CAPT OF AN MLG FAILED TO FOLLOW THE FLT PLAN TRACK DUE TO DIALING IN THE WRONG COURSE.

Narrative

WE WERE CRUISING AT FL350 ON A FLT FROM STL TO SLC. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT EITHER THE FO OR I HAD FLOWN THIS RTE. APCHING MEEKER VOR; I LOOKED UP THE OUTBOUND RADIAL FOR J116. WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF DIFFICULTY I DETERMINED THE OUTBOUND RADIAL TO BE 260 DEGS; BUT NOTICED THAT THE 270 DEG NUMBER WAS MUCH EASIER TO PICK OUT ON THE CHART. I TRIED TO MAKE A MENTAL NOTE NOT TO USE THE 270 DEG NUMBER. AS WE APCHED THE VOR THERE WERE 2 DISTRS THAT WERE OCCURRING. THE VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT AND THE SKI SLOPES CAUGHT MY ATTN. ALSO; THE DME WAS NOT OPERATING AT THE VOR; SO STATION PASSAGE WAS NOT AS EASY TO ANTICIPATE AS NORMAL. WHEN STATION PASSAGE OCCURRED; I REACHED DOWN AND PUT THE NUMBER IN THE COURSE WINDOW THAT FIRST CAME TO MIND. UNFORTUNATELY THE NUMBER WAS 270 DEGS. I HAD ALREADY CHKED THE CHART SO I FELT COMFORTABLE NOT DOUBLE- CHKING MY OUTBOUND RADIAL. THE FO HAD ALREADY PUT THE INBOUND RADIAL TO FAIRFIELD VOR; OUR NEXT FIX; INTO HIS HSI; SO HE WAS UNABLE TO DETECT THE FACT THAT I WAS TRACKING OUTBOUND ON THE WRONG RADIAL. ABOUT 2-3 MINS PAST MEEKER; CTR TOLD US TO TURN TO A HDG OF 240 DEGS AND JOIN J116.