During the last week of June, the GBCA backcountry restoration crew worked hard to treat sections of Kelly Creek Trail 567 for noxious weeds. They treated 4.5 miles of trail as well as additional acres in the drainage, and pulled 25 pounds of weeds. They also released 1,000 Chrysolina beetles provided by Nez Perce Biocontrol! Here are some highlights from the hitch:
The crew identified St. John’s wort, oxeye daisy, Canada thistle, tall buttercup, Kentucky bluegrass, meadow hawkweed, spotted knapweed, and houndstoungue in this area. Removal methods included hand pulling, spraying, and biocontrol to attack and prevent the further spread of these weeds.
The crew released 300 beetles into a dense area of St. John’s wort near Hansen Meadows. They released the remaining 700 beetles into patches of St. John’s wort around the middle portions of the glade in Bear Creek. Biocontrol is an effective weed removal strategy, especially in these areas with lush shrub, fern, and forb cover that make spraying difficult and unwarranted.
This summer has brought many weather extremes for the weeds crew to work through, from snow to storms to heat. The crew dealt with all three on this last hitch. Because Hoodoo Pass was still closed due to snowpack, the crew drove from Missoula out to Pierce and Road 250 to get to the Kelly Trailhead. They began most of their field days very early in the morning to avoid hot afternoon temperatures in the 80s and 90s.
“A short break under a lodgepole treated us to a viewing of a rainbow arcing over Hanson Meadows. Yet another example of the serenity that you can experience when immersed in an area ”
The crew spotted a pileated woodpecker, a cow moose, a group of elk and deer, and a young whitetail deer fawn on their hitch. They were excited to also spot Chrysolina beetles already on St. John’s wort plants in the Great Burn, particularly on the first mile of Trail 567 and below the Bear Creek outfitter camp.
The crew will be in the field until September. If you happen to find yourself in Kelly Creek, make sure to stop by and say “hi”!