Friday, December 22, 2006

Ice dams Nordic ski terrain

Obstruction forces alternate route on Harriman Trail

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By TREVOR SCHUBERT
Express Staff Writer

A newly formed ice dam has forced the Blaine County Recreation District to create a new section of Nordic ski trial on the east side of state Highway 75. Photo by Trevor Schubert

An ice dam on the Harriman Trail has forced the Blaine County Recreation District to create a detour and to reroute cross-country skiers across sections of state Highway 75. The obstruction is about two kilometers north of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters.

The Harriman Trail, which stretches from the SNRA headquarters to Galena Lodge along 18 miles of the Big Wood River corridor north of Ketchum, will remain diverted for the foreseeable future, said Janelle Conners, assistant director of trails, facilities and operations for the Recreation District.

"We just have to wait it out," she said.

The ice dam apparently formed when a frozen section of the river broke free, sending chunks of ice and a surplus of water over the banks of the Big Wood River, said Matt Filbert, of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.

The section where the water ran across the trail and then froze has been cordoned off with signs. The Recreation District has groomed roughly one kilometer of new trail on the east side of Highway 75 before rejoining with the original trail. Nordic skiers using the trail will have to cross the highway twice.

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A handful of local recreation advocates sparked the initial idea of a trail linking Ketchum to Galena Lodge in the late 1980s. The $1.5 million project was possible, in part, thanks to contributions of the Harriman Family Foundation and the Teresa Heinz Foundation, along with local support.

The Recreation District is urging skiers to be alert and aware of cars when traversing across the freeway.

"We caution skiers to watch out when crossing the road, especially when they have dogs with them," Conners said.