LOCAL TRAILS STALWARTS Michael Hempen (VtF board member), Loren Dickinson, Bob Langley, and Andy Doremus brought home ideas to improve Yachats trails after attending a Trailkeepers of Oregon workshop May 11, 12, 13, 2018. Their base was Camp Arrah Wanna on the Salmon River near Mt. Hood. About 90 volunteers from across the state attended the workshop. Information programs on the first night were followed by participating in actual projects Saturday. Yachats’ intrepid group chose a project that required solving a major muddy-trail problem near the Salmon River in Camp Arrah Wanna. For Sunday’s work session, Andy and Bob chose one project, Michael and Loren another on the trail at Salmon Butte.
The expressed goals of the workshop included the following.
- The importance of safety while performing trail stewardship
- An introduction to understanding hillside hydrology and how trails work
- Using your “trail eyes” to accurately survey a trail corridor for logs, brushing, and tread needs.
- Safe use of loppers and hand saws for effective lopping and sawing skills to protect trees and maximize efficiency
- How to identify cupped tread and restore it to appropriate out-slope by removing slough and berm
- How to identify and clean drain dips and water bars effectively
Talented artist Loren Dickinson created watercolor sketches based on the workshop.
(Drawing by Loren Dickenson 2018)
