wildlife

Voyageurs National Park Winter Ice and Trail Conditions Report - Mar. 4, 2015

All trails remain open and in good condition. Due to wolf interaction, short sections of the Green and Yellow Trails on Namakan Lake near the Moose River Grade have been closed and rerouted. The Green Trail Reroute is now staked and groomed from the closure on Namakan Lake to the connection of the Yellow Trail (Kettle Falls) and Orange Trail (Rudder Bay). The trail reroute follows the south side of Namakan Island to near Cemetery Island and the Green, Yellow, and Orange Trail junctions.

Park staff will monitor the cause of the temporary closures, and the closures will remain in place until conditions change or the winter season ends.

Due to high winds, snow drifts are widespread. Lake surface conditions are considered rough. Riders should use caution both on and off the trails.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available at www.nps.gov/voya.

Important: Green and Yellow Snowmobile Trails Rerouted in Voyageurs National Park

Voyageurs National Park staff and visitors have recently witnessed a lone wolf near the Ash River area. The wolf appears to be alone with no pack and has followed three snowmobilers. In order to ensure visitor safety, park staff are taking precautions by monitoring the wolf and re-routing small sections of the park’s Green and Yellow Trails. Superintendent Mike Ward stated, “We are taking precautions for the protection of the visitors and the wolf. Visitors are encouraged to continue to enjoy the winter wonderland by accessing the open trails throughout the park and multiple gateway communities.”

Temporary Closures:

  • The Green Trail (Voyageur Trail) from the Moose River Grade to Namakan Lake will be closed.
  • A short section of the Yellow Trail (Kettle Falls Trail) from the Green Trail and Yellow Trail connection in Moose Bay to the Orange Trail (Rudder Bay Trail) and the Yellow Trail connection will be closed.

Reroute:

  • The Green Trail will be rerouted from the closure on Namakan Lake to the connection of the Yellow Trail (Kettle Falls) and Orange (Rudder Bay Trail) running along the south side of Big Namakan Island.
  • When travelling from Ash River south to Crane Lake, a visitor may take the Ash River to Crane Lake land trail. If travelling through the park, they may take the Green Trail northwest to the Rudder Bay Trail, then head northeast to the newly formed Rudder Bay Trail, Kettle Falls Trail, and Voyageur Trail connection.
  • When travelling from Crane Lake to Ash River, a visitor may take the Crane Lake to Ash River land trail. When travelling through the park, a visitor may take the Green Trail to the Yellow and Orange Trail connections, turn onto the Orange Trail (Rudder Bay) until the Green Trail connection, and turn southeast to Ash River.

Voyageurs National Park Winter Ice and Trail Conditions Report - Jan. 14, 2015

All winter trails within the park are now open.CrossCountrySkis Snowshoes and cross-country skis are available from the Rainy Lake Visitor Center (see details below). Snowmobile portages are groomed. Full grooming on lake surfaces will occur as ice conditions allow. Conditions on frozen lake surfaces are rough. Snowdrifts have frozen and create hazardous conditions off-trail. Use caution at night and during low visibility.

The Rainy Lake Ice Road is open from the visitor center to Cranberry Bay, and around portions of Dryweed Island. The Kabetogama Lake Ice Road is now open from the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center Boat Launch to the Ash River Visitor Center Boat Launch.

Ski trails are open, packed, and tracked. Conditions are fair to good. Snowshoe trails are open, but not packed.

CrossCountrySkiers

Please remember the snowmobile speed limit within the park is 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages. Speed limit signs are posted at trailheads and portages. The speed limit for the ice road is 30 mph.

When ice fishing, please remember holes must be drilled at least 50 feet from ice roads and snowmobile trails. To reduce hazards to snowmobile users, all ice blocks are to be immediately chopped up, submerged, or hauled to land. Placement of equipment or any type of structure must be greater than 50 feet off the edge of all ice roads and 50 feet off the centerline of all snowmobile trails. Written authorization from the park is required for individuals to plow greater than 300 feet on any lake surfaces within the park.

The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. During business hours, the visitor center offers maps, information, and hot cocoa. Visitors may borrow snowshoe and cross-country skis, but must be returned the same day.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available at www.nps.gov/voya.

