More than two dozen volunteers pitched in to clean up airstrips in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area on April 23, 2022,
Two years ago, Recreational Aviation Foundation Oregon Liaison Richard Mayes received a $1,400 grant from RAF “to advance the RAF mission with the Hells Canyon Recreation Collaborative (HCRC),” according to RAF officials.
Mayes and Bill Ables, the RAF Oregon Ambassador, are working with the HCRC Steering Committee to protect and improve access to six airstrips in the area.
According to Ables, 16 airplanes arrived at the Dug Bar airstrip early in the morning on the work day and then dispersed out to five other airstrips. Volunteers came from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Minnesota, he reports.
Projects included mowing, weed eating, installing new windsocks, and trimming back blackberry bushes at Dug Bar, Cache Creek, Salmon Bar, Ragtown Bar, Big Bar, and Sluice Creek, he added.
After completing the maintenance work, “Everyone returned to Dug Bar where a hearty lunch and good conversation was waiting for them,” Ables said.
There is the obvious added benefit for cleaning/improving these back-country airfields… make them Search, Rescue and Medevac ‘ready’ sites… even when weather conditions are not-so cooperative.