FORESTRY: 4 hours: 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM

PC Thinning, brush slashing and broken tree removal in the South Seep in Eastern Wedge unit #5.

Forestry work in the South Seep area of Eastern wedge unit #5. A lot of alder branch pruning, up to the eastern property line and down into the lower part of the seep. Also slashed down ubiquitous old salmonberry and some red elderberry as part of the clean-up process. I do not expect the salmonberry to regenerate successfully in this closed canopy young stand. Heading south of South Seep, there is an immense amount of horizontal hemlock – whole clumps keeled over from what appears to have been an ice or snow loading event. Numerous broken tops on the Doug firs indicate this as well. Remarkable that the alder is mostly damage-free: beautiful, tall, well-spaced specimens. I noticed that some of the alders have broken lower branches – cracked and dangling, indicating snow/ice load damage rather than wind-based damage. Started slashing down the horizontal hemlock clumps (stems only a few inches in diameter) until I ran out of light. Constant drizzle soaked me thoroughly by the end of the day.

Suppressed Doug Fir in the Alder-dominated South Seep.

The lone, emaciated Doug Fir in the center of the photo (with a bird nest to the left of the trunk) was planted right after the clear-cut approx. sixteen years ago. This stand should be full of robust Doug fir, but the naturally re-seeded alder shot up faster and shaded out nearly all of the Doug fir in this grove. Proper management of Doug fir requires control of competing hardwoods and brush. Because there was no follow-up treatment in this stand, the fir has mostly died. Fortunately, the alder came in strong with good natural spacing, so it is a commercially viable alternative.

Note the extensive, shrubby hemlock in the understory. These trees look pretty pathetic, but they are biding their time, waiting for a weather event or humans to take out the alder. When they get an opening in the canopy, they will shoot up to claim it. Hemlock’s lifespan is roughly ten times that of the alder, so they will be here for the long haul.

TRAILS: 2 hours: 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM

Trail creation through the South Seep in Eastern Wedge unit #5.

Trail creation through the South Seep in Eastern Wedge unit #5. Started where I left off a few days ago, heading from north to south from the raised section between Alder Seep and South Seep. There is less water running through this section, but still need to work out how to cross the wet spots to avoid pugging them out. Cleared all the way through South Seep, then hacked through the brush and horizontal trees to meet up with the trail coming from the south side – only a hundred feet or so south of the seep. If I keep following the contour, I will run right into it – no need to dip down or rise up. Although this last stretch of un-cleared trail is short, it is the most dense and impenetrable thicket yet – a solid, extended plug of branchy biomass. The eastern boundary line is within 100 feet of this section of trail. I may re-route the trail section just north of Alder Seep to avoid the difficult dip into and rise out of the seep – trying to keep it “on the level” as much as possible.

BEFORE: Proposed trail route heading through the South Seep.

The little Doug fir in front is suppressed, has a crooked top, and is right in the way, so it will be removed. The extensive brush in the background (mostly salmonberry) obscures the rest of the stand. It is old and is starting to die back due to lack of sunlight in this now closed-canopy alder grove.

AFTER: Trail opened up through the South Seep.

Now we can see the individual trees and can walk through the forest easily. There is slash all over the ground on either side of the trail. I just slice up the cull trees, branches and brush to within a few feet of the ground, and let them decompose over time. I only pick them up and toss them if they are on the trail route.

Looking back north along the trail into Alder Seep.

This is a nice raised, dry section between the seeps. Ancient cedar stumps and cut chunks are found wherever you turn in this area. I try to route the trail near the most interesting artifacts of this legacy forest.