Smokejumpers to Polson

7/8/2019

Started south on a beautiful day under blue skies.Traveling Montana route 200, we kept our eyes on the hillsides for Bighorn Sheep, but didn't see any.

We had heard that the Smokejumpers Center at the Missoula airport was an interesting stop. After arriving at the airport, we ended up at the  Museum of Montana Flying.

A modest admission fee of $5 gave entrance to a hanger with well preserved examples of planes used in the early days of airline passenger service in Montana.

This photo of the cockpit from the DC3 above is for members of the Zebracorns Robotics team who can never have too many zebra stripes.

As nice as the little museum was, it was not the Smokejumper's Center.

The Smoke Jumper's Center was just down the street. Graphics on the building left no doubt that we were in the right place this time. We went in and signed up for a tour which left us just enough time to make and eat lunch in our van.

What is smokejumping? This is from a posting in the visitor's center:

"It's 3:57 p.m. on July 12, 1940. Firefighters in parachutes drop through the smoky air to a fire deep in the Nez Perce National Forest of Idaho. They reach the fire safe and fast, much faster than a ground crew could have hiked through the dense trees and brush. Until that first jump, the idea of smokejumping sounded extremly resky. Who would even want to jump out of a plane to get to a fire?

Now, 350-400 smokejumpers operate seasonally from 11 bases throughout the western United States. Just as driving a fire truck is the most efficient wasy to get to a city fire, smokejumping is still the fastest way to get crews to remote wildland fires."

Real Men Sew.
The tour started in the sewing room where smokejumpers repair their own equipment. Would you trust someone else to work on your parachute?

The tall room in the building is where chutes can be hung for working with the ropes and control lines.

Supplies are packaged and ready to go at a minute's notice.

80 smokejumpers are based here in Missoula. This Short Sherpa had just returned from a practice session.

I need to post one of these signs in our garage. It was hung over the crew lockers.

These guys and gals have to be in excellent physical condition. They work out at least one and a half hours every day. Smokejumpers must be able to do 7 pull-ups, 45 sit-ups, and run 1.5 miles in 11 minutes.  Most successful applicants will exceed these minimums in both work experience and physical fitness. Rookie smokejumpers must also pass a 110 lb. pack test on flat terrain in 90 minutes, along with many other physical and mental challenges.

The tour wrapped up in the ready room where the crew was reviewing video from their morning practice jump. Our guide asked if we could watch and the friendly guys obliged.

We left with an even deeper respect for the men and women firefighters that protect our national forests.

Heading north from Missoula, our next stop was at the National Bison Range in Moise

We were not the only Pleasure-Way pulling in to the Visitor Center.

We liked the iron sign marking the entrance.

Bison aren't the only animals on the range. This collection of Elk antlers decorated the patio.

Mid-afternoon wasn't the time to be touring the loop roads in search of Bison. After seeing the herds at Yellowstone, we were underwhelmed after thirty minutes and took one of the early exits.

Just outside the range, the sign pointed to a wildlife viewing area.

A quarter mile too early, this Bull Elk grazed just outside the Bison range.

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Heading north again the Mission Mountain Wilderness pushed up above the plains in Ronan.

Just before four o'clock we arrived at our destination The People's Center our destination for the night.

A part of the Harvest Hosts* network, we were able to spend a peaceful night in their parking lot. We bought tickets and toured the center before they closed at 1700.

* If you are interested in joining Harvest Hosts, please click on this referral link to save 15% on your membership. We receive a small incentive. 

Operated by the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, the museum told their people's history. Cameras are not allowed inside the museum so we didn't take any photos out of respect for their culture. Beth enjoyed talking with one of the curators as she learned a different method of beading. We left with a small book and a new craft project.

Here's today's Montana map for a little geographical context.