RUNWAY PLOWING WORK AT SCHAFER MEADOWS

In recent weeks, RAF Montana Liaison and Montana Pilots Association Past President Scott Newpower helped coordinate the delivery of equipment to Schafer Meadows USFS airstrip in time for this fall’s plowing project. The plan to shift the runway surface laterally within the clearing is underway, so the current runway surface can recover from use.

Schafer Meadows lies within the Great Bear Wilderness with no road access, and where no motorized tools are allowed. Delivery of the bulky equipment needed to be accomplished with aircraft, and required significant advance planning and several deliveries, due to the size of the equipment. Newpower was aided by Montana Aeronautics Administrator and pilots Tim Conway, and Aviation Support Officer Stephen Torske. The Forest Service was represented by Jeremy Rust who is leading the project. Teamsters Boone Jones from Stevensville and Lonnie Metzger from Ronan drove a hitch of three horses to plow the surface, bringing to mind a scene from the 19th century.

A team of mules – in part provided by an RAF grant – typically does ground preparation work at Schafer, but only these horses were available at the time the plowing needed to be done. The two drovers were caught on video bumping along making good time, as Newpower observed, “The horses’ default speed is a trot which is way too fast.” With some patience from these experienced drovers, the runway was plowed safely and in keeping with the spirit of the Wilderness.

Submitted on October 28, 2024.