Did you know a big-time Hollywood movie was filmed in the Toutle Valley?  In 1937 "God's Country and the Woman", a logging-adventure-love story, was filmed in several locations in Cowlitz County.  I've seen the movie a few times on classic television, and I made a VHS copy of it once.  It's really cool to see the places we locals are all familiar with on the big screen, especially the shots of Spirit Lake and Mount St. Helens from before the eruption.   Another famous scene is of the rocky Toutle River Gorge, dubbed "Hollywood Gorge" after the film.  Spoiler alert! They created an artificial log jam, blasted it wide open, and ran a train engine into the river all for the movie.  My father grew up on the banks of the river here, and as a child, I fished the very near where the action occurred all those years ago.

Today, it is more difficult to see Hollywood Gorge. Much of the land and the main access road to the heart of the Gorge is now posted, but the river remains public.  Experienced kayakers and boaters (and I emphasize experienced!) float the Toutle through the Gorge for high adventure during high water. Most whitewater enthusiasts put in at the main Toutle bridge just past Drew's Grocery and float to the takeout on Tower Road.  The rapids can be class 4 with high, muddy and log filled waters adding to the adventure and danger.  Over the years, commercial rafting company's have offered trips.  If you are into this type of thing here's a site with the details: https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/2253/

There are also some YouTube videos posted for a "virtual" run down the Toutle.

If you want a view of the gorge from dry land, here are a few places to see it.  The first bridge across the Toutle was called Coal Banks Bridge, and it crossed at a narrow, rocky point about a half-mile downstream of the current bridge on Hwy 504.  The Coal Banks Bridge was replaced by a new bridge about 1970.  When the eruption wiped out the new bridge, the Army Corps of Engineers resurrected the old Coal Banks location and put in a Bailey bridge.  After the eruption kids like me rode the school bus across that narrow Army Baily bridge for a few years.  (National Geographic magazine photographers even rode with us once.)  High in a school bus on the Bailey bridge, you could really get a good view of the roiling water at the heart of the Gorge.  I know I wouldn't be going down there in a kayak or raft!

The Bailey bridge was removed when a new post-eruption bridge was built, but the route remains.  Park at either end of the old Coal Banks Road gates and walk the old pavement to where the bridge used to cross the river.  (Because a state law that prevents counties from giving up road access to waters, these routes are open to the public.)  The route on the east side of the new bridge is shorter. This location gives you an idea of the wildness of Hollywood Gorge.  Driving along Tower Road, which loops between Castle Rock and Toutle, also provides pull-offs and glimpses of the canyon and Gorge in several places.  The WDFW manages the take-out location where Tower Rd. crosses the River.  Pull off here to walk down to the water. 

Fall is a wonderful time to visit the Green River Fish Hatchery--with or without a pole!  Last week I took my two year old nephew to see the salmon.  We saw mommy salmon, daddy salmon, and piles of baby salmon.  We walked down an anglers' trail and waded in the water where several spawned-out Chinook lay dead, their nutrients adding to the next generation.  Because it was the middle of a warm, fall day, the anglers that sometimes flock here to catch returning salmon, were gone for the day.  

The Department of Wildlife places a barrier across the Green River to direct salmon to the ladder leading to the hatchery holding ponds.  Several pairs of Chinook were guarding their "redds", or salmon nests, just downstream of the barrier.  The salmon are easy to see, even for a toddler, as they zip back and forth.  The concrete holding areas were full of salmon, too, and my nephew had a blast watching these huge Chinook leap and splash.  Other rearing areas held thousands of young salmon that swam close in swarms, no doubt looking to be fed.  

Visiting the hatchery is a fun way to spend an afternoon for wildlife viewing, hiking the road along the river, or trying your hand at catching a salmon.  Check the fishing regulations and the emergency rules.  The Green River is closed to Chinook retention, and several areas right near the hatchery are always closed to fishing to give returning salmon a safe area, but Coho fishing and steelhead fishing is currently open.  An access road follows the river upstream and makes a nice hike.  

