IDAHO COUNTY FREE PRESS
October 8, 2014 Page 1C
Hunter’sA Almanac lmanac AS PUBLISHED BY THE
IDAHO COUNTY FREE PRESS
North Central Idaho
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2014
CREATIVE COMMONS / ANDREW RUSSELL
Roads ready to go Several forest fires continue to burn within the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests, but as of Sept. 25, all roads were open in four of the forests’ eight “recreation corridors.” The Idaho Department of Fish and Game monitors road closures with an eye toward whether hunters will have enough access to have a fair chance at getting full value out of their tags — and as of the end of last month, only the Johnson Bar Fire appeared to be presenting much trouble. The Johnson Bar Fire’s perimeter enclosed about 21 square miles primarily south and east of the Middle Fork Clearwater and Selway rivers near Lowell and Syringa. As of Sept. 30, firefighters were focusing on monitoring and mop-up, but the Swiftwater Road (470) remained closed to nonresidents until further notice. Conditions can change quickly, and current information is available by tele-
phone through the Forest Service and Hells Canyon National Recreation Area offices listed at the end of this article. • One road in the Highway 14 corridor — which had been closed to fullsized vehicle traffic for 10 years — has reopened in time for hunting season. For the first time in a decade, the Peasley Creek Road (469) from the South Fork Clearwater River to Silver Ridge will be safe and open to full-size vehicles for hunters and other forest visitors. The shoulder failed a decade ago, but the road was reopened in August. Joe Bonn, retired Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests engineer, said the road was built in 1964 and the original construction was poor. “The road was built on a steep hillside. Retainer logs eventually rotted out in 2004...the road width was inadequate for full-size vehicles, so the forest is-
sued a road closure order for public safety reasons...” “Instead of traveling from McComas Meadows to get to Silver Ridge, forest visitors can once again access the Peasley Creek Road from Highway 14, along the South Fork of the Clearwater River, to reach their destination,” Bonn added. • The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest reported all roads open in the Salmon River / U.S. Highway 95 corridor as of Sept. 25. A bridge repair four miles south of the Rapid River Trailhead was planned to close the Trail No. 113 bridge on Oct. 10-13. • Two longer-term road closures effect the Nez Perce-Clearwater’s Hells Canyon corridor: The Iron Phone Road (2060) has been closed since May 20 of this year, and the Squaw Creek Road
(487) has been gated above the creek since November 2012. Most of the Freezeout Ridge Fire trail closures within the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area had been lifted as of Oct. 1, but several in the Horse Heaven Cabin vicinity remain in place. • The Nez Perce-Clearwater reported no road closures in the Highway 14 corridor as of Sept. 29, but trailers are not recommended for some and fullsize vehicles are not recommended for others, particularly along the Old Elk City Wagon Road as well as routes from Elk City to Dixie and Orogrande. • The Nez Perce-Clearwater reported no road closures in the Magruder Road corridor as of Sept. 29, but noted the Magruder Road itself is a primitive mountain road that is not maintained See Access, Page 2C
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