Putting together some riding dates and have a few questions:

1) At Gifford Pinchot, is the Blue Lake loop open yet that goes up and around Hamilton Buttes then back down to Blue Lake? The trail number escapes memory.

2) On the Overland trail at Tahuya, a bridge was closed off a couple seasons ago due to flood erosion and the bridge being unstable. There has been a detour around this for quite some time. Has the bridge been addressed by DNR yet or is the detour still active?

If anyone's been to either or both recently, some input would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Blue lake trail is 271 and the one going over to Hamilton is Yahoo 276 to 118. I would guess anything above Blue lake is still a mess which is the whole top part and a good portion of that loop.

K

I talked to the ranger in charge of GP on Tuesday about forming a work party to get the upper trails at Blue Lake open. He said that a lot of work needs to be done and that he will update me soon.
I rode Tahuya today and that bridge is still out.

Thanks Russ!

I just found out that the current bridge needs to be replaced with a much larger bridge to prevent silt runoff into the stream. The cost of the new bridge is over a $100,000 and they do not have the money for it.

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Gee...........imagine that!

That's a pretty spendy bridge. Of course, we need to take into account the administrative fee for hiring consultants to study the various bridge options. Those consultants will then do a series of studies, take soil samples, analyze the water vapor needed by gnats native to the area and then send their proposals and findings on to DOE........who will then tell DNR new state regulations require various understory and riparian zone analysis in a 20 mile perimeter around the bridge. Then, the findings will conclude that since the bridge wasn't native to the area, it really had no business being there in the first place so we should quit our bitch'in and be happy with what's left!

On the other hand, DNR could corral the help of a couple regional motorcycle clubs for a weekend offering $5,000-$10,000 to cover materials and pay a day's wages for an engineer to oversee the work of a perfectly workable, stout timber-plank bridge that would probably last just as long as the high-tech original. Nah!.....that'd be too simple.

Yes, the sarcasm runneth over but it just boils my blood to think this bridge could have been fixed shortly after it washed out had our NOVA dollars not been pirated away to the state coffers.

team claw said:

The Jones Creek Trail Riders worked hand in hand with DNR on a new bridge. $100,000 sounds like a joke Local clubs should get involved in this one to drive this until it is done. A $100,000 bridge is someone's bid at the highest rate. A group of guys with the right materials and tool can get the job done. I have not been up there in a long time to take a look but some steel I beams, plenty of rock surrounded by wire mesh to provide a foundation, generator, welder, wood, and plenty of labor should be able to install a fine bridge in short order. Also, a re-route higher up the water way where it is smaller might be better negating the need for such a large bridge.
Joe............

I was told that the new bridge had to be much longer to prevent silk and that the bridge had to be lifted in by a chopper to prevent additional environmental damage.:crazy:

With over 400,000 registered Off Highway Vehivcles in Washington state, how about 1/4, or 25%, or for those of you who lack math skills, 100,000(thats One Hundred Thousand) OHV users each put in $1 dollar. Thats it, one dollar each equals $100,000 dollars. WOW! thats the cost of that over priced bridge.
Better yet how about everybody pitch in $2 dollars, buy a new bridge and hire a lobbyist to fight for the rights of OHV users in Washington state.
The solutions are so simple. To get people to take action is the hard part. Anybody out there bold enough to take charge and make this happen?

:applause:

jcspode said:

:applause: