11-23 CC and LGT south

Date of work: Primarily 11/23, some light clipping on 11/24 eventually putting the shears away for the climb out.
Number of workers: 1 Jim de Friess
Time spent:8 hours (includes commute)
Work done:  Just a walk through with light trail Maint on CC and LGT south of CC.

I had heard there were some trees across CC, and clipped until I found them.  They appear to be the hard (old dry deads) so I tried to make it a little easier to negotiate.  About 3/4s of the way down CC a red oak had fallen to block the upper and lower parts of a switchback  The bypass hikers had put in was steep, so I spent about 30 mins clearing as best I could to open the switchback back up.  There is a step over still at the edge of a ledge so I did not do anything to block the bypass, I had visions of ice.  I only clipped slightly on CC and LGT, however the further south I went the more I clipped, especially areas I felt the trail would be confusing.  I was hoping to get it clipped to where I had stopped clipping coming North of PI and did in fact complete that.  The trail was completely blocked about 100 yards from where I had made it up from the south with the hiker bypass equally bad, but 6-8 cuts later 12' of trail was open and 60' of bypass unnecessary. 

Met two hikers today on the way out that had lost the trail.  They turned around when they met me after we discussed how far it was to the river crossing (we were 1-1.5 miles north of PI).  I explained it to them, and later it occurred to me the maps show LGT crossing near Blue hole, while when someone mentions river crossing I think MST.

On the way out the two I mentioned told two more hikers heading south to talk to the "ranger".  They too wanted to go to the river crossing.  I estimated it at 6 miles for the MST one and rather involved.  They were thinking just walk across the private land.  I said they shouldn't do that and getting to that point wasn't easy near the private property anyway.