Dates of work: May 14, 15, 18, 19
Number of workers :1 Jim de Friess
Time spent: includes commutes :10 hours
Work done: Clipping on Pinch In (14th)- shear work clipping back the growth that has started encroaching on the trail. Not to 4' wide, but making sure the path is clear and discernible.
Waterbars on lower Pinch In (15th) - cleaned out the lower ones, constructed some, cleared tree obstructions. Pinch In has no major blockages, but 1/4 down remains a substantial tree that could be cut wider if a crosscut team is available.
Clipping on Conley 18th and 19th- using shears to trim back briers, blackberries and nettles encroaching on the trail. There is a discernible path. At the lowest most switchback a 2' hardwood fell across the trail blocking it twice. I clipped in the bypass to the north of it so crossing it twice can be avoided. Further down about halfway between the last switchback and LGT another significant tree is across the trail, that has to be climbed over. The footing for this is very tricky, and I should have notched it, but did not- wish I had. It would be good to have a team for this one as well. There are some other trees across Conley but they can be much more easily negotiated.
I've gotten some gorge days in, it feels like its been forever.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wolfpit trail and MST to river
https://picasaweb.google.com/jdefriess/Apr292011ShortoffMSTarea?authkey=Gv1sRgCNOcs-jzscjYGQ#
Photos at link above.
Date of work: 4/29/2011
Number of Workers: 1 Jim de Friess
Time spent : 6 hours including commute
Work accomplished: I was planning to camp along the lower part of MST and work the mile of trail or so as it ascends Shortoff. Leaving Wolfpit I ascended to a point where 2 orange flags were to the left of the trail at a sharp right hand bend. Following the path by the flags it remained on contour and took me to the MST on the ridge just above where the cliff ends to the NW.
I descended MST about a 100 yards and headed over to survey the terrain to the NW. MST was in fabulous shape, clipped about 4' wide for the as far as I could see up and down. After surveying I descended to another part to get a better MST look to the SW. Clear.
I hiked up the hill and found the trail condition consistent all the way to the intersection with the trail to wolfpit. At that intersection I descended and de-limbed a tree. The rest of the way down I cleared waterbars. Where water was actively running down the trail I looked for the first opportunity to divert it. There are sections that have water running down the trail 20-30'. At one particular point I noticed the waterbar was diverting it off the trail, however it was coming right back on 15' later. I cut two pine logs to build a better (longer) waterbar to prevent it from running back on- I was successful. Where the water does still run down the trail, I tried to channel it to one side. In that one area, prior, the water was running about 100' down the trail, now its about 30'.
The waterbars have held up well, the trail was mostly dry. One was filled up and I couldn't clear it- I was tired and a lot of digging would be required. Near the trail head there was another tree across the trail. Its gone.
A good day in the woods, the trail up Shortoff from Wolfpit and MST down to the river are in wonderful shape.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
South LGT and PI April 19-21
https://picasaweb.google.com/jdefriess/52GorgeHours?authkey=Gv1sRgCNGXyerTsPzfmwE#
This is a link to photos as part of a three day two night trip into Linville gorge.
Dates of work: 4-19 through 4-21
Number of workers: 1 - Jim de Friess
Time spent : purely a guess - 20 hours? Including commute (7 on the 19th, 8 on the 20th, and 5 on the 21st)
Work done: Checked PinchIn and LGT south of PinchIn with the purpose in mind of clearing major obstacles I had heard were making hiking more difficult.
I cleared trees with Pulaski unless they could be stepped over, or were too big. All the majors obstacles to trail navigation are gone. There were places were multiple trees blocked the trail, and hikers had been finding their way around. On most occasions I was able to clear the original trail. Two exceptions where I clipped in the bypass were one, in an area with about a 3' drop where a slide had occurred (not recently). The bypass has a dropoff too, but being narrower its a little easier to deal with. The second one was in an area where water clearly pooled in the trail area, and hikers where bypassing around to the west. I left this one because it would be easier to negotiate in an active rainstorm.
