Superior National Forest crews are working to clear roads, trails and portages in an area north and east of Ely that saw severe damage from Thursday's storms.
The U.S. Forest Service reported Saturday that the worst damage was in an area about 10 miles long and 3 miles wide, from Cummings and Crab lakes on the west to Ima and Hudson lakes on the east.
Affected lakes include: Fall, Wood, Wind, Snowbank, Disappointment, Thomas, Moose, Pipestone and Back Bay of Basswood, Crab, Burntside and Mudro.
Affected roads include North Grassy Road, Cloquet Line, Snowbank Lake Road and the Fernberg Trail.
There were no closures as of Saturday.
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"Forest staff are continuing to clear portages and campsites further into the wilderness, and some more remote portages may not be cleared of blowdown for several days," the Forest Service reported. "Campsites will be evaluated after portages are opened and some may be closed if crews are not able to remove existing hazards. Evaluating sites and removing hazard trees will take a very long time.
Crews were working Saturday on clearing the Snowbank Lake and North Grassy roads, and the Cloquet Line. In the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, crews were working to clear portages and campgrounds.
About 50 Forest Service personnel are working on the cleanup.
"Visitors are reminded that there are many leaning trees, broken tops and hanging branches that can easily fall. Saturated soils make otherwise stable trees prone to falling over," the Forest Service reported. "Consider these hazards and prevailing winds when choosing a parking, picnic or camping site."
