Alley Cat 2002 -- Improving the Trail Through Gullies

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All photographs Copyright © 2002 Margaret and Ken Reek

This year the crew started with some general trail maintenance (clearing downed trees, mowing weeds, repainting blazes, etc.) for which we have no pictures. Things got more interesting on Wednesday when we started work on the first of three gullies.

The trail crosses several small creeks in this particular area, some of which run at the bottom of deep gullies. Our job was to improve the trail at these points.

	When the loggers cut down a tree, they take the trunk from the base to the first branches, and they leave the rest of the tree behind, exactly where it fell. That's what we have here, and it is in the way of the new switchback we want to build. Note the size of this thing: there is a lot of useable wood here, but the loggers don't bother with it.
	Margaret and Glora are cutting into the hillside to create the new switchback.
	The first switchback
	The crew taking a breather. The day was in the 80's, but it was cooler in the woods and there was a nice breeze coming down the gully. Margaret is on the left; behind her are Howard, Glora and Larry; on the right is Ron.
	Another switchback at the bottom of the gully. Note how the log is used to keep the trail in place.
	The trail at the bottom of the gully is paved with large flat rocks from the streambed. There is also a wall of rocks to try and reduce erosion of the trail during high water conditions. These rocks were all moved by hand.
	At the bottom of the gully, we found the crown of another another large tree left by the loggers. Ken cleared this path through the mess with a chainsaw.
	Looking back through the cleared path, before all of the debris was removed.
	The bank of the stream was built up with rocks to keep the trail dry, with another rock wall for erosion protection. We are looking back towards the tree mess.
	Margaret, Glora, and Ron taking a breather on the third gully.
	Ken & Glora, after moving rocks for erosion control
	The circular staircase Ron built out of rocks.
	This is where we stayed for the week. The cabin is part of Camp Sam Wood, a Boy Scout camp south of Portageville.
	Margaret caught a little trout in Wiscoy Creek, which runs in front of the cabin..