[Volunteers_fosm] Trail Maintenance Report For Monday, Janaury 15, 2024

[Robert Lowder]

Hello Everyone:

Yesterday, Monday, January 15, 2024, the FOSM Trails Maintenance Crew and members of the Sandia Classic Snowshoe Race Marshal Crew hiked the entire length of the race course to identify and remove any hazards to the safety of the participants and to assure that the course conditions are satisfactory. (Some hike participants Monday are actually members of both crews.) The crew removed a poorly supported five-inch diameter dead fir and a smaller adjacent two-inch dead fir that were leaning over Upper Switchback Trail not far from the Buried Cable junction. Other than that, only some minor pruning of protruding branches was needed that day. The course is in excellent condition for the event. Some crew members commented that the course was in the best shape they had ever seen it for the race. A check of the snow depth near the red gate on the Kiwanis Meadow road at the Crest indicated that it was a bit over 36 inches deep. There are drifts adjacent to the course that appear to be much deeper than that. The day was mostly clear with temperatures staying in the low to mid-twenties. The occasional breeze made it feel colder than that. The Crest highway was in reasonable condition with snow-packed or icy spots in shady areas and a couple of single lane stretches that allow only one-way traffic. We did not travel higher than the Ellis trailhead on the Crest road.

Monday's crew consisted of Dan Benton, Jamey Browning, Byron Garner, Laura Leon, John Cooper, Paul Karas, Susan Gregory, Bill Perkins, David McCreery and Bob Lowder.

Please see attached Word document for photos and additional narrative.  Photos were taken by Stefan Martin and Paul Karas.

Thanks,

Bob L.
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