CMC Bi-Weekly Trail Maintenance News

07/06/05

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Looking Back....

Leader: Bill Newton
Date: Friday, July 1
Purpose: Fix Bridge
Location: Big Creek Trail
People: 11

Summary: Today we worked primarily on the bridge over Fletcher Creek at the Hendersonville Reservoir, which is the beginning of the Big Creek Trail. The bridge had washed out from the fall storms, and was very dangerous to cross. The hand rail was completely gone, and the two foot logs were badly askew. We realigned the foot logs, replaced the hand rail and repaired the damage to the bridge abutments. We installed two hand rails approaching the bridge and reworked the tread leading down to the bridge. We also sent two saws and two weedeaters up the trail to remove several blow downs and clear some annual growth. A few water bars were installed and existing ones cleared. More work is needed on stream crossings on up the trail. We will get back to Big Creek Trail soon to complete this work. Bill Newton CMC Pisgah Friday Crew

Leader: Skip Shelton
Date: Friday, July 1
Purpose: Move Logs
Location: AT
People: 11

Summary: Moved the last 12 logs down the hill and continued work on the tent pads. This completes moving all the logs and other building materials down the hill. Jim Bloom worked hard on the tent pads and made good progress on them. Work Needed: When Howard’s shelter building crew is done with their construction, we will go back for one day to haul all the construction stuff up the hill, brush in the log trail, and repair the AT crossing we made to move the logs across it. There is still some work to do to complete the tent pads and we will work on those that day also. Don’t anticipate doing this work till mid to late Fall.

Leader: John Pawcio
Date: Saturday, July 2
Purpose: Weedeating
Location: MST
People: 5

Summary: We gave it a good try, but did not manage to clear the trail all the way to Ivestor gap intersection - John Plaxico said we were less than 1/2 mile to it when a bolt of lightening hit about 4 inches behind me - well it sounded like it anyway. We ran 4 weedeaters back to back and managed to clear around a mile in about 4 1/2 hours. Adding an hour travel each way that's 6.5 hrs total X 5 for a total of 32.5 hrs today. DR Kulp, Ed Hauschild, John Pawcio, Bud Haas and me. John hopes to go back and finish by himself if need be soon, and Ed plans to work his section soon. I'm going to the south pole. Bill

Leader: Barth Brooker
Date: Monday, July 4
Purpose: Down Trees/Weedeating
Location: MST
People: 4

Summary:  I intended to remove a couple of trees on the upper part of Douglas Falls trail, but Jorge just hiked the trail and said the upper part was clear. However, we did remove a tree which was blocking the MST below the Craggy Visitor Center. A tree was removed from between Bee Tree Gap and Potato Field and another removed from just above the Folk Arts Center (the last two reported by Roy Smucker and Jim Bloom, respectively). Also did some weed eating, tread work, and water bar cleaning between Craggy Garden and the Douglas Falls Trail Junction.

Leader: John Soldati
Date: Wed, June 29
Purpose: Down Trees
Location: AT-Big Bald to Spivey Gap
People: 3

Leader: Skip Shelton
Date: Friday, June 24
Purpose: Logs
Location: AT-Shelter Site
People: 5

Leader: Mike Lang
Date: Monday, June 27
Purpose: Various
Location: MST-Ox Creek, Rattlesnake Lodge
People: 4

Summary:  Removed all trees. Cleaned waterbars. Repaired wet areas. Lopping.

Leader: Bill Newton
Date: Friday, June 24
Purpose: Various
Location: AT-Sams Gap
People: 9

Leader: John Soldati
Date: Wed, June 22
Purpose: Various
Location: AT-J. Meadows
People: 7

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Maintenance News....

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