Hitch 7 report

Progress Report:

Program Name: Finger Lakes National Forest
Dates: 8/23/10- 8/30/10

South Slope trail corridor- ¼ mile
Drainage ditch on Interloken- ¼ mile
Privy- Trim, roof, trail
Turnpikes- 4
Cleaned Rainbow camp- 15 garbage bags

During hitch 7 we finally started work on a project we have be prepping since hitch 1; building turnpikes on the Interloken trail. During hitch 6 we completed some of the prep-work for one of the turnpikes, digging culverts and laying in the 6x6’s. When we arrived back to work on the 23rd the gravel we needed to make the culverts was waiting for us. However, we had to wait a few days before we could get Marv and Rebecca’s help transporting the ATV and Mule to the work site. Rainy weather kept postponing our use of the ATV and Mule as well. To keep busy while we waited we dug a drain ditch along the Interloken trail near South Burnt Hill pond where two of our turnpikes will be installed. The drain dip, when all said and done, turned out to be ¼ mile long.
As well as digging drainages we put some finishing touches on the privy. We finished up the trim, the screening, and built a trail leading to the privy. While we were at the privy site we also restored the vista from the trail shelter by cutting down the undergrowth and sumac that had blocked the view. Lastly, on Friday we helped Marv clean up an abandoned campsite off the Backbone trail. The site was abandoned by the Rainbow group who left four tents, kitchen supplies, food, chairs, and garbage.
That afternoon, after cleaning up the campsite, Marv brought the ATV and the Mule to the turnpiking worksite and we started hauling gravel from the parking lot up the Interloken trail to the turnpike. For the next few days we hauled gravel to the four turnpiking sites and filled them in. By the end of hitch seven we completed two of the turnpikes and have the other two well underway.