On the Ice Lakes Trail, an avalanche this winter brought down a volley of trees, covering 20 to 30 feet of the trail in five different places. Some trees were 200 to 300 years old, said David Taft, conservation director for the San Juan Mountains Association.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were big trees,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s pretty wild.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the Elk Creek Trail, one of the most heavily used trails in the Weminuche Wilderness, three avalanches \u2013 each about 60-feet wide and 30-feet deep \u2013 have the Forest Service considering its last resort to clear the route: blasting.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t used blasting on the San Juan National Forest for a while,\u201d Botsford said. \u201cBut it\u2019s definitely a possibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
And Forest Service staff this week will travel to the Needle Creek Trail, also in the Weminuche Wilderness, to confirm reports that avalanches have buried the popular route to Chicago Basin.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe need to determine how gigantic it is, and what it will take to clear it,\u201d Botsford said.<\/p>\n
In assessing a strategy for clearing and repairing trails, the Forest Service first prioritizes the trails by popularity and use and plans trail clearing with its available workforce. Botsford said the San Juan National Forest has a trail crew of six people this year, but the agency does have the ability to contract work out.<\/p>\n
And, the Forest Service can lean on volunteer crews, when it\u2019s safe.<\/p>\n
At the Ice Lakes Trail, for instance, volunteers with the San Juan Mountains Association, joined by people who planned to run the Hardrock 100 (which was canceled because of lingering snow in the high country and damage to trails) started moving trees last weekend.<\/p>\n Taft said there was an extra layer of work, too: fixing about 150 yards of trails created by people going around the avalanche path.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople were just blazing new trails for the most part, because once a new trail has been cut, people just flock on it,\u201d he said. \u201cSo the main thing is making it cluttered up enough that people don\u2019t want to use it.\u201d<\/p>\n Volunteer crews need about a day or two more to get the Ice Lakes Trail back in order, Taft said. Then, the San Juan Mountains Association will consult the Forest Service about where next to start work.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a never-ending battle,\u201d Taft said.<\/p>\n In more complex and dangerous trail-work situations, Botsford said Forest Service staff will take on the load. But if there\u2019s still too much of a risk, the Forest Service can use blasting. Explosives can be used in wilderness areas where chain saws and other mechanized equipment are prohibited.<\/p>\n Botsford said the trail work required in Elk Creek would take too long and be too dangerous for crews. As a result, blasting is likely to occur there later in the summer, probably around September.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a calculated risk,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we put someone in there with crosscut saws, that exposes employees to more time in the danger zone. If that\u2019s going to take too long, we can determine to go ahead and just blast.\u201d<\/p>\n In the meantime, people will still recreate on public lands. But that does pose an increased risk to public safety, said Ron Corkish, president of La Plata County Search and Rescue.<\/p>\n People trying to cross areas covered in avalanche debris are more susceptible to falling and possibly breaking a leg or ankle, Corkish said. And, if people are cutting their own trails, it may be hard to find those in need of help.<\/p>\n Also a major challenge, Corkish said, is that avalanches change the landscape, causing search and rescue crews to figure out new landing zones and best routes to reach people.<\/p>\n And, response times can be delayed if the terrain is harder to travel through.<\/p>\n \u201cIf people hurt themselves,\u201d Corkish said, \u201cit could take us longer to get to them.\u201d<\/p>\n