Yesterday, the FOSM Trails Maintenance Crew hiked portions of Challenge trail to remove previously reported fallen trees. Crosscut saws and other hand tools were used for this work. David Galbraith had reported eleven trees of various sizes down on Challenge trail between Capulin PA and the Sandia Peak Ski Area and an additional two larger ones (20-inch diameter) on Challenge trail uphill from the Capulin PA access trail. We started our hike at the short access trail from Capulin PA to Challenge trail and headed downhill. The crew removed about eight fallen trees in the four to ten-inch diameter range. Steve Roholt reported that he removed three trees from Challenge on the portion above the ski area. (Thank you, Steve!) When we got to the point where we could see Steve's work, it was still quite early in the day. We decided that, although it had not been our original plan, we had plenty of time to go back up and address the two trees in the upper Challenge area. Since we had a vehicle parked at the base of the ski area to shuttle drivers back up to Capulin, a few of us went on to the ski area for the parked car for return to Capulin, and the rest of the crew hiked back up to Capulin and on up to the the two remaining trees.

Work then began on the two, twenty-inch diameter trees. The first was actually a jumble of four trees, including the large fallen tree, two smaller hang-ups above it and a twelve-inch diameter fallen tree on the ground below it. That situation took some careful planning and equally careful work to clear away. The second fallen tree was about 1/4 mile on Challenge above the first one. It was a single recently fallen twenty-inch diameter live fir tree. Its wood was rather hard and provided a good workout for our sawyers. As far as we know now, at least all the portions of Challenge that had been hiked by David Galbraith are now clear.

Yesterday's crew consisted of Jamey Browning, David McCreery, Byron Garner, Rav Nicholson, Susan Gregory, Ken Wilson, John Cooper, Bill Perkins, Phil Cromer and Bob Lowder. Please see attached Word document for photos and additional narrative. All photos by Jamey Browning & Bob Lowder.