: Our day began at 0330 with a wake up call to Cadillac Mountain where we planned to have breakfast and watch thensun rise. We figured it would be relatively peaceful on top of the mountain with few people remaining from the throngs of tourists who jammed into Bar Harbor and the Park over the weekend. Well, not so much.

As we drove the 6 miles toward the Park entrance and the Mountain turn off, we became entangled in a line of cars heading the same direction. Could they all be THAT crazy? Apparently so. By the time we arrived at Cadillac Mountain - a full 30 minutes before sunrise - much of the parking lot was full and many of the choice rocks for viewing were taken. We stayed close to the parking lot on a rock of our choosing opting to save Myra's knee for hiking later. The sunrise was spectacular: the orange red fireball peeking through the clouds, then electrifying them with sunlit streaks as it finally rose above the hazy backdrop. We were not disappointed. It was well worth the early call. As the masses descended off the mountain, we remained for a sunrise breakfast and coffee.

We headed west to explore the remainder of the island. It was not long before we looked at the map scale and realized that our full day excursion would not take but half a day. It was just 0530. We drove salovly, savoring every little nook and cranny of the Island. The streets were still filled with patriotic pride, flags displayed everywhere. It was the quintesential fishing village kind of look often seen in movies and aptly described in novels.

There were 2 short, easy hikes toward the southnside of the island plus the lighthouse, all of which we could visit before the respectable business hours of 0900. The Bass Point Lighthouse was our first stop. Clinging to the craggy rocks, the lighthouse with its bright red beacon humbly sits t warn mariners of the dangers beneath. The tide had been low and was not turning to come back in, creating a rush of water through the relatively narrower inlet. Lobstermen were pulling traps. The morning air was so still that the sounds of the laboring diesel engines carried for miles. The lobster balls straining agains the onrushing tide created small wakes behind them and we watched mesmerized for quite some time. We selected a rock to see it slowly disappear beneath the water, evidence to us that the tide was rushing in faster and more furiously than it appeared. The tides range 12' in this area. We have witnessed the emergence and disappearance ofmrhe sand bar and of much ofmthe rocky shoreline.

With the morning full ablaze with sunshine, we headed to hiking destinations to the south. The shore walk was pretty and peaceful. Myra walked more slowly so I wnet on ahead enjoying the solitude. The sound of my footsteps was the cadence to the chorus of songbirds and the drone of the diesel engines in the distance. Wonderland Trail was a shorter trail heading directly to the mostly exposed beach. There was a small tide pool that I explored to see what got trapped with the receeding tide. It was mostly barren except for healthy green seawed clinging to the rocks. I found a piece of sea glass like we had seen advertised in the shops around town...except THIS glass was real, pull straight from the rugged shores. It was not remenant glass that was tumbled to resemble the real thing.

With the 9:00 hour now upon us, we could head into the small towns dotting the southwest part of the Island. We wandered in and out of the shops, looking at the wares of local artists before calling it time for lunch and heading back to Bar Harbor for a more varied selection. We stopped back at Stewmans for lobster salad. Looking out over the water, we could feel and smell the sea fog rolling in, and see a distant island sitting patiently, waiting to be enveloped in the misty white shroud. We watched for a bit to see the fog creep ever closer to our shore line, then retreat and give up its grip on the distant island. Tomorrow morning we may have a delayed departure. Heaving a heavy sign, we headed back to camp for chores. We will be departing the area sometime in the morning so we have to have everything ready to pack for the next leg to Canada.

We had one last stop before leaving Acadia: we wanted a horse and carrage ride through the carriage trails. The Rockefeller's build some 57 miles of carriage trails which remain today to be free of vehicular traffic. Our driver, Romane, expertly drove the horse team of Shamoo and Shorty around Day Mountain. We could still see that undulating fog off in the distance.

June 6th - Canada, eh: I was up at the usual 0430ish looking at the weather. We got a new camping neighbor last night who,was less tahn neighborly as he pounded in tent stakes well after the 10:00 pm quiet time. There was also many people walking on the raod and it sounded like in our camping area. This did not allow me to sleep as well as I would have liked. As I expected, KBHB was fogged in solid this morning with no change forecast until 8:00 pm. Well, that is not good. I kept a watch on the METARs and kept looking skyward. I could initially see the overcast layer but it seemed to be breaking up giving me some hope for a flight out some time during the day. Around 0630 the skies cleared and the METAR showed VFR. I got Myta moving at the speed of light and we packed camp and headed out to the airport to make sure we did not miss the departure window. We were in the air by 7:30 am.

The flight near Mount Washington and over the Aderondacs was quite nice. The rolling hills were blanketed with luch green forrests and upsloping fog rolled up the hillsides. We headed a bit south of our intended course since the winds on Mount Washington were over 30 kts and shrouded in clouds. We flew over Ticonderoga and looked out to see Caroline Baldwin paddling her canoe across Lake George.

in short order we landed at Watertown, NY, grabbed our rental car and headed across the Canadian border on the way to Ottawa for the 99s Conference. It was good to arrive to see our friends but we were tired as it had been a long day. We ran off to grab a bite and headed back to the hotel for some quiet time and a nights sleep in a real bed.