Today, the FOSM Trails Maintenance Crew set out to do a scheduled hike out 10K North trail to remove some of the previously reported fallen trees there. Various weather reports called for a storm to arrive late in the day or early evening bringing with it strong winds and possible light snow. Anticipating that this would indeed be the case, allowing at least part of a day to start the work, the crew assembled at the Ranger Station at 8:00 am.

There was a light breeze in Tijeras, but it was nothing out of the ordinary wind-wise, so the crew headed up. On the trip up the mountain at about the 9-Mile PA location, it appeared to be almost calm. Things were looking good. HOWEVER, by the time the crew arrived at the 10k North parking lot, the wind speed had increased substantially. The tree tops, even those of dead ones with no needles to catch the wind, were swaying back and forth in a quite dramatic fashion. This would, of course, create hazardous conditions for anyone out on the trail, particularly those who might be stopping to do trail work. Likely, that same wind will produce even more work for the crew to do in the future. Apparently in arriving early, the storm did not comply with the predictions of the weather prognosticators.