On this National Public Lands Day I went on a hike with Mountains to Sound Greenway. They were having a hike on the under construction Garfield Ledges Trail to see how the work was going. About twenty five of us met at the Gateway Bridge trailhead parking lot and hiked the Taylor River Connector Trail over to the Taylor River/Snoqualmie Lake Trail and Garfield Ledges Trail parking lot. The connector trail is getting some new boardwalk bridges. There were piles of treated lumber along the trail and one bridge had been built. Before starting up the Garfield Ledges Trail we heard some dignitaries talk about the Middle Fork area and the projects that are going on now and in the future. Starting up the trail the short gravel section ends and the trail gets very muddy. We passed several volunteer trail crews along the way. There must have been close to one hundred people from WTA, MSGW and some personnel from the Forest Service. Some sections of the trail have been completed, while others are still being built. One area about half way up the one mile trail will need to have some steps to get up a steep rocky section. Further along at a switchback a very large cedar stump will need to be blasted in order to get the trail built. The new trail is supposed to be complete some time in the Spring of 2019. No great views today from the upper or lower ledges with the low clouds and rain.
On the way back down parts of the under construction trail were a slip and slide due to the rainy conditions. Some parts you could mud ski. There was a mini backhoe/dozer parked on the trail just below the rocky section where it could not go. Once the trail is completed hikers will have some nice Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Valley views down river on a clear sunny day. Thanks to all of the hard working volunteers building this new trail.
Back down at the Garfield Ledges Trail parking area, some new picnic tables had been installed along the Taylor River. It was fun seeing all of the work going into building the new trail. Check it out next Spring.
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