March 9, 2013 - STS to Last Chance

It was a cool morning but the storms had passed and the sky was very blue   That's one of the signature features of the Santa Cruz Mountains: the blue sky and the redwoods. It still amazes me even after 17 years living in Boulder Creek.  The crew was 10 strong so we decided to split up and Dale took one crew to investigate a report in the East Ridge and Pine Mt. area and I took the other to STS at Gazos with the plan to meet on Last Chance Trail.  

The report on STS was there but someone took care of it already.  Luckily it was less than a tenth of a mile past Gazos.  We then headed out to the Maddock's cabin area to look at a bridge with a missing plank.  On the trail to the cabin site we came across a 7" oak and a 10" redwood.  The oak was bent around 4 other trees and for once as it was cut it went in the guessed direction and pinched the tip of the saw.  We got the saw loose and finished clearing the trail.

After reaching the bridge across Maddock's Creek we measured the plank for another day and headed back across Opal Creek to where we parked on No. Escape.

Opal Creek Crossing

Kathy knew of a tree down on Blooms Creek Trial and that was on the way to Last Chance Trail and a few cuts and the trail was cleared of the 20" oak.

Dale's crew found nothing and were already on Last Chance when we met up just after noon and time for lunch. 

California Milk Maid

Lunch by East Waddell Creek.

Redwood Violets

Painted Lady Butterfly

Maybe an old American Dipper Nest

Link to a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH1dfnyBSOQ

Kathy was able to find a pair of American Dipper after crossing the Creek with one sitting on a nest and she was able to photograph them.

It turn out to be a nice day with some wind with a cool breath and the wildflowers were starting to bloom.  What else could we ask for?  We put in 72 hours and I would like to thank Dale P., Dale S., Janie, Bill, Herman, Peter, Mike, Janette, and Kathy.

See you on the trails.

Jeff

Birds of the Day
2 Common Raven Corvus corax
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis
3 Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra
1 Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus
2 Hutton's Vireo Vireo huttoni
2 Chestnut-backed Chickadee Poecile rufescens
6 Pacific Wren Troglodytes pacificus
2 Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa
4 Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius
1 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) Junco hyemalis [oreganus Group]

February 9, 2013 - Sunset Trail

Last month, working around the falls, we heard about trees down along the inner loop of Sunset-Timm's-STS.  So we headed out to our regular parking spot at Middle Ridge and Gazos.

Heading out Sunset we came across a 3 small trees, which were taken care of with hand saws.

And then the drama started.  There was a 10" oak hanging over the trail and we figured that one cut and the tree would fall to the ground and that would be that.  Well after 4 cuts it still hung over the trail.  There was a small branch the held the tree off the ground and when that cut was taken out then it did fall.

Finally cleared

Then we came across this.  A large 4ft Fir took out a 29" Fir and a smaller 15" Fir.  A Fir fest.

We started with the smaller Fir but that took some effort to cut an move off the trail.

The big push

Lunch time turned into a sunbathing activity which was nice compared to the very cool start of the day.

After lunch we worked on making a crawlway under the larger Fir.  With a 24" bar that's all we could do without Big Bertha.

Kathy hiked from HQ and met us at the Fir and she said there was another Fir across the trail on the other side of Middle Ridge.

Some more hand and chain saw work and the trail was open.

Kathy told me of some European visitors that had commented to her that the park was very well maintained and that there was no trash compared to the parks in Europe.  That's nice to hear.  Remember we pay time and half when it rains and you have the weekdays off.  What a job.

I would like to thank Janie, Bill, Mike, Fran, Janette, and Kathy for the 54.5 hours we put in.  It was a hard day but rewarding.  We will be back with Big Bertha.

See you on the trails.

Jeff

Birds of the Day
Birders: Jeff, Kathy, and Fran (Junco party)

Acorn Woodpecker Melanerpes formicivorus

Hairy Woodpecker Picoides villosus

Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus

Steller's Jay Cyanocitta stelleri

Common Raven Corvus corax

American Robin Turdus migratorius1

Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius

Chestnut-backed Chickadee Poecile rufescens

Red-breasted Nuthatch Sitta canadensis

Brown Creeper Certhia americana

Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa

Townsend's Warbler Setophaga townsendi

Fox Sparrow (Sooty) Passerella iliaca [unalaschcensis Group]

Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) Junco hyemalis [oreganus Group]

Red Crossbill Loxia curvirostra

Pine Siskin Spinus pinus

Januray 12, 2013 - Falls

It was a very cool morning and we had a good start of the new year with 13 members and one new showing up.  We were going to work the inner Falls loop but decided to head out to the Falls starting at Sunset camp. 

Peter and Michelle had to leave early so they headed out to Sequoia Trail to clear an old Madrone.

