Rick Ridgeway (left), Patagonia vice president of environmental initiatives and special media projects at 3M Company and Martin Kubik of Boundary Waters Advisory Committee (BWAC), present a map of the Powwow Trail at a 3M “Sustainability Talk” on October 29. Patagonia is a longtime supporter of the BWAC.
Rick Ridgeway, Patagonia vice president of environmental initiatives and special media projects, was the featured speaker at an October 29 “Sustainability Talk” sponsored by the 3M Company. After the talk Ridgeway, and Boundary Waters Advisory Committee President Martin Kubik and Ridgeway talked about their shared efforts to sustain wilderness trails.
Patagonia has been a long time supporter of BWAC’s efforts on the Kekekabic and Powwow Trails. Ridgeway was pleased to see the map that has been created of the Powwow, with funding from the federal recreation trails program (RTP) and a 3M volunteer match.
Ridgeway spoke about the true cost of products we buy in terms of environmental footprint which is reflected in energy cost, pollution impact and life of the product.
Afterward, Kubik and Ridgeway discussed the importance of saving special places such as the Powwow Trail that burned in the Pagami Creek Fire and BWAC’s efforts to maintain the trail.
The Powwow Trail was heavily impacted by the 2011 Pagami Creek Wildfire. Vigorous regrowth of vegetation and falling dead trees have thwarted efforts to keep the trail cleared following the fire.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, staff, partners, and volunteers have dedicated more resources to the Powwow Trail than to any other long distance hiking trail on the Forest in recent years. This includes a concerted effort by Forest Service and Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa crews that totaled more than 2,445 work hours in 2012 and 1,280 work hours in 2015. All of these combined efforts have yet to re-establish a recognizable tread in most locations around the trail.
The Superior National Forest is looking for an organized volunteer group to adopt or maintain a section of the Powwow Trail located in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) The Forest Service has decided not to invest further effort at this time in maintaining the entire trail but is inviting a volunteer group to adopt or maintain the six-mile section of trail from the trailhead near Isabella Lake to Pose Lake. The volunteer group would be expected to maintain the six-mile section of trail twice a year, clearing fallen trees and clearing brush with the use of primitive (non-mechanized) tools. Efforts to clear the trail in this area are more likely to be successful over the next 10 years because vegetative regrowth is less vigorous than along most other sections of the trail.
This effort would provide a hiking opportunity for visitors on a portion of the Powwow Trail in the short term. If a group does not volunteer to maintain the six-mile section, the entire 29-mile trail will remain unmaintained.
Historically, hiking trails on the Superior National Forest have been maintained primarily through the dedication of volunteer partner groups. Volunteer groups wishing to help maintain the Powwow Trail from the trailhead near Isabella Lake to Pose Lake may contact Anna Botner at (218) 387-3200.
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