Superior National Forest Update: September 26

Hi.  I’m Anna Botner, Wilderness Specialist for Gunflint and Tofte, with the Superior National Forest Update, providing you with information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the Tofte and Gunflint Districts of the Forest.  For the week of September 26th, here’s what’s going on around the Forest.
 
Fall just keeps getting more and more colorful.  It promises to be a spectacular week to get out and drive the fall color routes, or finding your own roads to explore in the Forest.  If you’re out enjoying the season, make sure to respect other drivers by parking in appropriate spots, closing doors when you get out, and allowing others to pass if you are traveling slowly.  Take a hike on one of our many trails while you’re out.  After all, you can’t really see all of fall through the windshield. 
 
While driving, you could encounter some logging trucks and timber operations around Bally Creek, Devil Track, Ball Club, Shoe Lake, Greenwood, Pine Mountain, The Grade, Gunflint Trail, Swamp Lake Road, Cascade River Road and Cook County 7 and 45.  On the Tofte end, the only active harvest area is off Cook County 3.  You still might see a few trucks on the 4 Mile Grade as well.
 
Fall is also the season for some prescribed burns in the Forest.  These burns help to prepare soils for pines to grow.  A 140 acre burn will be finishing up off the Sawbill Trail, but some residual smoke and campfire aroma will be in the air still this weekend.  Other burns that could be taking place next week, weather dependent, are southwest of Devil’s Track Lake, one east of Isabella, and one on the 600 road in Tofte.  Our local fire people are being assisted by some crews from Michigan and Wisconsin, so thanks to those crews for their help.
  
Bucks are looking their best right now with nice sets of antlers, most still in velvet.  Hunting seasons for many kinds of game have already started, with this weekend being the opener for waterfowl hunting.  The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is the agency in charge of hunting, but our Forest Service offices can help if you are looking for road maps or vehicle use maps that show where
off-highway vehicles can be used.  Remember, you cannot use off-highway vehicles for cross-country travel in the national forest.  They can only be used on travel routes shown on the motor vehicle use map, which can be picked up at any Forest Service office.
 
Enjoy what could be the peak of the fall colors this week, and until next week, this has been Anna Botner with the Superior National Forest’s Recreation and Road Report.