I was perusing the Forest Service Website tonight while checking out a cool new utility that shows trail mileages on a map, along with links to the FS page describing the trail (kind of like the map that we have here, except it has trail mileages right on the overlay). That map can be found here:
When looking thought some of our district trails, and looking at the trail info pages on the FS website, I found the one for Cottonwood Meadows:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/mthood/recarea/?recid=52908
It has a very interesting comment on where the trail goes:
...continues south 0.4 mile to Forest Road 5830-240 (4,000’). Follow Forest Road 5830-240 east for 0.2 mile. The trail leaves Forest Road 5830-240 and heads south. The trail follows several switchbacks and continues downhill for 0.8 mile to the end at Forest Road 5830-260 (3,840’).
I've hiked this trail more than once, and that isn't where the trail I've been on goes. When you hit 5830-240, you needed to cross country through a clearcut to 5830-260 (or 270), and make your way to the end of the 265 spur, where the rest of the trail continues down to 4635-120. I took a look at the new aerial images, and the location where it appears they are directing you is in a newer clearcut that still looks pretty bare. I don't see any indication of trail whatsoever.
I wouldn't be surprised in the least if those instructions were completely wrong, but I'm just curious about them. Does anyone know if there is indeed a trail .2 east on 5830-240?
That's what you get when they never get out of the office.
I can't decide if I like the text describing the trail following east side of the lake better than the link for the pdf that goes to the wrong trail.
D-2
Yeah, I saw several errors like that. I'd tell someone, but I'm not sure who to tell. Cache Meadow, Cottonwood Meadows? They are both Meadows, and they both start with a C, so it must be the same place, right? 
I"m just curious where they got those directions for the trail.....That is odd.
If I were a betting man, I'd bet that most of that stuff was probably written up by some intern/summer contractor for minimum wage, with little to no quality control. But maybe I'm being too critical. 
If they want to piddle themselves, let them piddle themselves.
Remember, Recreation is their absolute last priority.
D-2
I think they were embarrassed that someone had a better trail format then them and put something out there, but it wasn't totally checked out for accuracy beforehand. That almost sounds like Obamacare. Just saying. Get out and hike before it's too late! I'm going somewhere this weekend, just haven't decided where at this point.
Don