Out & About

Gifford Pinchot road No. 26 temporarily closed

RANDLE — Road No. 26 on the east side of Mount St. Helens is closed for reconstruction through July 18.

The Forest Service announced the closure is from the junction with road No. 99 up to milepost 16.5. Norway Pass and Ryan Lake can be accessed from the junction of Gifford Pinchot National Forest roads Nos. 25 and 26.

Sarah Rockey, Cowlitz Valley district engineer, said the half mile of road under reconstruction is sloughing and poses a safety risk.

For more information about road No. 26, call Rockey at 360-497-1113.

Green Trails adding ultralight, tear-resistant maps

Green Trails maps, a staple of Northwest hikers for 40 years, is launching a new line of ultralight, waterproof, tear-resistant folded maps.

The Special Editions are either 18-by-24 inches or 22.5-by-30-inches and will sell retail for $14, compared to $8 for Green Trails 15-minute maps.

The new maps are printed on a synthetic product known at Polyart.

Alan Coburn, president of the Seattle-based Green Trails, said the new maps and a new website debuting Tuesday are part of a mid-life refresh of the company’s branding.

Green Trails also will continue with its classic 15-minute quadrangles, based on U.S. Geologic Survey maps.

Mapping crews are working this summer on 2015 editions, including a new map of the Mount St. Helens system.