Hitch 2

Progress Report:

Program Name: Pisgah Corps Mt. Mitchell Hitch 2
MDA Code: 10_NCAROL1_UFS
Max ID: 10116
Project Leader: Jonathan Kravitz
Dates: 6/15-6/24/10

Turnpikes Installed
(Jacob’s Ladder)
16’x5’
Bog Bridge
14’x3’
Wood Retention
1. 11.5’
2. 6.5’
Rock Steps Installed 10
Wood steps installed 14
Trail Restored: 524’
Water bars with Drainage Dips 7
Rolling Dips 6
Revegetation and corridor restoration 3 miles

Hitch #2 for the Pisgah crew accomplished a lot but still not enough to satiate our appetite for perfection. We managed to do some serious trail restoration projects on about 600` of tread. The larger projects included building a Jacob’s ladder, a pretty sweet bog bridge, and an extremely cool rock bridge built with a lot of charisma and an excruciatingly long grip-hoist session. Smaller projects included sections of nifty check-steps throughout the mile of trail, lots of drainage dips, water bars, and absurd amounts of rock crush. Sadly we lost our strongest (and suavest) member this hitch due to unforeseen circumstances. Towards the end of the hitch a few overly dedicated team members committed themselves to brushing and extreme corridor clean up through heavy black bear country and severe thunderstorms. Other obstacles faced this hitch included an extreme 4WD trek in the truck over an equestrian trail to aid our tool hike out, three mangled fingers (J got his hand shut in the door, an event he only acknowledged with a solemn “ouch, please open the door…please”), ants in our food cache, and bouts of raging hormones from all members. Next hitch we move into the backcountry of Northern Pisgah to start work on the Black Mountain Crest Trail, and event anxiously awaited by all.