[cascadeclimber]

PLEASE, please stop piling small logs into the growing mud hole in the long flat section at about 1900'. I've been hiking on this trail since 1993 and it's never been as bad as it is now. The logs and branches parallel to the trail are both treacherous to walk on and are trapping water on the trail, which only makes the problem worse. Removing the logs and cutting a couple small trenches perpendicular to the trail would be far more effective; allowing the water to drain and that section to dry out faster. Or just stop throwing branches in the cut-around at that spot. It was clear on Sunday but someone apparently saw fit to block it off again between then and last night.

[Hulksmash]

I have never been on the said trail....but i'll add my 2 cents. Adding branches, logs, what ever organic fill material will only compound the problem, and make it more difficult to fix. Add organics to water it creates mud, which will need be shoveled out in the future, in addition to draining the water. Shoveling even a small area of mud with in interwoven layer of partially decomposed sticks can take all day.

[H. Hound]

[Cale Hoopes]

BTW, It ain't that renegade. Why? It's an "unmaintained" trail. It's up to us to deal with it. We oughta get a group of folks and build a simple bridge over that spot. It seems to have "got the logs" since about 2004 as far as I remember.

[H. Hound]

Probably wouldn't even need a bridge. Just carve a drain dip on one side, and gravel the heck out of the other. There is lots of gravel available a couple hundred feet from the mud hole.

[Bryan K]

I see a renegade trail crew forming here...

[treeswarper]

Youse renegades might want to go into the stewarship forum and read the "how to" downloads that RodF has listed. Pretty good stuff, those manuals.

[Token Civilian]

Page 32-33 of the Trail Construction and maintenance notebook in the linked manuals at the stewardship forum. Nick it..... Although at that particular location, it might take a bit of digging to 'git er done. The berm on the left it pretty substantial. Cut more than a narrow drain, else it'll clog up very quickly. 2 feet wide. Oh, and since it IS a cable line, one must be careful in digging around there.....something about cables and electricity....might be a bit 'shocking' (assuming its a live cable). For those that are interested in having a personal tool stash, one can get a Pulaski at Lowes in their section where they have shovels, axes, etc. They call it a "gardeners axe". Red fiberglass handle. Not nearly as nicely a forged head as the ones that WTA or the PCTA have, but it'll get the job done.

[whitebark]

Cutting 2 foot sections of small logs or large branches and laying them neatly side by side in the mudhole (making a "corduroy" surface ) can be a effective solution, at least short term until the logs rot. Works far better than throwing logs into the mud parallel to the trail, as people have been doing. Looks better, too. Cutting all those pieces takes a bit of patience, but if you have a large group armed with corona pruning saws, it will go quickly.

[cascadeclimber]

Five minutes once a month during the winter with the heel of a boot was remarkably effective at keeping small, low-impact trenches in place to drain much of the water from the two areas on that flat section and keep them fairly dry; a more permanent solution would be great, and it 80% of the effect can be accomplished in five minutes/month as long as people stop throwing those small logs and branches in the trail. All they do is cause water to pond. I applaud the energy invested, it's just not helping. I've never been a part of a trail party up there, but I have done a good bit of casual maintenance, kicked rocks out of the trail, and picked up a lot of garbage over the last 17-18 years.

[Magellan]

The cable is not live. Shovel and pulaski, check. Gravel where?

[cascadeclimber]

[moonspots]

[treeswarper]

Real pulaskis can usually be purchased at Real saw shops. Loggers gotta have them for fire season. I use one for landscaping work.

[H. Hound]