Trail Evaluation

Monday March 3, 2008 - Trail Evaluation

Friday February 29 eleven traildogs gathered at the new Joplin Trailhead parking area for a new trail evaluation hike on the recently completed third leg of the Vista Trail. Gone was the sharp weather of the past two months of construction as we started our hike in fifty-degree partly cloudy weather. Our focus on this inaugural hike was to meter the exact distance of the newly constructed third leg of the trail and flag the one mile increments as well as identifying any areas of the trail that may need additional tread work as a result of the heavy rains in area. We were also developing a list of interesting features along the trail route that we will utilize in developing a trail guide for this section of the trail.

We also metered the reroute of the second section of the trail that moves the final portion of the second leg from the exiting Mt. Harbor Trailhead parking area, located adjacent to the Irons Creek Rd, to the new Joplin Trailhead parking Area. This reroute changes the mileage from the Thompkins Bend Trailhead parking to the Joplin parking area from 4.7 miles to 5.3 miles. The trail length from the beginning trailhead parking area at Denby bay to this new Joplin parking area is now 10.0 miles.

The metering of the third indicated it is four miles from the Joplin Trailhead parking to the Hickory Nut Mt. Day Use parking area where the trail ends. You can then hike 1.1 miles on the service road to the Hickory nut Mt. Vista making the third leg of the trail a total of 5.1 miles in length. The total trail length of the Vista trail is now 15.1 miles excluding the Sunset and Eagle Vista spurs of one Half mile and One and half miles respectively. Hikers who chose to hike or bike the entire trail including spurs now have 17.1 miles of trail available.

Our three hour hike was enjoyed by all and at least two short areas of tread were identified as needing some additional finish work.

Attached is a picture of the team.

Jerry