Superior National Forest Update

Hi.  This is Brandee Wenzel, administrative support assistant, with this week’s National Forest Update -  information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Superior National Forest. For the week of October 7th, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.
Just like you, we are taking care of some tasks before winter comes.  When undergrowth is cleared for fuel reduction in some areas, brush piles are made.  This is the time of year when our fire crews burn those piles.  Pile burning will be attended by fire personnel while they are actively burning, then they will be checked on a daily basis until they are out completely.  They may be smoldering for a few days while all the material is consumed, and you may notice smoke in the air in these areas.
We’ve started with the last round of road grading for the year, so watch for loose gravel and slow moving graders along gravel roads.  The culvert work which has been happening on The Grade is done for the year.  That means that there are no further road closures on that road, though some ditch and gravel work will still be happening until freeze up. 
Major work has been taking place on the Border Route Trail.  The Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, the Border Route Trail Association, personnel from the Flathead National Forest, and our own crews have been working steadily to clear and maintain this wilderness trail.  It should start out 2017 in great shape.
Campgrounds will be going into their winter hibernation on October 15th.  This means that the water will be shut off and garbage service will end at our fee campgrounds.  Fee collection will end when those services end.  The exact date will vary between campgrounds, so be prepared to pay the camping fee if the campground hasn’t been winterized, but also be prepared to supply your own water if it has.  Bears are also looking at hibernation soon, and as summer food sources dry up, they may be more actively looking for alternatives - like your cooler or garbage bag.  Be sure to store your food and garbage safely while camping, particularly since dumpsters may be closed.
Our leaf color is at its peak right now.  If you haven’t gotten a chance to drive the Forest, now’s the time to do it.  Be careful of other leaf watchers out there, and be sure to respect other drivers by parking responsibly and not blocking roadways. 
In a few places, you may also be sharing the road with logging traffic.  On Gunflint, harvest is taking place off of Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, Powers Lake Road, and Trestle Pine Road.  On Tofte, watch for logging trucks on the Sawbill Landing Road near Silver Island and Sawbill Landing, and on the Dumbell River Road.
Of course, another fall color is blaze orange.  There are a lot of grouse hunters out looking for birds.  Be sure to check the hunting opportunities on our Hunter Walking Trails, developed in cooperation with the DNR and the Ruffed Grouse Society.  The trails do loop around, so watch your field of fire.  Recreational Opportunity Guides with trail maps are available on line and at our offices in Tofte and Grand Marais.
Whether you are camping, hunting, hiking, or just driving around, this should be a great weekend to get out and enjoy the Forest.  Until next week, this has been Brandee Wenzel with the Superior National Forest Update.
 

Hi. This is Myra Theimer, silviculturalist, with this week’s National Forest Update - information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Forest. For the week of September 30th, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.

It is the turning of the season, and of the leaves! This weekend could well be the peak of the fall colors, so you owe it to yourself to take a drive or walk, or both, out in the woods this weekend. Be aware that there will be plenty of others doing the same thing though, so drive carefully on our one lane back roads, and show respect for others in how you park and where you stand to take pictures.

September 29, Friday, was the end of our winter office hours, so Ranger Stations in Grand Marais and Tofte will now be closed on weekends. It is also the end of the quota permit season in the Boundary Waters. Starting October 1st, you no longer need the reservable permit picked up at the ranger stations for an overnight wilderness trip. You still need a permit, but you can use the self-issued permit available at most entry points. Bring a pen in your car though - the pencils seem to disappear from our permit boxes!

The fee camping season is almost over as well. Starting around October 15th, we will be shutting down water systems and taking out docks at campgrounds. When the water is shut down, garbage service will end as well, and it will be the end of fee collection for the year. The campgrounds will remain open for use, but you will have to bring water and pack out all your garbage.

