At work on the Williams Lake trail: still more trees to clear.
Provided by Methow Valley Trails Collaborative
The U.S. Forest Service recently reduced perimeters of the Little Giant and Ptarmigan Fire closure areas. This means a few trails and recreation sites are once again open for public enjoyment. Please respect the closures that are still in place for public safety. It is cooling off in the evenings; however, stage 2 fire restrictions are still in effect across the Methow Valley Ranger District. If you’re planning a camping trip for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, you’ll have to forgo the campfire.
Highway 20 Scenic Corridor: USFS contractors have completed paving and restriping at Rainy Pass Trailhead, Rainy Lake Picnic Area, and Bridge Creek Trailhead. Those sites are once again open for public enjoyment. Contractors are still working at Klipchuck and Cutthroat which are still closed, but work is expected to be completed by early September.
Mazama/Hart’s Pass: The following trails were recently reopened to recreators: West Fork of the Methow, Robbinson Creek to Beauty Creek junction (closed North of Beauty Creek) and Monument Creek (Closed North of Eureka Creek foot log). Harts Pass Road re-opened; However, the Ptarmigan closure order perimeter begins at the Pasayten Wilderness Boundary at Harts Pass, so most trails remain closed. The PCT between Harts and Rainy is once again open.
Winthrop/Chewuch Drainage: Trail and road closures are still in effect for the Sinlahekin Fire. Details on the closure order and a complete list can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/r06/okanogan-wenatchee/alerts/sinlahekin-fire-closure-methow-valley-ranger-district.
The MVTC crew recently wrapped up a pay period of drainage and erosion control work on the Larch Creek trail near Drake Creek.
Twisp River Drainage: A small MVTC crew spent two nights at Williams Lake working down trail clearing logs and brush last week. Unfortunately, more trees were down than we had accounted for, so about 40 stock impassible trees remain in the middle two miles of this trail. Our crew plans to spend next pay period clearing the Eagle/Oval loop ahead of larch season.
Lower Valley/Loup: The Little Giant fire closure order has been lifted from trails in the Sawtooth Backcountry. The USFS trail crew just wrapped up a trail bridge replacement near Eagle Lake and are working on drainage, projects on the Eagle Creek trail.
