Finally, the third attempt at this flight was successful. I had to abandon my previous try midair due to weather. Even after so many flights, I’m still amazed by the fascinating places tucked into this region’s diverse natural beauty. So many lakes lie in remote, hard-to-reach areas—yet somehow, people have found ways to live and thrive among them.

The east-west leg of this journey was a bit intimidating, with the ever-present potential for sudden weather changes that could turn things miserable—but not this time. After passing over the vast Bonaparte Lake and several others nearby, I continued west toward Deadman’s Falls.

That area has undergone a dramatic transformation. Once dense forest, it was reduced to near-barren land by the devastating wildfire in 2021. I visited the falls twice on motorcycle: first on April 21, 2021—before the fire—and again on October 3, 2023, after the blaze. The falls, and especially the canyon’s unguarded edges, look far more intimidating from the ground than they do from the air.

Three-quarters of the trip was relaxing, until I hit some serious turbulence in the canyon. Thankfully, it didn’t last long. The Deadman River Valley is truly captivating—with several lakes and nature-sculpted canyon walls, it’s a place of both history and resilience.