Blowdown Trail Condition Update – Oct. 8, 2020
by Pinedale Ranger District, Bridger-Teton National Forest
October 9, 2020
Date of incident: Monday, September 7, 2020
Incident: Massive wind event with gusts in excess of 60+mph throughout the Wind River Range, causing trees to cover roadways and trails. All main Forest roads have been cleared and you can drive to trailheads.
Trail report as of Wednesday, October 7, 2020 (new info in bold)
Green River Lakes
• Lakeside Trail: has large trees down. Impassable to stock. Stock users use Highline Trail.
• Highline Trail south to Trail Creek Park (13 miles total): Cleared as of 9/21/2020
• Rocky Mountain Youth Corps crew logged about 4 miles of the Porcupine Trail.
New Fork Lake
• New Fork Trail to New Fork Park up to Palmer Lake and back down on Double Top Mountain Trail past Rainbow Lake to trailhead: Passable as of 09/11/2020
o Forest Service crews have not walked these trails, but this trail was not as significantly impacted as other locations. The outfitter cleared a few trees from this loop to report the trail was passable with stock.
Spring Creek Park
• Secondary information is that there are trees down, but passable to hikers to the Wilderness Boundary, about 2.5 miles. Then the trees increase to Glimpse Lake, another 1.5 miles. Completely impassable to hikers and stock from Glimpse Lake on. Report from 09/16/2020
o On 9/22/2020 the Forest Service Crew made it 1000 feet past the Wilderness Boundary, so about 2.5 miles of the trail to Trapper Lake is clear.
• Glimpse Lake Trail: Clear first 4 miles to Glimpse Lake as of 9/23/2020. Completely impassable to hikers and stock beyond Glimpse Lake.
• Trapper Lake Trail: Mostly used by outfitters and hunters. Cleared 3 miles from parking area on 09/24/2020.
• Pinedale Wilderness Crew entering at Elkhart Park Trailhead on 09/28/2020. They will be working to clear the Pole Creek Trail to Fremont Crossing, around to Summit Lake and down to Trapper Lake before exiting the Spring Creek Park Trailhead on 10/05/2020.
• Crews coming out today, 10/05/2020. Will have detailed update tomorrow, 10/06/2020.
• Crew did not make it from Elkhart on the Pole Creek Trail to exit at Spring Creek Park. Too much work on the Pole Creek Trail.
Elkhart Park
• Pine Creek Trail (down to Long Lake): unknown.
• Pole Creek Trail: The first 4 miles of this trail to Photographer’s Point was completely obliterated. Green trees were blown over by their root wads and stacked 10 feet tall. Unable to even find the trail. From Photographer’s Point to Seneca Lake (6 additional miles) the trail is tree covered, but passable to hikers. Not recommended for stock.
o Forest Service has had crews working on the Pole Creek Trail since 09/14/2020
o Trail is clear about ˝ mile from Photographer’s Point as of /21/2020
o Since entering the Bridger Wilderness, progress has been about 1000 feet per day
Crew of 5 Wilderness Rangers from the Pinedale Ranger District
Additional 4-5 Jackson Ranger District Wilderness Rangers will be working on the Pole Creek Trail on 9/23 and 9/24
• Crews had a day off from work on the Pole Creek Trail on 09/22/2020. Jackson Trail Crew will be starting at Miller Park 09/23/2020.
• The Jackson Trail Crew will be continuing to work on the Pole Creek/Island Lake corridor 09/24/2020.
• Clear to Photographer’s Point as of 09/24/2020. After 11 days straight of work on the Pole Creek Trail, our crews are taking a few well-deserved days off and will start again clearing towards Seneca Lake on Monday, 09/28/2020.
• Pinedale Wilderness Crew entering at Elkhart Park Trailhead on 09/28/2020. They will be working to clear the Pole Creek Trail to Fremont Crossing, around to Summit Lake and down to Trapper Lake before exiting the Spring Creek Park Trailhead on 10/05/2020.
• As of 10/03/2020, trail was clear to Hobbs Lake, for a total of 6 miles from the Elkhart Park Trailhead. We will have a detailed report of the Pole Creek Trail and Seneca Lake Trail tomorrow, as crews are coming out today 10/05/2020, after 8 days in the backcountry.
• The Wilderness Crew was able to log out 9.5 miles of trail from Elkhart Park Trailhead, just prior to Seneca Lake, following first the Pole Creek Trail and then the Seneca Lake Trail. Seneca Lake is 10 miles from the trailhead.
