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Shaffer Meadows - 1.5 Million Acres of Wilderness

 

Shaffer Meadows airstrip is located within the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area in northwestern Montana. It encompasses over 1.5 million acres of breathtaking scenery with tall pines, craggy cliffs and lush green meadows.  It's only a short hike from the airstrip to the river where the fishing is epic and the views breathtaking. If you're looking for Elk, black bear, deer, Grizzlies and mountain goats, you'll find them here.   

 
 

 View looking Southwest makes the arrival and departure look deceivingly easy.  There is sloping terrain with 85 foot trees on one end and 45' trees on the other.  Despite the wonders of my 285HP turbo, the length of my departure ground roll was sufficient to cause that age old pilot ailment...the pucker factor.  Yes, you can turn right and follow the canyon to gain altitude.  But looking at the photo below, note that there is a mountain at the end and a potential downdraft from the wind that is passing over it.  That downdraft will hit you right about at the end of the runway where the 42 foot tall trees are located.  Heat and density altitude are critical factors here.

 
Miles of riverbank close to the airstrip are a haven for fly-fisherman...no pun intended. 
 
 Visitors included the local Boyscout Troop, of which most were taller than me.
 
 While the boyscouts hiked in, the parents flew in tons of supplies including thick juicy steaks which I heartily enjoyed.
 
Home Sweet Campsite
Tie-Down Area
Antique Equipment at Shaffer
Proud Parents of Montana Boyscouts
Cowboys at Shaffer
Montana Cowgirls
Tall Sweetly Scented Pines
Traveling Light
Aerial View - Down the runway
Shaffer Meadows Forestry Service Building
Departure
Getting the Job Done
Grizzley Country
More Montana Boyscouts
Hardy Montana Boyscouts
Turbo-Stationwagon
Tuesdays With Morrie
The traditional campfire.
 

  
 
 Besides honey, bears seem to love their backs scratched. So to track the bear population, simulated scratching post like the one above entice bears to scratch away. 

 

 The forestry service office has helpful literature with comforting titles such as "Living with Grizzleys" and "Living with Mountain Lions".

 
 They also have a neat collection of the classic telephones.

 
 Volunteers, like the happy group above, create the simulated scratching posts by tacking barbed wire onto trees.  They then gather the bear hair and use it for wildlife studies.

 The runway ID is 8U2.  It's been extended to 3200 feet, but with an elevation of 4855 and hot summer temps, density altitude can play havoc...even with a turbo. Obstructions to consider are: 85 ft. trees, 161 ft. from runway, 67 ft. left of centerline, 1:1 slope to clear. Plus, +34' TREES ON BOTH SIDES AND ON RWY CNTRLN EXTNDD.  42 ft. trees, 179 ft. from runway, 120 ft. right of centerline, 4:1 slope to clear.