My other tool was loppers and I was trying for width and height. 60% of the obstructions just needed to be tossed off the trail. In the areas where the trail tunnels through rhodo I left it a little lower than I wanted to in areas. People who hike should be awake. With the loppers I cut the smaller green and dead to clear the trail.
PinchIn had a tree across the lower part, but most work was done on LGT. I feel its around 2 miles from the PinchIn LGT intersection to the Dellinger Chimney and I am pleased to report the trail is much better.
LGT could use some shearing in places, and there was a poison ivy vine bigger than my leg- which I didn't mess with. But I had no shears. PinchIn needs some shearing too. Both are in good shape.
On a personal note I did some cooking and had a great time.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
a minor workday on north RJ
Not knowing if govt is shutdown or not you may have to disregard.
My pics are at
Date of work 4/10/2011.
Time spent : about 4 hours including commute. This was at least partly a recreational hike.
Work done: removed trail obstructions with a pulaski
Notable, the three foot high Hemlock between split rock and Zen creek was cut twice, and no longer has to be crawled over. We cleared some other logs too, and notched the ones we left.
It was a great day with great company. Thanks Ken.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
RockJock March 11 and 12, 2011
Well I did about 4 hours of work (Pulaski only), all totaled on RJ over two days. I cut a tree in Mossy Canyon. I cleared some brush north of tee shirt point, and made a downed tree passable between split rock and Zen creek. Finally helping Ken with two leaners. RJ has even fewer obstructions, and nothing major. Big tree in Mossy canyon that can be gotten passed and a hemlock across the trail in Fern canyon I would say are the greatest obstacles.
I left work at 1pm and went straight to the gorge and parked up the hill around the corner from the south RJ entrance. It was breezy and cool, by the bottom of the hill I was down to a tee shirt. I worked my way through Mossy taking a few breaks, and stopped to cut the tree. Then I proceeded around and down to Mossy Falls taking another break there.
I made good time to tee shirt, and then left the pack at the trail above tee shirt to explore the ridge going down. My former boss had heard of climbing in Crevasse, and I wanted to see what it was like before taking him on a RJ tour. Below the falls and on the ridge at the cliff edge was an area that was fairly flat and had live pine trees. Lots of briers on the ridge down though, not a trip for shorts. I went back up the ridge to my backpack, where I caught my breath.
Then I proceeded north clearing a new fallen tree that wasn't there last week. It consisted of breaking off limbs, more could be done. I made good time to sunshine point, again leaving the trail to check out camping possibilities. I found one spot that looked good, but the sun was still high enough, I decided to push north.
I crossed Zen creek, and took a picture of it overflowing its catch basin. I went to the area north of Zen where I had camped before, and decided to camp below the trail, and go ahead and create a space. It was little stick heaven and I put up the hammock. I also scoped out a little - the way to Zen Canyon overlook, seeing lots of downed big trees I decided my attempt Saturday would be to head east close to the cliff edge. Darkness was closing so I went back to camp.
Four guys called out from RJ asking how far it was to Conley Cove. Not sure where they were from, I didn't ask.
The amount of downed wood out there is nuts. I built a small fire about 18" across and watched it closely. In any direction from the fire about 10' or less there was plenty of wood. I cooked supper ate, then watched it as I burned a few more sticks. Since I didn't let it get big I realized I was standing around the fire shivering, so I quit feeding it, let it get small and put a rock on top, and then went to bed.
I had to get up twice during the night, the first time I stumbled down the hill and caught some briers between my toes. I have gorge tattoos there now. I noticed the sun was getting close to rising, but got tired of waiting on it and got up. Good thing too, there were enough clouds, the sunrise was not crisp.
Once dressed I executed my plan to find Zen canyon overlook. A sea of scrub pines awaited, and I made progress back to the south, arriving near some cliffs. I noticed the place I was wanting to get to was on the south side of the creek, so I crossed the creek and headed west, gaining elevation and found a way to the top. Then down to the point. Somebody had been there recently, but boy was it brushy.
