Upper Pinch In 11-12-2009

Date of work: 11-12-2009
Number of workers: 1 Jim de Friess
time spent: 6.5 hours (includes commute)

Work accomplished:
Well after considering working on RJ I decided to continue my work on
upper Pinch In. I thought it would be easy to tell where waterbars were
additionally needed after two days of rain.

I was pleasantly surprised at the leaf cover on the trail. Large
amounts of water flush leaves right off the trail and there were leaves
until I got to the section I had not worked on yet. At that point I saw
bare trail.

On the way down I chopped on the big tree across the trail, and decided
to be like Ken and chop it a little each time by. I continued down the
trail. Another 8" tree was across the trail, 1 cut and made it part of
a waterbar.

After that a tree leaning low across the trail, I removed it to the
downhill side.

After that the area where the trail had been blocked for a time had
still more down. I trimmed it back.

I finally got down past the last waterbar I built and the trail was
bare. So I started putting in more. Between 30 and 50' apart and I
took my time to make sure I thought they would drain well with little
maintenance. My older ones are holding up well.

I was in the relatively flat section just above the cliffs, where some
have tried to extend what they call Rock Jock to and past Pinch In. One
particular section had a steep place that I had noticed was always damp.
The downhill side had a mound of dirt from a tree at the place where a
waterbar was needed. I used the mound to fill in the rut as I dug the
waterbar. Placing stepping rocks and using the loose dirt to pack in
around. Interestingly enough I worked and walked around below this
water bar for a while, and when I came back it already was collecting
water. So I felt I made a good choice.

When I got to the bottom and ready to turn into the ravine that heads to
Falcon rock I quit. This leaves me a very small section above Falcon
rock to complete my waterbar project maybe 150-200 yards.

I then walked out to the rocks at the edge of the canyon to the north of
the trail. It reminded me very much of Mossy canyon. I took photos
looking down into it, but they don't do it justice. You need to be
there. I looked to see how many live trees there were and did find two
pines a suitable distance for hammock hanging at a lower level than the
plateau and before you get to the creek. It was really rushing down
into the canyon.

I walked back to the top and then east to the edge. I could have gone
further, but the rocks are narrow and being alone a slip could have been
not fun. There are live pines out on the point that are lower like the
one that died at hacker's point.

After taking some pics I headed back up and took some water bar pics on
the way out.

I also stopped at the big tree and chopped. It was going well and I did
in fact get it cut. Its stump was sawdust, so only one cut was
necessary, but moving it out of the trail was not easy.

Photos at Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdefriess/sets/72157622668625679/

It was a beautiful day, I got chilled getting out of the truck, mid 40s
and breezy. Breezy all day, I quickly shed my jacket, no rain.
Overcast mostly. I did see some sun on the way out.

A great day in the gorge. Haven't had a bad one yet.

11-7-2009 Northern Rock Jock

Date of work Nov. 7, 2009
Number of workers: 1 (Jim de Friess)
Time spent: 5 hours includes commute

Work accomplished: Light clipping and pulaski work.

I parked at old Conley and headed south on RJ with shears out, clipping,
but also trying to keep up a decent pace.

Fern canyon slowed me a little, but it was passable. Near hackers point
there was a 6" soft wood tree (hemlock?) across the trail. People had
been getting around it. I continued along clipping lightly (pulaski was
in the pack). Another 5" tree was across the trail in Blue jay. It was
easy to maneuver around as well. In the gully of Blue jay a big tree
had fallen across the trail. Plenty of limbs down, but as before people
had gotten through.

I rounded the corner past split rock and achieved the point (one of
them) I was shooting for. At this point the trail goes steeply uphill,
turns 90 degrees left and then crosses a rock requiring a pretty big
step down. Hiking north several months ago, I fell on my butt coming
down the steep part. I was going to see how hard it would be to bypass
the steep and the big step of rock.

At this point a group of late teen- 20 somethings passed me hiking
north. I didn't ask where they had been but I'm guessing razor's edge.
After they passed and their "friendly" dog growled at me I cut a path
that would miss the big step and the steep section. It tied in
beautifully I thought, and was about a 20' new section. I then blocked
the old section- very well.

At this point I checked the time, and it was too late to proceed further
south. I parked at 2:15 pm and I knew it would be dark by 6. My plan
was to be at the truck by 5:30. It was almost four, and I had passed
some trees that needed attention on the way in. There is another point
further south where the trail down to a creek crossing is very steep and
slippery, and another route could/should be put in. That will have to
wait for another day.

I had pulled out the pulaski to build the section, and now I put the
shears in my pack. I started heading for the truck.

Before split rock there was a 4" tree across the trail that wasn't on
the ground, it no longer is there. I then saw a leaner that I moved so
it would fall, and cleared it from the trail. The leaner just south of
split rock I left. It it gets cut, it looked to me like a lot of debris
will come down too. In Blue Jay I cleared the branches from the big
tree and beat on the trunk some. It will rot quickly, and its easy to
get through.

I cleared the small tree in Blue Jay that I walked around on the way in.
One cut and de-branching was all that was required.

Another leaner was removed on the climb up out of Blue Jay, and one was
left- its not ready. Hiking north there is the point where someone had
cleared out on the cliff edge, as opposed to the official trail. It
looked like both were getting about equal usage. It was never clear
where those that took the cliff then came back to the original trail, my
guess is that it is multiple places.

I walked out to hackers.

After hackers the tree across the trail required one cut and some
de-branching. Its gone.

About half way between hackers and the large flat rock I refer to as the
table (trail goes right over it) there was a huge dead tree right beside
the trail. It was leaning downhill away from the trail, but in looking
at it, I wondered why it was still standing. I weakened it on the down
hill side, then got above and whacked away. I quit and was about to
give up, and I heard it creaking, one more whack, and the creaks started
more-so. I watched it, it probably took it about 45 seconds of creaking
before it went. Then boom- instant view through the scrub pines.

Oh well enough fun. I cut some drainage for the low spots in fern
canyon. They were very wet. I also cleared leaves so Jason's puddle
will drain better.

Between hackers and the huge tree table rock went from being in the sun
to none- very quick. It would be interesting to see if you can see the
shadow move one day.

I hiked out to the truck. Got there at 5:31pm.