While the roads are plowed at the junction headed east on Cottonwood Lakes Road and north to Morrell Falls, the signs indicate wheeled vehicles are prohibited. Recent closures also limits snowmobiles Monday - 12 p.m. Friday.
SEELEY LAKE – With the salvage logging activity on the Rice Ridge fire scar on the east side of Highway 83, the two main snowmobile trails from the Seeley Creek trailhead, Seeley - Monture and West Morrell – Rice Ridge Loop are plowed. Even though the roads are being plowed for logging operations, they remain closed to public travel using wheeled vehicles.
Closures to snowmobiles were also implemented Thursday, Jan. 10 restricting snowmobile use on Cottonwood Lake Road, Blind Canyon loop, and near Morrell Falls and Pyramid Pass Trailhead Monday through 12 p.m. Friday.
From Dec. 1 – April 30, Forest Service roads are considered groomed snowmobile trails as noted on the Over Snow Motor Vehicle Use Map for the Lolo National Forest. While federal law enforcement officer Tyler Robinson called closures "a moving target" as salvage logging contractors finish and move onto new areas, he said all the areas are properly signed. Snowmobilers and other recreationists are asked to follow the signs and are required to obey all closure orders. Recreationists are reminded that the plowed areas are part of the active logging operation and to watch out for logging traffic.
As of Jan. 10, the Lolo National Forest implemented two closure orders in effect due to the salvage logging on the Rice Crispy and Fried Morrell Salvage areas on the Rice Ridge fire.
On the Rice Crispy Sale Area the closure remains in effect until March 1. Trails are open from Friday at 12 p.m. through Sunday. The purpose of the closure is to protect the public from log hauling activities.
The closed trails for the Rice Crispy sale include:
• SNO-63.03 (West Morrell – Rice Ridge Loop) from mile post 18 at its junction with SNO-63.34 (Section 1, T. 17N, R 15W) to milepost 23.80 at its junction with Road 477 (Section 35, T 17N, R 15W)
• SNO-63.34 (Morrell Falls) from milepost 0 (Section 1, T 17N, R 15W) to milepost 0.19 (Section 1, T 17N, R 15W).
• SNO-63.35 (Pyramid Pass) from milepost 0 (Section 7, T 17N, R 14W to milepost 0.16 (Section 1, T 17N, R 14W).
The closure for Fried Morrell remains in effect until April 30. Trails are open from Friday at 12 p.m. through Sunday. The purpose of the closure is to protect the public from log hauling activities.
The closed trails for the Fried Morrell sale include:
• SNO 63.01 (Seeley Lake – Monture) from milepost 0 (section 5, T 17N, R 15W) to milepost 2.0 (Section 31, T 17N, R 14W)
• SNO-63.02 (East Morrell – Bind Canyon Loop) from milepost 0 at its junction with SNO-63.01 (Section 36, T 17N, R 15W) to milepost 5 (Section 18, T 17N, R 14W) and from milepost 13.33 (Section 29 T 17N, R 14W) to milepost 15.45 at its junction with SNO-63.01 (Section 31, T 17N, R 14W).
The only exceptions to these restrictions are those with a permit authorized by the LNF Forest Supervisor, any federal, state or local officer or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting organization in performance of any official duty; or persons engaged in business, trade or occupation in the area including employees of Mark Cheff Logging, Inc., Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Inc, and their contractors and subcontractors.
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