Leaving the point I noticed some old flagging, and followed it. Then a double, I turned and crossed the creek. Saw two more heading up the hill to the north west, and then lost them. At that point I looked for the least obstructed route NW up the hill. After picking my way through, I found RJ in about 100'.
The turn to point where I came out is easy to find. RJ is heading basically south and turns west into the canyon where it crosses the creek. After making the turn about 100' up the hill you will see a 8+" live tree to your left leaning way over (less than 45 degrees). Turn there go under the tree head south, when you see the point head diagonal (SE) to the creek just below Zen overlook point, cross creek head West looking for a route up to the ridge, and then down the ridge.
After getting back to the trail, I went back to my camp and finished packing. I checked the fire with the back of my hand and stirred it, cold out. I then proceeded north.
About 200 yards from there the trail turned down hill, and a new tree was down. Its root ball was right in the trail, and its trunk fell just to the south side of the trail. I cleared the limbs and two trees it fell on that blocked the route- they were saplings. Its passable.
Nothing else really to note until I got close to Split Rock. I was looking for footprints where L.O.S.T. starts, because I knew several were going to hike it today. I didn't see any. As I rounded the corner, I saw people in BlueJay Canyon- the group coming for L.O.S.T. I "Hollar"ed for Ken, who saw me, we met at the top of the gully.
After talking a few minutes they headed for L.O.S.T., and I headed down into BlueJay. I took a break in BlueJay and Ken got them started then came back. I ascended out of BlueJay, stopping at Hacker's. Ken stayed back at one of the overlooks to make sure they got started well, and then caught back up with me at the flat rock North of Hacker's that looks down on it. We walked out cutting two trees and taking a whack or two at some others.
Ken gave me a ride to my truck.
It was great days in the woods.
Photos:
Monday, March 7, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Rock Jock 3-3-2011
Date of work: 3-3-2011
Number of workers : 2 Jim de Friess, James Kirby
Time spent: 8 hours each (includes commutes).
Work done: Well basically we through hiked Rock Jock, and removed major obstacles and clipped here and there.
We found Rock Jock just where we left it.
The plan was to work the south end, hike in and out that way, but I got to thinking - why not through hike it. If the obstruction Muttly reported was far enough north it would be easier to come out that way anyway. So I met him James just before 8 and we ferried my truck to Old Conley. From there we drove back and entered from the south end. Several trees were down on the initial descent to the cliff but we were able to clear them.
On around through Mossy canyon we stopped as needed to throw stuff out and cut a few as needed. One tree in Mossy we cut the end off and the trunk slid down the hill blocking the trail in a worse fashion, so we had to cut it again. James' daddy called him "lightening" when he was growing up, cause he couldn't hit the same place with an axe twice.
We took a break at mossy falls, and then headed toward Tee-shirt. That log I across the trail about half way was two cut and now it can be backpacked through. James wound up with the shears and clipped a lot through there.
At tee shirt we started the climb toward the turn in the back of that canyon, and I clipped some- while James removed brush.
We went through the next two canyons clearing trees that couldn't be stepped over, and clipping, and I pointed out the turn down to sunshine point. James said that would be a good camping spot. I did not recognize the path climbers have used to ascend to the road, all I saw was brush, I probably walked right by it thinking we had to be further south.
In Moonshine canyon just north of the creek we found the tree Muttly did. Two limbs were head high and we cut them, and removed a piece of trunk that was free. One of the limbs required two cuts and James joked about carrying it out for firewood. He said the tree itself would last someone a whole year, I reminded he'd need a long winch to get it to the road. The tree can be negotiated, James made a nice foot notch in the biggest part of the trunk.
Less than 500 yards easy we got to the point Ken and I stopped on our last trip, when we worked just south of razor creek. Up the hill from razor creek we cut some- but not through on the burnt pine log where I lost trail and headed up to the road once upon a time.
Very little was done all the way to split rock and past. Where the hemlock had fallen and I cleared in December there were branches across the trail. We started clearing them and I noticed the hemlock had a hardwood tree laying on top of it. The tree in the corner on the downhill side was missing its top, as it fell right on top of the hemlock from middle to downhill side. So we cleared limbs through there again.
