Gifford Pinchot forest ready for summer visitors

Takhlakh Lake near Mount Adams was stocked with 200 big trout on Tuesday. (Files/The Columbian)

Winter has relinquished its grip on all but the highest elevations in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, opening up hiking, camping and fishing choices as summer hits full stride between the Fourth of July and Labor Day.

The snow level is roughly at 4,500 feet elevation, although that varies significantly in different portions of the 1.3-million-acre Gifford Pinchot.

Hikers will find snow in much of Indian Heaven Wilderness and most of the best places in the Mount Adams and Goat Rocks wildernesses.

Roger Peterson, a Pinchot spokesman in Vancouver, said recreationists need to remember to leave their fireworks at home this weekend.

Possessing fireworks or other pyrotechnic devices are prohibited on national forest lands, he noted.

"Fireworks can start wildfires,'' Peterson said.

Forest officials also are urging visitors to the blast zone area north of Mount St. Helens to consider not bringing their pets.

"When summer tempertures reach into the 80s and 90s, the exposed landscape around Mount St. Helens is a very harsh environment,'' Peterson said.

Road No. 99 to the popular Windy Ridge viewpoint on the east side of Spirit Lake will open Friday, Peterson said.

Road No. 25 connecting the upper Lewis River area and the Cowlitz Valley is open. A one-lane bridge at Benham Creek near Randle will route motorists past a slide that occurred during the winter.

Road No. 23 connecting Randle and Trout Lake is open. The washout at Baby Shoe Pass was repaired last year.

Road No. 2329 in the High Lakes area is open from the south as far as Divide Camp No. 112 trailhead, but not to Killen Creek.

Road No. 83 to Lava Canyon Recreation Area is open, but road No. 81 is closed between Kalama Horse Camp and road No. 830 leading to Climber's Bivouac. Access to Climber's Bivouac is open from the east via roads Nos. 83 and 81.

Lava Canyon trail No. 184 will be closed while the bridge washed out in flooding during early November of 2006 is replaced, Peterson said. Ape Canyon trail No. 234 will remain open.

Road No. 54 remains closed by landslides six miles east of Chelatchie Prairie.

In the north end of the forest, road No. 2160 is open to Walupt Lake and the campground is open.

Takhlakh Lake campground is accessible, but the water system is not yet working. There are no fees being charged until the services are ready.

On Tuesday, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife stocked 200 rainbow trout averaging 3 pounds in Takhlakh.

Almost 500 trout were stocked last week in both Forlorn Lake No. 1 and No. 2.

Major campgrounds open for the weekend include Beaver, Panther Creek, Paradise Creek, Lower Falls, Forlorn Lakes, Moss Creek, Oklahoma, Peterson Prairie, Goose Lake, Trout Lake Creek, Walupt Lake, Tower Rock, Sunset Falls, Olallie, North Fork, Iron Creek, La Wis Wis, Big Creek and Adams Fork.

Lantern rentals are available at Ape Cave daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.