(Kamiah, ID) On August 18, 2024, a major windstorm battered a large section of the Bitterroot Mountains. One of the worst impacted areas were the popular trails and campgrounds in the Lochsa and Selway River Corridors of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. Downed and hazard trees closed campgrounds, damaged property, and impacted roadways throughout the area.
Nez Perce-Clearwater Central Zone Recreation Specialist, Geoff Fast explained that: “Fire and Recreation crews based at the Powell Ranger Station worked to get trapped campers out immediately after the storm. Soon after, chainsaws were authorized at Moose Creek Rangers Station where the windstorm left large trees laying on buildings at the historic ranger station deep in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness. Immediately, with their technical saw skills, Fire Crews based at Fenn Ranger Station mobilized two saw trees off of the damaged buildings and cleared the Selway River Trail out 25 miles to Moose Creek.
Fast stated that: “Some of where we are putting people has been timed to help outfitters so that the trails they opened won’t be impacted before the hunting season. It is also timed around areas the general public likes to go and hunt to make things more passable.”
The work has been truly a team effort. The crews involved included a team from the Lolo National Forest that worked on the Warm Springs drainage, a crew from the Payette National Forest that worked on trails near Fish Lake, a team from the Trapper Creek Job Corps Center that worked on the Lewis and Clark Trail, two teams from the Flathead National Forest that worked in the Elk Summit area and Colt Killed Creek Trail – one crew staying a second 10-day hitch to get packed in and clear blowdown on the East Moose Creek Trail. Other teams were made up of single resources from the Salmon-Challis National Forest, Flathead National Forest, and local wilderness rangers, to work together. An estimated 50 miles of mainline trails were cleared by the hard work and dedication of these teams.