Cyclone Lookout, Flathead National Forest, May 15, 2023 – W. K. Walker
The snow is coming off way early this spring. We cleared Cyclone Lookout Trail #40 yesterday, May 15, about two weeks earlier than last year. There were a few patches of snow up top, but nothing of any consequence.
Cyclone Lookout, June 1, 2022 – W. K. Walker
Delayed by the slow melt-out due to record cool temperatures in May, we decided to see if we could get to Cyclone Lookout on June 1. We actually got all the way to the top! The first mile is now cut out, including five or six trees blocking the road that forms the first half-mile of Trail 40 on its way to the summit. There are another 13 chainsaw-worthy blow-downs across the trail further up that we’ll go back for soon, although we did at least turn them into step-overs for now. UPDATE on June 8: All blow-downs have been cut out. The trail is completely clear.
As we were getting ready to leave the lookout, a Customs and Border Patrol helicopter circled in and dropped off a couple of folks to perform maintenance on their repeater up there.
Cyclone Lookout
As of May 26, Cyclone Lookout is accessible and the trail (T40) is in good shape. We sawed out 8-10 blowdowns, removed an equal number without tools and dealt with a several other annoyances, including some alder encroachment. We were using hand tools, so left in-place a couple of trees in the 8-12 inch range, although we trimmed them out to make them easy step-overs. Both are in the lower half of the trail, about a half-mile apart. We’ll likely come back by the weekend and take them out.