Sat March 25, 2023 Peter's Mill/Tasker's Gap Trail Workday (1 Viewer)

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StaleAle

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There will be a trail workday on Saturday, March 25, 2023 starting at 9am in the large parking lot at Edinburg Gap (top of the hill, not the lot at the base of the hill on the east side).

WATR will be there as well and will have a catered lunch to share with us.

There is a lot of brushing to be done and puddles that need to be drained, as well as a few signs put up. I will pick-up the signs and signposts on my way through Edinburg. Please arrive on or before 9am to make sure you are not left behind.

I will have copies of the authorization letter you'll need to be behind the closed/locked gates. Every vehicle must have a letter or you are subject to be ticketed for unauthorized use of a restricted area.

Please wear heavy work boots and bring work gloves and safety glasses. Dress warmly and bring plenty of water and snacks. The trail is 7 miles long one-way and will take several hours to complete the work and return to the entry/exit gate.

Post-up if you plan to attend so we can give WATR a head-count. Please do not post-up unless you actually plan to attend.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Jon

PS - The March Chainsaw Class is full and I'm told they are not taking any more registrations for 2023. Let me know if you are interested and I'll make sure your name goes on the list for next year's class. The next class will be March 2024.

Certification gained through the class is required to operate a saw on USFS property (as is a current Red Cross First Aid cert). There are two parts to the class,

1) Classroom portion on a Saturday morning (~8:30am to 2:30pm) - No special equipment needed for the classroom session, just bring your own beverages and lunch (sometimes they send out for lunch if the local firehouse is having a fundraiser).

2) Field skills test - Done that same day in the afternoon or can be scheduled on a follow-on date (most folks do the follow-up session on the annual trail workday). This is a practical field test that you must pass before receiving your cert card. You will actually use your saw in the woods and must demonstrate the skills and safe techniques you have learned for solving dangerous problems related to using a chainsaw in the woods. Personal equipment required for the field test includes heavy leather work boots, heavy gloves, hearing and eye protection. Chaps are required to use a saw in the forest. Bring your own if you already have them, or you can borrow a pair for the test. Bring your saw too, but you can borrow one of theirs if necessary. Let me know if you have questions.

Jon
 
I'm In. Will have saw cert and equipment. When we went up last month for the last minute trail day the trail has lots of puddles from people wallowing out the trails so if you have a shovel and specifically a pick axe bring it. I know of one big problem tree that was at AW2 that I ignored because it was way up a hill compounded and twisted into another tree and it was just two of us and he didn't even have work gloves so I was not going to drop it then get stuck moving the entre tree off the trail. I did clear it enough to drive under it but it will need removal.
 
I believe I will be there. As long as my Social Planner doesn’t schedule me for something else.
@1MOA what else do you think we will need to remove the tree?
 
I believe I will be there. As long as my Social Planner doesn’t schedule me for something else.
@1MOA what else do you think we will need to remove the tree?
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Not sure probably just some guys to get the pieces. This is the tree. You can see its cut so you can get under it but I wasn't going to do it solo.
If we can drop it on the ground it should clean up just fine.
Wade was real specific that he wanted the trails marked well because the side by side crowd are going way off the trails and tearing up stuff. He said if it continues there is a real good chance the trails will be shut down or limited even more because the forestry service can't control the situation so they will manage the issue with a padlock on the gate.
 
That’s not surprising ****ing side by siders!
 
Wade (Forest Technician) called to tell me that the far end of Peter's Mill Trail will be closed for the season with a new locked gate. They have to get control of and resolve the issue with the huge mudhole that the side-by-sides and Heeps have created (at the stream crossing). There is no target date for resolution. He says the USFS Trail Auditors were not happy at what they saw. Ironically, we will now have a bunch of signs to put up so bring a post hole digger/tamping bar if you have them. If the signs don't go up or are not heeded, the entire trail could be shutdown permanently.

Please make a strong effort to turnout for this event because we will need the manpower.

Jon
 
I plan on bringing a pick and pulaski (Axe/Adze combo)
 
I can bring a pick axe and shovel. I don’t have a digging bar. I use a backhoe.
 
I'm hoping we have more of a club commitment than just the above two stalwarts.
 
I agree John It’s pretty sad we have over 40 members. And 2-3 that show up to put in the work.
 
This is how public trails get shut down:
This is the north area of Taskers gap less than a mile in from the parking area. The ATV/side by sides have tore out mud holes where it used to be open area. They also have cut down the trees around the lower park gate to get around the gate completely.

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Trail clean up went great, not to much trash on the actual trail, the widow maker tree we thought we where gonna have to take down was already cleaned up. Most of the trash was down by the Mud hole area and just like @1MOA said that kind of crap will get the trails shut down. Myself and @DC470 decide to make the trip out as well to help

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As we left I went down to the camping area the gate was open and 8-10 dirt bikes were going around the gate leaving to go ride the trail.
 

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