Superior National Forest Update October 20

National Forest Update – October 19, 2017.
Hi.  I’m Sandee Nazhad, customer service representative, with this week’s National Forest Update - information on conditions affecting travel and recreation on the east end of the Superior. Here’s what’s happening for the week of October 20th.

Despite our warm spell, the Forest continues to move onwards toward winter in many ways.  Leaves are past what most people might think of as peak, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still beautiful out there.  In addition to the remaining yellow aspen and birch, the tamaracks are wonderfully golden right now, and the leaves on the ground add scent and sound to the fall forest. 

Hunters are one of the other signs of winter’s approach.  We are in the middle of both grouse season and archery season for deer.  Additionally, many deer hunters are scouting the woods in preparation for rifle season and may be starting to put up temporary deer stands and sight-in their guns.  It’s the time of year when you need to be sure to be wearing orange whether you are a hunter or not, and practicing safe firearms handling if you are carrying or using a weapon.  Of course, people aren’t the only things out in the woods.  We’ve had a couple of crews come across moose recently, sometimes a bit closer than expected.  Moose can be a bit crabby this time of year, and if you do happen on one in the brush, it’s not the season to be approaching closely.  Just back out slowly until you are at a safe distance before you start taking pictures.

Flour Lake Campground will still have water available from the nearby lodge for this weekend, but otherwise all the campgrounds have their water systems shut off and are in a ‘non-fee’ status.  You can still camp there, but you’ll have to bring your own water and haul out your garbage.  We also stop resupplying outhouses in the fall, so you may want to pack your own paper, just in case.  Docks are also being pulled from boat accesses, and will be out of most lakes by the end of this week.

Fire crews will be burning slash piles this month as conditions allow.  These piles are being monitored as they burn.  Our relatively wet summer has given us low fire danger most of the time, but there have been a couple of recent ‘red flag days’ just to the west of us.  With green leaves off the trees now, it doesn’t take but a few days of dry winds and low humidity to raise the fire danger.  If you are planning on burning this fall, make sure to get a proper permit, and also apply common sense to your local conditions.  Don’t burn if it just seems like a bad idea.

While I hate to see Christmas items at stores when Halloween hasn’t even happened, there is a little Christmas in the air as some people have started to harvest balsam boughs for wreaths already.  If you are doing this, check at a Forest Service office for required permits, and remember that you need to be at least 50 feet off any roadside, trail, lake shore, or recreation area when you are cutting.

There is truck traffic out there this week.  Much of it is in the same areas as the last few weeks.  Hauling on Gunflint is taking place on the following roads: Firebox Road, Blueberry Road, Greenwood Road, Shoe Lake Road, Forest Road 1385, the Gunflint Trail, South Brule Road, Lima Grade, Trestle Pine Road, Ball Club Road, and Devil Track Road.   Tofte logging traffic will be on the Pancore Road, Sawbill Trail, Dumbbell River Road, Wanless Road, Lake County 7 and 705, the 4 Mile Grade, The Grade, Perent Lake Road, Trappers Lake Road, Temperance River Road, and the Six Hundred Road.  There will also be gravel hauling between Sawbill and Toohey Lake  where they will be taking gravel from the Dog Tired Pit off the Sawbill Trail to an area about 2 miles south of The Grade.

Afternoon thundershowers are predicted for Saturday so make sure to do your vacuuming and cleaning then because Sunday and most of next week look great to be outside in the woods.  And who wants to vacuum on a nice day?  Until next week, this has been Sandee Nazhad with the National Forest Update.