Hitch lead: J. Adam Martin
Members: Bri, Sarah, Tisha
Hydrology Hitch was building jack fence around Moose Creek. Moose Creek was the sight of dredging for placer gold in the forties. That process rendered a stretch of it with tall mounds of stone on which no plants grew. Several years ago the Salmon Challis National Forest Hydrology department went in and seeded the site with grass and put in willow cuttings. They also moved rock around to allow the creek to regain more of its natural meander. Our task was to build jack fence around the area to keep the cows out so that the vegetation could thrive without being trampled.
It was a new experience for Sarah, Bri, Tisha, and I as none of us had ever built jack fence. Our Hydrology contacts Dave, Jeremy, and Bill told us all about the history of the project. They also showed us how to build the fence and kept us supplied with trailer load after trailer load of wooden jacks and rails. We gradually built up our hammer arms and greatly improved our pace over two weeks. We were also helped by a forest service fisheries crew on two occasions: Eli, Bill, Beth, and Desiree. During our second week we were joined Chris, Shannon, and Aaron from the u-routes hitch. All the while we enjoyed camping at the cold, but beautiful Wallace Lake. One day when returning from camp we were greeted by a fox, and elk were common during our early morning drives to the worksite. We built a lot of fence and learned a lot about the site and cooperation.
Work totals:
Fence constructed: 2034 ft