Was exploring via google satellite imagery. See the tree line just north of Allen. Is this an old road? Something else?

That's either an old road or an old logging railroad. It would be interesting to see it in real life. Sometimes those old roads show up in satellite photos and you can barely find them on the ground because of the brush.

Last spring we traveled from Meeds to Caribou. At about the mid-point in the first portage out of Meeds there was an obvious old trail intersecting. Upon some minor investigation we found the remains of an old bridge crossing the small creek that parallels the portage. I asked about its origins at the time but, got no illuminating responses. Since it's just north of Allen Lake, I've got to believe they're connected. (if you look closely at the photo you can see the old nails)

Cool find! Definitely old roads then. Wonder how old? You can see a similar tree line between Meeds and Caribou. Slightly less defined than the one north of Allen, but still clear.

these could also be fire breaks. It is typical for forest service firefighters to cut swaths of forest to break up fire advancement. no idea!

TuscaroraBorealis: "Last spring we traveled from Meeds to Caribou. At about the mid-point in the first portage out of Meeds there was an obvious old trail intersecting. Upon some minor investigation we found the remains of an old bridge crossing the small creek that parallels the portage. I asked about its origins at the time but, got no illuminating responses. Since it's just north of Allen Lake, I've got to believe they're connected. (if you look closely at the photo you can see the old nails)"

I love finding old, wooden bridges in the woods and over the water.

i'm gonna throw out an idea that it's the Banadad ski trail, connecting the upper gunflint trail to the mid-trail area.

the folks at Poplar Creek Guest House have been the major players for over 30 years, along with a volunteer trail clearing club.

they also operated Yurts in a few places along the banadad so you could start your ski trip by spending your first/second nights at Borderland (then Moosehorn, then Cross River and again Borderland), Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Pines or Hestons Lodge, spend the free day skiing the system in the upper gunflint area, have your meals provided in the dining room, next day get shuttled to the start and then ski to a yurt, spend the night, then continue skiing next day to another yurt or not, eventually making your way to the mid-trail area and spending the night either at Bearskin Lodge or Golden Eagle Lodge.

your belongings/car were shuttled to your end point so you'd have clean clothes for your overnight. at the Yurt, Ted Young would have a fire going in the woodstove so the place was warm-ish. he'd come back later and prepare the most fabulous Mongolian Firepot dinner...mmmmm.. memories.

From the Explore MN site:
"Banadad is the Boundary Waters (BWCA) Longest groomed trail (29 km.) Yurts located along the Banadad. From the Banadad's eastern trailhead skiers can access the Lace Lake (5 km.) the Sepalla (1.5 km.), Tall Pines (5.5 km.) ski trails and 8 km of snowshoe trails. Together these trails are all part of the 41 kilometer Banadad Ski Trail System. The Banadad Trail System is a "carbon neutral trail"- CO2 produced by maintenance & grooming sequestered in tree planting."

yes, special use permits through the forest service.

afromaniac: "these could also be fire breaks. It is typical for forest service firefighters to cut swaths of forest to break up fire advancement. no idea! "

Speaking to the old trail I seen, it wasn't wide enough to serve that purpose. Link

Mocha: "i'm gonna throw out an idea that it's the Banadad ski trail, connecting the upper gunflint trail to the mid-trail area.


the folks at Poplar Creek Guest House have been the major players for over 30 years, along with a volunteer trail clearing club.


they also operated Yurts in a few places along the banadad so you could start your ski trip by spending your first/second nights at Borderland (then Moosehorn, then Cross River and again Borderland), Gunflint Lodge, Gunflint Pines or Hestons Lodge, spend the free day skiing the system in the upper gunflint area, have your meals provided in the dining room, next day get shuttled to the start and then ski to a yurt, spend the night, then continue skiing next day to another yurt or not, eventually making your way to the mid-trail area and spending the night either at Bearskin Lodge or Golden Eagle Lodge.


your belongings/car were shuttled to your end point so you'd have clean clothes for your overnight. at the Yurt, Ted Young would have a fire going in the woodstove so the place was warm-ish. he'd come back later and prepare the most fabulous Mongolian Firepot dinner...mmmmm.. memories.


From the Explore MN site:
"Banadad is the Boundary Waters (BWCA) Longest groomed trail (29 km.) Yurts located along the Banadad. From the Banadad's eastern trailhead skiers can access the Lace Lake (5 km.) the Sepalla (1.5 km.), Tall Pines (5.5 km.) ski trails and 8 km of snowshoe trails. Together these trails are all part of the 41 kilometer Banadad Ski Trail System. The Banadad Trail System is a "carbon neutral trail"- CO2 produced by maintenance & grooming sequestered in tree planting."


yes, special use permits through the forest service.
"

We crossed the Banadad Trail on the Poplar - Meeds trail so I don't think that is what it is...though it may be a spur. Speaking to the trail I seen, it didn't look like there had been much if any recent use. But, as mentioned, I don't know what the trail is/was.

Here's a 1960 topo map that shows a road there (and others in the area), as well as a map of logging history in the BWCA.

It used to be a road that started on the SE side of Poplar Lake. About 50 years ago it was blocked. Kimberly-Clark had a logging camp by Meeds Lake. Like Mocha said parts of that "road system" is now the ski trail. The ski trail is in the bwca yet it is "groomed" with snowmachines. Aerial from 1982. Used to hunt partridge back there.

This area had significant logging activity back in the day. There used to be a sluiceway on the east side of Meeds, though I'm not sure if any of it remains. I would guess this is related to logging. As we know, there are former roads and trails all over the BWCA that were abandoned long ago and unmaintained. I think that's what this is.

Mike

You guys are good detectives!

coffeetalk: "Here's a 1960 topo map that shows a road there (and others in the area), as well as a map of logging history in the BWCA.







"

Wow, impressive resources. That definitely looks like the exact route of the odd tree line. Amazing sleuthing in this group.

The 1960 map is available on Gaia. It includes most of the BWCA and is very addictive, showing old roads, rail, fire towers, and other structures including fly-in resorts. It's hard to see in my post but there's a building marked along the road that became the Banadad north of the western bay of Meeds (black square). The yellow line is a recorded GPS track of mine that hadn't fully loaded at the moment I took the screenshot.

I've had a Gaia subscription for quite a while so I can't remember if one needs a subscription to view this map layer or not.

It looks like that old road or whatever it is crosses the portage trail from Poplar to Lizz. Anyone going that way this year should keep an eye open and see if there is any evidence of it. Curious.

lindylair: "It looks like that old road or whatever it is crosses the portage trail from Poplar to Lizz. Anyone going that way this year should keep an eye open and see if there is any evidence of it. Curious. "

It's now a ski trail at that location. Can see it plain as day. I've crossed it dozens of times.

Mike

Ha, well then I have crossed it multiple times too. Don't remember it but it's been a while.

When you are on the portage from Poplar to Lizz the trail crosses the Banadad Ski Trail, it's well marked. At that intersection is the box for self-issued day permits.