The trick here is actually finding the fish hatchery.  Start at the 1900 logging road that loops below Kid Valley Campground.  Stay right and cross the North Toutle River below 19 Mile House restaurant, then stay to the right on the open (ungated) gravel road.  This 1901 logging road has side roads gated, requiring an expensive Weyerhaeuser permit.  Follow the gravel road uphill to the big yellow gate, which may be open or closed.  Do not go past the gate, but stay to the right and on the "main drag".  Several other logging roads intersect, but they are either gated or signed with Weyerhaeuser's permit required signs.  Stay on the road that has been used the most (508), which winds gradually down to the hatchery.  At one point you will be tempted to go straight, but the 508 main road turns left.  In 1.8 miles you reach another yellow gate that is open with a sign describing rules for using the hatchery area.  Go past the sign and drop down to the hatchery parking. A state Discover Pass or a vehicle access pass that comes with your fishing license is required for parking here.  The best place to see salmon is to the right, past the hatchery buildings, just below the ladder.   Short access trails lead to the river.  

Before the eruption, a paved road crossed the Toutle River and went to the hatchery.  I even rode the school bus here one time to visit my uncle who was working the salmon, and one of my school buddies lived in one of the homes that stood here.  All that changed on May 18, 1980, when the area was inundated with mud.  Later, the mud was scraped away, some of the better homes were moved, and the hatchery restarted.  The county road was not rebuilt, so, like much of Southwest Washington, Weyerhaeuser controls access now, and could shut off public access to the hatchery at any time. 

If you do not want to drive on logging roads, and aren't afraid to get your feet wet, you can also wade across the Green River to the hatchery.   From Kid Valley, head east on SR504.  As soon as you cross the North Toutle River, look for a green, gated road on the left.  Park along the highway near here.  Hike past the gate and down an old road that follows a finger ridge between the dirtier North Toutle and the clear Green River.  This road is lined with some remant old growth and is worthy of its own trip (and its own Blog post).   It might take some bushwhacking, but angler trails are usually abundant.  This time of year the Green River is low, and a wader usually doesn't get wet past the knees.  Work upstream until you reach the trail from the hatchery.  If you come to the cable across the river (that marks the edge of the no fishing area) you've come too far.  Look for trails up the bank that lead to the hatchery.  

The Department of Wildife just obtained ownership of the wedge of land between the rivers here and the should be incorporating it into the St. Helens Wildife Area.  Perhaps better public access will be incorporated into any future plans.  

So far I have been telling everyone about the numerous outdoor activities in the Toutle Valley--hiking, skiing, fishing, swimmng--but the small town charm of our biggest "city" is worth a day all to itself.

Castle Rock, which sits at the junction of Interstate 5 and the Spirit Lake Highway (SR 504) provides the visitor with so much to do and see.  The town is undergoing a rebirth based on a strong team of volunteers, and a can-do community spirit.  Late summer is a great time to visit, with flower baskets overflowing, new shops opening, and fishing heating up.  The new visitor center at Exit 49 is the perfect place to start your exploration, and before you visit, watch this year's "America in Bloom" video about Castle Rock.

 https://youtu.be/7PBzgVViTH8

The town has paved walking/biking path that follows the Cowlitz River, north to south, passing the bike skills path and the namesake "Rock". Across the river sits the fairgrounds, boat launch, and the North County Sports Complex with playing fields, a walking paths, and outdoor exercise equiptment.  Anglers can also access the river from Cook Ferry Road, and you will see "plunkers" waiting patiently for the bite of a salmon or steelhead.   

Specialty shops and eats include the fun bookstore "The Vault", the local metal art at "Focus Art and Frame" and the volcano donuts at the Castle Rock Bakery.  If you are going on a picnic, stop at the grocery store and pick up some scrumptious Kalama Sourdough rolls (hummy!).  Locals in SW Washington judge all pizza against Papa Pete's Pizza, and all burgers against the ones from the Shell Gas Station across the street.  C & L has shakes and burgers we love, too.  Lacy Rae's in downtown offers a homey lunch.  It seems like new shops are opening every week, giving even locals a reason to keep visiting.

The town also has several festivals, including a small-town fair, adventure mud race, and Christmas parade with a Festival of Lights.  There is far more to do and see in Caslte Rock than one blog post can cover, so I will continue to add more in the future!

