Loptitude

  • GET 2024 day 30, Oct 30, Wednesday
  • Start San Mateo Spring campsite
  • End Springtime Campground
  • Lopped 0.5 miles Shipman Trail starting at the junction with Apache Kid, cleared 4 fresh blowdowns on Apache Kid Trail between the junction with Shipman Trail and the campground

What a cold windy night! The wind did not decrease in the evening, and I did not dare put up a tent, and instead cowboy-camped under clear skies. Steady cold wind continues all day, until I climb down to a lower altitude.

The north part of Shipman has Gambel oak, and lopping should make the trail easier to follow.

Before/After

In places the oak leaves have dropped off, making lopping easier.

When the sun gets low, I head towards the campground, clearing blowdowns along the way, Normally I skip leaners, but this one was an easy fix.

Before/After

Finished audiobook A Strange Disappearance, by Anna Katharine Green, a Gryce novel.

Wind Break

  • GET 2024 day 29, Oct 29, Tuesday
  • Start San Mateo Spring campsite
  • End San Mateo Spring campsite
  • High gusting wind, so retreated to campground and car for safety, and returned in the evening.

Wind buffeted the tent all night, and the weather report says the wind will continue all day.

I could have tried to find a protected place to work, but in an abundance of caution I zoomed down the trail to Springtime Campground to shelter in my car, after caching tools and equipment. On the way down I noticed three new blowdowns across the trail from the night before.

Oh well, not much trail work accomplished today. Safety first.

Finished audiobook The Death Disk, by Mark Twain.

Finished audiobook 4 SF Stories, by C M Kornbluth.

Loppertunity

  • GET 2024 day 28, Oct 28, Monday
  • Start Springtime Campground
  • End San Mateo Spring campsite
  • Lopped 0.8 miles of Apache Kid Trail, starting 1.6 miles north of junction with Shipman

My plan was to resume sawing on Apache Kid Trail, from where I left off, and perhaps camp near Twentyfive Yard Spring. I notice that another trail crew had come past since I had worked this section, and sawed a few huge logs I had to skip.

Further north, it became clear that other trail crew had already sawed the section I was planning. How far north had they worked? No way to know. So I decided to lop trail corridor, and camp back near San Mateo Spring.

Lopping is not considered as exciting or urgent or high priority as sawing, and some crews never get around to doing any. Lopping requires patience. But it really helps mark the trail corridor and makes for a pleasant hike.

My lopping is mostly aspen saplings in a recovering burn area.

More lopping is in my future.

Finished audiobook Castles in the Air, by Baroness Orczy.