What We’re Up To This Month
June Trail Work
We’re finally rolling! Like you, we were impatient to get out on the trails for the 2023 season. Now, our field crew is hard at work, and here’s what’s happening this month.
Q: What trails are you working on this month (June)?
The team is working on maintenance and some trail re-routes in Waddle Ranch, and just recently moved up to the Sawtooth Network. In Sawtooth, the crew is doing trail maintenance and new trail construction starting with Crosscut Trail.
Q: What else?
The team of five crew members is working hard to remove downed trees across the full network of non-motorized trails in the Truckee region of the US Forest Service, working our way up to higher elevations as snowmelt allows.
Q: What’s involved in trail maintenance?
Trail maintenance includes logouts (removing downed trees), tread repair (refinishing damaged trail surface), clearing drains, and more. Our work includes seasonal maintenance of 100 miles of trail this summer.
Q: How has the late snowmelt impacted your fieldwork?
Fortunately, we could start working at a lower altitude in Waddle Ranch (5,832′) which was snow-free in early June. Now we’re shifting to Sawtooth where we’ll eventually max out at 7,700′ at the Upper Big Chief trailhead.
Q: What sort of equipment and tools do you use?
A range of tools including, for example, a mini-excavator on new trail construction, and hand tools like the McLeod for follow-on hand work. We’ll use chainsaws to remove downed trees, except in the Granite Chief Wilderness which is hand cut with a crosscut saw.
Q: How many hours of fieldwork will the crew complete this month?
Our trail crew will put in ~900 hours and our Trail Ambassadors add ~300 hours.
Q: What are Trail Ambassadors and what do they do?
Our four Trail Ambassadors strategically roam the trails, help trail users with directions and information, provide first aid where appropriate, pick up trash, help assess trail conditions, and watch for wildfire risks (e.g. abandoned campfires). They work across the US Forest Service Truckee area, Donner Memorial State Park, and the Donner Docks.
Q: Lastly, who is working in the 2023 Truckee Trails field crew?
Levi Bittler, Abigail Fowler, Fil Grgic, Megan Mesick, and Larry Lehman, Trails Project Engineer.