Coyote Wall - The Labyrinth Loop, Coyote Wall - Moab/Maui Loop — Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016

Southwest Washington

Our crew worked to restore areas where people have shortcut corners. Since it is open terrain it is really tempting for people to take the straight line - particularly going downhill - which is where water likes to go to. WTA worked with the Forest Service and the local mountain bike group to design reroutes to the user created paths so that the twists would "shake off" water before it causes much erosion. The Forest Service made temporary signs to put up in the re-rehabilitated areas so that the grasses we transplanted might have a chance to take root with some spring rains. That night we camped out by the Klickitat River at the Fisher Hill State Fish and Wildlife campground at MP 5 just upriver from the town of Lyle. Its a nice, first-come-first serve spot with a pit toilet, but no water. Discover Pass required. On Sunday we hiked up to the Upper Labyrinth Trail where WTA and the local mountain bikers had built a very extensive reroute of a "fall-line" user path. The new route needed some tread maintenance to re-outslope the trail and shed water off. The grass widows are blooming and the desert parsley is coming on quick too. It was a beautiful weekend with lots of folks out on foot and wheeled saying "Thank You"to us. Also it was nice to see nearly everyone recognizing that it is Leash season for Dogs. The ground nesting birds are getting ready for the breeding season and keeping everyone on the trails is one way to help them out.