Hitch #1 -- DONE!

Hitch 1: 6/1/10 - 6/9/10

Work Stats

Summary

We began our work week enjoying the Memorial Day holiday. Once we began our work, however, we moved straight to the River Loop trail of Hidden Valley (arguably our most labor intensive trail of the hitch). Our restoration assignments included tread restoration, brushing the trail’s corridor and re-vegetation of the affected trail. As we acclimated to the heat and the new rigors of our work, we were fortunate enough to enlist the help of the Cold Springs Correctional Facility’s work crew. They helped us brush out the vegetation, lay new tread and were all-around good guys.

Our efforts on this particular trail continued for three days. Over which time, we moved from restoration zone to restoration zone and finished the trail off with a final brushing of the whole tread, from start to finish, giving the trail a pleasant, even surface. Upon completion of the River Loop trail we moved our sights to the Hidden Halley West Trail which required, mainly, brushing of the overgrown vegetation. To complete this brushing, we were given two gasoline powered brushers which certainly made our job much simpler. Within one morning, we were able to brush ¾ of a mile and began laying a new tread along the river.

Following our temporary completion of the Hidden Valley West Trail, we moved on to the Bogan Run Trail. We hiked up the mountain on the Eastern side and began to brush the overhanging branches. W e then progressed to our assessment of the first type III switch back. A Type III switch back requires a rock retaining wall and we began quarrying (gathering) for suitable rocks to comply. After a full day looking for rocks and cutting into the hill for the wall’s placement, we hiked back down the mountain and prepared for the rest of the work.

Our second, third and fourth days on Bogan Run revolved around the placement of a rock water bar, brushing the mountain laurels (which had given us quite a beating) and working on the rock retaining wall. The wall proved most difficult due to our lack of available, hefty rocks. Further quarrying was required and we are ready to continue and finish the wall at the beginning of our next hitch.