Hunting seasons are underway for grouse, bear, and archery deer. That means that you should be wearing your orange on you fall hikes, and try not to interfere with hunters. Last year, we redid some of our maps and signs on Tofte and Gunflint’s hunter walking trails, and we invite people to make use of those areas. Maps and locations can be found on the Superior National Forest website under ‘Recreation, Hunting’.

If you are using an ATV for hunting or just to get outside, be sure to get a copy of the newest motor vehicle use map at a district office. These maps show which roads are open to ATV use. There are slight changes from year to year, so don’t trust someone else’s advice on where to ride. Check the map for yourself, or you could end up with a ticket.

You may have noticed - it’s been raining a lot! There were plans to do some prescribed burning this fall, but it may be that we won’t be able to do that due to the wet conditions. Fire crews are going to be burning some piles the next few weeks while things dry out. The piles are a result of cutting undergrowth in some areas to reduce fuel build up.

There is some autumn timber harvest taking place that will have log trucks out on the roads. On Gunflint, harvest is taking place off of Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, and Powers Lake Road. Please use caution when driving or recreating in these areas. In addition, road work will be taking place on the Blueberry Road. On Tofte, logging activity is the same as last week: The Grade between the Sawbill Trail and Baker Lake, Sawbill Landing Road near Silver Island and Sawbill Landing, the Dumbell River Road, and the Wanless Road. There is also still culvert work being done on the Grade between Sawbill Trail and Crescent Lake Campground.

Whether you are hunting grouse or hunting fall colors, have a great weekend! It should be a good one. Until next week, this has been Myra Theimer with the Superior National Forest Update.

Hi.  This is Renee Frahm, visitor information specialist, with this week’s National Forest Update -  information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Forest. For the week of September 23rd, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.
Yesterday, September 22nd, was the fall equinox.  From here on out, until spring, our days are shorter than our nights.  The color change in leaves is actually triggered by day length, so our leaves are starting to turn in larger numbers.  If you’re out in the woods looking at fall color, be sure you are stopping in safe places where you can pull over with space for others to pass.  In addition to leaf watchers, there are also grouse hunters in the woods, along with people bow hunting for deer, so it is time to dig out some blaze orange to wear when you go for a hike.  Watch for vehicles parked along roads, but you may find other obstacles as well.  One of our vehicles was surprised to come over a hill and find the roadway completely blocked by a fallen tree.  They were driving at a sensible rate of speed, and were able to easily stop before the tree, but had they been going faster, it could have been a problem.  With no recent storms or winds, they weren’t expecting a deadfall.  When they got to look, it turned out that the culprit was a beaver who didn’t care where his tree fell.  You never know what might be on our roads.
Of course, added to the leaf watchers, hunters, and beaver felled trees, are logging trucks in some areas.  On the Tofte District, look for truck traffic on The Grade between the Sawbill Trail and Baker Lake, the Sawbill Landing Road near Silver Island and Sawbill Landing, the Dumbell River Road, and the Wanless Road.  On Gunflint, harvest is taking place off of Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, and Powers Lake Road.    
There is fall road work out there as well.  Culverts are being installed on the Blueberry Road, and on the north end of the Richey Lake Road.  The work also continues on The Grade between the Sawbill Trail and Crescent Lake Campground.  There may be road closures between thirty minutes and an hour in all these locations.
One other sure sign of fall happens next weekend.  With the start of October, our district offices return to winter hours, so this is the last weekend Forest Service offices will be open.  Starting next weekend, our Ranger Stations will be open Monday through Friday, 8:00 to 4:30, excluding holidays.  Boundary Waters permitting also changes.  While all users will continue to need a permit, starting October 1st, overnight users will not need a reservation and can use the same self-issued permit as day users.  These permits are available at ranger stations, but also can be found at the information kiosk at most entry points.  That means that this is an excellent time of year for quick wilderness trips - if it looks like good weather, grab a canoe and your tent and head out.
Due to wet conditions in the woods, it is unlikely that the prescription burns planned for some areas in the Boundary Waters will happen over the weekend, and things may need to dry out until the end of next week.  Conditions change rapidly though, and you should check with one of our district offices for up to the minute information on these planned burns.  With the burns delayed, fire crews have been busy clearing the Border Route Trail of downed trees.  They’ve made excellent progress, and most of the trail is now clear.  The last half mile of heavy blowdown near the intersection with the South Lake Trail is expected to be cleared by the end of next week.
So, whether you are out hunting for fall color, or hunting for wilderness solitude, or hunting for grouse, have a great time out there!  Until next week, this has been Renee Frahm with the Superior National Forest Update.

