Trip Report
Stewardship - Church Creek–Satsop Lakes
Preparation for 2022 trail maintenance on Church Creek Trail #871. This was both an access road clearing trip to the Eastern (Skokomish) trailhead and a scouting trip on the Church Creek Trail to document trail problems for future trail maintenance days.
- Wed, May 25, 2022
- Stewardship - Church Creek–Satsop Lakes
- Church Creek–Satsop Lakes
- Stewardship
- Successful
- Road recommended for high clearance only
UPDATE -- This year's National Trails Day visit to the Church Creek Trail is different. We must first clear the road before we can reach the trail.
We worked on the road access to the Church Creek Trail this past Wednesday (5/25) and were not able to reach the the trail head. We estimate we cleared (1) mile of this (3) mile road of 60 to 80 trees. The road is continuously covered with down trees (see photos). The remaining stretch of uncleared road may have from 40 to over 100 trees, most are 8" to 12" in diameter (some smaller and many larger). Also, there remains some more work on a few sections of the first mile - clearing some sections of the road drainage.
The crew members, who didn't already have something else scheduled, have enthusiastically agreed to return on June 4th National Trails Day, to continue clearing this access road. However, you originally signed up for trail maintenance. This activity is similar to trail maintenance but with more bending and picking up logs, branches and debris. Crosscut saw, axe and pruning tools will be used, but less often than during routine trail work.
What made it possible to clear the first mile, beside a crew of tireless Mountaineers, was having a sawyer certified for the chainsaw (Ken Ames) and his apprentice (Jack Sisco). We will work at a distance from the chainsaws and provide hearing protection if needed.
We will be returning to clear the remainder of the 600 road on June 4th National Trails Day. We will be needing some help.