The original planned route of the trail went up a hollow and was deemed unacceptable due to terrain and significant clearcuts.  We connected the trail to the Trace Creek Section as just before it begins a series of switchbacks toward Hiway 32, then headed West though the valley bottom.  We kept it in the valley as no good side-hill routes were viable.  We had one dry-creek crossing which will need a footbridge constructed (perhaps a split-cedar bridge).

The beginning of the ascent to 32 has a short section of 10% grade and a hard 45-degree turn before it returns to a 6-8% grade.  There may be an opportunity to reduce this grade and/or modify the turn during construction.  

As the trail gets the ridge-top, we dropped slightly to the East side of the ridge, crossing multiple skidder tracks from previous timber cuts.  We skirt the clearcuts, remaining in reasonably good forest until the trail emerges at Hiway 32.  A few hundred yards from 32 we will construct a short connector to a trailhead on Hiway DD.

The crossing at 32 has limited site lines.  We will be checking specifications to see if this is acceptable.  If not, it will require moving the trail East through questionable terrain that has been clearcut.

During our last trip we also re-routed a portion of the Trace Creek trail that travels 200 yards through a power line right-of-way and then up a 20% grade.  The new trail will cross the right-of-way immediately, then up a side-slope before ending in a climbing turn and connecting with the existing trail.