Big Wood Backcountry Trails

Working together to make your trails the best that they can be

Big Wood Backcountry Trails updates this page on a regular basis with the official trail report from the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. You can also receive the trail update report directly from the USFS or BLM by contacting the agencies at the addresses listed below.

BWBT encourages all trail users to be mindful of our impacts on the trails when it is raining and immediately following a big storm. Let's all do our part to demonstrate responsible stewardship for the trails we love!

USFS and BLM Trail Updates

                                                                                             

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

Shoshone Field Office

400 West F Street

Shoshone, Idaho  83352-5284

(208) 732-7200

 

U.S.D.A. FOREST SERVICE

Ketchum Ranger District

206 Sun Valley Road

P.O. Box 2356

Ketchum, Idaho 83340

(208) 622-5371

(208) 622-3923 FAX

 

SEASONAL TRAIL & ROAD UPDATE – 

August 26, 2010 

Trails:

 

For the week of August 26th – September 5th, 2010:  

 

New Foot Bridges Underway!

The KRD trail crew is felling multiple trees on the Adams, Greenhorn and Oregon trails in preparation of the ten replacement foot bridges that are scheduled to be constructed this fall. Users of these trails may notice large, peeled logs in the forest near the bridge sites on these trails.

 

 

Motorcyclists:  Remember, these are the last few days to get your summer rides on the trails listed below – these trails in the Warm Springs area and in Oregon Gulch will be closing to motorcycle use on AUGUST 29 and will not open again until May 1st, 2011.  They are open each year from May 1 – August 29th:

1. Placer Creek Trail

2. Castle Creek Trail

3. Warm Springs Ridge Trail

4. Barr Gulch Trail *(note: correction from last weeks trail report! Barr Gulch is closed year round to all motorized use)

5. Lost Shirt Trail

6. Oregon Gulch Trail 

Please note: The East Fork of Baker Creek Road also closes to motorized users on August 29 but remains open to all non-motorized users including mountain bikes.

            

     

Reconstruction continues on two trails in the Warm Springs Area: Work on reconstructing Warfield – Red Warrior Trail will take place all this upcoming week and will continue through early to mid September.  Warfield Trail will remain open during reconstruction, to foot traffic only, motorized, mechanized and equestrian travel will be allowed after construction is completed and the tread has had a chance to harden.   The West Fork of Red Warrior trail is also open to foot traffic only until reconstruction is completed.  If you are hiking on either of these trails, please use caution when traveling by the construction area and hike well around the work zones.

Hunters! Both the West Fork of Red Warrior and Warfield Trail are expected to remain open to foot traffic only through the 2010 big game hunting season.

 

In the Little Wood River drainage:  Hunters and fall trail users should be aware that following September 6th, 2010 prescribed burns may be taking place in the Little Wood River drainage and its tributaries through approximately the end of October, 2010.  Some brief area closures may be in effect during that time.  More details and information on the prescribed burns will be available in upcoming issues of this report.  More information on the prescribed burn plan is also available by contacting the Ketchum Ranger District.

 

 

 

Open Trails:

  • Apollo Creek notes: Trail is clear of all down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew.   KRD trail crew also cleared and maintained the trail down to the Norton Lakes trailhead.
  • Adams Lake Creek Connector notes: Open. Trail crew improved drainage completed routine maintenance the week of June 13th.
  • Alden Gulch: Trail is clear of all down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew
  • Baker Lake notes: Trail is clear of all down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew
  • Bullion Connector notes: Open
  • Castle Creek: Open, clear of down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew. 
  • Chocolate Gulch notes: Open.  Citizens Trail notes: Open. 
  • Corral Creek notes: Open
  • Cow Creek notes: Open
  • Federal Gulch Notes: Open, free of down trees and maintained by KRD trail crew.
  • Fox Creek/Fox Loop notes: Open. Griffin Butte-Adams Gulch notes: Open.
  • Easley Gulch: (aka Curlies) Open, cleared on June 19.
  • Harpers Trail notes: Open.
  • Hidden Valley notes: Open
  • North Fork of Hyndman Creek notes: Trail is clear of all down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew. Trail is now completely free of snow all the way to Pioneer Cabin.

 

  • Hyndman Creek notes: Trail is clear of all down trees up into Big Basin and the winter yurt site. Routine maintenance (brushing, rock removal and drainage maintenance) has been performed by KRD trail crew.

 

  • Johnstone Creek notes: Trail is clear of all down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew. Wildflowers are in full bloom!.
  • Lodgepole notes: Open and maintained for the season
  • Pioneer Cabin via Corral notes: Trail is clear of trees and has been maintained from Corral Creek to cabin. Trail is now free of snow to the cabin.
  • Long Gulch: Trail is clear of trees. Creek crossings have been eroded by spring runoff this year and are currently not recommended for stock.
  • Norton Lakes trail notes: Clear of all down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew. Trail is free of snow all to the way to the pass (9,800 ft) above Norton and Miner Lakes.
  • Placer Creek: Open, clear of down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew.
  • Proctor notes: Open
  • Shady Side notes: Open
  • Sunnyside-Lanes Trail notes: Open. Routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew during the week of June 13th
  • Timber Draw notes: KRD trail crew polished off and connected a nearly mile long reroute on the middle section of Timber Draw. The old 27% grade, rutted, hot section of the trail now flows and switchbacks nicely through a scenic, shady slope of Timber Draw. There is a small patch of avalanche snow obscuring the trail near the top of Timber Draw which prevented the trail crew from completing a 15 foot section of reroute tread construction.
  • Saddle Gulch Trail: Open and clear : Use caution crossing the second footbridge, it is flagged and signed while it undergoes repair.  Equestrians need to ride around the bridge.
  • Two Dog-Bulldog notes: Open
  • Imperial Gulch notes: Open. Clear of down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew the week of June 13th.  Hand crews have completed work on a new reroute on lower Imperial and the road access section of Imperial.  A contractor will be reconstructing two portions of Imperial Trail, late August –September.
  • Mahoney Butte notes: Open. Clear of down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew the week of June 13th. 
  • Greenhorn: Open. On July 8th, KRD trail crew opened a new reroute approximately 3.5 miles up Greenhorn creek trail in order to lay to rest unsustainable and rutted trail.
  • Oregon Gulch notes: Open.  Clear of down trees and routine maintenance performed by KRD trail crew the week of June 13th.  Open, chronic boggy area at the bridge crossing, (just past the turn off to Saddle Trail).  A new bridge and reroute will be constructed this summer to route around the bog. 
  • Eves Gulch:  NEW TRAIL NOW OPEN: Open to mtn bikes, motorcycles, equestrians and hikers. There was a major blowout on the upper portion of this trail last Saturday as a result of what must have been an impressive thunderstorm. The KRD trail crew has repaired the trail and highly recommends the ride/hike on this enjoyable trail.
  • Trails in the Little Wood River drainage that have been cleared include: Pott Creek Trail, Little Wood River Trail, Buckhorn Trail, Long Gulch Trail, Federal Gulch to Grays Creek Trail, PK Pass to Iron Mine Trail and the Box Lakes Trail (from the Little Wood River side). 
  • Deer Creek Area Trails: (including Deer Creek, Kinsey, Curran, North Fork of Deer Creek, Howards Trail) Open, clearing has begun on these trails and will continue be completed by the end of August.

Partially Open Trails:

    • Red Warrior notes: Open going towards Lodgepole Creek Trail.  NOTE: The “roots” section (or the ‘west fork” of the trail) will be open for foot traffic only for the season due to reconstruction.  A newly constructed portion of this trail will be open in the early summer of 2011.

TRAILS NOT RECOMMENDED:

Warm Springs Area: Warm Springs Ridge Trail, Rooks Creek (note: this trail is currently only open to non motorized users).  These trails have been cleared but are a rough ride due to gullied sections.

Warfield Trail: Still under reconstruction, expect to see trail construction machinery from August 29th – September 10th.  During this phase of reconstruction, the trail is now open to hikers only.

 

Open Roads:

  • Adams Gulch Rd notes: Open
  • Corral Creek Rd notes:  Open
  • Eagle Creek Rd notes:  Open
  • Hyndman Creek Rd notes: Open to the Trailhead.
  • Lake Creek Dr notes:  Freshly graded and in good condition.
  • Taylor Canyon notes:  Open
  • Trail Creek Rd notes:  Open. Park Creek Road is now open to the end of the road.
  • Deer Creek Rd notes:  Note – Open to the trailhead, Panther Gulch Road is open to the top
  • East Fork Rd notes:  Open to the end of the road.
  • Norton Creek Road: Open to the trailhead, NOTE: The stream crossing necessary to access the Norton Lakes trail is at peak flow this week and is too high to cross.
  • Independence Road: Open to trailhead parking area.
  • Baker Creek Rd notes: Open to the trailhead. East Fork of Baker Creek Road open to the end of the road.
  • Cove Creek Rd notes: Open:
  • Barr Gulch Road is open to the top. 
  • Little Wood Road; open to Mormon Hill Trailhead.
  • Warm Springs Rd notes: 7/5/2010 Open

 

Partially Open Roads:

o   Rooks Creek Road (and Trail) open to non motorized users only, it is still closed to all motor vehicles at it’s junction with Warm Springs Road.

o   Wolftone: blocked by an extensive slide, debris is blocking the road about 1.2 miles up from the junction with Deer Creek Road.

Sheep Report:

Faulkner Land and Livestock:

East Fork of Wood River allotment:  This band is currently grazing in the East Fork of the Big Wood River drainage in the vicinity of Sawmill Gulch, north of the East Fork road.

 

Denis Kowitz:

Deer Creek/Curran Allotment- This band is currently (Aug 26) is preparing to ship at the Placer Creek Corrals in the Warm Spring drainage it is currently moving down Red Warrior and Rough Canyon in the Warm Springs drainage and will move to the vicinity of the Placer Creek corrals for shipping lambs on September 4 or 5.

 

Lava Lake Land and Livestock:

Cove Creek Allotment- the band is currently (August 26) in the Finley Gulch drainage a tributary of Cove Creek.  The band will be in this area and adjacent small drainages for the next several days.

 

Copper Creek/Garfield Allotments- the band is currently in the upper portions of the Copper Creek and Deadman drainages.

 

Flat Top Sheep Company:

Corral Creek/Elkhorn Allotment-   The band is currently (Aug.26) grazing in Uncle John’s Gulch in the corral Creek drainage.  On September 1 or 2’nd the band will move past the bridge in Trail Creek and graze the slopes north of the Corral Creek road approximately I mile west of the trailhead.  This band may be in the immediate vicinity of the road when watering.

 

Grays Creek Allotment- this band is in the Grays Creek a tributary of the Little Wood River and will move to the Iron Mine drainage on approximately September1.

 

Lower Hyndman/Pioneer Cabin Allotments-The band is currently August 26 in the upper headwater portions of the North Fork of Hyndman Creek were it will remain for approximately 5 days.

 

            Comments, questions, suggestions, critiques on the KRD trails? Please feel free to email Renee Catherin: rcatherin@fs.fed.us or Blake Everson: beeverson@fs.fed.us