Flood Damage Closes Snowmobile Routes

The two main snowmobile routes from St. Regis,Mont., to Wallace and Avery, Idaho, have been closed because of recent flood damage.

“We’re very concerned about public safety in washed-out areas with sharp drop-offs and rough treads,” said Brad Burmark, deputy ranger for the St. Joe Ranger District.

The closed roads are:

North Fork Road No. 456 from Moon Pass to Bullion Creek;

Loop Creek Road No. 326 from the junction with the North Fork St. Joe River to the state line;

Cliff Creek Road No. 506 from the junction with Rye Creek Road No. 1997 to Loop Creek bridge;

North Fork St. Joe River Trail No. 300 from Squaw Creek Campground to its junction with the St. Joe River Road.

The Superior Ranger District will open the Rainy Creek Road No. 506, from Interstate 90 to the Idaho/Montana state line, on weekends only to snowmobiles. Rainy Creek Road provides access to State Line Road No. 391 and several others in the Tanglefoot area.

The U.S. Forest Service and the St. Joe Snowmobile Club are looking for ways to open a route into Avery from Montana, Burmark said.

More information on trails and weather conditions is available by calling the Forest Service at (208) 245-4517 in St. Maries, (208) 742-1221 in Wallace, or (406) 822-4233 in Superior.

, DataTimes MEMO: Cut in the Spokane edition.