Aw Wilderness- What Good are Wilderness Trails if they are Not Maintained?

An Op Ed article in yesterday’s New York Times by Ted Stroll, a San Jose, Californian lawyer, caught my eye.  Stroll argues in the article, “Aw Wilderness” that  “despite millions of people who have visited the country’s national parks, forests and wildernesses this summer, the Forest Service has become increasingly strict in its enforcement of the Wilderness Act. The result may be more pristine lands, but the agency’s zealous enforcement has also heightened safety risks and limited access to America’s wilderness areas.”

In the article Stroll reminds us of the death of skier in 1970 who became lost on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness’ (BWCA) Kek Trail. As a result the Forest Service put up signage to help mark the trail but then removed their signs claiming their interpretation of the Wilderness and BWCA Acts prohibited signs in the BWCA. The result as Stroll reminds us- last year two experience hikers became lost on the same trail.

However while Stroll argues they became lost do to the lack of trail signs, I believe that in this case it was not only the lack of signage along the trail but also, and perhaps more importantly, due to the Forest Services’ failure to maintain the trail. Luckily the lost hikers were located but only after an extensive and, I might add, a very expensive search operation conducted by the Forest Service and local law enforcement.

Over the years maintenance of the trails within the BWCA has been sadly neglected. The Forest Service, who is charged with the responsibility, tells you they do not have the resources to get the job done. Current Forest Service interprets of Wilderness legislation prohibit the use of any power equipment for maintenance within Wilderness areas.  I would argue that, given the limited availability of Funds it is hard to understand how the Forest Service can come up with sufficient resources if all their wilderness maintenance must be done using only non-mechanical equipment.

A case in point- most of the 21 miles Banadad Ski Trail is located within the BWCA where maintenance most be done using hand tools and travel to remote work sites must be done on foot. As a result the cost/mile to maintain most of the Banadad is about $2000/mile. This cost if power equipment were allowed would easily be cut in half and the work could be done in November when no one is using the Boundary Waters.

To me it makes more sense to allow the use power equipment for maintenance within the wilderness areas i.e., BWCA, when appropriate, and where this use would reduce the maintenance cost. If such equipment were allowed the Forest Service could reduce their maintenance cost, and provide the public with safer and more usable trails.

 

Banadad Sequesters Carbon in Tree Planting

Tree Planting along the Banadad

 
The Banadad Trail Association, friends and neighbors this spring are planting six hundred red and white pines and 100 white spruce trees in previously logged and “blow-down” areas along the eastern end of the Banadad Ski Trail and around Little Ollie Lake. Some 350 trees went into the ground over this past weekend. The remaining trees are planned to be planted during this week by local members of the Association, guests and staff at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B. As in previous years, the tree planting is a way for the Banadad Trail Association to insure that the maintenance and grooming of the trail remains carbon neutral. Similarly Poplar Creek B&B, in joining with the Association in this project, is seeking to sequester the carbon produced by the use of its vehicles in these new tree
This weekend project was injunction with the Gunflint annual Green-Up.. The year’s event attracted some two hundred participants who in addition to the tree planting along the Banadad began clearing the underbrush, called –releasing’” around trees previously planted during the event in past years.

Gunflint Spring Snow no April Fool Joke

April Fools Day brought 12 - 14 inches of heavy wet snow to the Gunflint Trail's Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B and along the Banadad Ski Trail. On the morning of the first with guests planning to leave for home the roads and driveways into the B&B's two rental cabins had to be cleared. Plowing began at 7:30 am and five hours later the two and half miles of roadway to the Gunflint Trail was open and the guest were able to drive-out. In departing the guest declared the snow fall was great and they would not have been disappointed had they been snow bound for another day.

Then guess what? It is still snowing- so far another 3 inches today.

The Banadad remains snowed-in. The trail groomer is expected to begin opening the Trail on Friday, after the snow has settled a bit making it easier to groom. It is anticipated that about 5 or 6 kilometers of the east end of the Banadad and the Lace Lake Trails will be tracked by this coming weekend. According to Boundary Country Trekking which maintains the trails, it is anticipated that with the addition of this snow fall the Banadad should remain ski-able well into April.

Total measure snow on the ground at Poplar Creek Guesthouse is now 32 inches.

Gunflint Green Up Happening May 1-2, 2009

People, Trees, and Community -- Coming Together for a Better Future

Grand Marais, MN ­ The second annual Gunflint Green Up takes place May 1-2 at various locations along the Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway in northeastern Minnesota. All planting and release sites are located within the Superior National Forest, in the area affected by the Ham Lake Fire of May 2007.

Gunflint Green Up begins with a Green Living Fair on the afternoon of Friday, May 1, at Gunflint Lodge’s conference center. The Green Living Fair is inspired by the idea that green living and planting trees go hand-in-hand, and that good stewards of the forest must be good stewards of the environment. The Green Living Fair offers a collection of local experts to assist the community and its visitors in that direction. Stewardship begins at home, whether home is the Gunflint Trail or hundreds of miles away.

Following the Green Living Fair, there will be a picnic in the big top at Gunflint Lodge, music by the Sivertones, and a presentation by local artist Howard Sivertson.

Saturday is tree planting and release of the overgrowth around the trees planted in 2008, trail lunch, dinner in the big top with music by Gerald Thilmany, celebration of the 100^th anniversary of Superior National Forest, and dance with Trail’s End Band.

All participants must register to take part in the program. This year the registration options include ala carte meals, and an option to “plant only.” Participants can register for the Gunflint Green Up online at www.gunflintgreenup.com. The registration fee for all meals and programs is $40 per individual or $100 per family (1-­ 2 adults and their children 16 years of age and younger) and includes Friday’s Green Living Fair, dinner, evening presentation, Saturday tree planting, box lunch, dinner, dance, and t-shirt. Please visit the website for ala carte options.

