Storm Isaias Cleanup, Week I

 Please be patient; trail cleanup will take a number of weeks. You can do your part by removing small branches from the trails as you hike.

In the aftermath of Storm Isaias, I rode the lower trails in Hubbard Park to assess trail damage. This enabled me to plan an efficient route when clearing the trails on Saturday.

Visit #1262, Saturday 8 August 20, 8:45-11:45AM, 3.0 miles, no litter pickup this week.

The trails in Hubbard Park  were a reflection of what you saw in  your hometowns; a lot of trees and branches down. I was fortunate to have the assistance of my friend Paul this week. With his help, we made more progress than I anticipated.

While I didn't photograph everything we removed from the trails, What you see will give you an idea of the damage, and our success. There are certainly many more weeks of trail clearing to be had.

 We started small:

Once our warmup was over, we began the real work.

After we crossed over I-691, and just beyond the wooden walkbridge, we encountered more damage.

Just beyond, there was another tree.

The first hikers to enjoy the fruits of our labors.

We caught a little break here as this didn't require much work.

That break was short, however.

Then it was back to the grind.

This next tree on the main trail presented a problem. The top half of the tree broke but was still attached. The weight of the broken top half was resting on the branches touching the ground. I chose to merely cut a tunnel through it all. In the photo below, Paul is in the middle of creating that tunnel. In time it will fall of its own accord, when it can be cleared.

Paul takes a breather.

This long, slender tree was on the main trail leading to the Halfway House.

A couple simple cuts and Paul was able to remove it from the trail.

The last tree of our day was on the Yellow Trail. Merimere Reservoir is in the background.

Shortly after this my chainsaw ran out of fuel. I'll continue next week.