Travelers advised to avoid backroads in Little Belts, Highwoods after heavy snow damage
Up until a week ago the concern in the Little Belt and Highwood Mountains was a lack of snow. Then with the advent of a single spring snowstorm the narrative changed, potentially pushing back the recreation season at camp sites and more in the area.
More than three feet of heavy, wet snow fell in the Little Belt Mountains last Tuesday and Wednesday. The weight of the snow knocked down trees, power lines, and clogged the river systems leading out of the Snowies and Highwoods. In short it’s been a mess, and U.S. Forest Service personnel are advising recreationalists to postpone immediate plans to visit central Montana’s mountains until work crews have had the chance to clear tree-falls from Forest Service roads. The goal is to prevent the likelihood that passenger trucks towing trailers could be put in a dangerous position where they are forced to back down miles of gravel roads to avoid obstacles.
“We continue to assess damage and clear trees from roads and trails,” said Jefferson Division Recreation Manager Bob Gliko. “We are asking visitors to avoid these impacted sites so critical work can occur to restore power and reopen these areas.”
The Belt Creek office of the U.S. Forest Service along US Highway 89 remains without power and many roads and trails in the Little Belts, Highwoods and the Thain Creek area remain heavily damaged. Areas such as Logging Creek Road and Logging Creek campground are closed due to fallen trees and there is currently no place to turn a trailer around there.
Residents from the Neihart area report being without power for the past five days, and there have been reports of localized flooding due in large part to the number of trees toppled into Belt Creek. There is no immediate report as to whether the blockages will be repaired before Memorial Day weekend.
Potential visitors are advised to contact the Belt Creek-White Sulphur Springs Ranger District at (406) 547-3361 for the latest updates for roads and trails in the Little Belt Mountains. Please contact the Judith-Musselshell Ranger District at (406) 566-2292 for the latest updates on recreational sites in the Highwoods.
This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Roads and trails closed in Little Belts, Highwoods after heavy snow
