Away 44 was a high rack that launched two small rockets in April 2010. I hiked in the next day to recovered it. However, by the time I got to it was getting dark, I was exhausted and there was no was I was going to be able to climb back over the two ridge lines carrying the thing. It took about 20 minutes to pull all the systems and camera off Away 44 and load them into my pack before heading back out. Getting the structure, wiring and antennas would need to wait for another day.
Well, last Wednesday was that other day. Taking ‘the around the mountain and up the valley (no climbing) route’ I got to the landing site in just a few hours of hiking. Away 44 was gone. I was pretty sure the last person there was me and before that nobody had been there for about 100 years. After walking a spiral out from the coordinate it was pretty clear it just wasn’t there and I began the trek back to the truck. Not long after a caught a glimpse of a white piece of foam sticking out of the dirt. It was a 5 inch triangle landing bumper. Tumbleweed. It jumped into my brain that without the equipment the High Rack frame and decks would act like a big tumbleweed. I started walking a search pattern in the direction of the surface winds on the original launch day. You could only see about 30 feet due the the train and brush so I walked a 1/4 mile by 30 foot search pattern. About an hour in I came across a fin. It was in ready to fly condition except the blue fabric had completely faded. That game was a foot!
After another hour a had to give up and start heading back. I had made the decision the moment Away 44 appeared out of nowhere only 16 feet in front if me. A shallow ravine and the bushes kept it out of site.
The vehicle was very much intact, just couple of broken poles and very eroded foam. No much is reusable, maybe some of the poles, I just don’t like leaving anything out there. Also it was a good excuse for a excellent hike.
A reminder to keep hydrated.
The way road and the truck are down in that valley somewhere.
Away 44 ready to go home.
Awesome!! Well done!