Hi.  This is Becky Bartol, environmental coordinator, with this week’s Superior National Forest Update -  information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Forest. For the week of September 16th, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.
Fall color is starting up, and with it comes people driving the roads looking at the leaves.  It may be a little early and a little green to see fall at its peak, but it’s a great time of year to get out and go for a drive.  It is also a great time of year for both ‘leaf peepers’ and other drivers to remind themselves of some good driving habits.  First and foremost, respect and be considerate of other drivers.  If you are driving slowly to enjoy the scenery, remember others may want to drive faster because they are on their normal daily commute.  And, if you are one of the faster drivers, remember that you’re likely to run into slow moving traffic this time of year and you need to be patient.  Slow drivers need to pull over in safe areas to let faster drivers pass.  Don’t try to wave someone to pass you on a hill or blind corner.  You may need to speed up for a while until you get to a good spot to pull aside.  Faster drivers need to avoid tailgating, and not be tempted to pass in those dangerous areas.  If you’ve stopped to take pictures, or just to get out and walk in the fall air, make sure your vehicle is off the road far enough to let others pass by.  Close the doors, use your four way flashers, and don’t stop where there is no visibility.  You may not be able to stop next to that perfect tree you want to photograph; you may end up walking back to the tree after finding a good place to pull off.  It all boils down to being aware of others, and being respectful of the rights of other people to use the roads, even if they are using them in different ways than you.
September 12 marked the 5th anniversary of the Pagami Creek Fire.  This was a very large fire which swept through the wilderness north of Isabella Lake, covering many acres in just one day.  The young jack pine growing in the wake of the fire are now three to five feet tall in areas, and it is great to see the forest in natural recovery.  The drive up to the Forest Center site at Lake Isabella is good way to visit the Pagami area and see for yourself what a forest looks like five years after a fire.  Be aware though that the trail down to the lake enters the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and you’ll need to fill out a day use permit if you want to take this hike.  You can also visit this area through the pictures on our website taken every year on the fire’s anniversary to document the forest’s regrowth.
There is still culvert work being done on The Grade between the Sawbill Trail and Crescent Lake Campground.  There won’t be any closures over the weekend though, and the closures for the remainder of the project will be shorter than one day.  The work that had closed the Richey Lake Road is now completed, and that road is fully open again.
Logging traffic is in similar areas as the last few weeks.  On the Tofte District, expect trucks on the Grade between the Sawbill Trail and Baker Lake, on the Sawbill Landing road near Silver Island and Sawbill Landing area, and on the Dumbell River Road and Wanless Road.  On Gunflint, harvest is taking place off of Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, and Powers Lake Road.  Log hauling will be taking place on these roads, so please use caution when driving or recreating in these areas.
Keep an eye out this weekend for migrating hawks.  While Hawk Ridge in Duluth is famous for large numbers of raptors during the fall migration, there are plenty along all of the shore.  The birds follow updrafts along the hills, and end up creating a highway in the air parallel to Highway 61 on the ground.  Other birds are migrating as well.  If you go out at night and are very quiet, you’ll hear chirps from migrating flocks of songbirds as they pass by. 
Whether you are quietly listening for songbirds, driving in search of those early fall colors, or just out in the Forest for some other reason, enjoy the weekend!  Until next week, this has been Becky Bartol with the Superior National Forest Update.
 

