2026 Spring Trail Crew Recap: Trip #5: Powwow Trail

"The Isabella Comedy Crew" (a 5-person volunteer team) just wrapped up Trip #6 on the Powwow Trail, contributing 422.5 total volunteer service hours to keep the wilderness accessible.

The Progress: The team successfully cleared 0.5 miles north of the Isabella River crossing and 0.25 miles south of the "Wye." The trail from the parking lot to the river is now in excellent condition, meeting official trail standards.

Trail & Camp Conditions:

• The Trek: Navigating to the work site required a high-water river crossing and balancing across four beaver flood zones.

• The Wilderness: The crew enjoyed a mosquito-free weekend filled with loon calls, northern lights, and signs of a moose that had walked the trail just ahead of them. They even spotted a distant lynx/bobcat.

• Camp Life: The crew set up basecamp at the beautiful Isabella Lake campsite, which easily fit their five tents and offered perfect views of the sunset. Saturday night, even rewarded several crew members with a view of the northern lights. True to their name as a comedy crew, they kept spirits high when leader Gretchen forgot her spoon, quickly carving a replacement from deadwood. They also adopted a little wooden mascot named "Stub" to keep them company.

Tools & Future Work: The crew spent two days digging out stubborn alder and willow root balls. They recommend that future crews bring one Root Slayer shovel and lopper per person. A one-mile section of the Gateway trail still needs significant brushing work this fall or next spring.

Thank you to the US Forest Service (Superior National Forest) for the permits, and a huge shoutout to Gretchen, Laura, Lynn, Ron, and Bonnie for their hard work and high spirits.