Superior National Forest Update: June 3

Hi.  I’m Andrew Gale, 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 3rd, here’s what’s going on in the Forest.
There are several events happening on the Forest this weekend.  The first is on Friday night at North House Folk School as part of the Northern Landscapes Festival.  Forest Service biologist Chris Beal will be talking about his previous position working with penguins at a penguin colony in South America.  This should be a really fun presentation, though it is about as far from a northern landscape as you can get!
Also, as part of that same festival, we will be having a bat house build at North House on Saturday morning.  There will be two sessions, one starting at 9 am and one at 10:30.  There are a limited number of kits, so you’ll need to sign up ahead of time.  Families and young builders accompanied by an adult are welcome, but one house per family, please. 
A new event will be taking place in the area between Lutsen Mountain, Barker Lake, and the Onion River Road.  23 to Zero is a 23 hour trail and road run/walk that will be raising money to help reduce suicide in currently serving military and veteran.  There will be lots of people on the some of the trails and roadways in the Lutsen Mountain to Onion River Road area throughout the day and night starting on Saturday.
There, of course, will be logging trucks in the Forest as well.  Visitors to the Tofte District should expect log truck traffic on the Wanless Road (172), Dumbbell River Road (174), Trappers Lake Road (369), Lake County 705, and The Grade (170).  There is also an active state sale near Green Wing Lake.  On the Gunflint, hauling will be going on the Greenwood Road, Shoe Lake Road, Firebox Road, Trestle Pine Road, as well as on Ball Club Road.
Rain has really made the leaves pop out over the last week, and has also helped reduce fire danger.  While we are thankful for that, we want to remind people that this doesn’t mean you should quit paying attention to your campfires!  Smoldering fires in duff layers can persist through wet times, and then spring to life when the forest dries out.  Make sure all your fires are dead out when you leave a campsite or picnic area.
All of our campgrounds are now open and into the fee season.  This means water is turned on, and garbage is being collected.  When you are using campground dumpsters, be sure to replace the bar to lock the dumpster against bears.  It only takes one experience of getting into a dumpster to train a bear to regard a campground as a restaurant, and the best way to stop a bear problem is to not let it start. 
Those dumpsters, by the way, do cost money to have emptied.  They are not free dumping areas for household waste.  It is a federal crime to dispose of household or construction waste in a campground dumpster, punishable by fines of up to $500 or even six months imprisonment.  The campground dumpster is only for the use of campers at the campground.  Also, if you are on a Boundary Waters trip or at one of the rustic campgrounds without garbage pick-up, please don’t use garbage cans and dumpsters at area businesses for your camping trash either.
The wilderness ranger crew would like to remind visitors to the wilderness that the latrine trail at many campsites may be obscured by fallen branches from our winter snows.  It is a good idea to find the latrine during the day, before there is an emergency in the middle of the night.  If you are up in the middle of the night, make sure to look up in the sky.  The Boundary Waters is listed as ‘black sky’ area, and one of the few spots in the lower 48 where you can truly see the night sky.  There are several planets visible right now, including a spectacularly bright Mars.  It’s well worth staying up a bit longer to see the show. 
Enjoy the stars and the rest of the Forest, and until next week, this has been Andrew Gale with the Superior National Forest Update.