May 11, 2013 - East Ridge - Creeping Forest - Middleridge

I was a bright and sunny morning with the Azaleas starting to bloom and the mosquitoes were out for a bite.

We started at the Gate House to take care of a report on East Ridge between Hway 236 and Blooms Creek.  It wasn't much and by the time I hiked the 100m to the bridge and returned it was cleared.

Next was a report of a 1 foot Tan Oak about 1/2 mile up Creeping Forest but first we ran into this across the trail.  We thought that whomever reported didn't know what a half mile was because this was less than 1/10 mile up Hollow Tree.

After clearing the first Tan Oak we came across this 21" oak.  We took turns on the whip saw which was surprisingly quick in cutting through the tree.

 

 

 

After 3 cuts we had the trail cleared of the 21" oak, not 1 foot.  We finished the loop coming down Gazos with lunch at the picnic area just past Gazos Creek Bridge.

After lunch we drove up to Ocean View in search of 2 reported Redwoods.  Nothing up to Ocean View but we stopped to take in the view.  I was very warm with the Yerba Santa in bloom and I was able to capture a Swallow Tailed Butterfly on one of them.

Right after Ocean View we did find the Redwoods.  I found out later that there was an emergency at the falls and this was cleared enough to get the vehicles through.  We used 2 saws and had much fun with the wonderful logs.

I would like to thank Dale S., Janie, Bill, Janette, Kathy, Peter, Michelle, Mike, and Norm for putting in 72 hours on the trails.  Another satisfying day in the park.

See you on the trails.

Jeff

Very birdy day with the highlight being a Belted Kingfisher flying and calling up Opal Creek at Gazos Creek Bridge.

Birds of the Day

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)    3
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)    1
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)    4
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)    1
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)    1
Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)    1
Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)    6
Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)    3
Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)    4
Common Raven (Corvus corax)    1
Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)    2
Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)    2
Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)    3
Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus)    2
Wrentit (Chamaea fasciata)    3
Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)    3
American Robin (Turdus migratorius)    1
Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata)    1
Wilson's Warbler (Cardellina pusilla)    2
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)    5
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis)    2
Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus)    1
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus)    1 

Special Post

Ok let's keep this a secret.  I've been promising this for a while so enjoy.

April 13, 2013 - STS and Sequoia

Bob has left this world to start a new adventure.  Who knows maybe he will start a new trail crew to build trails to the stars and when I look up at those stars I know I will find my way.  We will miss you Bob.

 

Bob Kirsch (1922 to March 24, 2013)

It was a cool morning but it would turn into a very pleasant day.  Great day to be in the park.  There were 11 members out so we split up into 2 crews.  Dale P. took one crew of Dale S., Janette, Janie, Bill, Peter, and Michelle to work on 4-5 items on the Sequoia and Shadaowbrook trials, which took until lunch time to finish.

After lunch they head down the Bob Kirsch Trial to clean up the Schultz bridge the crew built in 2000.

 

  

I took the rest of the crew of Mike, Fran, and Norm to the Bloom's Creek connector trail and found the reported tree already removed.  Norm had a problem last week on the STS trail between Creeping Forest and Maddock's cabin site where he guessed that the tree was about 3 feet in diameter.

 

 

 

We found it but it was 36-1/4" in diameter (pretty close Norm).  It took some time to open the trail since the saw we had was 24" bar and it required cutting one side then the other.  On the 4th try I even made a straight cut.  There was fun in the log rolling too.

 

Redwood Violet (Viola sempervirens)

Opal Creek

We put in 79 hours and I would like to thank Dale S., Dale P., Janie, Bill, Mike, Fran, Michelle, Peter, Norm, and Janette.

See you on the trails.

Jeff

photos by Jeff and Peter

Birds of the Day
1 Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
1 Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus)
1 Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)
2 Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
4 Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis)
7 Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)
1 Brown Creeper (Certhia americana)
5 Pacific Wren (Troglodytes pacificus)
2 Orange-crowned Warbler (Oreothlypis celata)
3 Wilson's Warbler (Pacific Coast) (Cardellina pusilla chryseola)
3 Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) (Junco hyemalis [oreganus Group])
1 Hutton's Vireo (Vireo huttoni)
4 Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)
1 Common Raven (Corvus corax)
2 Pygmy Nuthatch (Sitta pygmaea)

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