FOF Work Weekend Results - Wow!

[corax]

I'm sure Bret will post a full report soon, but in the meantime, here are some shots of the folks in action. Others may have more pix to add. Cheers.

http://jdhill.smugmug.com/gallery/55...39981232_nxW49

[chevyjepp]

Is the mud hole blocked and is the reroute the main trail now?

[shooter]

Originally Posted by chevyjepp

Is the mud hole blocked and is the reroute the main trail now?

No the mud hole re-route still needs to be approved. The work done this weekend was on the committee trail.

[sierravalley]

Nice job fellas. Wish I could of helped, however, our club was transporting handicapped kids into Hawley Lake in Plumas County.

[floppy]

Great pics Jeff. A good time was had by all in our group, we made some new friends and are proud of our contribution to the trail.

Thanks, Mark

[Tinman]

I will be posting up a full report tomorrow. No time today but I will say I cannot believe the amount of work we got done on the re-route. I'd estimate it's at least 300 yards of new trail, a lot of it through heavy brush, and we did it in about 4 hours. We spent about another hour throwing rocks and another hour testing it out! We have one more day of work to complete it. It's drivable now but the regular trail will remain open until we go back and widen the re-route in a few spots for passing and harden a few spots with a few tons of rock. We're talking about a mid September date for that work.

I would welcome any feedback on the new trail from anyone using it in the meantime.

The other re-route will now be in the approval stage for a few months. None of the FS specialists had any problems with it. We had one small change but that was it. All the FS folks were a pleasure to meet and work with.

After both trails are complete there will be a second phase to each which will be renovation of the original trail to natural conditions (or as close as we can get.)

Thanks to all the volunteers that came out. We weren't even sure we'd be able to do any work and ended up with something like 17 or 18 people.

Bret

[Tinman]

A few pics.

[jethrodeg]

I agree with all of the above. It was great meeting everyone and the hard work put in by all was truly impressive. I also wanted to thank everyone that helped on Friday for the drive in with the forest service. We had more than enough people on hand….it’s nice to have more people than expected show up.

[Tinman]

Originally Posted by sierravalley

Nice job fellas. Wish I could of helped, however, our club was transporting handicapped kids into Hawley Lake in Plumas County.

Next time! There will be more coming.

I've always wanted to do a handicapped run and am still planning on it one of these days when my schedule allows.

Good job!

[ON THE RCKS]

I had a chance to run it both ways on Saturday and it was a blast. I'm stoked to see a re-route that actually was some good wheeling. It is tougher than the old route and the lack of traffic and fresh look made it fun to pick a new line. Thanks for all the hard work guys! I for one really appreciate it and look forward to meeting you in Sept and pitching in on the next project.

[Tinman]

It is a bit tougher than the old way but I have heard it is really hard for some to drag a dead rig up the steep part of the old committee trail. I didn't have any trouble dragging Rainfly's dead Jeep up there Saturday evening (ha ha) but then again I am big block powered!

That being said we need to keep in mind gettting dead rigs out once the old trail is blocked off. When we go back to add rock we will also be widening a few spots and might be cutting an alternate route around the last rock at the top of the hill.

[Tinman]

We talked about naming it but my feeling is it will always be called the Committee Trail.

Any suggestions though?

[ON THE RCKS]

"Heart Attack" or "Double Bypass" since the "the 4th river crossing" ie. Committee rd is already a bypass and now this trail is a bypass to the original section of trail. It will never catch on... everyone already knows it.

[RCKRATZ]

Rainfly and I were calling it "Bush Alley" because of this

http://jdhill.smugmug.com/gallery/55...xW49#339992188

Arms and legs are all cut up from that stuff. I do think it will still end up being called the committee cutout, or committee exit though.

[Kurtuleas]

Awesome work guys!

[Jes]

Great work!

I assume this bypasses the really steep dirt section at the top?

[RCKRATZ]

Originally Posted by Jes

Great work!

I assume this bypasses the really steep dirt section at the top?

Exactly

[mannysouza]

Looks like a great trail. hope to visit it someday.

[shooter]

I had a good time helping out. Mantaining trails is rewarding but, Its a way different experience to actually get make a trail.

[porterwagner]

way to go fellas. that's great to hear that it was a success. keep up the good work.

[Blakterra]

I have to say, this is the first work weekend I have ever been a part of and I couldn't have asked to be with a better group. Everyone worked very hard and as a team! I was amazed how fast our goal was accomplished...I guess all of us wanted to enjoy the fruits of our labor! On behalf of our group I would like to say we look foward to pitching in on further trail improvments and anything else we can do to help out. After all keeping our trails open for generations to come is what its all about right!? Great work guys! And gal! Btw bret get some tees and hoodies cookin! Right on!
Jason

[DoubleXL]

The wife and I had a great time on this project! It was good to meet new friends and help to keep one of our favorite trails alive. Thanks to all who helped out. See you at the next one....

[RCKRATZ]

Amazing weekend. Just want to say thanks to everyone who showed up to help out. This was my first time working on a new route, instead of just rehabbing trail, and it was a real cool experience. I have worked on a bunch of work parties and I have to say that this group was the most dedicated, hard working bunch of people I have EVER come across on a workday. When we started working on the bottom of the route I found myself not being able to pitch in because there were so many people jumping in to do stuff that I felt like I was just getting in the way! Thank you so much to all who showed up and worked their tails off, I can not thank you guys & gal enough. The trail is in good hands with volunteers like you.

Also wanted to give a personal thanks to Don Spuhler (Cal4wheel Pres) who came out and walked the mudhole re-route with us. Hope to see you out there when we get to cut that route!

And for the record I do believe that this weekend marked the very first time I have ever heard an archaeologist tell me to haul ass


Rolo

[Sno White]

A far as naming this section of trail – not the reroute done this last weekend. I have heard four historical names.

“The Committee Crossing” I believe comes about from this is where CA4WDC’s Sierra Trek committee members have historically used as a short cut to get on the trail. I also have heard it is published in some trail book as “The Committee Crossing”.

Some locals here in Nevada County use “The Bailout”. Reasoning was this is where the timid/novice drivers who had had enough of the trail or have broken their vehicles bailed out from completing the trail to Meadow Lake. A polite way of saying they had wused out.
There is also a second connotation to this name. The creek crossing at this location is considered by many to be the swiftest and most difficult creek crossing on the trail. It is where, in nautical terms, many feel like bailing out their vehicle after crossing at high flow rates!

The “Wagon Wheel” is another I have heard. This refers to the large steel wheel next to the boiler on the west side of the crossing used in power generation for the old mining activities.

The “Last Crossing” is self-explanatory with it being the last creek crossing on Fordyce Creek Trail.

In my mind it will always be “The Bailout”, but I recognize all. I find it to be more appropriate and it is not associated with an organization. It is also the first I learned.

[jethrodeg]

I learned it as the "committee crossing" so that will always stick me me. For me and a few others this section will be Bush Alley. My legs are still fawked up from it.