More....

https://www.facebook.com/CastleRockBlooms/

Most of the snow has melted and the higher trails are opening up.  One good hike for a cool, clear day, or a hot day with an very early start, is Coldwater Peak.  If you tackle this hike during the heat, remember there is no real shade so be prepared for a hot hike with the sun beating down.   Start at Johnston Ridge and head east on the Boundary Trail.  At 1.5 miles the trail now cuts behind a steep cliff known as Devil's Elbow.  Pass the Truman Trail that drops toward (but not to) Spirit Lake and climb through an alder tunnel before cresting the ridge at the "spillover" where parts of the landslide from 1980 actually topped the ridge and flowed down the other side into South Coldwater Creek.  Loop around the backside of the ridge to a saddle above Spirit Lake where you will pass the junction to Harry's Ridge trail.  This short (1 mile) but steep spur can be an alternate destination. Just past Harry's Ridge another trail (South Coldwater) comes in from the left.  With two vehicles you could make a loop.  Horned larks and mountain bluebirds are common along this stretch, and the views of Mount St. Helens, Spirit Lake, and Mount Adams are grand.  Continue on up the ridge, zigzagging past strawberries and huckleberries, to views of St. Helens Lake.  Drop down a sidehill and travel through a natural "hole-in-the-wall", then traverse a side hill with Coldwater Peak above, and St. Helens Lake below.  The lake was once a popular backpacking and fishing destination, but now only a "secret" for- scientists-only trail drops to the lake.  The deep-swimming lake trout that were planted there decades ago survived the eruption and still lurk in the depths.

The 3/4 mile trail to the summit of Coldwater Peak is on the left, just above the young hiker's white hat in the photo.  At the top there are numerous scientific and weather monitors.  Before the eruption, a firelookout stood here, and bits of glass from the lookout scatter the summit.  Check the valleys below for herds of elk and watch for mountain goats, too.  Round trip 13 miles with 2000 feet elevation gain.

Spring is a great time to hike the Coldwater Lake area.  With much of the deep backcountry of the Cascades still burried under piles of snow, the trails near Coldwater melt out early and provide great places for early season hiking.  This Mother's Day was the perfect time to hike the "Coldwater loop", which isn't a true loop trail, but a short section of hiking the shoulder of Hwy 504 makes a loop connecting several trails. 

We parked at the Hummocks Trailhead because the South Coldwater Trailhead is still locked behind the gate (until May 16).  Because the forecast called for heat, we started out early, and climbed the hill first.  We walked the 3/4 of a mile up the closed highway to the S. Coldwater Trail (trail 230A) then started up the hill.  I have climbed this many times, in all weather, but today the new shade the alders are providing made it a pleasant uphill climb.  After an uphill mile, you will reach the logging equipment which was destroyed in the eruption.  (The loggers who were working here were distant relatives of mine, and survived only because the mountain erupted on a Sunday.)  Past the equipment the shade becomes scarcer as the trail follows old logging roads with some gradual up and down, past an upturned logging "shovel", and to a junction.  Trailside snow for cold and refreshing slushies will only last another day or so.  At the junction with trail 230, the left fork "down" heads to the lake, and the right fork "up" heads toward Coldwater Peak and the Mt. Margaret backcountry, still with plenty of snow.  In two miles down hill, losing most of the elevation you have gained, you reach a lovely bridge across Coldwater Creek and soon after, a junction with Trail 211 (Lakes Trail).  The trail needs some fresh brushing out in places, but overall it is not too bad for blowdown.  We headed west (left) toward the Coldwater Lake access area about 1/2 mile down the trail.  It was heating up so wading in the cold lake was refreshing.  The fish were biting best for "Mom" and she caught one whopper.  (The regulations for Coldwater require single barbless hooks and no bait).  Only one fish over 18 inches can be kept.  The trophy anglers like the restrictions and have nexed any proposals to loosen them.

The lake access at the far end of Coldwater is by far the nicest place on the shore, with a wide sandy area and deep water near enough to cast to.  A few years ago the Forest Service was considering adding some boat-in or hike-in campsites, but like many improvement projects at Mount St. Helens, the idea was sidelined. 

After an extended lunch & fishin' stop, we hiked the 4 1/2 miles back to the boat launch, and from there a half mile on the road to the Hummocks Trail.   There is another official lake access area closer to the boat launch, but it is not very appealing.  The whole loop is about 12 miles, with 1500 feet elevation gain.

Like I mentioned, the Coldwater Lake area is getting popular with early season hikers, and quite a few folks were out enjoying the trail and lake.  Kayakers and electric motor boats are also a fun way to explore Coldwater, and in the summer there has been a kayak tour group operating there. 

New for 2020:  Leashed pets are now allowed on the Coldwater Lake and South Coldwater Trail.