If you’re thinking of taking a trip into the BWCA in May, this may be of interest to you.

I have recently been seeking info on the current condition of Tomahawk Road, which runs from Hwy. 1 to the Isabella and Pow Wow entry points while passing a few others along the way. An Ely-based musher responded that there are “miles and miles and miles” of downed trees across the road.

The December snowstorms did a job on lots of roads and trails in the Arrowhead. I can easily imagine that the roads left unplowed to some other entry points might be in a similar condition. Getting them ready for travel in the spring might require substantial effort by the feds and the counties.

The Isabella and Finland area receives more snow than areas north and west. Keep that in mind. The Ely area may only be 30 miles away but the snowfall totals are usually much less. Lake Superior and the Laurentian Divide have a strong influence on weather patterns in those areas.

It’s not just Tomahawk Road I have in mind. This notice has been on the website of the Superior Hiking Trail Association for several weeks:

“Extensive Damage Winter Storms of 2022
We have experienced heavy snow, ice and wind on the Trail this winter. Many sections have downed trees and when combined with deep snow the Trail may be difficult navigate and follow safely. For the majority of the Trail we will be opening it back up and clearing woody debris in the Spring when the snow melts, as we typically do annually. Stay safe out the and remember if you do get lost, one of the safest things you can do is follow your own tracks in the snow back out to safety. Check specific section you plan on visiting below for additional alerts including a few logging operations.”



Trail Conditions

Some of the dead-end and non-essential roads have just been abandoned until spring because there's too may trees to deal with. Snowmobilers have cleared a lot, but there's a ton that you cant see under the snow too, so by the time everything melts there will still be hundreds or thousands of trees still needing to be cut and removed, and I would expect some excessive water damage on some roads again this year with the amount of snowpack up there, on the SE side at least. When I was in Ely a couple weeks ago it seems pretty standard in terms of snow and none of that heavy tree damage I see near Finland and Isabella area. All the access roads being free and clear by May 1st pretty much hinges entirely on what kind of Spring we have.

If you're going in early on a remote road, I'd err on the side of caution and pack a chainsaw for the trip up.

With that said, the SHT is maintained by a small group of volunteers for the most part, so it's going to take them a while to get it cleared out. Roads however are going to be a top priority for the county(s) and I suspect the USFS will be out in full force inspecting damage so they can be prepared for whatever fire season may bring, as dead/downed trees can be an extreme fire hazard if not managed properly.

Alot of those forest roads with trees down will get cleared pretty quick. Not as a result of county workers, but most of the clearing in the spring is done by the first guy down the road with a chainsaw.

Last spring, after putting in the dock, decided to dust off the wheeler and go for a ride, one of the forest roads that I ride or hunt in the fall had a big pine that came down blocking the entire road. I headed back to the cabin (maybe 3-4 miles) grabbed the saw and when I returned there was already another fella cutting it up. I helped him finish cutting and clearing and hauled away some of the logs for firewood.