Superior National Forest Update: June 10

Hi.  I’m Mike Krussow, seasonal naturalist, with the Superior National Forest Update - information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the Tofte and Gunflint Districts of the Forest. For the week of June 10th, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.
This weekend is another busy one in the Forest, a sure sign of summer’s arrival.  The Boundary Waters Expo is taking place at the end of the Gunflint Trail at the Seagull Lake public access at Blankenburg Road.  There are programs and events both Saturday and Sunday, enough that you should take a look at the full schedule on Visit Cook County.com. In addition to the Boundary Waters Expo, there is a Take A Kid Fishing event which will be happening at the Kimball Lake Campground on Sunday from 9 to noon.  This is for kids 5 to 12, accompanied by an adult.  There will be fly fishing and angling both, there are some poles available, but bring your own if you have one.  Reservations are required, and space is limited, so please call 218-387-1750 to reserve a spot. 
While traveling to these events, keep an eye open for animals.  There are a lot of youngsters out on the roads right now that might not be acting very carefully.  We’ve seen several fawns out in the middle of the road, as well as fox kits.  Sadly, there was also a bull moose in its prime that was struck and killed on Hwy 1 this past week.  The Minnesota DNR is collecting information from moose kills to better understand why the population is decreasing, and they were able to harvest organs from this moose for study.  If you are unfortunate enough to hit a moose, please contact the DNR as soon as possible so that they can make some good out of the accident.  Better still, drive slowly with caution on roads at night and try to avoid the moose altogether.  Moose love to use roadways for travel, and a dark moose on a dark night is nearly invisible.
As usual, there are log trucks out there in addition to the moose.  Hauling will be happening on the Wanless Road especially near Elixer Lake, the Dumbbell River Road, the Trappers Lake Road, also known as the Sawbill Landing Road or Forest Road 369, Lake County 705, and the Grade. The Trapper’s Lake Road will be especially active between Sawbill Landing and Forest Road 373.  On the Gunflint District, trucks are on the Greenwood Road, Shoe Lake Road, Firebox Road, Trestle Pine Road, and Ball Club Lake Road.  Tofte’s Timber Sale Administrator, Matt Riederer, warns people to drive defensively, and watch out for log trucks, which take up more of the road, are not as maneuverable as passenger cars.  Sadly for us, Matt is taking a new Forest Service position in Wyoming, and this will be his last contribution to our updates.  We’ve all benefitted from his truck information, and he’s also helped with reading the report on the air several times.  Thank you, Matt, and have fun out west!
Out in the Boundary Waters, crews are still clearing portage and latrine trails from the winter’s storms.  This will probably be going on the entire summer, so be prepared for some more difficult travel on your wilderness adventure, but don’t let it stop you from getting out in your canoe.
We’d like to remind people to check out our Facebook page and Twitter feed.  Both have some great pictures and information during the recent fires on the west side of the Forest, along with interesting links and facts all the time whether you are a visitor to the area, or a permanent resident.   Have a great weekend in the woods, and until next week, this has been Mike Krussow with the Superior National Forest Update.