Trail Maintenance

[Stihldog]

I’ve never been told that I don’t belong on our trails while riding. Dog-walkers, hikers, joggers, an adventurerous camper, and MTB’er’s…all are welcome. There are some trails at much higher altitude but those are poorly maintained and marked. Not suitable for a MTB’er. Your chances of becoming lost, injured or eaten are much greater.

Our history, in this area is also ancient but our industrial history is only a few hundred years old. Different indigenous tribes have claim to many religions in this province (BC). They have lived here for centuries before the white-man showed up.

My work in the logging industry included recognizing CMT’s (Culturally Modified Trees). Those had to be reported immediately. Usually Forest Engineers or Tree Fallers would find these. I could have looked the other way on two occasions, but the consequences were unknown to me. Reporting a CMT would trigger an immediate investigation and work in that area would stop. I would have to remain at the site for days, sometimes weeks, while indigenous tribes, engineers, locals, media, supervisors and myself, were interviewed and investigated. 20-30 people involved. Nobody messed around.

We didn’t have Roman Armies marching around here but the fire roads were developed by logging.

A network of trails followed years later. Animals and hikers likely blazed the first trails. 40+ years ago a man and his children made some legendary trails that were quickly adopted by MTB’ers. His name was Vic (rip), who I only met twice but I am friends with his son who is a trail volunteer.

There’s some history on our little mountain. A few books have been written about the past and present of our local area.

 

[steve_sordy]

Pausing work for a Culterally Modified Tree sounds to me well justified. In the UK, the builders only have to stumble on old pottery for the historians to sequest the site for as long as they want while they investigate. There is no limit on how long they can take. Imagine trying to build something new in a place once occupied by the Romans (Chester, Lincoln, York...........so many). No wonder building works can take so long and cost so much!

Then there is the wildlife! I won't attempt to name any, but there are hundreds, if not thousands, of species that are "threatened" that must not be disturbed. Famously the civil works for the High Speed rail network project (HS2) incurred a cost exceeding £200million (in today's money). It was to protect a rare species of bat IN JUST ONE LOCATION! (Sheephouse Wood in Buckinghamshire). No wonder the project was late and overspent.

 

[Stihldog]

My wife Hates Bats .lol
I can only recall two species of animals that were protected in our region. The Spotted Owl (mostly Washington State) and the Marmot (Naniamo region on Vancouver island). Other rules and regulations protect most wildlife.

A friend of mine (his wife) found a huge dinosaur fossil in a creek in Courtenay BC, where I lived. It is now displayed in a museum. Some kind of sea creature I think?

I’ve seen the changes in logging practices to include riparian zones and wildlife areas. Single stem harvesting, heli-logging. No more clear-cuts. Better protection of wildlife and habitat. Less damage to the environment and ecosystem. Fewer protesters. (Tree-huggers).

Sometimes our trees would be “Spiked”(large nail driven into a tree) or fishing line would be woven throughout an area. (Tripping hazard for us).

Somehow, they had to please all sides.

 

[steve_sordy]

My wife Hates Bats .lol
I can only recall two species of animals that were protected in our region. The Spotted Owl (mostly Washington State) and the Marmot (Naniamo region on Vancouver island). Other rules and regulations protect most wildlife.

A friend of mine (his wife) found a huge dinosaur fossil in a creek in Courtenay BC, where I lived. It is now displayed in a museum. Some kind of sea creature I think?

I’ve seen the changes in logging practices to include riparian zones and wildlife areas. Single stem harvesting, heli-logging. No more clear-cuts. Better protection of wildlife and habitat. Less damage to the environment and ecosystem. Fewer protesters. (Tree-huggers).

Sometimes our trees would be “Spiked”(large nail driven into a tree) or fishing line would be woven throughout an area. (Tripping hazard for us).

Somehow, they had to please all sides.

If forests are not occasionally cleared, when the fires come, the whole bloody lot goes, right down to the ground. Instead, the fire should sweep through just burning the scrub and all the dead matter, leaving the standing trees alive and well. It's all about the energy density (tons per acre or something?) Too high and it's a disaster when a fire comes.

Is that true, or am I slightly off? I read somewhere that the native indians used to start forest fires deliberately to clear the scrub so that real forest fires would not destroy the forest. Well meaning but ill-informed greenies try to stop the burning.

 

[Stihldog]

If forests are not occasionally cleared, when the fires come, the whole bloody lot goes, right down to the ground. Instead, the fire should sweep through just burning the scrub and all the dead matter, leaving the standing trees alive and well. It's all about the energy density (tons per acre or something?) Too high and it's a disaster when a fire comes.

I that true, or am I slightly off? I read somewhere that the native indians used to start forest fires deliberately to clear the scrub so that real forest fires would not destroy the forest. Well meaning but ill-informed greenies try to stop the burning.

Slash Burning.
Years (3-4) after crews have left the area, deliberate fire would be set to the setting. New and natural growth would be generated. Especially for new trees. However, during that transition period Fire Weed would grow for several years until the new growth matured. Within 20 years the area would look like a forest again.

Sometimes tree planting was necessary, but not very often.

The Fire Weed (named because the area looked as though it was on fire) was really good for the honey bees …hence Fire Weed Honey.

I’ve worked in areas where a fire had occurred 5-600 years before. The trees were big (5-7’ Fir) and the terrain was amazing. Thick mossy ground and barely a stick out of place.

 

[F4Flyer]

We will cut trees on public trails but mostly we call the forest service and they are great at doing things quickly. Recently, we had hundreds of trees down and they were all over it to clear the trails. On our private trails (we have 50-60 miles) we do not bother telling our rangers since we only have two or three. Our tail club gets up there with chainsaws and hacksaws and takes care of them as soon as they are reported. Some huge trees are hard to climb over with a 50 lb bike, due to the massive branches. The windy storms always make the old or rotten ones break.

 

[Stihldog]

We don’t have the luxury of a rapid response for downed trees after a severe windstorm. Our trails are generally kept open by volunteers. Most shrapnel on the trails are cleared by bikers and hikers.

The larger trees are cleared by those volunteers who have chainsaws. (Maybe 4-6 on this mountain). They adopt certain areas or trails that they enjoy. It would become overwhelming for the park wardens in our area.

I notice the snags, hangups, widow makers, and the serious hazards …but I also know that I can’t save the world. .

I try to caution the trail maintainers of serious hazards or the consequences of doing it wrong.…but I can’t save the world.

 

[Ndanger]

We will cut trees on public trails but mostly we call the forest service and they are great at doing things quickly. Recently, we had hundreds of trees down and they were all over it to clear the trails. On our private trails (we have 50-60 miles) we do not bother telling our rangers since we only have two or three. Our tail club gets up there with chainsaws and hacksaws and takes care of them as soon as they are reported. Some huge trees are hard to climb over with a 50 lb bike, due to the massive branches. The windy storms always make the old or rotten ones break.

In the pacific northwest especially in areas where there have been forest fires, that leave standing trees, having a chain saw strapped to the front fork of a dirt bike is common. On solo rides in challenging terrain it is the trees that fall during a ride that can make the trip home interesting. I remember a detour that had me spend the night the backcountry, fortunately I was able to decend to an elevation that was not super cold and of course there was no cell service. The bonus was the mountain lion paw prints on the trail that had not been used in years.