Hitch Number Five

19 October-24 October

To celebrate the total immersion in Autumn, the crew has adjusted their schedule to accommodate the diminishing presence of the sun—shorter workdays, shorter hitches, shorter weekends. And they still managed to cover an impressive 20.02 miles of trail!

Through this hitch the crew was able to complete their survey of the RidgeRunner trail (an additional 10.28 miles), complete the survey of the North Fork Loop trail (1.83 miles), begin the survey of the Noblett Loop trail (4.45 miles), complete the Raccoon Hollow trail (2.70 miles), and complete the North Fork River Trail (0.76 miles).

After a dry first two months of service, this hitch they found themselves carefully balanced atop fallen logs, and sometimes hip-deep in water to ford the area’s rivers and creeks… though there still hasn't been any rain.

The crew would like to express many thanks and much appreciation to a stellar AmeriCorps crew who logged out an incredible amount of blowdown on the Raccoon Hollow trail following a major storm event earlier this year. The amount of crosscut work is quite impressive! As naturally beautiful as the trail is, hiking it just to check out their work is highly recommended.

In other news, one evening upon returning from the trails, the crew found two beautiful black lab pups laying in their parking space at the North Fork Campground. While it was a joy to have them around, the pups seemed to care more for vicious battles with armadillos during the night than comprehending the crew's need for rest. The crew was willing to work through this somewhat minor issue, but the duo's wandering spirits and friendly personalities have led them on to other great adventures. Additionally, the crew has seen several bald eagles right here in their front yard! And leaves are dropping like it’s the new fall fashion.

Sadly, the crew's trusty companion and fourth mate, Wheelbert (the cyclometer) cannot seem to hack it as a trails surveyor. Through numerous rounds of experimental surgery, he refuses to heal properly and his kickstand now hangs off of him like a broken wing. He’s going into major surgery this break—please wish him well!