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Mount 7 logging road in Golden gets a much needed spring break

The logging road that provides access to Mount 7 will be temporarily closed to allow the road to dry without rutting.
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The road up to Mount 7 will be temporarily closed to prevent further rutting.

The snow is melting, and the mythical seven will soon be visible on Mount 7. But that melting snow can be harmful to the logging road that provides access to that mountain, and some local clubs are doing with they can to preserve it.

"The logging road that goes up to Mount 7, it hasn't been used in quite some time for active logging. Due to that, the maintenance isn't being taken care of by the logging companies anymore... So the road can really get into disrepair, especially during the spring when everything is wet and people like to drive up to the top to go biking and hang-gliding and such," said Greg Cowan, president of  the Golden Cycling Club.

On July 10, 2009, the logging road was named Peter Bowle-Evans Forest Service Road, in honour of Peter Bowle-Evans.

The GCC, with the support of the Golden Flying Club, various government agencies and several businesses around town, is implementing a plan to curtail the damage done by early season vehicle traffic.

"We're actually going to put a temporary closure on the road during the spring," said Cowan.

"We've placed large Allan blocks in two spots, and we're going to put a cable gate across the road, just to limit people from driving up there when the road is soaking wet and just try to let it dry and set up."

It's difficult to know for sure right now when the barrier will go up, but Cowan expects it to be in early May, and that it will stay in place for one-and-a-half to two weeks.

"Right now you can only drive to about the 3 km spot (on April 11). Once we can get a little bit higher up, which shouldn't be too far off with the way things are melting now, we're going to put this in place," he said.

The GCC began this process last winter, getting permission from various levels of government, but by the time all the approvals came through and the signage was sent, it was too late for spring 2011.

The road will be blocked at the 7.5 km and/or the 10 km points. The purpose is to stop heavy vehicles from rutting the road when it's wet. Smaller vehicles like quads and sleds will be able to get around.

"We've looked into it, and the fact is the money just isn't there to fix the road. No level of government is willing to spend that kind of money on a recreation road," said Cowan.

"We really have to do something to maintain it for as long as we can, because neither us nor the flying club, or any of the active groups up there have the resources to constantly try to fix it year after year."

The GCC just wants people to be aware of the closure so that they're not surprised when they get halfway up the road. When the club know the date the road will be closed, there will be another notification in the Golden Star, as well as at www.thegoldenstar.net.

The GCC would like to thank the clubs and businesses that have helped with this project including Golden Concrete, Golden Installations, Mountain Motorsports, the Feuz Shop, Columbia Diesel, Sites and Trails BC, and the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations.