Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-05-01
FORESTRY OFFICIALS
ARE GETTING BUSY

y
continue its program of extensive road,
trail and telephone work this season
appears quite evident from statements
of Supervisor Chas. A. Fisher who has
just returned from the field where he
took up with several Forest Rangers Of
the Clearwater national forest the
matter Of starting work in their re-
spectlve districts or divisions of the
forest within the very near future, or
just as soon as the snow and weather
conditions will permit. During the
past few years many very important
trails, bridges and telephone lines have
been built, and in order to complete
the improvement plan of the forest
several more trails, bridges and tele.
phone lines will yet need to be built, as
well as the completion of a number OF
projects now under way.
There is now total of 466.5 miles OF
trails within the Clearwater national
forest, 81 miles, or 2O.8 per cent OF
which have been built by the service
and mostly during the past three years,
and of this mileage constructed by the
forest service, 81 miles or 66 per cent
are class "a" or under 10 per cent
grade, 26 miles or 27 per cent class "B''
or under Is per cent grade and 7 miles
or per cent class &c" or under 20
per cent grade.
During the summer 1911, work was
started on the SO called Elk Mt. Cham
berlain Meadows trail and which is
possibly one of the most important and
most needed trails which has been un-
dertaken by the forest service in Idaho
or Montana during the past ten years,
and this trail will be completed this
season. This trail was started at the
Oxford Mine within Sec. 30-Twp. 38N-
RE and crosses the ow divide be.
tween Elk Creek and Orogrande
Creek and follows down the Orogrande
creek to its mouth on the North Fork
of the Clearwater river within Sec. 10.
Twp. 38 N-R-7-E distance Of II miles,
thence up the North Fork of the Clear
water river to the mouth of Trail creek
within Sec. 20, Twp. 39-N-R-9-E, a dis
tance Of Is miles, thence up the general
ridge between Trail and Cold Springs
creeks to Elk Camp, point 3 miles
northeast of the main Pot. Mountain
peak and within section 8, Twp. 49, N
ROE, a distance Of miles or a total
distance Of 80 miles from Oxford Mine.
At Elk Camp this new trail connects
with the old Pot Mt. Chamberlain
Meadows trail and which has been
worked over in many places by the
forest service and made to be class
"a" trail or under 10 per cent maxi
mum, grade in any place.
The use of the new "Orogrande
Creek" and "River" sections of this
trail, which in no place has maxi
mum of 10 per cent grade, will obviate
the necessity of sending men and pacl
horses over the precipitous peaks O
Elk Mountain, 1920 feet and Po
Mountain, 1890 feet where the ole
trail is now located and which trail i.
in many places and for long distance:
at minimum grade of 80 per cent t
As per cent, and is for greater portion
of each year unsafe and unfit for use
The total distance between OXFORD
Mine and Chamberlain Meadows by thu
new trail is at least 10 miles shorte
than by the old trail.
Much Of this trail along Orogrand'
creek and the North Fork of the Clear
water has been cut out Of solid rock
and has, in many places required
very accurate survey to get by rock.
points, cliffs and promontories. Durin,
the past two years Ranger Durant ha
had general field supervision of thi