Picture the Bob Marshall in the summer: Gurgling brooks, towering peaks and amazing wildlife. Now imagine all this from an ariel view.
This may seem like a dream to most, but on July 19, junior Rob Brist, seniors Nick Leuhr and Ray Leonhardt, and graduates Anna Weaver, Christina Roberts and Kirt Pederson entered the Bob Marshall from above, enjoying one of the most coveted views of the Bob.
While most other FHS club members separated this summer, these six members of the Aviation Club participated in the annual Montana Pilot's Association Fly-In Work Session in the Bob Marshall at Schafer Meadow. The club wanted a good summer activity and flying into one of the most beautiful spots in Montana was hard to resist.
The members of the Aviation club were among 100 people who arrived on 30 aircraft. They were joined by members of the Montana Division of Aeronautics, USFS personnel, and Montana's Pilot Association (MPA) members.
"[Being there] gained their respect for us," Brist said of the MPA.
For two days the group camped and worked to improve the airstrip and its surroundings. They cut brush along the runway, repaired fences and picnic tables, installed new windsocks for the airstrip, and painted the pilot's registry. Leuhr said the work was hard but not menial.
But it wasn't all work.
Luehr's favorite time was when the club hiked and fished. He also recalls seeing moose running across the airstrip.
On Saturday evening the USFS conducted a session about the airstrip and the wilderness. Then the group enjoyed a huge feast and a night of campfire music.
On Sunday, the campers flew out of Schafer Meadow. Seeing the benefits of his work was very rewarding, said Leuhr, adding:
"That and the fact that I had a bunch of friends there with me."