Camping in the Wet Mountain Valley

After seeing on the pilotgetaways.com web site that the Silver West airport (C08) was open to on-airport camping, I couldn’t wait to try it. I had done a touch and go there a couple of weeks prior when flying from my home airport near Colorado Springs (Meadowlake, KFLY) to the San Luis Valley. I was struck by the setting of the airport and the magnificent views.

The photo below shows the view looking west from the Wet Mountain Valley toward the Sangre De Cristo Range.

The Silver West airport is located 83nm southwest of Pueblo (KPUB) at an elevation of 8290 feet. It has a single, paved runway (13 – 31) 7000 feet in length. There is ample paved parking for aircraft, with five tie-down spots for transients (we were the only transient aircraft there during this mid-week visit). The tie-down spots have rings, but no ropes, so bring your own. The airport management I spoke with on the phone prior to my visit was gracious to a fault, let me know how welcome I was, explained in detail what could be expected at the airport, and what I would have access to.

There is a central hangar just north of the self-serve gas pump. A section of the hangar is open 24/7 and has a bathroom (including a shower), a pilot planning room (left), and a beverage vending machine. I don’t know how old the facility is, but everything had a “new” feel to it. The building has WI-FI as well, with the access code available to visitors. This came in handy for using my iPad to get updated weather and maps. There is also a phone in the planning room.

The courtesy car (actually a mini-van) was a real boon to our visit. Having a way to get to the picturesque town of Westcliffe (8 miles north) was huge. The people of Westcliffe were very friendly and hospitable and, even though we were there in the “off season” (many establishments were closed), there were a number of good restaurants open. A fine place to eat (maybe surprisingly) is the town’s bowling alley. They have a friendly staff with good food, and the seating area has an excellent view of the valley and the mountains beyond. Using the van requires filling out and signing some paperwork, but it wasn’t a burdensome process, and we were able to do it via e-mail prior to our trip. By the way, there is an Amish community in the vicinity, with some horse-drawn buggy traffic, so vigilance on the highway is advised!

We arrived at the Silver West airport shortly after lunchtime in our hot-rod 1981 Cessna 172P to be greeted by a stiff, gusting crosswind about 80 degrees to the runway. After a challenging landing and tying down on the transient ramp (glad I remembered the ropes!), we unloaded the aircraft and moved our gear to the east side of a hangar, which we used as a wind-break (the wind was still blowing hard out of the southwest).

After setting up camp, we headed into town in the van to check it out and get some grub. Like many of the mountain towns in Colorado, Westcliffe has a quaint and homey feel to it. We bought some snacks at the local grocery and headed back to the airport. As the sun set, we ate outside and then moved the party into the tent and played some cards. The tent placement kept our tent from rattling around too much during the night, but it got down to freezing during the night, and we didn’t sleep very well. Note to self: bring the heavy sleeping bag next time.

Early the next morning we broke camp and loaded the airplane. We took the van back into Westcliffe for a hearty breakfast (yes, at the bowling alley), and on the way back to the airport we topped off the van. After securing the van (making sure not to take the keys) and doing one last walk-around to see we didn’t leave anything, we took off for Colorado Springs. We were worn out, but very glad to have gone.

We’ll be back!
- Jim Greer, Colorado Springs, CO