We took a break at Blue Jay Falls- I warned him of the upcoming climb.
At Hackers I took his picture. We saw hikers out by the edge near lost dog pond. One had on a dark blue shirt that stuck out. We continued our climb up beyond hackers and caught our breath on the flat spot that looks down on Hackers from the North.
Then through fern, where I told James that big hemlock needed to "season" more. We hiked by Jason's puddle, up and around, and I showed him the side trails as we passed and described where they went.
We made it back to the truck, and I drove us back to his truck.
It was a great day in the woods. I think James enjoyed himself, and I think he'll want to hike with other gorge rats. From seeing him swing the pulaski and clip briars I think he's another gorge rat.
Rock Jock is in good shape, there are some obstacles, but nothing major. The ruts on Kistler have mostly been filled in and it was easy driving.
Number of workers : 2 Jim de Friess, James Kirby
Time spent: 8 hours each (includes commutes).
Work done: Well basically we through hiked Rock Jock, and removed major obstacles and clipped here and there.
We found Rock Jock just where we left it.
The plan was to work the south end, hike in and out that way, but I got to thinking - why not through hike it. If the obstruction Muttly reported was far enough north it would be easier to come out that way anyway. So I met him James just before 8 and we ferried my truck to Old Conley. From there we drove back and entered from the south end. Several trees were down on the initial descent to the cliff but we were able to clear them.
On around through Mossy canyon we stopped as needed to throw stuff out and cut a few as needed. One tree in Mossy we cut the end off and the trunk slid down the hill blocking the trail in a worse fashion, so we had to cut it again. James' daddy called him "lightening" when he was growing up, cause he couldn't hit the same place with an axe twice.
We took a break at mossy falls, and then headed toward Tee-shirt. That log I across the trail about half way was two cut and now it can be backpacked through. James wound up with the shears and clipped a lot through there.
At tee shirt we started the climb toward the turn in the back of that canyon, and I clipped some- while James removed brush.
We went through the next two canyons clearing trees that couldn't be stepped over, and clipping, and I pointed out the turn down to sunshine point. James said that would be a good camping spot. I did not recognize the path climbers have used to ascend to the road, all I saw was brush, I probably walked right by it thinking we had to be further south.
In Moonshine canyon just north of the creek we found the tree Muttly did. Two limbs were head high and we cut them, and removed a piece of trunk that was free. One of the limbs required two cuts and James joked about carrying it out for firewood. He said the tree itself would last someone a whole year, I reminded he'd need a long winch to get it to the road. The tree can be negotiated, James made a nice foot notch in the biggest part of the trunk.
Less than 500 yards easy we got to the point Ken and I stopped on our last trip, when we worked just south of razor creek. Up the hill from razor creek we cut some- but not through on the burnt pine log where I lost trail and headed up to the road once upon a time.
Very little was done all the way to split rock and past. Where the hemlock had fallen and I cleared in December there were branches across the trail. We started clearing them and I noticed the hemlock had a hardwood tree laying on top of it. The tree in the corner on the downhill side was missing its top, as it fell right on top of the hemlock from middle to downhill side. So we cleared limbs through there again.
We took a break at Blue Jay Falls- I warned him of the upcoming climb.
At Hackers I took his picture. We saw hikers out by the edge near lost dog pond. One had on a dark blue shirt that stuck out. We continued our climb up beyond hackers and caught our breath on the flat spot that looks down on Hackers from the North.
Then through fern, where I told James that big hemlock needed to "season" more. We hiked by Jason's puddle, up and around, and I showed him the side trails as we passed and described where they went.
We made it back to the truck, and I drove us back to his truck.
It was a great day in the woods. I think James enjoyed himself, and I think he'll want to hike with other gorge rats. From seeing him swing the pulaski and clip briars I think he's another gorge rat.
Rock Jock is in good shape, there are some obstacles, but nothing major. The ruts on Kistler have mostly been filled in and it was easy driving.
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