Great Burn Study Group 2006 Summer Monitoring Schedule
Explore Montana Wilderness with the Great Burn Study Group and help monitor for problems. Backpack with experienced monitors & locate weed infestations, trashed campsites, illegal motorized use, inadequate signing & other threats to our wild areas. Info used by Forest Service to correct problems. Attached is the summer 2006 schedule. Come on as many trips as you can. Call or email with your choice of trip or questions. We can often shift the trip dates to meet your schedule. Hope to be hiking with you soon. Beverly 240-9901 <thegreatburn at yahoo.com>
Please refer to Clearwater, Idaho Panhandle, and Lolo National Forest maps for orientation.
More info, contact Beverly, 240-9901 thegreatburn@yahoo.com
The Last 3 trips of this year are listed at the top. Earlier trips are below
Sept 15-17
Meadow Creek Upper North Fork/Rawhide Inventoried Roadless Areas
Level: Moderate
Description: Hike trails in these two roadless areas (Meadow Creek-Upper North Fork and Rawhide) and assess for wild and remote character.
Sept 22-24
Heart Lake, Great Burn
Level: Moderate
Description: Hike the Stateline Ridge Trail above Heart Lake in the recommended Great Burn Wilderness. Do some minor trail work and check on St. John's wort infestation.
Sept 29 - Oct 1
Cache Creek
Level: Easy to Moderate
Description: Hike into the heart of the recommended Great Burn wilderness. Evaluate campsite usage.
TRIPS ALREADY GONE BY
Trip #1 JUNE 16-18
Cache/Irish
3 days (FSS)
Easy to Moderate
Description – Hike into the heart of the scenic Great Burn recommended wilderness. Day 1, camp at Cache Creek trailhead and check for mining activity while there. Also check old trapper cabin. Day 2, hike up Cache Creek Trail 317 to Irish Creek and inspect an outfitter campsite and check on rogue mining activity. Hike up Irish Creek trail to check on knapweed infestation and handpull if necessary. Camp at confluence. Day 3, hike back to trailhead, return home.
Total trail miles: 16.
Trip #2 JUNE 23-25
North Fork Fish Creek – Greenwood Cabin
3 days (FSS)
Moderate
Description: Hunt for trashed camp along the North Fork of Fish Creek. Day 1, drive to Clearwater Crossing campground and camp there. Day 2, hike up North Fork Fish Creek Trail 103 to historic Greenwood Cabin. Look for and if there, document abused outfitter camp. Camp at Greenwood Cabin. Optional hike to French Lake. Day 3: Hike back to Clearwater Crossing and return home.
Total trail miles: 16.
Trip #3 JULY 7-10
Swamp/Pollock/Moose
4 days (roughly FSSM)
Moderate to Difficult
Description: Explore wild and remote character of area and potential Idaho boundary expansion for Great Burn recommended wilderness. Day 1, drive to Pollock Ridge Trailhead. Hike Pollock Ridge Trail 478 to camp. Day 2, continue hiking to Wapiti Point. Hike Trail 429 to Swamp Ridge. Bushwhack along Swamp Ridge back to trail 478. Camp near Swamp Creek. Day 3 Explore area and hike out to trailhead. Day 4, Drive Road 255 to check out user created trails leading into Moose Mountain inventoried roadless area. Return home.
Total trail miles: 22
Trip #4 JULY 14-17
4th of July Creek
4 days (roughly FSSM)
Moderate
Description: Trek into the huge Bighorn Weitas roadless area and assess wild and remote character of 4th of July Creek drainage. Day 1, drive to Noe Creek Campground on the North Fork Clearwater River. Day 2, drive to 4th of July packbridge. Hike Trail 167 along ridge above 4th of July Creek to Camp George. Explore the wild and remote 4th of July drainage from this base camp for two days. Day 4: Pack out and return home.
Total trail miles: 14+
Trip #5 JULY 21 - 23
Blacklead
3 days (FSS)
Easy to moderate
Description: Easy access to the core of the Great Burn-from Idaho. Day 1, drive to Blacklead trailhead and check out trailhead restoration work. Camp at trailhead. Day 2, hike to Red Lead mine and check on activity. Continue hiking to Goat Lake and camp. Day 3, return on Trail 508 to trailhead and return home.
Total trail miles: 10
Trip #6 JULY 28 - 31
Hoodoo/Stateline
4 days (roughly FSSM)
Moderate
Description: Fathom both Montana and Idaho from this top of the world- Stateline Ridge Trail above Heart Lake. Day 1, drive to Stateline Line Trail 738 and hike a short distance to potential St. John’s Wort infestation. Pull if necessary. Drive to Hoodoo Meadows and camp. Day 2, drive to Hoodoo Pass and hike along Stateline Trail 738 to cirque above Heart Lake and set up camp. Along the way, do some trail rehab work. Day 3 and 4, continue trail rehab work. Day 4, pack up and return home.
Total trail miles: 10
Trip #7 AUG 4-7
Lost Ridge, Mallard Larkins
4 day (roughly FSSM)
Moderate to difficult
Description: Investigate a corner of the colossal Mallard Larkins roadless area and assess wild and remote character of the area. Day 1, drive to Lost Ridge Trailhead and camp. Day 2, hike Lost Ridge Trail 283. Day 3, explore and evaluate wild and remote character, hike to Snow Creek camp. Day 4, hike Snow Creek Trail 285 back to trailhead.
Total trail miles: 20
Trip #8 AUG 11-14
Five Lakes Butte, Mallard Larkins
4 days (Roughly FSSM)
Clean up lakeside problems
Total trail miles:
Moderate
Description: Swim, fish, and be happy near one of the several subalpine lakes in this area. Assist with lakeside cleanup. Day 1, drive to Five Lakes Butte trailhead and camp. Day 2, hike Trail 233 to Silver Lake and camp. Campsite rehab work as necessary. Day 3, campsite rehab work as necessary. Day 4, return to trailhead and return home.
Total trail miles: 6
Trip #9 AUG 18 - 20
Wahoo Creek, Sheep Mtn
3 days (FSS)
Wahoo Creek, Swimming Bear Lake
Moderate
Description: Check out Sheep Mountain roadless area and assess wild and remote character. Day 1, drive to Fly Flat campground on the St. Joe Wild and Scenic River. Day 2, hike Trail 74 to Swimming Bear Lake and camp. Day 3, hike past Simmons Peak and take Trail 284 toward Indian Peak and Trail 478 to trailhead.
Total trail miles: 12
Trip #10 AUG 25-27
Meadow/Rawhide – 2-3 days (FSS)
W and R hike/bike trip
Moderate
Description: Bike and hike two roadless areas (Meadow Creek-Upper North Fork and Rawhide) and assess for wild and remote character. Day 1, drive to Stateline Trailhead near Hoodoo Pass and camp. Day 2, some volunteers ride bikes down Rawhide Road 5428 to Cedars Campground and check out user created trails into Rawhide inventoried roadless area. Camp at Cedars. Others hike Trail 94 to Trail 373 and camp along North Fork of Clearwater River. Day 3 bikers ride to Hoodoo Pass and shuttle cars to Cedars. Hikers hike to Cedars Campground. All return to Missoula.
Total trail miles for hikers: 16
Total trail miles for bikers: 14+