Since the BBVTC started work on the Fall Creek Trail, a goal has been to reach the Barrel Mill Site and the September 11th work brought us to the edge of the area. The last stretch of trail before the site was too narrow for new burn piles, so we spent the Sept. 11th workday dragging tarps of slash uphill to the last area wide enough for new piles. Not a lot of fun, but by the end of the day we had reached the edge of Barrel Mill and were entering a wide downhill stretch with lots of locations for new burn piles on future workdays.

Well we have definitely turned a corner as we progress down Fall Creek Trail towards the Lime Kilns. After several months we are within a day's work of reaching the historic Barrel Mill Site and the new trail reroute that was put in this year. All this progress means that we can use a different connector trail down to our work site that is a bit shorter, about a 20 minute hike. I think everyone will agree that we are over hiking the steep portion of the Big Ben Trail to get back to our cars.

The weather forecast for the Trail Crew's August 14th workday was in our favor - it was wrong! The forecast had called for a temperature of about 90 degrees and possible humidity from a monsoon storm out of the southwest desert, but it was only about 80. We also worked our way into a cooler section of the Fall Creek Trail closer to the creek, so it was downright pleasant compared to recent Fall Creek days but that didn’t mean there wasn’t sweating going on.

The Trail Crew's July 10th workday at Fall Creek was canceled due to a forecasted high temperature of 103F, so for the July 24th work we decided to do what a lot of people think of when warm summer weather sets in, we headed to the coast! Fortunately for us Big Basin has a section right on the coast, so we headed over to the Rancho del Oso (RDO) area of Big Basin, which is just east of Wadell Beach.

The previous blog entry mentioned the Fall Creek section of Henry Cowell where we've been working can be warmer than Big Basin, about eight degrees warmer on average. Because of this we had already decided we would consider cancelling a workday for safety reasons if it looked like the day would be too hot. The new strategy didn't have to wait long to be tested as the forecast for our July 10th workday called for a high temperature of 103, so we decided it would be best to cancel the work.

Post Santa Cruz Lighting Complex Fire, trail work has meant many adjustments for the Big Basin Volunteer Trail Crew, the most obvious being we have yet to begin work in Big Basin due to ongoing dangers and fire re-ignitions. But our current work in the Fall Creek section of Henry Cowell brings it's own challenges, namely that it's about 8 degrees warmer in Fall Creek than at Big Basin.

The workday got off to a different start as we worked by ourselves for a change and were able to head out a little early after our usual morning gathering. How early? We got to the work site and started work 30+ minutes earlier than what has been the norm.

The big change is Kile, from the District crew, has gone back to a M-F workweek and is getting tired of working six days a week when we're out, so we'll be on our own starting in June. Another acknowledgement of the Trail Crew's dedication and professionalism.

Having missed the first workday in the Fall Creek section of Henry Cowell, I wasn't sure what to expect as we gathered for the May 8th work other than the forecasted high for the day was 88 and there would be a steep uphill climb to the vehicles at the end of the day.

It was great to see friendly faces—and Janie’s long hair—after so long away from the BBVTC as we congregated at the Santa Cruz District Maintenance Yard. We met Kile Foltz and Trevor Hesselbein of the professional trail crew, loaded tools and car pooled up El Solyo Rd. Some road in Marty, the 1989 brown State Park van featuring ash trays for every bench seat.