Trail Time
Atmospheric rivers have been pounding the Pacific Northwest
the last couple of weekends, but never mind that; winter is coming (and we hear
it’s forecasted to be a good one!), so Kongsberger trail workers, along with volunteers from Washington Ski Touring Club, Momentum Northwest, and others, have
been out on the trails, lopping and chopping and digging and de-vegging. Our
stated goal is to get the trail system in a condition that will allow Nick and
his crew to get to work with six inches of snow on the ground!
Frank notes that this year there has been an amazing amount of work done on the trails, and the last couple of weekends have even seen sunshine.
Areas of work:
- Continued the Road work that is endless. High traffic areas are getting in pretty good shape, at least to the 7.5km Gunnar Hagen Turn-Around Stump. Working on The Road in the vicinity of the Turn Around Stump, clearing and limbing the trees. This will give us plenty of room for two classic tracks going up and down the gradual hill, and for the Ozbaldy, enough room for a skate lane going out and two skate lanes coming back.
- Still working out towards Road 49 (the Ozbaldy turn-around) and cutting the high limbs that were beyond our pole-saw reach so they do not drip on the groomed trail surface. The close-to-the-ground twiggy-wiggies that we missed will be sticking up through the snow and we will get them then.
- Used the brush-hog out past the Stump on the stuff growing up on the sides of the Road.
- Used motorized pole saw on the higher branches in the next 100 meters coming back up the gradual hill.
- Limbing, de-vegging, and swamping on the gradual uphill heading back toward the 4-way Intersection.
- Chopped and removed a 9-inch tree that had fallen across the Road.
- Filled a pothole/small ponding with gravel and diverting the Road runoff that fills it.
- Amabilis above the Y: used the power brush cutter on woody shrubs that are still present, along with manual pruners and swampers.
- Above the Saddle: removed small trees and woody brush in ditches and road edges, using chain saw, manual pruning saws, and loppers, with swampers throwing debris down the hillside.
- Lower trails look good but walking them is a good idea; this time of year windfall is common.
- Pulled sapling conifers if they are on road edges before they grow to trees.
- Pruned overhanging branches to move the drip edge away from the from classic track.
- Placed a pick-up truck load of gravel in the pond hole at last season’s ponding and logging overflow site A friendly neighbor loaned us his truck, and Frank commandeered it for hauling.
- Drained blocked ditches on each side of the logging. The rain has turned the Road muddy in low spots with vehicle traffic on the Road making matters worse. More to monitor there.
- Road clearing on Amabilis: finished with the right fork above the Y, and the left fork is done almost to the top. Looking good!
- Ongoing project: throwing rocks off the road or trails. With early low snow, the groomer brings up anything greater than ping pong ball size.
- As soon as it snows: clearing wind-blown trees, higher limbs, and all the little stuff that becomes apparent with four inches of snow on the ground.
- Prepping the cabin for ski season
- And if you've been out there this fall, maybe you've noticed this?
We promise: Kyle did not do this; this carnage is not KSC work! Forterra has been busy with its USFS-sanctioned logging, just like last year, with what appears to be little regard for its impact on the public Road and little or no cooperation with KSC. We are told the logging contractor will be repairing the Road this week, and we can hope that's true. Did I mention, winter is coming? After the repairs, we will check the drainage situation, and Nick can fix the road bed if needed.
And one more thing: what about an update on the I-90
expansion? Planned construction between the Stampede Pass and Cabin Creek exits,
which will have a major impact on Cabin Creek parking, has slipped again.
Construction is now scheduled to begin in 2028 and finish in 2031.
More trail work photos here:
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