Hi. This is Tom McCann, resource information specialist, with this week’s National Forest Update - information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Forest. For the week of September, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.

This week marks the 50th anniversary of a certain television show which promoted the idea of ‘boldly going where no one has gone before’. While we can’t all go trekking off into space, we can follow the spirit behind these words by exploring new parts of our Forest in canoes or by car, and discovering new adventures. Take your time, look under rocks for salamanders, scope out the birds, or take a magnifying glass to that weird looking lichen. Who knows? Maybe you will discover new life and new civilizations.

As you explore, you may find yourself traveling down some new routes this week to avoid construction. There is culvert work being done that has closed the Richey Lake Road at a point about a half mile south of The Grade. This work should be completed in a week, but meanwhile, you’ll have to find alternative routes. Culverts are also being replaced on The Grade between the Sawbill Trail and Crescent Lake Campground. The road may be closed for periods of between half an hour to a full day for the next two weeks.

Logging traffic can be found on The Grade between the Sawbill Trail and Baker Lake, on the Sawbill Landing road near Silver Island and Sawbill Landing, and on County Rd 7 near Harriett Lake. On the Gunflint Distict, harvest is taking place off the Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, and Powers Lake Road, so expect truck traffic in those areas.

We have a lot of people helping us this week, and we’d like to thank them all. A crew has been doing restoration work on the CCC-built log buildings at the Tofte Ranger Station. Rotten logs have been replaced, windows re-glazed, and chinking between logs restored. In another area, eight members of the Blackwell Job Corps will be carrying on the tradition of the CCC’s themselves by clearing the Border Route Trail in the wilderness for ten days.

We’re inviting people to join us for an open house at the Gunflint Ranger Station on Thursday, September 15 from 4 to 6 pm to learn more about the prescription burns planned for this fall. There will be maps and people on hand to answer questions.

 So, as the reality of fall hits, and the kids go back to school, and you recall that the snowblower wasn’t actually working right last spring, and that you really still need three days of hot weather to put the sealant you bought in March on the driveway, and that the two bushels of apples from the tree won’t turn into applesauce just by sitting on the table…take the time to escape into the Forest and boldly go where no one has gone before. After all, it is your five year mission.

Until next week, this has been Tom McCann with the Superior National Forest Update.

Hi.  This is Steve Robertsen, Superior National Forest interpretation and education specialist, with this week’s National Forest Update -  information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Forest. For the week of September 3rd, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.
With Labor Day this weekend, we can say that fall has begun, one of my top four seasons.  With the change of season comes cooler temperatures, clear starry nights, and the first touches of frost and even snow by the end of October.  One sign of fall is that our website will begin hosting its annual fall color reports starting next week.  No color yet, but if you can believe it, in about four short weeks, we will be at the peak of the fall color season.  If you can’t get out this fall, check out the website.  You can enjoy a virtual fall on the Superior through our photos and writing, as well as see links to fall in national forests across the country.
Another sign of the season’s changing can be seen in our wildlife.  Bucks are in velvet still, but some buck rubs are showing up as they begin to polish their antlers for the fall rut.  Animal activity in general is high this time of year as all the wildlife begins to prepare for winter.  It is also the opening of bear season this weekend, so be aware of bait stations and bear hunters in the woods.  Make sure to respect the hunters’ space by giving any barrels or piles of bait found in the woods a wide berth.  This time of year, it is a good idea to start wearing blaze orange and keeping your dog on a leash or close to you while hiking.
While you are out, you may find yourself in the middle of some road improvements.  A new round of grading is happening on roads throughout the Forest, so loose gravel, gravel piles, and graders may slow travel in some areas.  Be patient, and think of how nice it will be once the washboards and potholes are smoothed out.  More major work is happening on Forest Road 170, the Grade.  Culvert replacement will close portions of this road between the Sawbill Trail and Crescent Lake beginning sometime during the next two weeks.  Some closures could be quite long, so you may want to look for alternate routes.
Logging traffic can be expected in the same areas as last week.  On the Tofte District, watch for trucks hauling on Sawbill Landing Road, Lake County 7 and 705, Cook County 33, and the Grade.  On the Gunflint District, trucks will be on the Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, and Powers Lake Road.  There will also be large gravel trucks on the Grade and other roads as part of the grading and culvert replacement.
With few bugs, cool weather, and fall fishing, this is one of the best times of year to get out into the Boundary Waters.  Permit season continues through September, so you will still need to get an overnight entry permit to enter the Boundary Waters.  Some prescribed burns are planned in the Boundary Waters for this fall, so contact a ranger station for details when planning your trip.  If you are interested in more details concerning these burns, there will be an open house on the subject at the Gunflint Ranger Station on September 15 from 4 to 6 pm.
If car camping is more your style, water and garbage service at our fee campgrounds continues past Labor Day to mid-October.   Camper numbers usually drop off after school starts, so this can be a great time for a spur of the moment overnight trip as there are often spaces available.
Whether camping, hiking, hunting, or just driving around looking for that first yellow leaf, have a great time out in the Forest this Labor Day weekend.  Until next week, this has been Steve Robertsen with the Superior National Forest Update.
 

