BAKER CITY — The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest has installed new, brightly colored signs at several road junctions to remind travelers that some routes are passable only to snowmobiles and other specialized vehicles during winter.

Although signs have been posted on these roads in the past, stating that they weren’t maintained for winter travel, drivers have continued to get their vehicles mired in deep snow occasionally.

“The driving factor pushing us towards installing extra signage at these locations has been the recent uptick with search and rescues involving Wallowa, Union, Grant and Baker counties,” said Dan Story, roads manager for the south zone of the WWNF. “We carefully considered the language, colors, and placement of these signs to help more people understand that wheeled vehicles cannot safely pass through these roads while they are covered with snow. Signs are bright yellow or orange to get the driver’s attention before entry.”

Signs have been installed on the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road at 39 Road and Highway 86 junction and 39 Road and Salt Creek Summit; 3955 Road just north of the 39 Road junction on the Imnaha River; 73 Road (Anthony Lakes Highway) at the town of Granite, a four-way intersection, and Grant County Route 24 junction; and 73 Road (Anthony Lakes Highway) at the 43 Junction (the road to Grande Ronde Lake).

Story said an increase in search and rescue calls can be partially attributed to increased winter travel through the mountains, failures of GPS directions to account for winter conditions, improvements in snowmobile grooming technology, making snowmobile routes look passible when before they would have been buried under several feet of snow, more miles of groomed routes that connect with state highways, and, in many cases, a lack of preparation for backcountry winter travel by motorists.

The new signs will provide valuable and potentially life-saving information to motorists before they attempt to drive wheeled vehicles over impassable routes and roads on the way to popular destinations, Story said.

“We carefully considered the language, colors, and placement of these signs to help more people understand that wheeled vehicles cannot safely pass through these roads while they are covered with snow,” he said. “Signs are bright yellow or orange to get the driver’s attention before entry.

Road managers will uncover these warning signs when snow conditions become impassable this winter, maximizing the time that roads remain open to wheeled vehicles. Signs will be removed or covered after snowmelt allows reopening of the roads.