Ok so thanks to Mike, a good many of us went "shame clearing" last weekend. He wrote a heartfelt email to us all about how good we got it and we need to put our hearts and souls into the trail system. It worked and we had a great turnout. Thanks Mike!
Garrett, Ed, Clayton, Dan, Mike, Bill, Curt, Jim, Mark, and Tim and good doggy Izzy heeded the call and we worked some new trails along the bottoms that are mostly flat and lightly winding for a long while which will make for some fast sections.
This is a beautiful part of the forest, with nice groundcover of buttercup, sorrel, and fern. This gives way to moss covered alder, vine maple, spruce, and cedar canopy. In some areas, the trees are so thick as to create a tunnel effect for the trail.
We worked this area with weed whacker and chainsaw, and then we extended one of the trails farther back through the ferns and into the wilderness until we started gaining elevation.
We climbed a gentle slope for a couple of hundred feet, narrowly dodging huge spruce and fir trees many feet in diameter.
We then decided upon a most questionable slope to get back down in elevation to continue the trail. It was a good 45 degree traverse with roots, duff, and overgrowth. We all chipped in to create something akin to a trail.
By the time we were somewhat done with the traverse down, we were wiped out. Both chainsaws were dull from cutting roots, and we were out of water. So we packed it up and walked the half mile or so back to the trucks, talking all the way about how this is going to be an amazing trail that will last for many years.
Until next time!