After a small turnout of 13 for our Oct. 4th workday, we bounced back with 18 for the Oct. 18th work. The last time we had 13 or fewer was May 2021 when we were working in the Fall Creek section of Henry Cowell while waiting to get back into Big Basin after the 2020 fires.
The day started with a little cleanup on the top section of Pine Mtn Trail just before reaching the junction with East Ridge Trail, but the bulk of the work was spent opening the next section of trail between the intersection and Pine Mtn Fire Rd 0.6 miles ahead.
We ended the previous workday by clearing a large open area that could be used for burn piles, so we were ready for a fast start on the 18th. With a large crew we split into different specialties with the sawyers out front making initial cuts followed by a large number of people dragging or carrying debris back to the burn pile sites where others began the task of assembling what ended up being four burn piles.
Meanwhile others followed the initial work by removing additional vegetation along the trail edge and pulling stubs from the trail itself so we didn't trip over them.
After lunch we came across a large fallen tree partially blocking the trail that we decided to leave in place for now since we were able to squeeze by as we pushed further ahead. It was a steep section of trail with no options for new burn pile sites on either side, so everything that was cut needed to be hauled back down the trail (below Chris Y. Felling an Oak).
By the end of the day we had cleared about one-third of the way to our next milestone at the fire road crossing.
The crew put in 134 hours and thanks to Fremont Bainbridge, Nan Bowman, Jim Brooks, Rory Brooks, Karen Cheeniyil, Santhosh Cheeniyil, Drew Granzella, Andrea Lee, Janie Leifhelm, Jack Marshall, John Martin, Joe Mitchell, Whitney Mitchell, Mike Peasland, Kris Kiefer-Woolery, Chris Young, Daniel Zichuhr, and newcomer Bill Lock for another very productive day.
Since we started work on Pine Mtn Trail in mid-July we've come across several burned dedication grove signs the Sempervirens Fund didn't want returned due to their condition. Prior to the 2020 fires the Sempervirens Fund used the dedication grove program as a major fundraiser with the money going toward the purchase of additional land to be added to Big Basin. No decision has been made on whether the program will return as part of the park's rebuilding.
Jack Marshall, one of our newer crew members, recently asked if he could restore one of the unwanted grove signs that was found near the East Ridge Trail - old Blooms Creek Tr. junction as an artifact of the CZU fires and the effort came out well.
by Mike and Jeff
photos by Jack and Mike