Hi.  This is Nancy Larson, district ranger on the Gunflint Ranger District, with the Superior National Forest Update -  information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Forest. For the week of August 26th, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.
Summer is winding down.  The flowers on the fireweed are slowly creeping their way up the stalk, and the countdown has begun.  When the blooms reach the top of the plant, summer is officially over.  The State Fair started this weekend, and so the local traffic here in the north country should be lighter than it has been.  This makes right now a great time to get out into the woods - after the summer rush, but before the start of the autumn leaf season.  Before you go out, you may think about starting to dig into the winter clothes.  Even though there are plenty of hot days left, there have been a few evenings cool enough to have to find where the polar fleece jacket got hung up last spring.
One sign of the end of summer is that we at the Forest Service have to start saying good-bye to our seasonal workers.  We’ve had a lot of help this year from crews in the Faces of Tomorrow and Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa programs, so thanks to them.  This is the last week of our summer naturalist programs as well, and our seasonal naturalist staff will be moving on, though one naturalist won’t be moving far as he has taking a teaching position in Silver Bay.  All of our sesaonals have worked hard this year, clearing debris from snow down and blow down events, helping with wildlife surveys, marking timber sales, patrolling the wilderness, and staffing our fire crew.  Thanks to all of our seasonal help, and good luck to them in their next adventures.
As you are out and about, you may run into trucks hauling gravel from Richey Lake Road to the Toohey Lake Campground this week and next.  They are coming from the Sawbill Trail area so are travelling most of the Grade west of Sawbill.
In the same area, log trucks can be expected on The Grade and Lake County 7 and 705.  You’ll also see them on Cook County 33 and the Sawbill Landing Road.
On the Gunflint side of things, harvest is taking place off of Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, and Powers Lake Road.  Log hauling will be taking place on these roads, so please use caution when driving or recreating in these areas.
Enjoy these last weeks of summer and, this has been Nancy Larson with the National Forest Update.

Hi. This is Joe Mundell, timber sales administrator on the Gunflint Ranger District, with the Superior National Forest Update - information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Forest. For the week of August 19, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.

It has been a hot and stormy summer so far. A lot of people are turning to the lakes for relief from the heat, and nothing feels as good as the cold water of one of our northern lakes on a hot day. Many of our popular swimming holes have rocks that people like to jump from. If you choose to do this, please be extra careful this season. As water levels change with the recent rains, the depth of your landing area will change. Many people think that because the lake level is high, diving areas must be safe. In reality, high water levels may hide rocks that are otherwise visible. Always scout out the area you plan to jump into before you jump - in other words, look before you leap.