• The Pole Creek Trail continues east at Eklund Lake. Here the crew was able to clear the trail up the switchbacks from Eklund Lake, about ˝ mile. There are still some significant root wads in the trail, making this not recommended for stock use.
Boulder Lake
• Ruff Lake Trail: Clear to Wilderness Boundary, about 2 miles just prior to Blueberry Lake, as of 09/20/2020.
• Boulder Creek Canyon Trail: Clear to Wilderness Boundary (.5 miles) as of 9/20/2020. Secondary information that stock groups are continuing to Ethel Lake and then beyond to Pipestone Lakes area as of 09/17/2020
• As of 09/24/2020, private individuals had taken stock from Boulder Creek Canyon Trail to North Fork Lake. The loop around past Pipestone Lake, Dugway Lake and Valley Lake was also passable. Still a few large trees on this loop, but passable to stock.
Meadow Lake Trail
• Forest Service crew cleared trail to Wilderness Boundary on 09/17/2020.
o Public reported unable to reach wilderness boundary on 9/20/2020. We did have wind and very little moisture on Saturday 9/19/2020.
Burnt Lake
• Firefighters from zone engine crews will be working to clear the Burnt Lake Trail prior to the Wilderness, 09/25/20 unless called to a smoke report.
• As of 9/28/2020 the Burnt Lake Trail has been cleared to the Wilderness Boundary. Beyond the boundary, there are significant trees down. Not recommended for stock.
• Beginning 09/28/2020 the fire crew will be working to clear the UTV figure eight trail connecting Meadow Lake and Burnt Lake.
• As of 10/05/2020 the UTV figure eight trail connecting Meadow Lake Burnt Lake is clear and passable.
Scab Creek
• Scab Creek Trail: Clear to Wilderness Boundary, about 2.5 miles, as of 09/09/2020. About 25 trees down between boundary and Little Divide Lake, 6 miles from the trailhead. Less than 5 are difficult to travel around with stock. Passable with stock, but difficult. Another 10 trees or so between Little Divide and Dream Lake. Passable with stock. Report from outfitter on 09/13/2020.
• Lowline Trail: No updates.
Big Sandy
• Highline Trail north: No Forest Service crews have been working on this trail as of 9/21/2020. Big Sandy Lodge has started clearing this trail. Our reports from the public is it is taking 7 hours to travel the 4 miles from Big Sandy Trailhead to Dad’s Lake.
• Big Sandy Trail: No Forest Service crews have been working on this trail as of 9/21/2020. Reports from the public say this 6 mile trail to Big Sandy Lake was less impacted than the Highline Trail north, but still significant blowdown. Plan on 2-3x longer to get to Big Sandy Lake.
o See attached pictures from the Big Sandy Lake Trail. Passable to hikers. Not recommended for stock. Snow on Jackass Pass Trail, less than 6 inches.
• Big Sandy Camp Hosts reported that private individuals have cleared some of the Big Sandy Lake Trail. Hikers are getting up to the Cirque of the Towers as of 09/24/2020. Not recommended to take stock.
• The Pinedale trail crew will begin work on Highline Trail north from Big Sandy Trailhead on Monday 09/28/2020.
• As of 10/03/2020, the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) north from Big Sandy Trailhead was clear about 2400 feet past the Wilderness Boundary, for a total of almost 2 miles. Will have a detailed update tomorrow as crews are coming back today, 10/05/2020.
• The CDT north from Big Sandy Trailhead is clear for the first 2 miles. The trail crew was able to clear about a mile shy of Fish Creek Park.
• The Fremont Trail north from Big Sandy Trailhead towards Twin Lakes is not passable to stock.
• The trail crew cleared the Big Sandy Lake Trail to ˝ mile prior to the Wilderness boundary. Hikers have been getting over Jackass and Texas Pass, but be aware of forecasted snow coming this weekend, 10/10/2020.
• Reports of private individuals clearing the CDT south from Big Sandy Trailhead.
SAFETY ALERT: Be aware that there are many current and potential hazards along this trail and surrounding area, so plan accordingly. Passing storms may bring winds which could blow over additional trees blocking trails or cause personal injury.
Additional Information:
Pinedale Ranger District Office
29 E. Fremont Lake Rd.
307-367-4326
Open Mon – Fri, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
To Report a wildfire, call 911 or 307-739-3036
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