Moose Creek '10

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003399" TEXT="#080000" background="043c8c00erkjxk.jpg"> <div> <B>  I'd been wanting to return to Moose Creek since Doug and I last visited in 2005.  The scenery is stunning and it's located in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area, so you're not likely to see many people there. </B></div> <div> <B>  Being a low elevation strip, you have to visit either very early or very late in the season.  July and August are just too hot at that altitude.</B></div> <div> <B>  We finally had a combination of a mid-June trip, spare time, and cool weather.  It was well worth it. </B></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#0066CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#99CCFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>John Galban's Flying Site</B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFF99" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" > </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#CC0000" FACE="Arial" > </FONT>  |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="John Galbans Flying Site"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="16"><B>     </B><A HREF="id100.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Schafer 10"><U><B><IMG SRC="04910100.gif" border=0 width="16" height="16" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>     </B><A HREF="id102.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Elk City 10"><U><B><IMG SRC="04a10100.gif" border=0 width="16" height="16" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B>     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="John Galbans Flying Site"><U><B><IMG SRC="04b100e0.gif" border=0 width="16" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A><B> </B></div> <div> Moose Creek '10</div> <div> <IMG SRC="3b9e8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="750" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>   Turning final for runway 19 at Moose Creek.   Don't mind miy oil door.  It lost a spring and tended to pop open in flight.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3bbe8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="750" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>   That's Moose Creek to the right of the strip.  The Selway river runs past the end of this runway.   The creek and the river meet in the canyon that goes off to the right.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3bde8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="750" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>    Just over the trees on short final.   Note the size of the trees on either side of the runway.  It's like flying down a hallway.  Trees seem to grow much taller at this strip than </div> <div> at any of the others I visit.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3c0e8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="750" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>    First order of business at Moose Creek.  Taxi to the Ranger Station at the end of runway 4 and fill every container you have.  Drinking water is not available at the campground</div> <div> and you don't want to hike half a mile carrying 40 lbs. of water.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3c2f4770.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="375" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="3c3f4770.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="375" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>   Lucy, the ranger's dog, is one of the happier dogs I've met.   I suppose spending the summer at Moose Creek can have that effect on dog. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3c1e8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="750" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>    We were advised to camp in the "new" campground on the southeast side of the field due to a problem with falling trees at the old site.   After encountering impossibly thick </div> <div> grass (Doug busted a wheel pant) and not much tree coverage, we opted to take our chances at the old camping area.  We did hear a few trees fall when it was windy, but we</div> <div> all survived.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3c5e8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="750" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>    I took an opportunity to demonstrate the international backcountry sign for "moose" while standing on the bank of Moose Creek.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3c7e8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="750" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>    After crossing the footbridge over the Selway, there's a trail that leads to the top of a hill overlooking the crossing runways.  Note the Cessna parked on the left of the "X".  The</div> <div> hike is about 45 min. and mostly uphill, but the view is well worth the effort. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3c9e8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="750" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>   This was taken at the confluence of Moose Creek (on the right) and the Selway River (on the left).  It's about a 5 minute walk from the old camping area.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3cbe8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="750" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>    There are no grills at Moose Creek (unless you bring your own), so Doug revived the custom of "Meat on a Stick" that we used on our last visit in '05.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="3cde8ee0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="750" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>    There are foot bridges over both Moose Creek and the Selway with several hiking trails at each end.   If hiking is your thing, you've come to the right place.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>