Had the opportunity to do some midnight snowshoeing in the Rubicon last Sunday night. When I saw this for the first time in the moonlight, it was pretty surreal. I truly have a sense of loss and am saddened.
The large historical Juniper on the high side of Little Sluice fell sometime in the last week. Clearly a victim of the unusual storm patterns this year (very wet snow, wet soil, and high wind), it fell directly across the trail. A group of folks was at Loon on Saturday night and ended up staying in the Kiosk because the 50 to 60 mph winds and several feet of snow that fell. I suspect that was when it fell. I last saw it standing on the March 23rd, and Ken Hower was up on the weekend of the 24th and saw it then when he went to show a newcomer the Sluice. No tracks past the kiosk since then, so no one has seen it standing since. Certainly no evidence that anybody messed with it or winched off of it (sacrilege!) when I saw it down. It also looks like there is much less snow on the tree than the five feet of fresh powder below it. Just Mother Nature taking her course. What a shame!
I’ve talked to the Forest and DOT, and both were disturbed to hear about it. No plans have been made as yet to do anything about it, but they just found out about it today. I do know that the tree belongs to the County and they have asked that we not “souvenir hunt”. Please leave it be for now, it will be removed their way in the spring so that this section of trail is passable. When I hear more, I’ll let folks know.
The large historical Juniper on the high side of Little Sluice fell sometime in the last week. Clearly a victim of the unusual storm patterns this year (very wet snow, wet soil, and high wind), it fell directly across the trail. A group of folks was at Loon on Saturday night and ended up staying in the Kiosk because the 50 to 60 mph winds and several feet of snow that fell. I suspect that was when it fell. I last saw it standing on the March 23rd, and Ken Hower was up on the weekend of the 24th and saw it then when he went to show a newcomer the Sluice. No tracks past the kiosk since then, so no one has seen it standing since. Certainly no evidence that anybody messed with it or winched off of it (sacrilege!) when I saw it down. It also looks like there is much less snow on the tree than the five feet of fresh powder below it. Just Mother Nature taking her course. What a shame!
I’ve talked to the Forest and DOT, and both were disturbed to hear about it. No plans have been made as yet to do anything about it, but they just found out about it today. I do know that the tree belongs to the County and they have asked that we not “souvenir hunt”. Please leave it be for now, it will be removed their way in the spring so that this section of trail is passable. When I hear more, I’ll let folks know.