This time of year is good for cycling, and our back roads beckon to many mountain bikers. The paved roads often have cyclists who may be burdened with full packs and trailers. Either way, few of our roads have wide shoulders, and most bicycles are traveling in the same lanes as motor vehicles. Slow down and use caution when passing bicycles, and remember they have a right to occupy a lane. Cyclists should also remember that they share the road with motor vehicles, and use hand signals to show their intentions. When available, cyclists should always use bike lanes and bike trails instead of heavily traveled roads like Highway 61.

Moose viewing seems to be picking up, and with it come moose induced traffic jams. If you stop to watch or photograph a moose, make sure your car is off the roadway. In places where there are many people pulled off to watch, limit your time so others can pull in as well. Don’t approach moose. Getting too near a moose, particularly one with a calf, can cause it to become aggressive. Use a zoom lens and binoculars instead of walking closer.

Unlike out West, our fire situation is pretty calm. The forest is well watered, and there has been little fire activity out in the woods. Even in these conditions, you still need to make sure your campfires are dead out before you leave them, and you should stay aware of the fire danger level that Smokey points out at the ranger station and DNR office signs.

There is some logging activity, mostly in the same places as last week, and you’ll have to watch for trucks hauling in these areas. In the Tofte District, there is activity on The Grade between the Sawbill Trail and Baker Lake, Sawbill Landing road near Silver Island, and County Rd 7 near Harriet Lake. On Gunflint, harvest is taking place off of Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, and Powers Lake Road. Please use caution when driving or recreating in these areas.

 Stay cool in the heat, and until next week, this has been Joe Mundell with the National Forest Update.

Hi.  This is Tom McCann, resource information specialist on the Gunflint Ranger District, with the Superior National Forest Update - information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Forest. For the week of August 12th, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.
We’d like to remind people who are camping about the fact that they are sharing the woods with bears.  Black bears normally are not an animal to worry about, and tend to shy away from human contact. But once a bear learns that people, dumpsters, or portage packs are sources of food, bears can cause problems.  The best way to prevent these problems is to make sure bears don’t learn to associate people with food.  That means campers need to follow some simple guidelines of bear etiquette.  To begin with, when you are camping at a campground, store your food out of sight in a hard sided vehicle.  Some bears can break through screens on RVs, and can recognize coolers sitting on back seats.  Put your food in the car’s trunk, or cover it with a blanket in vehicles without trunks.  Garbage equals food for bears, so treat garbage like food.  Don’t store either food or garbage in your tent, ever.  Take your garbage directly to the dumpster after meals - don’t keep the garbage bag at your campsite during your visit.    After putting your garbage in the dumpster, be sure to secure the lid with bars, or use whatever system is provided.  This can be inconvenient, but it is better than letting bears get into the dumpster.  Don’t leave bags of garbage sitting outside the dumpster.  If it is full, temporarily store your garbage as you would your food, and contact the campground host or concessionaire.
Camping in backcountry or Boundary Waters sites takes some different skills.  Hang food and garbage in a pack twelve feet off the ground, six feet out from tree trunks, and four feet down from branches.  There are several different ways to rig a system to hang your pack, the best ones use a pulley to make it easier on the tree and on the person hauling up the food pack.  You can see diagrams of food hanging methods on our website in the camping section.  There are many campsites with no good tree for food hanging, particularly in post fire areas.  Campers in those spots should use a bear resistant food container.  The popular blue plastic barrels used for packing food are not bear resistant, they need to be hung just like a pack.  Bear resistant containers with food in them should be stored at night away from the campsite. 
Taking all these precautions might take a little extra effort, but will help keep our bears wild and not dependent on human food.  This will help prevent bear problems while camping, and make it less likely problem bears will have to be destroyed.
Getting to some of the campgrounds may be a little easier this week.  Paving on the Sawbill Trail and Temperance River Road has been completed.  Only a short section of the Temperance River Road was paved, primarily to eliminate the deep washboarding which happened as vehicles went up the steep hill, and to keep gravel off the bike trail. 
While the Sawbill to the Temperance River Campground is now paved, you will find some logging trucks in that area.  There are timber harvests going on near the site of the Sawbill CCC camp, and on the Grade between Sawbill and Baker Lake.  There will also be trucks in the Sawbill Landing area near Silver Island Lake and on County Road 7 near Harriet Lake.   On Gunflint, harvest is taking place off of Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, and Powers Lake Road.  Log hauling will be taking place in all these areas, so please drive carefully.
So, enjoy the new roadways on your way to the campground, and respect the bears when you arrive.  Have a great weekend, and until next week, this has been Tom McCann with the National Forest Update.
 

Hi there my name is Cathy Jasperson, Customer Service Representative for the Tofte Ranger District. On behalf of your Superior National Forest here is the current Update for information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Forest. For the week of August 5th, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.
August is really the height of summer in Minnesota.  Hot muggy days and the sound of locusts jumping up as you walk in the forest may bring thoughts of swimming in a lake or stream or relaxing in a hammock in the shade with a good book just enjoying the forest.  As you travel into the forest in search of those trees, just the right distance apart for your hammock, or for the perfect swimming hole, here is some information to keep in mind.
If you travel plan to travel on the Sawbill Trail please be aware that Paving of the road is still in process but it is coming closer to being finished.  Expect some flaggers and one lane road in spots as they add layers of asphalt to the roadway.  The culvert replacement project on the 170 Grade will be shifting locations from west of the Sawbill to east of the Sawbill, between the Sawbill Trail and Crescent Lake Campground.  There may be times where this road is closed entirely for periods up to an entire day.  If you are headed for Crescent Lake, you may want to take an alternate route using the Caribou Trail County road #4 to save time.
Logging traffic On the Superior National Forest is much the same as it has been.  You may encounter trucks using the 170 Grade, near the Sawbill Landing area off the Wanless Road.  On the Gunflint District, haulers are using the Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, and Powers Lake Road, so watch for trucks in those areas also.
In addition to relaxing in a hammock and some swimming, many people are headed out to pick blueberries.  If you are planning to berry pick berries in a location using minimum maintenance roads, only drive in as far as you are capable of walking out.  Many of these old roads increase the potential for getting stuck or having vehicle problems and there is usually little to no room to turn a vehicle around on these roads and you may have to back out the way you came.  If you are parking off a main roadway such as the Gunflint Trail, be sure you are parked in a safe location, completely off the road and where there is good visibility.
 Blueberries are often found in past fire areas, full of new growth, but with little in the way of landmarks, and it is easy to suddenly look up and have no clue where you left your car.
Remember that Cell phone reception in these areas can be very poor so you should always have an emergency plan.
Remember too that it is easy to get turned around when picking those blueberries.   Your focus is usually on the ground where the berries are and not on your surroundings, you may lose track of where you have been.
 
 The following are some helpful tips when picking berries:

• Try to stay in a group and in sight of your vehicle
• Have plenty of water on hand
• You may want to wear a colorful hat to be noticed and to shade your head
• Make sure someone back home or at camp knows the location you plan to pick in, and an approximate return time.
• Bring a whistle for emergency signaling and a compass to track your location

If you head to the south side of the road, the compass will help you head back north and hit the road at some point along its length, even if it isn’t exactly at your car.
A GPS is a good tool as well, but make sure you have enough charge or spare batteries, and don’t rely on it.  Just like most computers, they’ve been known to suddenly refuse to work.  Look up frequently, and look back the way you came to learn what landmarks you can.  
So, take some time in these dog days of summer to relax in the warmth with a nice piece of blueberry pie and a scoop of ice cream. 
Last but not least be sure to stop by the Superior National forest booth in Grand Marais the weekend of August 6^th to chat with forest personnel during the Fishermans Picnic and be sure to shake Smokey Bear's hand if you see him in town.  Until next week, this has been Cathy Jasperson with the Superior National Forest Update.  Be safe and LEAVE NO TRACE!