Hitch 3

Hitch 3: July 6, 2010 – July 15, 2010
Poison Flat Trail

Lead: Brian
Food: Hannah
Documentation: Sara
Tools: Darien
Spot beacon and vehicle checks: Aaron

Total trail maintained: 15,600 feet
Total trail reestablished: 5,460 feet
Drainage structures: 10
Check steps: 12
Cairns: 5

Hitch 3, halfway through our season, had the trail crew doing an entirely different variety of work. Our main projects focused on water bars and check steps in the Poison Flat Trail instead of our usual bucking of downed trees. We restored and cleaned out 23 water bars, set 12 check steps, installed 4 new water bars, and dug drainage ditches in addition to our usual brushing and tread projects. Weather was a challenge this hitch, with afternoon thunderstorms occasionally cutting our work hours short.

A great moment from this hitch was the entire group of 6 working together to move a huge rock into a tricky placement position. For a crew to synchronize 6 tools working on one rock to simultaneously push, counter balance, hold, and nudge it into place is an impressive feat. With the season halfway finished the crew was looking strong and determined. Members continued to display an impressive work ethic and dedication to the work at hand.

The wildflowers seen while hiking through the Corral Valley trailhead appeared to be getting brighter and richer in color as the season progressed. Some crew favorites from the Carson-Iceberg were bright yellow mule's ears with large velvet leaves, pink and red indian paintbrush, alien-like mycotrophic snow plant, which derives its nutrients from fungi under the soil, and fragrant horsemint, a plant that could commonly be found underneath the downed trees we were working on.