Snowmobile Trails

  • International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Open and staked
  • Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open and staked
  • Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Open and staked
  • Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Open and staked
  • Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open and staked
  • East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Open and staked

Ice Roads 

  • Rainy Lake Ice Road – Open to Cranberry Bay, and around portions of Dryweed Island
  • Kabetogama Lake Ice Road – Open

Ski Trails

  • Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
  • Black Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked – Pine Loop rocky in places.
  • Tilson Connector Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
  • KabAsh Trail – Open

Snowshoe Trails

  • Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail – Open, not packed
  • Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open, not packed
  • Oberholtzer Trail – Open, not packed
  • Sullivan Bay Trail – Open, not packed

“STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE”

ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARDS

Voyageurs National Park Winter Ice & Trail Conditions Report - Jan. 7, 2014

VOYA_Snowshoeing_2013_FamilyRecent snowfall has allowed for good progress on opening trails throughout the park. Use caution off trail; ice ridges have been active, and high winds over the past few days have created snowdrifts, currently soft, on the lake surface. Some snowmobile trails still remain closed, but progress is moving quickly to open them as ice conditions allow. The Rainy Lake Ice Road is now open from the visitor center to Cranberry Bay, and around portions of Dryweed Island. The Kabetogama Lake Ice Road is now open from the Kabetogama Lake Visitor Center Boat Launch to the Ash River Visitor Center Boat Launch. Ski trails are open, packed, and tracked. Snowshoe trails are open, but not packed.

Please remember the snowmobile speed limit within the park is 45 mph on frozen lake surfaces and 25 mph on all overland portages. Speed limit signs are posted at trailheads and portages. The speed limit for the ice road is 30 mph.

When ice fishing, please remember holes must be drilled at least 50 feet from ice roads and snowmobile trails.

The Rainy Lake Visitor Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm. During business hours, the visitor center offers maps, information, and hot cocoa. Snowshoe and cross-country skis loans have started for the season.

The most up to date winter trail conditions are available at www.nps.gov/voya.

Snowmobile Trails

  • International Falls to Kettle Falls (Purple Trail) – Closed
  • Rainy Lake/Black Bay to Kabetogama Lake to Ash River (Green Trail) – Open and staked
  • Ash River to Crane Lake (Green Trail) – Open and staked
  • Chain of Lakes (Dashed Black Trail) – Closed
  • Ash River to Kettle Falls (Yellow Trail) – Open and staked
  • East Namakan Lake to Sand Point Lake (Blue Trail) – Closed

Ice Roads

  • Rainy Lake Ice Road - Open to Cranberry Bay, and around portions of Dryweed Island
  • Kabetogama Lake Ice Road - Open

Ski Trails

  • Echo Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
  • Black Bay Ski Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
  • Tilson Connector Trail – Open, packed, and tracked
  • KabAsh Trail – Open

Snowshoe Trails

  • Black Bay Beaver Pond Trail – Open, not packed
  • Blind Ash Bay Trail – Open, not packed
  • Oberholtzer Trail – Open, not packed
  • Sullivan Bay Trail – Open, not packed

“STAKED TRAILS MAKE SAFETY SENSE”

ORANGE IDENTIFIES HAZARDS

You Are Invited to Antlers, Fangs & Fur

Please join us for Antlers, Fangs & Fur on the evening of Thursday, November 6, at REI in Bloomington, Minn. We'll start the evening with hot cider and delicious appetizers from Whole Foods at 5:30 p.m. At 6 p.m., the featured presentation will begin. Dr. Steve Windels will explore the latest wildlife research being conducted at Voyageurs National Park, and share his incredible photography and entertaining personal stories of working in the field.

Radio collared wolf.

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to radio collar a wolf, have been curious about how beavers shape the landscape of the park, or want an inside look at Voyageurs National Park, please join us. This member appreciation event is free and open to the public - but please RSVP if you plan to attend.

Dr. Steve Windels, Voyageurs National Park

Special thanks to the generous sponsors of this event:

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For Our Park,

Christina Hausman Executive Director

P.S. Give to the Max Day is almost here - it's November 13. If you've never been a member of Voyageurs National Park Association before, but you love the park and have thought about joining, it's the perfect time. Every dollar we receive that day, up to $6,000 will be matched by a generous donor so that we can reach our goal of $12,000. And each donation we receive increases our opportunity of winning additional prizes from GiveMN.org, ranging from $500 to $10,000. We've created a Facebook event for you, in case you'd like to participate and want a reminder. Thank you so much to each and every one of you for helping us!

Teen Ambassadors Return from Paddling Voyageurs

Our national parks are outstanding outdoor classrooms that allow students of all ages to make lasting connections to our natural world. DSCN0013This July, Voyageurs National Park Association worked with the National Park Service and Wilderness Inquiry to send 16 National Park Teen Ambassadors to Voyageurs for a five-day learning expedition.

Most of these young people, who are from the Twin Cities and communities near the park, had never had the opportunity to paddle, camp, or visit the park before.

