65-year-old dynamite found near Seven-mile Canyon
SALMON, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - An off-duty United States Forest Service (USFS) discovered suspicious materials while hiking near Seven-mile Canyon outside of Salmon, Idaho in Lemhi County earlier this spring.
Due to inclement weather, Field Staff Ranger Amanda Schramm and the Special Agent for Eastern Idaho had to travel to the remote site using a UTV with snow tracks.
The crew located the reported materials and visually confirmed it to be an ancient case of explosives, possibly up to 100 years old.
Upon further inspection, the weathered case contained about 40 sticks of 65-year-old dynamite. The dynamite was partially exposed in a decomposing wooden crate. The weathered case and its contents had remained hidden in a rock outcropping, until the wood disintegrated and fell apart, exposing the contents.
Despite the age and exposure to the elements, the dynamite appeared to still be a viable explosive.
Salmon Field Office Geology Staff believe the dynamite was most likely left behind following road construction associated with past mining operations.
“With the strong mining history in Lemhi County it is not unusual to discover this sort of thing. Our number one priority is the safety of public land users,” Salmon Field Office Manager Linda Price said.
Ranger Schramm then coordinated with the Salmon Field Office, the Forest Service and the Lemhi County Sheriff's Office to complete the disposal of this cache of dynamite. The response was coordinated with management from the BLM and USFS. Based on the weather and remote location involved, specialists decided that a USFS-certified blaster would destroy the explosives.
To remove the potential hazard to public land users, a joint BLM and Forest Service team provided support to the Salmon-Challis National Forest’s Certified Blaster and Explosives Specialist to safely render the dynamite inactive. The interagency team created a perimeter around the work area and provided information to people in the surrounding locale to assure that everyone kept away. The Forest Service Specialist strategically placed a minimal, but sufficient amount of explosive material near the dynamite and detonated the charge. With a loud bang, the job was done.
Many questions remain about this unused TNT, mainly related to its possible threat to public safety. However, since the dynamite was cached in a steep, cliffy spot and was only accessible by climbing a steep scree slope, the dynamite did not pose any hazard to the nearest dwelling (about a half-mile away). This specific location also likely prevented anyone previously from finding and/or reporting it.
