USFS at Moran Meadows
Although a spot fire in the nearby Coal Creek drainage was suppressed yesterday, the U.S. Forest Service still has a fire incident team operating from Moran Meadows. Presumably, this is because it continues to offer a convenient helicopter landing zone.
The U.S. Forest Service is starting to get busy. They’ve now got a 3,000 acre blaze in the Bob, after a couple of fires merged, as well as several smaller actions elsewhere. According to the following article from the Daily Inter Lake, they did manage to suppress a small wildfire in the North Fork’s Coal Creek drainage yesterday. . .
A fire that rapidly expanded in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex has merged with another fire to the east to cover a total of 3,000 acres by Monday afternoon.
The Rapid Creek Fire first was sized up at less than acre at midday Sunday, but by the afternoon it had grown to 500 acres and by Monday morning it was estimated at 1,000 acres.
The fire is located on the east side of the wilderness about 27 miles west of Augusta. The fire has been churning through heavy, beetle-killed timber across the Flathead Forest’s boundary with the Lewis and Clark National Forest, where It burned into the 700-acre Elbow Pass Fire by Monday afternoon.
Well, the U.S. Forest Service had an incident team set up on Moran Meadow today, a short distance south of Polebridge. Reportedly, they were working with helicopter support (a shiny red one) to knock down a spot fire in the Coal Creek area. They appeared to be doing water drops.
So, it looks like its time to remind our loyal readership that this site has a Wildfire Information page, with links to a number of useful resources.
Also, the Daily Inter Lake, as in the past, is shaping up as the newspaper of record for wildfire news this year. You can read today’s report online, which centers on the situation in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.
Kyle Johnson gets some serious recognition for his backcountry work . . .
Kyle Johnson’s office is strewn with boots and other hiking gear, along with maps and books related to his real work area — Glacier National Park’s backcountry.
Among his more than 30 years of working in the park in a variety of roles, Johnson has for more than a decade been involved in wilderness management.
That work was recognized this month by the National Park Service with the director’s Wes Henry National Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship Individual Award for 2011.
Tim Manley received some well-deserved recognition recently . . .
State grizzly bear management specialist Tim Manley has been selected as the first recipient of the Bud Moore Conservation Award.
Co-sponsored by Northwest Connections, the Swan Ecosystem Center and the Vital Ground Foundation, the award recognizes individuals who have gone out of their way to work with rural residents in the conservation of natural resources.
In presenting the award, Vital Grounds executive director Gary Wolfe said Manley was selected for his leadership, holistic thinking, wildlife conservation vision and spirit of cooperation — all traits embodied by the late Bud Moore, an iconic forester and outdoorsman.
An environmental group wants a no-trapping buffer in the areas of Montana near Yellowstone Park to protect wolves that wander outside the boundaries . . .
A conservation group wants a trap-free buffer in Montana to protect wolves roaming outside Yellowstone National Park.
The Greater Yellowstone Coalition says the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission shouldn’t allow wolf trapping in three management units that cover southern Montana from the Absaroka Mountains to the Madison Range.
That grizzly bear relocated into the North Fork from Lincoln a few days ago has already made its way over the Whitefish Divide and into trouble . . .
A grizzly bear that recently was moved from the Lincoln area to the North Fork Flathead drainage has showed up for trouble again, this time in a neighborhood about 10 miles north of Whitefish off U.S. 93.
The bear, a 2-year-old male weighing 150 pounds, was released in the lower Coal Creek area on July 22, but it managed to cross the Whitefish Divide and move south, turning up at the home of Carol Mystic in the Tamarack Creek area just four days later.
An artistic map of Flathead Lake is being sold to raise money for the Flathead Lake Biological Station . . .
The University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station and the Flathead Lakers have collaborated with a Missoula-based map making company to create a unique, artistic rendition of Flathead Lake to benefit the biological station.
The limited-edition print of Flathead Lake from Xplorer Maps features an antique style complete with illustrations of regional flora and fauna…
To view or purchase the map and find more information about the map and the programs that the proceeds will support, visit www.xplorermaps.com, www.flatheadlakers.org or www.umt.edu/flbs.
Well, cripes, I thought the Highline Trail would be clear already, but today is the official opening. Here is the core part of the official press release . . .
The popular Highline Trail at Logan Pass is anticipated to be open by Friday, possibly earlier. Hikers are encouraged to plan ahead and be prepared. Hikers may encounter rocks and mud on trails, eroded trail tread, and some snowfields on higher elevation trails across the park.
Due to recent mud and rock slides along the Highline Trail, both west and east-side park trail crews have been working to allow for public access on the trail from Logan Pass to Haystack Butte. On July 17 a rain event triggered numerous mud and rock slides in the area and deposited lots of rock and mud debris on the trail. Much of the tread, flat surfaces or step-like features built by trail crew, were washed out. In several areas of the trail, bedrock is exposed and hikers are encouraged to use caution. Often the bedrock is angled downhill, wet, and potentially slick.The use of hiking poles is encouraged in this area.
Visitors planning to hike on trails in the higher elevations of the park are encouraged to have appropriate footwear for snow travel, specifically lug-sole boots, and self-arrest tools such as ice axe and crampons, as well as the knowledge and skills to utilize the tools. It is recommended to have layers of clothing available, including a rain jacket, for changing weather conditions throughout the park. Caution should be used near rivers and streams, as water may be extremely cold, and running swift and high. All hikers are encouraged to turn around if conditions exceed what is comfortable or beyond personal experience and limitations.
The title pretty much covers it. Larry has a few bones to pick with the Forest Service’s river facilities . . .
Last week’s column mentioned concerns that at least some recreationists have regarding Forest Service management of the North Fork River. River launch sites at the international border and at Ford Ranger Station were rebuilt last summer, and both have some problems. In both cases, the boat slides are too narrow and too far apart, making launching very difficult for some inflatables.
Forest Service representatives admitted having multiple complaints, and they intend to make changes. Possible solution is to simply add a third slide between the two already in place to make it possible to slide a boat down lengthwise instead of sideways.