They had so much fun, gained great confidence, and returned home excited to share their stories and their love of this incredible place. It’s amazing to see how the experience enriched their lives – and it’s our hope that among this group may be the park stewards of the future.

10550185_686425187615_586935509640826770_oVoyageurs is best experienced on the water, and these teens spent many days on or in it. Whether paddling to their campsite or to see a giant floating bog, the large Wilderness Inquiry canoes were their primary mode of transportation, not unlike the park's namesake Voyageur canoes hundreds of years ago.

And while their days were busy meeting park staff and exploring, back at camp, time was always left for a dip in Kabetogama Lake at the end of the day.

As Ranger Melissa Carlson observed, "I 10547870_686425482025_1038371927999178198_oenjoyed hearing about their evenings in camp. They heard loons and owls calling, went swimming, played games, star gazed, and even had a black bear visit camp. Watching this group of strangers come together over the week and see them head home with new friends and great memories was inspiring. The power of nature and being unplugged is undeniable."

Exploring the park was just part of the experience. The teens were able to connect with each other as well. "Some of the people I met, they were pretty extraordinary. And the things we did in camp, like the games and everything," said Angel Anderson.

10628639_686426185615_2640974334899507308_o"It's fun and you get to meet interesting people from all over the state and you get to watch the pretty view and scenery and you get to see animals," said Maly Lee.

To be successful for years to come, we know that it is crucial to engage young people in our National Parks. We want to be sure that young people from Minnesota who have never had the opportunity to paddle, camp, or explore our park have the chance to do so.

This program is made possible by the generosity of our program partners and supporters. You can help, by making a gift to support the Teen Ambassador program.

Thank you!

Click here to see more photos from the 2014 Teen Ambassador trip.

Contact our office to learn more about this program at vnpa@voyageurs.org or calling 612-333-5424 (or sign up for our email newsletter.) We'll let you know when we are recruiting students for next summer's program.

2014 Moose Population Survey

Wildlife biologists at Voyageurs National Park recently completed an aerial survey of the park's moose population in February and March. The 2014 population estimate for the Kabetogama Peninsula was 40 moose, similar to estimates from 2009-2013 of 41-51. The Kabetogama Peninsula is a 118-square mile roadless area that contains almost all of the park’s moose population. Fewer calves were observed in 2014 than in the previous 3 surveys, and the calf:cow ratio of 0.23 was also lower than estimates from 2010-2013 of 0.54-0.61. Two adult collared moose moved from the park into Ontario a few weeks before the survey began and another died during the survey. If those moose had been present during the survey, the 2014 estimate would have been inside the range of past counts. Biologists also confirmed the presence of at least 3 moose in the southern portion of the park.

The continued apparent stability of the low-density population in Voyageurs is corroborated through ongoing monitoring of GPS-collared moose. Only 1 of 14 collared adult moose has died since the last aerial survey was completed in 2013. Overall, mean annual mortality of adult moose in Voyageurs National Park has been 10% since monitoring began in 2010. By comparison, annual mortality of adult moose in the declining northeastern Minnesota moose population in recent years has been around 20%.

Voyageurs National Park is at the current southern extent of moose range in North America. Warmer annual and summer temperatures may be stressing moose populations in the region. The moose population declined by about 50% between 2006-2014 in northeastern Minnesota and several areas in adjacent Ontario have also documented recent declines. There are likely multiple factors involved in the observed declines including climate-related stresses on health and reproductive status, diseases and parasites, predation, and changes in habitat. Moose in Voyageurs experience all of these factors, including the brainworm parasites and high densities of wolves and bears. It is unclear if population dynamics in the park are indeed different from those in adjacent areas or if the park, at the western and southern edge of these other populations, will experience similar declines in the near future. Park biologists are continuing studies to understand the complex relationships that drive moose population dynamics in the park.

The National Park Service will continue to monitor the Voyageurs National Park’s moose population on an annual basis. In addition, Voyageurs National is investigating other aspects of moose ecology in collaboration with University of Minnesota-Duluth, Bemidji State University, Lakehead University, and other partners. Other studies include how moose behave in response to high temperatures and other weather events, how and why moose use wetlands for foraging and temperature regulation, and the interactions of moose, deer, beavers and wolves.

The 2014 Voyageurs National Park Moose Population Survey Report can be downloaded from the NPS website: http://irmafiles.nps.gov/reference/holding/493661.

For more information contact: Steve Windels, Wildlife Biologist, Voyageurs National Park, 218-283-6692, steve_windels@nps.gov

Moose photo by Walter Ezell. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.