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Date:  May 30, 2008 Contact:  Craig Flentie (406) 538-1943 Weather Damages Limekiln Trail  Large portions of the Limekiln Trail in the Judith Mountains, northeast of Lewistown, are essentially blocked by downfall and are almost impassable.   People can still hike between the parking area and the Lewistown Overlook, but the remainder of the trail is essentially blocked by downed trees.   “It appears that rain-saturated thin soils, combined with several evenings of a substantially easterly wind proved to be too much for numerous trees that are now uprooted and scattered across various portions of the trail,” according to Rod Sanders, a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recreation planner stationed in Lewistown. “Right now most of the trail is nearly impassable for hikers and impossible for horseback riders,” Sanders added.   The BLM has chain saw crews from the Central Montana Fire Zone office working to clear some of the downfall, but the amount of damage is so significant it will be some time before the trail is cleared.  According to Willy Frank, the chief of resources in the BLM’s Lewistown Field office, “The BLM will certainly keep everyone informed after we learn more about the amount of damage and a schedule for repairing the Limekiln Trail.”  ###