KLICKITAT COUNTY, Wash. — In this week's "Let's Get Out There," we head to the Coyote Wall Trailhead in Klickitat County. The U.S. Forest Service recently broke ground on a realignment project to improve the trail and the ecology around it.
The Coyote Wall Trail in the Columbia River Gorge is a stunning sight, visible from miles away. The massive columnar basalt formation is a distinctly recognizable feature across the river from Mosier, Oregon.
“I come out here every chance I get,” said Nathaniel Brodie. “I'm guessing it's about a 1,200-foot ascent in a couple of miles.”
Brodie is the trails manager for the U.S. Forest Service in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. It stretches from the Sandy River east of Portland all the way to the mouth of the Deschutes River near The Dalles.
If you time it right in the spring, the wildflower bloom is spectacular, not to mention an incredible view of Wy’east. This visual buffet is open to hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians.
Mike Baran is with Ptarmigan Ptrails, a mountain biking group with a focus on trail design and construction. They’re working with the Forest Service to realign the Coyote Wall trail to improve safety and sustainability. A $240,000 grant from the Great American Outdoors Act will cover the cost of the project and any leftover funds will help the Forest Service take care of deferred maintenance.
“(We're) trying to create a unique experience and enjoyable trail for users to come and play on,” Baran said, as he hand-finished a section of trail.
Heavy machinery is cutting a new bike-optimized trail, creating more switchbacks and better drainage. But fear not, bipeds — "bike optimized" doesn’t mean hiking will be forbidden, it’s just a more efficient way to build a trail.
Brodie said the fresh scars may stick out to visitors, but once the trail is finished and re-seeded with native plants, the landscape will look more natural than before.
In several places, water runoff created trenches on the trail and washed sediment into the river, which can cause problems for fish. The construction of drains higher uphill will allow these trenches to heal naturally over time.
“They've never been maintained as an actual official trail system,” Brodie said. “And they're causing a lot of resource damage. They're also a safety concern because they're close to the cliff's edge. They're impacting nesting peregrine falcon on the cliffs below us.”
Trail work will conclude around mid-June, and the area remains open in the meantime. More information about the project is available on the Forest Service's website.
"Let's Get Out There" airs once a week on KGW's 4 p.m. newscast and "The Good Stuff," which airs Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. We're including viewer photos for this series. You can text your photos to 503-226-5088 or post them on the KGW Facebook page.