August 2011 - Myer's Loop

Our friend from the Sempervirens Fund, Linda was is need of the BBVTC support in clearing Myer's Loop. We haven't been out to Myer's Loop (also know as Micheal's Loop) in the most southern part of Castle Rock State Park since May 2009. This is a beautiful section of mixed forest from chaparral to oak to redwoods.
There were 13 crew members out so we decided to split up with one group starting from the bottom and a second starting from the top. The top section started out in a Tan Oak forest.

We reached the top and started the decent and slowly the forest turned into redwoods.

In the upper section there was some brushing and we had to reroute a section of the trail around a oak that had fallen on the trail.

There were numerous fallen trees but an interest one was this one.
A number of oaks fell across the trail with the largest falling through two trees and across the trail.
It took one cut and when it was cut through the 30 foot section slowing swung across the trail and ended up 5 feet off the trail.

Every few meters there was another tree across the trail and when we met up with the crew coming up from the bottom we reached a Madrone that was very interesting. Take a look at the video.

The two crews cleared 31 trees from the loop with the bottom crew clearing 15 with the largest being 24" and the top crew clearing 16 with the largest being the 20" Madrone.

It was a great work day with the addition of a new volunteer. I would like to thank everyone for a record day on clear trail blockages. Thanks to Dale S., Janie, Bill, Francis, Gene, Janette, Josh, Tom, Peter, Michelle, Fran, Tim, and me. We put in 91 hours and year to date we have accumulated 646 volunteer hours.

See you on the trails

Jeff