Alpine trails in the highest reaches of the Sawtooth National Forest Ketchum Ranger District are still largely snow-covered and inaccessible, forest officials report.
"The high country has still got some snow in it," said Joe Miczulski, Ketchum district recreation programs manager.
However, lower down, most trails are open and available for backcountry recreationists of all stripes.
According to the June 13 trail report for the 350,000-acre Ketchum Ranger District, most trails on the district are open. Only on trails above 8,000 feet do snow patches remain, the report states.
In their report, Ketchum district officials remind recreationists that the Bald Mountain Perimeter Trail will remain closed until its annual opening date on July 1. They also note that the following trails within the Castle Rock Fire area remain closed for the season to all uses except hiking: Rooks Creek, Red Warrior Creek, Warfield Creek, Eve Gulch and the West Fork of Warm Springs Creek.
Speaking about trail conditions last April, Renee Catherine, trails coordinator on the Ketchum Ranger District, said U.S. Forest Service regulations prevent the agency from adding any of the bulldozer lines to the forest's network of trails. Catherine said the agency is working to rehabilitate the large network of bulldozer lines built in the 48,520-acre fire area as part of last summer's suppression effort and are asking people to stay off them.
Throughout the summer, recreationists should also be aware that the Forest Service may move to temporarily close trails if hazardous weather conditions call for it, Catherine said. This could include heavy rainfall, which could cause significant flooding and landslides in burned areas.
Trails that are open but will be under reconstruction this month due to fire damage within the fire area include:
· Greenhorn Gulch—Forest officials are asking people to look for a new realignment of the trail tread in the first quarter mile of Greenhorn. The trail has been moved approximately 10 feet higher in elevation for 100 yards to a dry side slope to avoid passing through the floodplain created by beaver ponds.
· Lodgepole Gulch-Mahoney Creek—Forest crews will be working on drainage, brushing and "full benching" the tread as well as several minor realignments, the district trail report states.
Trails outside the Castle Rock Fire are that are now partially open include:
· Parker Gulch, which is partially open up to just below the ridge.
· Bear Gulch, which is open as an out-and-back jaunt with a minor snow patch on top.
· The Pioneer Cabin Trail is open to the cabin to hikers. Mountain bikes must still be carried over patches of snow.
· Baker Lake, Apollo, Norton Lake trails are still retaining snow. Expect to find snowfields in shaded areas of trails that are located in the headwaters of the East Fork, Eagle Creek, Lake Creek and Hyndman Creek over 7,800 feet.
For the Ketchum district's weekly trail report go to www.fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth/recreation/ and click on "Ketchum Ranger District Seasonal Trail Report."
