[Methow Travis]

Hi good folks. I appreciate all of the good posts and responses on this forum. I'm looking to buy a used plane by the end of the summer. I'm a ways into my private pilot lessons and plan on moving straight through IFR. I must say, after having been just a passenger in many light planes over the years, I had no idea how addicted I'd become to being pilot in control in the sky. I went on vacation last week and could hardly bear the time away from my twice-weekly lessons.

Anyway, I'm looking for advice (of course). My mission is this. I live in the Methow Valley on the E. side of the North Cascades in WA, and commute weekly to work in Seattle. The drive is 3.5 hours in the summer when the NC Highway is open and 4.5 hours in the winter. The flight is 100 nautical miles over the cascades. Airports are within 10 minutes of my home (Twisp, WA) and my office (Boeing Field).

My plan is to start with VFR commute trips this summer and slowly and conservatively move into IFR trips as my experience builds. I realize this will be a lifetime's worth of growth, but I'd like to buy the best plane for the job (within my budget) now.

I believe I need power, a high service ceiling and de-icing to maximize my potential to move up through any inadvertant icing conditions I find myself in and/or mountain winds. My budget is $150k max. It will be just me and maybe one companion 90% of the time. I'd also plan to take trips with my wife and 2 small kids from time to time.

I've come down in my mind to a Mooney 231 or a Cessna turbo 182, late 70's/early 80's vintage, with the difference in my mind being speed and economy vs. utility and roominess. Retrofitting a TKS system on either is about the same cost. I'm about 160 pounds, 5'10" so roominess isn't a big factor. I would very much like to be able to carry a short surfboard or skis with me and one other.

Would anyone be willing to share their thoughts on these two planes, and perhaps any others I'm overlooking?

Thank you in advance.

Travis.