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Drone637
01-19-2005, 01:47 PM
Just thought I would pass on a few updates on what is happening up at Walker Valley over the last month.

The park is for all intents and purposes closed to 4x4 usage. I don't know if signs have been posted, but all the 4x4 trails are closed for winter.

Volunteers will be needed soon. DNR is going to need volunteer help to help meet the grant requirements. Most likely it will involve trail hardening on the new section of the Mainline trail, as some of the areas have been beaten up recently due to wet weather. Information on a work party will be posted when it is made available.

The main trail loop will be referred to as Mainline, replacing Jeep Cross and Conversion Trial.

8 Water Bars have been installed in the Expressway.

Work on re-routing poop-chute is going forward. This is to avoid water hazard and help earn points with Fish and Wildlife.

A culvert was installed on Mainline (formerly Jeep Cross) above the Expressway junction to re-direct water off of the trail. It eliminated about 400 feet of water running down the trail and should allow the area to harden up.

This work was done with the help of an excavator that they drove up into the trail area.

The goal is to have the entire Mainline trail ready for use when things dry up.

Walker Valley is halfway through a 20-year timber plan so we know where the future logging should be taking place.

Talked about the location of a new trail just east of Jeep Cross for 4x4 usage. Also discussed re-routing the entrance to Mainline (formerly Jeep Cross) to keep vehicles off of the road on the north end of the park. The sound reverbs down the valley and annoys the neighbors. Most likely it will go in above the gravel pit and head up Pats Trail.

The building of rock piles along the trails/roads is still considered a good idea, but DNR hasn’t had time to look at where to put one. This would be to give Trail Bike riders and the more extreme 4x4s a place to play since the trails are designed for light to moderate vehicles with a short wheelbase.

Was informed about House Bill HB1003. House bill to give more control to local personnel in regards to Land Management and ORV access on/to non-highway roads. The bill is currently in committee. This should affect Forest Rangers more then the DNR and allow them to officially ignore non-road legal vehicles driving up and down the roads to get to nearby trails.

The rest of the meeting was covering the bike portion. I can post that information upon request.

ISH
01-19-2005, 02:00 PM
Originally posted by Drone637
The rest of the meeting was covering the bike portion. I can post that information upon request.

I ride up there also, so what did they say. And why didn't you post it on our site. :finger:

Not-Jobless
01-19-2005, 02:27 PM
Originally posted by ISH
I ride up there also, so what did they say. And why didn't you post it on our site. :finger:

You guys have a website :confused:

Drone637
01-19-2005, 02:27 PM
Because I hadn't finished writing up the bike portion yet. I'm doing this between server updates at work. :D
Ben brought a new map of bike trail connectors in Walker Valley. It also listed areas they would like to add new connectors to help keep bikes off of the trail.

Bikes are going to be re-routed away from the north western corner same as the 4x4’s, most likely through the top of the gravel pit and up into pats trail. This is to keep the noise levels down.

They want to punch new trails through some areas. A couple of them however are marked for sale in the immediate future.

Requests were made to open back up trails that were pirated in then shut down due to erosion issues and driving through salmon streams. Possibly by re-routing the trouble spots. The goal of this would be to add more trails to the SE portion of Walker Valley in order to spread out the traffic a little more.

The Lake Cavanaugh entrance is slated to have rocks added in order to create a larger parking area.

I can get you a copy of the map, but I don’t have access to a scanner at the moment so I can’t put it online.

Csnyder
01-19-2005, 04:20 PM
Originally posted by Drone637
Information on a work party will be posted when it is made available.

Thanks for the update. Please do keep us posted on the work party. :)

- Chris

Kimmy
01-20-2005, 11:19 AM
hmmm, whats up with the name changes?

the names that were proposed and have been in use for over a year were:

"Jeep Trail" to new: Main Line Trail
"Jeep Cross" to new: Short & Dirty Trail

The main line trail is the main entrance and route through the 4wd trail system. The names were changed and accepted by user group reps as DNR advised that we could not use the "Jeep" trademark name.

Has there been a mix-up with new reps and new dnr staff at the meetings ??

thanks for going to the mtgs in my absence Kris.

I was also advised that the DNR would like our help (4wd community) to install the sign plan that NT's developed with grant funding that was absorbed the DNR and is now ready to do work on throughout the trail system. Any interested volunteers with this project??

Drone637
01-20-2005, 12:54 PM
I don't think any of the maps where updated with the non-trademark names. A bunch of the crew had been refering to it as Mainline so we decided to just run with it. Guy can probably give you a better heads up on that as I didn't really pay to much attention. :D

Have you seen the catalog for the signs they are looking at putting in? Send me an email and I'll forward you the PDF.

On a side note, I've been meaning to buzz your place during daylight hours. Just haven't had time.