Superior National Forest Update: January 8

Hi.  I’m Steve Robertsen, education specialist, with the National Forest Update -  information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the Tofte and Gunflint Districts of the Forest. For the beginning of the 2016, here’s what is going down in the Forest.
What’s going down would be trees.  The wet heavy snow, along with saturated soils, has caused a lot of trees to uproot or snap off.  Inland, the snow has not fallen off the branches either.  This has resulted in a truly beautiful winter woods, but one where trees are continuing to break long after the original snowfall.  Forest Service crews, county and state DOT workers, snowmobile clubs, and trail partners are working as fast as safely possible to clear trails and roads of deadfalls, but there are many trees still out there and many that will be falling in the weeks ahead.  Driving, snowmobiling, or skiing even, you should take it slow because there may be a deadfall across your path just around the next corner.  However, there has been a lot of progress made, and it is well worth getting out in the forest because it is the proverbial winter wonderland out there right now.
We are expecting some of the coldest air of the season during this next week.  We’re Minnesotans, and this is winter, so we aren’t scared of a little subzero weather, but …. now’s the time to make sure you have all those emergency supplies in the car and that you have along the right clothing for your activity level.  Sweating in too much clothing can be just as bad as too little clothing - when you stop skiing and your shirt is wet with sweat, you will cool off way too fast.  Follow the advice we have all heard a thousand times: dress in layers, and don’t hesitate to peel off a layer if you are getting warm, or add a layer if you are getting cold.
There will be logging trucks out in the woods.  They are in the same areas as last week for the most part. 
On the Gunflint District, log hauling is taking place on FR144 (Old Greenwood), Shoe Lake Road, Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, Bally Creek Road, Caribou Trail, Ball Club Road, and the Grade.  
On Tofte, you can still expect to see logging traffic on FR 369 (Trappers Lake Road), FR 170 (Fourmile Grade & The Grade), Lake County 7, FR 348 (Whitefish Lake Road), and Cook County 2 (Sawbill Trail).  Please drive slowly if you are on a road being used by log trucks, the road may be plowed, but plowed roads can be slippery too. 
A plowed side road is a good indicator that it is being used for hauling.  It is generally a good idea to avoid these as they are often plowed to only a single lane and passing trucks becomes almost impossible.  Plowed Forest Service roads are also usually not open to snowmobiles.  With few exceptions where they are a part of a designated snowmobile trail, it is illegal to drive a snowmobile on a plowed Forest Service road and doing so is punishable with up to a 150 dollar fine.  In those areas where the road is part of a trail, you should take extra caution as there may be logging traffic along those routes on Monday through Friday at noon.  Those spots include portions of Old Greenwood Road, the Greenwood Road, and Firebox Road.
Enjoy the snow, get out there and play a little.  Until next time, this has been Steve Robertsen with the National Forest Update.