Yesterday, Monday, July 17, 2023, the FOSM Trail Maintenance Crew hiked portions of Tree Spring , Bill Spring and Oso Corredor trails and all of Pearl's Flower Trail, to address previously reported hazards and to do other maintenance work as needed. The first objective was a tall, broken dead seven-inch diameter fir tree that was hung up above the uphill margin of Tree Spring trail. As it fell the trunk broke about four feet from the stump and the upper portion of the trunk rested on the ground at the break point with the top high up in a supporting tree. After posting guards to block the trail, a long rope was attached to the base of the tree and it was pulled downhill until it fell to the ground. The tree was then cut and moved away.

The next task was removal of a fifteen-inch diameter dead fir that had fallen over Oso Corredor about 200 yards south of the Tree Spring junction. After two cuts with a crosscut saw, that obstacle was cleared away. The crew then returned to the Tree Spring trailhead via Pearl's Flower Trail where a lot of brushing was done. About halfway down Pearl's Trail, we met Jenny Blackmore who was placing flagging along a new portion of Challenge Trail. Since we had a full crew and lots of equipment we asked if we could be of any help. After convincing Jenny that it would not be a problem for us, our crew helped clear away five or so small fallen trees from the new route and did some other minor work. This portion of new Challenge runs between Pearl's Flower and Tree Spring Trails.

It was then on to the Bill Spring Trailhead located at the far north end of the Doc Long PA to address a previously reported fallen tree. It was on the ground across all but about eighteen inches of the trail. There was a narrow walk-around or it could be stepped over. While it did pose a step-over hazard, it was also doing a pretty good job as a water bar. The compromise remediation is detailed in the attached file.

The day was clear and semi-cool in the early morning with no breeze at all. By late morning things began to warn up. When in a sunny location, the current hot spell is becoming evident even in the Sandias. A light breeze during lunch at Doc Long was welcome.

Yesterday's crew consisted of Byron Garner, Jamey Browning, Cleve Sharp, Rene Archer, Rav Nicholson, John Cooper, David McCreery, Ken Wilson, Bill Perkins and Bob Lowder.