Summary of Month
MAR 5 Workday
Saturday we had 17 regulars out along with six first timers for a total of 23. The work included six burn piles started and completed as well two others just getting started. One part of the crew split off in the morning to use log tongs to move a number of cut logs into position along the trail edge to act as guides and downing some Tan Oaks.
Logging Crew
Downing of the Tan Oaks
Here’s the felling of a Tan Oak, bucking a log, and rolling a trunk section off the trail provided by Matt (https://youtu.be/Kd47t9d3vfE).
Another good turnout and workday and we're now well over half way around the Redwood Loop. We finished just short of the Father of the Forest with the heaviest work areas now behind us. In front of us is moderate debris to be dealt with along with a number of down large trees in the Mother of the Forest area that the State crew said they would use heavy equipment to deal with. Below is the burn pile development from the base, slash, and ash.
Here is a time lapse of building a burn pile provided by Matt (https://youtu.be/lyeYekCw2no).
With 2 crews working on burn piles and another moving logs it was a very productive day! Below are the signs that the forest is returning.
Chimney Tree
The crew put in 179 hours and thanks to Arnold Arcolio, Daryn Bieri, Nan Singh Bowman, Noah Bowman, Jim Brooks, Rory Brooks, John Collins, Peter Gelblum, Tommy Ha, Howard Higley, Matt Kelsey, Marc Koenig, Janie Leifhelm, Mike Peasland, Devdutt Sheth, Bruce Washburn, Chris Young, and new to BBVTC Sasha Crawford, Denis DeCeuster, Logan Kreun, Alexis (Alex) Michel, Michael Rhoades, and Loren Tolley
MAR 19 Workday
The workday included something we had not seen in a while, a forecast of rain! Trail Crew founder Bob Kirsch always said that just because it's raining at home, it may not be at Big Basin, so we always show up! And despite the forecast of a quarter to half-inch of rain starting in the early morning, we had 20 show including two new people.
We picked up where we left off last time in an area with a lot of burned under story remaining along the trail edge and since the District trails supervisor had visited the park several days before hand and wanted more focus placed on aesthetics and improving sight lines, this meant we spent a lot of time lopping and dragging debris to burn piles. We even brought out the tarps for the first time since the Fall Creek work to make it easier to move debris.
Before and after the clean up series
We caught a break with the weather with the morning being dry, but after lunch a steady drizzle began as we made slow progress cutting the under story and building burn piles.
Damp Lunch
By 2 the drizzle was becoming a little heavier and since the plan for the day was to also scout our next work area along the Skyline-to-Sea Trail (STS), we decided to wrap up the work. It was good to see that some of the Redwoods are being milled for rails and lumber.
We finished the day by hiking the stretch of STS from the old tool shed area to Gazos Creek fire road and despite earlier comments that it was severely damaged, it was not as bad as expected. Not an easy stretch of work, but no worse than after the big storms we've cleaned up after in the past. So that will be our next work area, but for April we'll be back to finish work on the Redwood Loop.
Opal Creek Footbridge
STS Requires some Work
The crew put in 148 hours and 327 hours for March. Thanks to Hal Anjo, Arnold Arcolio, Norm Beeson, Jim Brooks, Rory Brooks, John Collins, Denis DeCeuster, Dale Elliott, Peter Gelblum, Charles Jalgunas, Shyamal Kapadia, Janie Liefhelm, Marc Koenig, Mike Peasland, Aaron Poulos, Devdutt Sheth, Bruce Washburn, Chris Young and first timers Katy Booth and Tess Fitzgerald, for the support on a damp day.
by Mike and Jeff
photos by Mike, Charles, Bruce, Shyamal, Daryn, Nan, and Peter
It's unique in that the different images are aligned side by side so you can see the changes three months after the fire. The video is titled 'Big Basin Will Never Be The Same', but with all the regrowth we've seen working in the old HQ area it's more like 'Big Basin Will be Different'.
You can find the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTIRHixcG68 .