Workday October 8th

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by jethrodeg

For those curious about this.

From the Madhatters on Thursday

At the 5 mile marker (on the truckee side) they ran into the a group of Sheriffs driving a large snow cat and two snow mobiles. They were headed to Meadow Lake to rescue stranded campers.

And apparently they warned them not to go any further which is why some of our volunteers didn't show up. Bummer.

[Tinman]

Want to give a big thanks to the other two Adopt-a-Trail clubs that were on the trail this last weekend.

The Webilt club did some work on the off camber section and beefed up the blockade of the old trail section at the mud hole reroute.

The Four Dice club beefed up the blockade of the old trail section at the committee reroute.

Thanks to both of these clubs for their continued work and support of the Fordyce trail!!

[shooter]

Unfortunately I heard somebody already broke through the block we put in at the top of committee.

[jethrodeg]

Originally Posted by pepe

Are you referring to the campers with horses?

Yes

[randii]

Originally Posted by shooter

Unfortunately I heard somebody already broke through the block we put in at the top of committee.

mebbe time for a range fence or other heavy picket?

[R290]

Or trail markers. I know once there is snow on the ground its hard to tell where you are going. People that only come up there every few years are not going to know the new route. They will go the way they know.
Having more signs that mark the way should help.
Nothing fancy, just some signs and arrows.

[MochaMike]

There is a trail marker on a tree to the left at the bottom of the new bypass.
However, it just said Fordyce Trail, it could probably use an arrow.

[JDunn]

Thanks to all the volunteers, FOF, Four Dice and WeBilt.

Without the dedication these people have we would not have such a great trail. There was some snow this weekend but work still got done. Good job all!

JDunn

[jethrodeg]

Originally Posted by R290

Or trail markers. I know once there is snow on the ground its hard to tell where you are going. People that only come up there every few years are not going to know the new route. They will go the way they know.
Having more signs that mark the way should help.
Nothing fancy, just some signs and arrows.

I agree 100%. It's unrealistic for the occasional user to know every inch of the trail and honest mistakes can happen. Better signage is in the works!

[mudratz]

Mistakes can be made, no argument there.

Whomever broke through this blockade did not do it without know what they were doing. We had 30 feet of trail blocked with downed trees laying every different direction. Unless someone thought the forest threw up and dumped all these trees in one spot, they had to know they were placed there.

[pepe]

The top blockade looked like it had been driven over/through when we went by at around 1:30pm Sunday.

I was just shaking my head.

How in the fawk can someone drive over a blockade that is that obvious!

[RCKRATZ]

Originally Posted by pepe

The top blockade looked like it had been driven over/through when we went by at around 1:30pm Sunday.

I was just shaking my head.

How in the fawk can someone drive over a blockade that is that obvious!

Easy. You absolutely cannot stop stupid. Same crap happened EVERY year at gatekeeper on the Con

Need better signage and to rig some explosives just in case

[MochaMike]

It was that way when I drove by @6:30pm Saturday night.
4-5 hours after the work was completed.

The only rigs I saw going up Committee (when I was going down around 2pm) were the 3 Scouts, and the group of guys in Early Bronco/buggies & and a YJ.

Both groups used the new route.

[mudratz]

They just don't get it. These are the guys who will shrug their shoulders and curse the Forest Service for closing the trail, without taking any responsibility for their actions.

This reroute was done at the suggestion of PG&E whom owns the road, and the US Forest Service who came out, and together the area was surveyed to find the best place to run the trail. This lower section of Committee is in the trees and over bare dirt, and the errosion was becoming a big problem, and no way to stop it.

The reroute is no longer an easy escape route for broken rigs, but it is what it is. It was not made more difficult by design, but by necessity, and is certainly no more difficult than most other sections on the Fordyce Creek Trail.

[jethrodeg]

No doubt about it…it was driven over intentionally. The group that went that way didn’t really care that they were hundreds of feet off trail and drove straight through the blockade. Not moving it…straight over the top. (this from an eye witness…no me)

[JDunn]

Originally Posted by mudratz

The reroute is no longer an easy escape route for broken rigs, but it is what it is.

It was not made more difficult by design, but by necessity, and is certainly no more difficult than most other sections on the Fordyce Creek Trail.

I disagree with the first part. On the old route I have used several rigs to pull a broken rig up the dirt hill because it was so loose. Two weeks ago I went up the new route with a broke rear 4 link and front wheel drive. My buddy gave me a couple tugs on the way up and it was not bad.

[Tinman]

A better blockade is in the works. We are going to get PG&E together with the Forest Service and FOF volunteers to drop a bunch of BIG trees all along the old route. It won't happen until next year but when it's done it will be impossible to travel the old route.

[dspin]

Better signage might do more. Something along the lines of "Area closed to keep the rest of the trail open". Might help people understand why the initial blockade is there in the first place.

Originally Posted by Tinman

A better blockade is in the works. We are going to get PG&E together with the Forest Service and FOF volunteers to drop a bunch of BIG trees all along the old route. It won't happen until next year but when it's done it will be impossible to travel the old route.

[JDunn]

Originally Posted by dspin

"Area closed to keep the rest of the trail open"

I like it! Short and to the point. I think it would help also. If we make a sign like this we can get a few extra printed and put them on both sides of current re-routes (mud hole) and future ones.

[tcharon]

Our group of 4 Sierra Stompers came in on Committee new way Sun about noon, saw you guys heading out while we played at Squeeze then we pulled out Committee about 8: PM new way and never saw the guys that went over the blockade. The signs sound great.

[rockyota83]

Originally Posted by dspin

Better signage might do more. Something along the lines of "Area closed to keep the rest of the trail open". Might help people understand why the initial blockade is there in the first place.

ding ding we have a winner

but add an arrow pointing which way, the sign up there right now can be confusing at night to people unfamiliar with the trail.