Aerial Views of the High Peaks - via airplane

[Mavs00]

This is an info gathering thread, not intended to debate the merits of planes over wilderness areas. THANKS.......

I'm talking about those little tour planes out of Lake Placid that take you up (for a fee) and buzz you around like a tourist so that you can get some nifty aerial shots (like -THIS- (http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/46er-flash/fun/lpp-aerial.jpg) one).

Okay, So I know that they are annoying to many of us hikers as they fly-by us on the summits. But they do have there uses ;).

I'm specifically looking for:

1) If anyone has done it, did you happen to get any shots looking down into the Southeastern cirque of Basin Mt (see photo below), and if you did, will you share them with me, please :)

2) If you did take one of these plane trips, but did not get any photos (of Basin), do you have info on the outfits that I could link up with to get this type of aerial imagery (so to speak), and how much it is. I've heard of the tour plane outfits themselves, I just never looked into them before.

Feel free to let me get in touch with me, I'm looking for aerial beta on several other areas too :). Thanks, and as always, gratefully indebted for the assistance.

Mavs00

This is Southeastern Cirque of Basin Mt.

http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/albums1/colvin/IMG_3079.sized.jpg

[Boreal Chickadee]

I've often considered this, but not for scouting. I've thought it would be nicer to go up in early spring or fall so you could se the terrain better. If anyone PMs you any good information about the outfits could you post it please?

[pete_hickey]

Interested in meeting a pilot who flies these tours? My son and I met him on a midnight full moon winter climb, and he told us to look him up, and he would give us a free ride. I never did, because the last time I was in a plane there, (35 years ago), I was sick... sicker than a dog who just ate a plate of raw squid.

Try doing some midnight full moon winter hikes, and you might meet him too. He flys out of Lake Placid.

[Mavs00]

Interested in meeting a pilot who flies these tours? My son and I met him on a midnight full moon winter climb, and he told us to look him up, and he would give us a free ride. I never did, because the last time I was in a plane there, (35 years ago), I was sick... sicker than a dog who just ate a plate of raw squid.

Try doing some midnight full moon winter hikes, and you might meet him too. He flys out of Lake Placid.


ummmmmmmmm, Most definitely

[DCampbell]

The company is Helms Aero Service in Long Lake. Tom Helms is the pilot/owner. We flew with them a couple years ago with the Scout troop in Owego for our Memorial Day trip. We just flew from Long Lake village up to just above Plumley and hiked out to Newcomb (the older 2 groups either bushwacked up the Santanoni slide or bushwacked up and over Little Sant, then Sant and out somewhere easterly - we like to give the boys a memorable challenge).

Tom is a legend up in the area, as was his father Herb. Herb started the service after WWII piloting. Tom's never had an accident. I got to sit in the right seat. It was quite an experience. Tom flew eyes always out the windows. He never looked at any instruments, and set everything by feel at the same time. After we landed he had me looking for rocks he knew were there. He basically has to be able to act as pilot and boat captain. And the plane has an anchor.

Any good flying day in the ADK is likely to be bouncy, so be aware. Consider it a great way to get to a trailhead to hike out in a timeframe you could never normally consider for a weekend. I don't want to start a discussion on noise. I do want to tell you it is a experience you'll never forget. And a way to see the ADKs unlike any other.

And Tom tends to talk soft. Listen close, because he's a riot.

[Hikerdad]

Tim:

The plane rides can be done out of the airport in Lake Placid (the one by the horse show grounds). I did it last year with the family but the winds were too high (and thunder storms) in the high peaks so we cruised over toward Saranac Lake. It would be a spectacular way to see and scout the high peaks. I got a coupon through LakePlacid.com (I think with the coupon the 4th person was free)...I think it was $25 per person for about a 1/2 hour ride and I think they'd go anyplace you ask. Our pilot actually let my 16 year old fly the plane (how many FAA rules did that break??) which was really fun. I can't remember the name of the outfit....

[Hikerdad]

Tim:

I just looked it up...it's Adirondack Flying Service (518-523-2473). The coupon now is $30/person and the 3rd goes free. The plane holds 4 people (including the pilot)....

[mike1889]

About 10 years ago me and my wife took a float plane trip from Long Lake with Tom Helms. I think it was $40 for about a half hour for just the 2 of us. I told him I was a High Peak hiker and he agreed to go toward the Sewards so I could see the western High Peaks. We didn't go as far as Algonquin or Marcy but I could see them. I got the impression that if we didn't care where we went, he would have just done a loop around the local lakes, not toward the High Peaks. We both felt a little queasy during and after the ride, the plane is small and it was a little bumpy. I took a few pics out the window but they aren't very good.

