Number of workers: 2 Jim and Jared de Friess
Time spent: 6 hours (includes commute)
Work accomplished: General trail maint on Conley Cove is a pretty good
summary. The details are as follows.
I was going to meet the Scouts from Charlotte at the Conley Cove trail
head just before 9am. I got there just after 8 am and noticed a note on
a van stating the scouts had already gone to the bottom of the hill.
Jared and I set out, he had the shears, I had the Pulaski. He started
trimming worst offenders, and I got ahead of him. I worked on some of
the muddy areas, trying to get active water off the trail. I also was
trying to get to the bottom pretty fast so I did minimal work going
down. Jared maintained a much slower pace shearing (he has a summer
cold and didn't feel well).
I met my first group of scouts by the 12" hickory that was across the
trail. They were in process of sawing it with a bow saw on the uphill
side. Another scout was chopping the other side with a hatchet, which
he eventually broke the handle on. Beyond them was the leader. They
had sent a group south on LGT to work about an hour and return, he had
passed on the information I had emailed him about trail corridor. He
was cleaning out a waterbar, and said others were working below.
They ended up using my pulaski to finish the hickory- at least the first
cut. I did tell them they had to watch out for cut trees sliding down
the hill and they were appropriately cautious. The second cut should
have been very straight forward as the trunk across the trail was
hanging in mid air.
I did give the leader an 1986 map, they had the national geographic
version- which only shows RJ going to about blue jay canyon. I pointed
out the Pinch In, LGT, Conley, and RJ "almost loop" as I call it and
told him that is where I concentrate. I also told him he send a group
down RJ , that some flagging existed, but it seemed to me I was planting
seeds for future efforts. I told them if they could get Conley done it
would be huge. He said something about I could talk to them at lunch,
but I didn't promise. Jared as you recall was working alone slowly
descending, and I had his water.
There was a tree- huge, that had fallen across the trail that I had to
pass on the way down. I told the leader I was heading for that
obstruction, and then probably up and out. The tree blocked the trail,
those passing below had to cross a 2' diameter trunk, and it appeared
some had slide down about 10-12' below the trail in their attempts.
Other hikers were going around on the uphill side. Coming down the
trail it was easy to get to the top side of the root ball, however the
established path was to slide down about a 70% slope while holding onto
a tulip poplar. I can't imagine how it was negotiated going up. My
plan was to notch it, and we did. I placed the notch too high, and
jumping back down on the trail on either side of the notch was not
without difficulty, because the trail had worn thin. About 16" of tread
width to hit and a steep hill awaiting pieces to give way. I didn't
think that was going to be a good solution long term. So I cut the
growth and the tulip poplar and made a less steep more backpacker
friendly climb to the uphill side of the root ball. One of the scouts
that was working with me had said he wanted to be a civil engineer, and
he helped a great deal. He was pleased with the bypass I instructed him
to build. If the trunk is cut, it may roll down the hill (another trail
section is below), or it may need to be rolled down the hill to have
decent tread width. Anyway that is for the experts to decide. It is
definitely more passable now. On the up uphill side and at the highest
point we made the tread a little more friendly.
While we were working in that area more Scouts showed up- those that had
driven up this morning. Also Jared.
I had walked down a narrow path, so Jared carried the Pulaski and I took
the shears on the way up. I clipped as I went, but Jared had made it
much better already. Not 4' wide, but a definitely noticeable clipping.
A couple areas I widened- Poison Ivy Ones, and some nettles.
There were two small trees across the trail one was cut right in the
middle and Jared and I cut the other one right in the middle. I hoped
the scouts would get another section of each with the bow saws.
I also worked where a stream crossed the trail, part of it was diverted
down the trail, I think I got it diverted to where only about 10' of the
trail will be an active stream, with plenty of rocks to step across.
Further up was another pine, waist high, we left it- hopefully for the
scouts. On the uphill side I could see a broken off trunk and the tree
was about 8" diameter where it needed to be cut.
At the RJ intersection it always seems wet, I 90 degreed a path across
the trail where some water could be diverted, and did a little tread
work where it looks like people had been sliding.
We made it out 4 hours after we went in. I passed a group of hikers who
claimed to have seen a copperhead on their way up. They said he was
leaving the trail area. The parking area at the trail head was full.
As to weather, it was cloudy all morning with the clouds breaking as we
returned to the car. Bugs were not a problem, a significant breeze
remained prevalent. Good conditions, but nevertheless I was spent.
Jared took me to Chik-Fil-A - dad's got a free milkshake for father's
day.
It is my hope the Scouts will help again in the future. It was a good
day in the woods. No pictures.
Jim d
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