This was the second time we worked on Last Chance Trail this summer. Ashley and Jason were the leads from the the state Resource Management Department and they were joined by 7 regular crew members and 2 new ones.
The steps were placed and rock was collected and crushed to back fill behind the steps. I had the Sam Cooke song "Chain Gang" going through my head as we crushed big rocks into little ones (That's the sound of the men working on the chain gang").
Over the past month, Francis completed refinishing the redwood round at HQ (sprouted 544 CE, 1392 yrs old when cut down)
The crew headed off to the the trail head on Hihn Hammond road and hiked down to where we were to put in steps. A few of us went with Jason to put in a rock water bar farther down the trail.
Crew getting instructions
As the crew was setting up to start the work, I hiked down the trail and crossed over the creek to look for an American Dipper. No luck on the Dipper but there were a couple of Ravens and blooming fuchsia.
Ravens calling from a Fir in blue sky
California fuchsia (Epilobium canum)
Laying the first step
California Sister (Adelpha bredowii eulalia) drinking at the rock spring
Coast Range Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii) watching the work
Rebar through the steps
Lunch
Boss Lady Ashley (not really she would fit right in with the crew)
Time to pack the tools out
Peeling Madrone
It was a light day but we picked up a few tricks. The State crew has done a great job on not only clearing the trail but significantly improving the trail drainage. We put in 68 hour bringing our total to 656 for the year. I would like to thank Norm, Francis, Dale S., David B., Janette, Joan, new members Jan and Bill (a winemaker). Special thanks to Ashley and Jason for asking us to help on the project and showing us a few new skills.
See you on the trails
Jeff
Birds of the Day
1 Red-shouldered Hawk (California) Buteo lineatus elegans
1 Band-tailed Pigeon Patagioenas fasciata
2 Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus
1 Nuttall's Woodpecker Picoides nuttallii
2 Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus
3 Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
1 Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
1 Hutton's Vireo Vireo huttoni
8 Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri
2 Common Raven Corvus corax
12 Chestnut-backed Chickadee Poecile rufescens
1 Townsend's Warbler Setophaga townsendi
4 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) Junco hyemalis [oreganus Group]