The trail, a zigzag that drapes repeatedly across the ridge and the border between the two states about 47 miles west of Missoula, used to be a marquee backcountry ride for mountain bikers. That ended in 2012 when the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest, which controls the Idaho side of the trail, approved a new travel management plan that barred bicycles from its portion of the trail.
The Limber Elk logging project, located about 7 miles north of Elk City, was approved to help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest announced Wednesday.
The mules largely roam unsupervised over an 2,800-acre pasture in Hells Canyon, taking a break from packing culverts, tools, and supplies into the backcountry.
Both the Lolo National Forest and the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest (NP-C) are developing forest plans to prescribe future management and uses of lands they administer. The NP-C will accept