All planting and release sites are within Superior National Forest and the area affected by the Ham Lake Fire of May 2007. Planting locations include the vicinities of Trail's End Campground, Chik-Wauk Museum and Nature Center, Kekekabic and Magnetic Rock Trails, Round Lake public landings, and the Iron Lake Campground. All are public lands; participants may visit the trees in future years.

“Green Up participants found the event to be a time they could give back to the Gunflint Trail, a special place that has given them so much through the years,” said Nancy Seaton, chair of the Gunflint Green Up Committee. “Planting a tree can be a powerful experience when you think of all the animals and people who will find a home in its branches or beauty in its shadows. Last summer people stopped me on the streets of Grand Marais to say they were going up the Trail to visit ‘their’ trees. Green Up really gave the planters a sense of ownership, a sense of being a part of the community. Green Up is as much about creating a greater community as it is about planting the trees for future generations.”

Sunday is the Ham Run Half Marathon (separate registration required). Information on the marathon can be found at www.hamrunhalfmarathon.com.

The 2008 Gunflint Green Up was awarded the Explore Minnesota Tourism “Sustainable Tourism Award” and the USDA Forest Service Eastern Region Honor Award “Connecting Citizens to the Land.”

Registration: www.GunflintGreenUp.com . Questions: email hjo@boreal.org.

Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B and Cabin is offering a Green-up Special for more information click on- Green-up Special.

Duluth Magazine feature B&B Owners

The December issue of Duluth Superior Magazine feature Boundary Country Trekking and Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B owners Ted and Barbara Young. The article authored by Chris Godsey, writes of the Youngs early live prior to moving to the Gunflint Trail and their later life when they moved to the Trail. You can view the article at "A Wild Couple."

Gunflint Green Up in spite of the Weather -Thousands of Trees Planted

Saturday morning as the Gunflint Green Up was about to begin and in spite of four inches of fresh snow, which had fallen during the night, an estimated four hundred and seventy five tree planter armed with planting equipment fanned out over the site of last springs Ham Lake Fire. By noon as the planters stopped for their lunches the sun had come out the temperature risen and most of the snow had melted. Nancy Seaton, Gunflint Committee Chairperson proclaimed, "that the weather had turned into a great day for planting."

Vicki Grassl, from Pine City Minnesota, and who was staying at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B claimed that she and her friend Debra Erickson from Wyoming Minnesota planted well over three hundred trees. Another guest at a Poplar Creek, Steve Alderson, from Minneapolis, and who in the 1960's was a fishing guide on Sag Lake felt that by participating in the tree planting help him to reconnect with his earlier life, "I feel like I really belong to the Trail," Alderson said after a day of tree planting.

While the final number of trees planted has yet to be totaled it is estimated that the Gunflint Green resulted in the planting of some 40,000-50,000 young red and white pines trees.

According to Dennis Neitzky, Gunflint District Ranger-USFS, who assisted the Gunflint Green Up Committee in coordinating the tree planting, "the project was a huge success and a was great start in renewing the forest burned over by last year's Ham Lake Fire."

Season's First Bear Goes After Dog

The other day following work, cutting brush on the Banadad, Jim Raml and his dog, Blonca were walking up to his truck at Poplar Creek Guesthouse B&B’s parking lot when he spotted an all black animal headed his way. Next thing Jim knew a bear yearling went after Blonca. Unable to restrain the dog and fend off the bear at the same time, Jim called back to the Guesthouse for help. I responded! With me pitching snowballs and yelling at the bear to distract it, Jim was able to get Blonca into the safety of the truck cab and then drove-off.

The bear hung around the parking lot for a bit longer and then left. We have not seen the bear since.

The yearly bear after spending the winter in a den with its’ mother was likely “booted-out" to make room for this year’s cubs. The bear was wondering around in the snow hungry and looking for something to eat. At least this time it was not Blonca.

Ted Young

Gunflint Trail on Good Morning America

Grand Marais and the Gunflint Trail were recently selected by Good Morning America to be a featured destination for their Sunday morning program segment, Weekend Window. Following the theme of “Winter Destinations – Off the Road”, the production team came to discover the
harbor village of Grand Marais and the historic Gunflint Trail. The shoot took place February 12th and 13th , and notification came today that this segment will air during the last 5 minutes of the hour-long program this Sunday, February 17th .

Producer Jennifer Pirone selected three activities up the Trail for the project. The cross country ski adventure features five skiers –skiing the Banadad Ski Trail to the Tall Pines Yurt for a Mongolian firepot dinner. The skiing activity was hosted by Boundary Country Trekking. Next was the nostalgic sleigh ride with 2,000-pound Belgian horses and a lantern-lit trail at Okontoe Family Campground. It was a “wrap” with snowshoeing at Pincushion Mountain, with its Lake Superior backdrop. Local citizens provided the “talent” for the activities as well as the narrative to describe just how terrific a winter in the area can be.

The Grand Marais/Gunflint Trail segment, in addition to being aired this Sunday morning on ABC, will also be available for viewing onwww.abcnews.com , (click Good Morning America,
then scroll down to GMA Weekend). See for yourself why our winter wonderland is among Good Morning America’s choices for “one of the most beautiful places in America”.

Grand Marais and Gunflint Trail Join Forces

Next time you headout up the hill out of Grand Marais along the Gunflint you will be greeted by the newly repainted Grand Marais' water tower welcoming you to the GunflintTrail.

The new Gunflint Trail Scenic Byways logo on the tower came about as a cooperative project between the Grand Marais City Council and the Gunflint Trail Scenic Byways Committee. The Byway's Committee committed some $8000 towards repainting and refurbishing the water tower.