 

 

On the way out to Sunset Camp the guy with the train in the middle of the redwoods has made some good progress on his tree mansion.

We split up into two crews with Dale S. taking one crew down Sunset to Timm's Creek and I took the other half down the Berry Creek Falls Trail.  Golden Falls was a beautiful sight with a lot of water flowing over it.

 

After clearing a blockage at the trail head at Sunset we found an oak and a Redwood on the trail between Silver and Berry Creek Falls.

We had to leave the Redwood since it was loose and keep sliding down the hillside but we were able to open up a navigable path around it.

The highlight of the day was seeing Berry Creek Falls.  It was a perfect time of day when we got there and the sun was shining through the mist and creating rainbows

 

  

The final blockage for us was Redwood limbs and a 16" oak that had fallen onto the trail.  It took about 6 cuts to clear it off the trail.

 

 

Dale S's group cleared 8 trees, (not counting the tree were we split into the two groups), using the chain saw only once.  Our new member, Casey, was energetic and in one case he was over half way through a 10" tree with a pulaski before Dale's group caught up to with him. 

We were able to complete the 4.1 mile loop with both crews meeting at the Timm's Creek tree bridge almost half way.  We headed back along Timm's to Sunset and it turned out to be a long day with us getting back to HQ after 5 pm.  We put in 117 hours and I would like to thank Kathy, Fran, Gene, Janie, Francis, Norm, Dale S., Dale P., Janette, Peter, Michelle, and the new volunteer Casey.

See you on the trails

Jeff
photos by Peter and Jeff
birders Janette, Gene, Kathy, and Jeff

Birds of the Day
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Chestnut-back Chicadee
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Northern Flicker
Anna's Hummingbird
Band-tail Pigeon
Townsend's Warbler
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper
Acorn Woodpecker
Common Raven
Pacific Wren
Wrentit
Hairy Woodpecker

December 8, 2012 - Sunset & Sequoia Trails

It has been a rainy month with almost 20" falling in Boulder Creek since the last time we were out.  On the big board was 2 areas that had reports of downed trees: Sunset and Sequoia Tails.  We split up into 2 crews with Dale P. taking one crew to work on Sequoia and I took one to Sunset.

 Trail Map of Work areas

 14 Crew Members Showed Up at HQ

My crew drove up Gazos Creek Rd to Middle Ridge and then hiked in to the first blockage a 4 ft Redwood.

Dale S. started working on the Redwood and some of the crew headed down the trail as scouts. 

Opened after some work

The scouts returned with a report of another blockage at the Sunset Connector junction.  A 30" oak had fallen right through the Connector and it was about 8 feet above the trail at this end.

As normal we took care of the small stuff and then worked on the main section.  It took about 10 cuts and boy does a sharp chain make a difference.  On this cut Bill was looking for his glasses, which were most likely knocked off clearing the limbs.  Fran walks up and spots them under the far section of the trunk that was about a minute from being cut through.  Pretty lucky.

 No V-cut needed

 Dale's crew watching the last section being rolled off the trail

 Just like new

We ended the day with our annual gathering and this time we were back at the start, the Boulder Creek Brewery.  They had hired a new chef a few months ago and the food was much better.

 

I would like to thank the 21 members that turned out over the year and today's crew Dale P., Kathy, Norm, Dale S., Janie, Bill, Francis, Gene, Janette, Fran, Mike, Peter, and Michelle with Jeannine, Roger, Anita, and Manny joining us at the Pub.  It was close but we did break the 1000 hour mark for the 3rd straight year with 1009 hours. 

See you on the trails

Jeff
Photos by Kathy, Jeff, and a friendly patron at the pub.

P.S.

A note from a member:

Hi trail crew,

I came to California from Ireland over 20 years ago. I thought it was the greatest place on earth and still do. However, times move on and I am relocating my family to upstate New York where my wife has an exciting job offer.

I have had a pretty adventurous time here on the west coast. I know I will be telling my kids years from now, how, when I was on the trail crew, we dug out mountains and built bridges with our bare hands, while fighting off wild boar and mountain lions, stopping only to drink from a nearby stream and catch our breath....right?

Best of luck to you all and make sure you protect those truly precious Redwoods for when I come back.

Tom

Birds of the Day
Acorn Woodpecker
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Pine Siskin
Pileated Woodpecker
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Steller's Jay
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Brown Creeper

For the year in the park my bird highlights were the Hermit and Varied Thrush which were very numerous on the East Ridge trail.  The Sharp-shinned Hawks were a first for me in the park and Kathy saw one take a bird in flight today.  But my favorite was the disrupted Red-Breasted Nuthatch, which showed up in mass in September and continues. A good year for the birds.

Red-Breasted Nuthach