4582 feet cooridoor
528 feet reconstruction
Twas Columbus Day Weekend, which merits a poem
To describe our adventures as the forest we roam.
Shopping day was quiet, not a voice in the air
And soon we realized it was because Reuben wasn’t there
We hiked out on our old route, to our beloved campsite
Worked the day, dropped our stuff, then headed back for the night
Reuben was back for dinner, so our group was whole once again
After dinner Drew made us a treat, brownies that were vegan!
Though no stockings, our tarp was hung from the trees with great care
As was the American flag, blowing in the fall air
Setting up camp, Kitt and Spencer were having too much fun
They made an awesome kitchen table of stones, straight out of pier 1.
Drew had errands to run before hiking out, and at dinner he had a surprise
He hiked out vegan cookies and a pecan pie, which was heaven to our eyes.
Jerry’s Run was our destination, and there was much to do
With new tread to dig, crosscutting, and corridor to clear, everyday brought something new.
We had a new single-man crosscut saw to play with, and there were logs to buck left and right
Many wedges were used to open the kerf, one even broke and shot out of sight
To challenge ourselves we tried “trick shots”, trying to rig it so the logs just rolled away
We had some epic successes, to be sure, but half the time the log would just stay
The weather was beautiful, not a cloud in the sky and the stars were a sight to see
Nighttime brought moonlit hikes, campfires, even deer watching us pee.
Drew left us Saturday night to hang out with Marguerite’s crew, and to help chainsaw,
We could have used him for Spencer’s meal……he had all the pots filled when the beans were still raw!
More food than the “Kitt West Black Bean Overabundance of Hitch 4”, the quantity of food was insane.
We still had leftovers on cleanup day, but nothing was rotten, so I can’t complain.
We cleared almost a mile of trail over the hitch, 4582 feet to be exact,
And with 528 ft of tread work, and falling down hills, it’s a miracle we all came back intact.
With two hitches to go, it’s evident that our work clothes have seen better days
Reuben’s pants have so many holes in them, we think the fabric is starting to decay.
The holiday brought hikers galore, and many stopped to thank us for our work and to chat
We saw 12 different hikers on Saturday alone, many talkative, and we’re ok with that.
Elwood surprised us, hiking out on Monday. We hadn’t seen him for the past 2 hitches!
As usual he brought us snacks, and then the next day we hiked out to the truck without any glitches.
The trailer had a flat tire, so we had a teambuilding exercise, and changed it, without breaking a sweat.
A quick stop at tasty freeze before Deerfield, but our plans had changed, we just didn’t know yet.
We were supposed to meet Drew with Marguerites crew, to go bowling then kayaking on Wednesday
But when we called to check in the trip had been canceled, so instead we went to Verona to stay.
A disappointing end to a fabulous hitch, I’m looking forward to our final two.
With lots more trail to cut, not just corridor and sawing, we’ll finish the season with something new.
And you’ll hear us cry out, as we’re driving away
I’m hungry, who wants to go to the Chinese Buffet?
