I spotted a huge airstrip in the Pasayten Wilderness Area that's not on the charts! Unfortunately, when I looked it up, I found out I can't land there.

It's at 48.917, -120.631.

I found this interesting page that tells a little bit of its history:
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/WA/Airfields_WA_C.html

Sad story, would of been cool to see all those Norsemen and Dc-3's back in the day. To bad it couldn't be used as an "wilderness trailhead" like some of the Idaho strips. One google maps it looks surprisingly bare for being unused since 1968.

Another lost airports site with some Pasayten info:
http://www.lostairports.com/panel_04.html

Yeah, I've always dreamed of Pasayten being re-opened. I've never been there of course, but Washington is kind of short on backcountry strips and it just looks so nice. I added it to shortfield.com a couple years ago...just so folks could know about it for emergency purposes.

12 year old thread update. The Pasayten airstrip is being protected form a forest fire. The NW Pasayten Fires
Insiweb page here https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8397/

"Kid: also moved to the east and north and made it the north end of the airstrip this afternoon in an active run. Nine smokejumpers plumbed with pumps and sprinklers and put in a cut line to keep some green space around the historic cabin. They are prepared to fire off, if needed."

Good photos of the airstrip on the Inciweb photos page https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/photographs/8397/

The Historic Monument 83 Lookout and cabin is also threatened by the nearby Parks Fire. You can see it on the Inciweb photos page. They have them wrapped with foil..

Photos and history of the Monument 83 Lookout. http://www.firelookout.com/wa/monument83.html

The Monument 83 lookout site was burned over two days ago. The lookout tower and copula cabin survived but I'm worried about Pasayten Pete's wooden grave marker. He was a Forest Service Muel that was shot due to a broken leg. It's between the cabin and the Lookout tower.


Paysayten Pete
Shot by L. E. Lael
26-8-61


Poem written on the wall of the Coupla cabin:

Pasayton Pete 26-8-61

He wasn't a horse and he wasn't a dog
He was a wild man so they say
Who lived in the wilderness just south of here
A murderer ne'er brought to bay

As strong as a bull and as mean as a bear
His exploits spawned many a tale
And he terrorized lookouts who lived on this knob
Until he met with L.E. Lael

The Kid fire made a run toward the cabin at the end of the airstrip yesterday Sept 8, 2022. The Smoke Jumpers fired around the cabin and completely around the airstrip.

Pasayten Airstrip 9-9-22


Close up


Cabin

This isn't the first fire season the Pasayten cabins were wrapped. I'm glad the old buildings have survived. I hiked in there with a friend about 16 years ago. We took a ton of photos, and measured the original runway with images every 100' or so. About half of the original 3,200 feet was still useable then. I don't think it would be difficult even now to reopen the strip to 2000'. A few summers of effort and the entire surface could be rejuvenated.

A cautionary note to anyone who might need to land there for whatever reason. When my buddy and I hiked that runway we found a couple holes that looked intentionally dug near centerline. Helicopters could safely land on the surface, but any fixed wing needing an emergency or precautionary safe haven might catch a wheel.

Our field notes and photos were turned over to the Forest Service archaeologist at Wenatchee. They might still be there for all I know.

I put the Pasayten airstrip and the Monument 83 Lookout on a map for reference. The air strip is on the West Fork of the Pasayten River five miles south of Monument 83 Lookout.


Monument 83 Lookout on Sept 17, 2022 after the The Parks fire burned around it. On the close up photo you can See Pasayten Pete's wooden Grave Marker still covered with foil between the Lookout Tower on the US side of the border and the old Ground Copula Lookout on the Canadian side. It looks like Pete is burried in Canada.