Work wrapped up during the early part of November on the Mirror Lake
Trailhead relocation project, which will create a new parking area and a trail
connection for the popular recreation spot on the mountain.

The venture is a partnership between the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA), the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Zigzag Ranger
District of the U.S. Forest Service.

Knud Martin, Project Engineer for the FHWA, noted the project was delayed
earlier in the year due to hazardous fire conditions, but work is still expected
to be complete by the end of October 2018. He added that when the project
starts up again a lot of “ground disturbing activities” will be forthcoming.

Work is tentatively expected to resume on April 14, 2018, but Martin noted
that will depend heavily on this winter’s snowpack and how much snow
remains next April.

“Some years that’s no problem, other years it’s a problem,” he said.

The project will move the parking lot for the trailhead from the sharp curve on
Hwy. 26 west of Government Camp to the parking lot at Skibowl.

“This project is focused on getting congestion out and a safe place to enter
the trail system, a place to park and use bathroom,” Martin said. “This is an
enormous safety improvement.”

He added that it is also important for people to be patient and safe when
utilizing the trail during construction, such as finding a safe place to park
rather than entering the construction zone.

For more information and updated trail status, visit
https://flh.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/or/mirror-lake/.