TRAILS: 3.5 hours: 11:15 AM to 2:45 PM

Trail creation from the upper creek crossing through the RMZ to the Great Cedar Snag.

Opened up a new trail in the NE corner of the property, on the south side of the creek. Cut up a few small downed trees at the creek crossing where stepping stones make it easy to get across, at the eastern end of the north side trail. Cut a diagonal path up the fully-stocked hillside on the north side of the creek, heading SW, up several hundred feet to the Great Cedar Snag. Some large downed trees to cut through (see photo). Pulled out sword fern and other brush in the path way. Will need to carve into the bank and smooth out the path to create a relatively gentle grade up this steep section. Some rock outcroppings here as well. Some incidental stob pruning on the mature hemlocks and cedars. This trail will run through the Eastern Wedge unit #5 to hook up with the South Side High Road.

Looking down into Clearwater Creek from the south side.

A light dusting of snow on the ground as I opened up a trail from the upper creek crossing, climbing up the Eastern Hill. A very steep section through the established forest in the Riparian Management Zone (RMZ). These hemlocks and cedar, with a few alders mixed in, are 40-60 years old. The roughed-out trail ascends the hill along the extreme right edge of this photo.

State regulations prohibit harvesting of timber within a wide RMZ (over 100′ horizontally) along both sides of this salmon-bearing waterway.

BEFORE : Downed trees lying across the trail half way up the Eastern Hill.

Lots of blown-down trees everywhere due to the Great Coastal Gale of 2007. The bedrock is exposed here (left side of photo) because a large tree uprooted (where I am standing) and fell down the hill to the right. More trees from up above are down across the proposed route for this trail. I’ve already started cutting them into chunks, and the rest will be gone shortly.

It’s hard to tell that there is a viable route for a trail here, but this ends up being the least lumpy path up the hillside.

AFTER : Downed trees removed from the trail.

This “After” photo was taken about a week later, but this job took only a few hours to complete. The trail route is obvious now, and a little carving and finish-grading will make it look like its always been here!

Also did a very quick job cleaning up the forest along the trail route, pruning off low branches and cutting down the live “leaners”. Horizontal trees don’t have much of a future, so they are among the first to go.