2012 Trails Summary.docx

Upcoming Trail Projects for the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest

Below is a table showing the proposed trail projects for the 2012 construction season. Projects are subject to the availability of funds. The purpose of this document is to provide potential Contractors an opportunity to get out and look at projects this fall. Designs will be completed this winter, mileages are approximate.

Horse

Horse

Mtn. Bike

Horse

Mtn. Bike

Horse

Directions Cold Spring to Leadville. From the Rocker Exit off I-15 take Brown’s Gulch North for approximately 13 miles to a junction with American Gulch. Turn left onto American Gulch and travel for approximately 14 more miles turning left at four corners junction. At the junction with Road 5041 turn left and travel for 1 more mile to Champion Pass. Turn right onto 1516 and travel up to the Blizzard Hill Electronic Site. Travel 1.5 more miles beyond the electronic site, under the power line, and then look on the right side of the road for a post with pink/black flagging tied to it. The new construction starts here, crosses the road and continues down the hillside in the meadow. Follow the flags for approximately 6 miles to a junction with Trail No. 147. Turn right and travel ¾ of a mile to a four way intersection, turn right and continue towards Leadville. After Leadville the jeep track will take you back to your vehicle at Cold Spring. Cold Spring is just a watering trough in the middle of the meadow.

Maud S. to The Lady. Take the Continental Drive Exit off of I-15 just East of Butte. Continue north to the Maud S. Trailhead parking lot. Hike up the Maud S. Canyon Trail to the end at the divide (the last ½ mile is a bit of a bushwhack). There is a sign at the top. The work begins at the sign, and continues over to The Lady. Give yourself some time for this one, it looks short but it’s rocky.

Maud S. Canyon II. Follow the directions for Maud S. to The Lady but turn north about 1/2 mile from the trailhead where the flagging intersects the Maud S. Canyon I trail. You can also catch the new segment from the viewpoint approximately 1.5 miles from the trailhead.

Slag-a-melt. Take the Twin Lakes turnoff of Hwy 278 just South of Wisdom around mile marker 53. Drive on the Twin Lakes Road 945 for 17 miles. There are two instances when you have to veer left one at mile 4.2, and one at 8.3, but remain on Road 945. After 17 miles on 945 turn right onto Road 625, Big Swamp Creek Road. After 2.3 miles turn right onto 3944. (There's a sign that says Slag-a-melt 1.., it's really 3.2) After 1.3 miles turn left onto 3967 (the only part of the drive you need a high clearance vehicle, if you have an ATV I'd unload here). After 1.9 miles you're at the trailhead, proceed up the trail, you'll see stakes and flags. I think the lake's about 3.5 miles up, but there's not much work from mile 2-3.5.

East Fork of Blacktail Creek. From Dillon go east on the Blacktail Deer Creek Road. Follow the signs to East Fork Blacktail Campground. It’s about 30 miles, and takes 1.5 hours. Park at the campground and follow the trail at the end of the campground. Do not follow the trail at the beginning, it’s a sorry trail that fell in the creek, and you’ll just end up bushwhacking to the beginning of the work on a super steep sidehill. There is one other trail coming out of the campground labeled Sawtooth Trail, don’t take that one either. Hike up the BLM’s trail 1808 for approximately ½ mile to a creek crossing, ford the creek and continue on BLM until you reach a bear management sign. The Forest Service begins at the sign, and so does the trail work. There have some communications between the Forest Service and BLM on fixing up their portion of the trail at the same time, but so far no plan for fixing up the BLM side. Excavators can also access the trail from the Notch. Fording Blacktail Creek with a machine might be tricky early in the year. There are three trails in this project. Trail #1 is the mainline East Fork of the Blacktail Creek from the boundary to the junction with the Snowcrest Trail at Honeymoon Park. Trail #2 is the Two Meadows Trail. Two Meadows can be accessed off of the East Fork Trail approximately 5 miles from the beginning of the work. Trail #3 is the Lawrence Creek Trail. Lawrence Creek is signed at one of the creek crossings about 2 miles from the start of the project. The work on Lawrence is very minimal. Basically a switchback, ford and sign.

Stone Lake. Take the Doolittle Road at Milemarker 36 on Hwy. 43 north of Wisdom and drive up 2421, at the 1st main junction Turn left onto 2422, at the 2nd main junction turn right onto 2423. The road is good, and there were passenger cars at the trailhead. The trailhead is 7.2 miles from the hwy.

Hike up the existing trail. 1st re-route is approximately 400 feet and on the right side of the trail. 2nd re-route is a couple miles (I think) and starts off in alder and is not a great bushwhack. It's just a few hundred feet through the alder and then is lodgepole and fairly easy bushwhacking the rest of the 1.5 miles. Follow the flags to the Pioneer Trail and take a right. Follow that until you see a sign that says Foolhen Cabin take a right onto an unmarked trail and follow it all the way back down to the trailhead.

Coalpit-Brownback. From Whitehall head South on Hwy 55 turn left towards Waterloo onto a County Road near Parsons Bridge. Travel approximately 2 miles to a junction and turn left towards the mountains. Continue on this road until you see a sign that says “Mill Creek Trailhead 4 Miles”. Turn left onto this road and continue to the trailhead. There is a washed out section of road that will require a high clearance vehicle. From the trailhead the trail heads north. There is an ATV trail heading east at the trailhead.

From Cardwell head south on 359 approximately 4 miles. Turn right onto South Bolder River Road. Travel approximately 7 miles to a junction and turn right towards the Trailhead. I think there’s a sign that says “Canyon Trailhead” right before you get to the Brownback Trailhead. You can drive to this trailhead in a passenger car okay. The trail begins right at the trailhead, there should be a stake if the cows haven’t kicked it out.

Gold Creek. To get to the project from Wise River, Montana, travel south on the Pioneer Mountain Scenic Byway approximately 15 miles to the turnoff for Lost Meadow Trailhead. Drive ¼ of a mile to the Lost Meadow Trailhead Parking Area. STA 0+00 begins at the Trailhead. The trail then continues up to the top of the East Pioneers for approximately 7 miles.

Rawhide. Travel North from Butte on I-15, take the Boulder Exit No. 164 and turn left. Take a right onto Sloan Road. Travel 1 mile and turn left onto Road 441. Approximately 5 miles from that junction turn right at a Y intersection towards Rawhide Trailhead. The trailhead is ¾ of a mile from the junction. The trail takes off to the right across the creek. It’s not obvious; part of the project will be to install signs at the trailhead directing riders to the trail. The trail’s okay to ride, not great, about 4 miles. Some pretty steep sections, and bogs with user created “bridges”.