South Coldwater 230A Open to the Adventurous

August 31, 2009 on 2:28 pm | In Mountain Biking | No Comments

I rarely allow bikers to use their own words on my website. I’m guessing that I don’t have to explain the reason. Only Paul and Mahon get special exemptions. Neither is all that intelligent but they have a way with words that is entertaining.

Below is Brian’s assessment of conditions at South Coldwater Trail 230A on the north side of Mount St. Helens.

By the way – You don’t need a Forest Pass to park at the trailhead.

South Coldwater 230A

Let the Mountain Bike Mafia at Growlers know that the conditions on Coldwater Trail 230A are stellar even when the Stella and GG trails are closed. The trail work by the Mountain Bike Mutts in July 2009 has paid off in spades.

The temp was in the high 60s when I started from the trailhead on August 24th.

The ‘Thar She Blows’ section is moist and clear with the tread exceptional for climbing to Tractor Junction .

The Thomas Mueller Memorial Mutiny Feature is indeed gone, although the crime scene tape is still evident. It appears that the EPA approved biodegradable tape. While the material takes a period of time to dissolve, the shame will last a lifetime!

It was clear that the Scottish Gully Traverse tested the WTA trail crew we ran into in July. Mother Nature sometimes trumps our best efforts.

The climb to the Coldwater/Spirit Lake vista was dry and windy. I left my rig about two-thirds of the way up and hoofed the rest. Out-hoofing me were two massive herds of elk, resting and rutting till I showed up.

The downhill ride really showcased our work effort. The ‘Botany 101′ section just above the intersection was clean and tight. I met several hikers on the way down who were impressed by how cool and trimmed the trail was.

I also met an 81-year-old female Mazama hiker out with her daugher. She was already to the first logging yarder and still not breathing hard.

She has vowed to attend the Growlers Gulch Time Trial so that she can kick Vaughn Martin’s butt!