Hello Everyone:

Yesterday, Monday, April 25, 2022 the FOSM Trail Maintenance Crew hiked Pino Trail to remove previously reported fallen trees and to do other work as needed. The crew removed five fallen trees, ranging in size from seven to twenty-three inches in diameter. In addition, some fine-tuning was done on several fallen trees which had been previously cut back near the top of the trail by our Forest Gnomes. The major task for our crew was the removal of the two large trees. Fallen trees this size can be a challenge to remove as the cuts can be quite time consuming  using crosscut saws and the resulting cut sections can be quite heavy. However, the sense of accomplishment one gets when the job is done is well worth the effort. All of the removed trees were located approximately from the three-mile level to near the top of the trail so it was a good hike just to get to the work sites.

We had a turnout large enough to divide the crew into two teams. Each of the teams had the responsibility to remove one of the large trees. We had originally planned to only remove the two big trees on Monday and then come back later, possibly by hiking down from the top, to remove the two trees remaining uphill toward the switchbacks. However, several of our crew members  (Byron, Cleve and David) decided to continue up and try to finish the work. They did just that. We can now say that, at least as late as yesterday afternoon, Pino Trail is now clear from top to bottom.

The day started out quite brisk and a gusty east wind made it seem even cooler. However, the day warmed quickly and the wind abated as we got up into the forest. Except for a few possible patches in shaded areas at the top, the snow is gone from the west side.

Yesterday’s crew consisted of Jerry Pekarek, David McCreery, Byron Garner, Tony Pachelli, Jamey Browning, Cleve Sharp, Rav Nicholson, Jenny Blackmore, Silke Bletzer and Bob Lowder.

Please see attached Word document for photos and additional narrative. All photos by various crew members.

Thanks.

Bob L.