Superior National Forest Update: June 23

Hi. I’m Tom McCann, resource information specialist, on the Superior National Forest, with the National Forest Update - information on conditions affecting travel and recreation in the Tofte and Gunflint Districts of the Forest. For the week of June 23rd, here’s what’s up out there.

This weekend, you can expect a lot of traffic out in the Forest, but most of it will be bikes. This is the weekend of the Lutsen 99er, a mountain bike event which has been growing for the past several years. If you are traveling on forest roads in the Lutsen area, keep an eye out for posted information about the race route and the presence of bikers on the roads. There are also several spots for spectators where cars will be parked along the roadside. You may want to be a spectator yourself; it’s a fun race to watch. While the race itself is on Saturday morning, often participants stay the weekend and you can expect bike traffic in the Forest all weekend long.

Highway 61 is a designated scenic byway, and as such, it is often a destination for people who like to drive. Every year, various clubs come to drive the road, and in the past you’ve been able to see classic cars, great motorcycles, and, one year, the largest gathering of DeLoreans on the planet, all cruising 61. Some of these groups drive slowly, so exercise caution when passing them, and don’t try to pass the entire group at once. Pay attention to oncoming groups as well because there may be people pulling out into your lane to pass.  And… keep your eyes on the road, not on the very cool 1939 Ford coupe going by, but do take the time to appreciate our yearly mobile car show.

We may not have classic cars in the woods, but we do have some logging trucks out on the forest roads. On the Gunflint District, hauling is taking place on Greenwood Road, Firebox Road, Gunflint Trail, Forest Road 1385, and Trestle Pine Road.  On the Tofte District, hauling is happening around the Sawbill Landing area.

This past week was the start of our summer series of naturalist programs at area resorts and campgrounds. These programs are brought to you through a cooperative agreement with Visit Cook County. The schedule is posted in many places, and is available on our website as well as on Visit Cook County’s website. The programs are free and open to the public, and while you learn about bats or wolves or bogs, you also get a great chance to visit some of the resorts along the shore and grab a s’more by the fire.

Speaking of fire, recent rains have kept the fire danger low. With our long days and warm sun, the forest can dry quickly, and people should check on fire conditions before heading out on trips when you plan a campfire. Crews are doing some work in Sawbill Lake, Wilson Lake, and Baker Lake campgrounds to clear understory brush and trees which would provide fuel in the event of a wildfire. While it may look destructive, fuel reduction actually keeps the forest in a more natural condition, mimicking what an understory fire would have done naturally. By reducing fuel on the ground, the intensity of a wildfire should be reduced. This makes it more likely that if there was a fire in the area, the fire would spare large pines, do less damage to structures, and be more easily brought under control. To minimize impact to campers, these crews are only working during the work week, during daylight hours, or when there are no campers in the area.
 
Enjoy the woods this weekend, and until next week, this has been Tom McCann with the National Forest Update.