Trail creation from Great Cedar Snag to Alder Seep

TRAILS: 4.5 hours: 10:45 AM to 3:15 PM

Trail creation through from Great Cedar Snag to the Alder Seep in Eastern Wedge unit #5.

Trail establishment into Eastern Wedge unit #5 from the NE corner of the RMZ. Started where I left off last time at the Great Cedar Snag – the top of the incline up through the RMZ from the upper creek crossing. Cut the trail through the brush and woody debris, roughly following the contour heading south, slightly descending down into the Alder Seep and Cedar Shake Park. Alder Seep is a shallow ravine with a lot of surface water spread over a wide area. Scattered throughout this small basin are monster old-growth cedar stumps and logs, with old shake bolts (cut by cedar shake salvagers) all over the ground. <Make note of this as a cultural site/artifact in the management plan.> Very difficult finding a good route through this steep and dense terrain, but ended up with a fairly level route that aims to cross the high side of the seep with a minimal water crossing. Much of this trail runs directly underneath many legacy stumps of the big trees that once dominated this landscape, so it should make for interesting hiking. Will have to return with shovel, mattock and axe to carve the path into the humus-y hillside, as it is too sloped to get a good footing. Associated cull tree removal and lower branch pruning on the Doug firs along the route. Also roughed out a side trail up the ridge from the Great Cedar Snag heading east to the property line.