Powwow Trail Returns – 15 Years After the Pagami Creek Fire
What once seemed like an ambitious and far-fetched goal to clear the Powwow Trail has become a reality, thanks to the vision and perseverance of dedicated volunteers working in partnership with the US Forest Service.
Today, hikers are able to backpack the trail in three days, and some have even completed the thirty-mile journey in a single day. However, the work is ongoing, as storms continue to bring down new tangles of dead trees each year, presenting new challenges for trail maintenance.
The presentation will outline the four phases of the Powwow Trail restoration:
• Hardships of retracing the trail and flagging it
• Work crews cutting and removing deadfalls from the trail
• Clearing campsites and installing new latrines
• Dedication of the new entry point kiosk at the Forest Center
Martin Kubik, who led much of the Powwow Trail restoration effort, shared, “Generations of backpackers will be thankful to volunteers who contributed thousands of hours toiling to bring back the Powwow Trail. We are also thankful to the US Forest Service for supporting the volunteers so that the Powwow, one of the longer hiking trails in the BWCA, is again open to the public.”
Attendees will gain insight into the value of volunteering in the Superior National Forest, the positive impact of these efforts on preserving historic hiking trails, and practical information about how to experience the Powwow Trail themselves.
Presenter bios
Martin Kubik: Founder of the Kekekabic Trail Club, the 3M Outdoor Club, the Boundary Waters Advisory Committee, and the Boundary Waters Heritage Trails. He is a lifelong advocate for hiking in the BWCAW. Martin has worked as a canoe guide on the Gunflint Trail and as a firefighter for the US Forest Service on the Superior National Forest. After retiring from a 39-year career at 3M Co., he now enjoys year-round outdoor activities in the Arrowhead, as well as gardening and sewing custom camping gear.
Tiffanie Ellis: A middle school teacher in Duluth and co-founder of the Boundary Waters Heritage Trails. Tiffanie has led numerous volunteer trail clearing trips for the BW Advisory Committee. She is an avid backpacker, explorer of historic trails, and BWCA snow camper.
About Boundary Waters Heritage Trails
The Boundary Waters Heritage Trails is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to “educate and preserve the history and heritage of wilderness trails as a resource for all future generations to experience and enjoy.” For more information, visit www.bwheritagetrails.org, contact Martin Kubik at info@bwheritagetrails.org, or call Google voice 612-460-7137.