[AlpineSummit]

We have done this a dozen times or so thru the years. Mostly outta Long L., which is Helms or from Lake Placid most recently where we've gotten good deals. Something that's really cool is taking off & landing on water - that is just sooooo darn cool. Especially the planes that sit right in the water, not on pontoons. I think they call 'em flying boats.

Anyway, we also have a bud who's a pilot and he's a pretty ********************y one at that & he's always ready for adventure.

As far as pics go, I doubt I have the goods but I'll snoop around. My suggestion tho is to hook up and go for a spin. It's a superb experience to sail around over the peaks, even if a kwik & minor annoyance to a few hikers! Heck, they're all Kanadians this time of year anyway.........

EDIT: Hey, look at that up there w/all the **** That was an auto censor I guess huh? Cool, and good stuff. I was trying to say that he was a daredevil type pilot and the word I chose was deleted rite up to the "y". Pretty smart software. I bet we can't say Jack-Sh_t anymore either huh Tim?

[Mavs00]

Alpine,

Does he work for the Adirondack Flying Service

I Called the guy from there...... He was cool. $115 bucks, he'll take the whole family up for 30-35 minutes. I asked if he could get me in a good position to take a couple good photos down into the cirque.

He said, and I quote, "Sure, no problem, we'll just fly you right over it and turn the plane on it's side and you'll be staring right down into it" :eek:

Ummm, that probably won't be necessary to get THAT good a view, sir......... Probably go in late spring once the ice and snow are off the walls. Probably hit Panther Gorge, the Cirque and Gothics too. I should be able to get at least one framable picture out of the deal :D ................

**EDIT**
RE: BAD WORDS - Jeez Alpine, this is a family friendly board, not a convention for sailors :roll:

[Hikerdad]

The service out of Placid uses the airport (as far as I know) and not float planes so using them you'll miss the float plane experience but you're closer to the high peaks than out of Long Lake so you'd get more time in the high peaks. We just saw smaller peaks and they were awesome so I can only imagine how the big ones would look. The guy my other kids had as a pilot (we used two planes for the whole family) took them over Whiteface and they said it was really cool.

[AlpineSummit]

Negatory Mavs, he's a rogue, a wild man, flys for himself and the wind, a lone wolf, a rare breed, raised by coy dogs. Get the picture? Drills teeth by day and does god knows what at nite. Who'd dare ask him?

Anyway - Yea, lake P is the place to fly the peaks for sure. Save the float planes for another time - I was just spewing nonsense to wow everyone with my worldly experiences.

Hey, where the *#^&# can a sailer get a drink in this dump anyway?

[ADKben]

Mavs, ur not going to believe me but I think I have 2 real good pictures of what you'd be looking for. Long story short, my friend from college flew me up from Buffalo to Lake Placid and we did a tour around of the High Peaks; I have prob 6-7 pictures but bugs on the windshield show up in a few. Nonetheless, I have 2 real good ones; a supercloseup (my new word) shot of Gothics Slides; and a shot flying to the north, with the Amp in sight, Saddleback and Gothics. Let me know and I'm sure I can get em to you. I couldn't put them on here, the site said they were too big? i dont know.

[Mavs00]

Course I believe you Ben. I'll PM you. Great, I knew that if I asked, someone would have some. :)

[peak_bgr]

Bruce--
Are you talking about DJ?

[masshysteria]

I was just spewing nonsense to wow everyone with my worldly experiences.

Hey, where the *#^&# can a sailer get a drink in this dump anyway?


Bruce, you are a peice of work!!!

I hope Tim plans on sharing those photos with the rest of us?!!

[pete_hickey]

Hey, where the *#^&# can a sailer get a drink in this dump anyway?

There is no rum around here. Just Gatorade.

And rum is no good when you have to bushwhack. Expecially through stuff like this:

http://newmud.comm.uottawa.ca/~pete/garden.jpg

[AlpineSummit]

Hhhmmm, gee - i seem to recognize that from some old time bushwhacking myself!

Yep, DJ is right.

[Mavs00]

There is no rum around here. Just Gatorade.

And rum is no good when you have to bushwhack. Expecially through stuff like this:

http://newmud.comm.uottawa.ca/~pete/garden.jpg

No kidding, particularly when you have to tangle with the "Nye" monster tapping her feet on the doorstep as you fumble through your ruck sack for your keys :shock: