Jake Mountain Work Party

Today, the girls and I hacked at the ground up on Jake Mountain. We met Debbie and the rest of the volunteers from the Chattahoochee Trail Horse Association up there at 9AM and got to work. Greg Holland showed up too with his cool dog Rogue. Eddie O joined us about half an hour later. I usually start recruiting for the work party about 2 weeks out but with the Fool's Gold and TNGA, my efforts in that regard were weak this month. We've got another one November 1st though.

Be there!

My little trail crew got suited up.

After a quick safety briefing, we hiked out on Jake. The goal for the day, for our group, was to finish the nicking on Jake from the point that last month's work party finished, all the way down to Jones Creek and deberm what we could as well.

Me, Sophie and Iz worked down toward the creek. A couple of groups went down to the creek and worked back toward us as well.

Iz was moving slow. She's still recovering from a cold and really couldn't put in the effort that she usually does. She did build an entire nick by herself and proved it with the soccer ball, but that was about the extent of her impact today.

Sophie, on the other hand, was a trail maintenance machine. She and I really got our deberming technique down. I'd use the Pulaski and plow a 8 inch wide region along the edge of the trail for 20 or 30 feet. I'd basically just dig it in and pull it toward me like a plow, chopping here and there if the soil didn't break up. Usually two of these in parallel was sufficient to break up the entire berm. Sophie would then follow with the fire rake, pulling what I broke up downhill. She'd start working as soon as I got past a 3 or 4 foot section. We worked in concert like a pair of old-timey riveters. When I was done, she'd be done a few seconds later. Sometimes we'd make a light second pass if the trail had gotten cupped or something.

We knocked out hundreds of yards in an hour or so. I wish we'd gotten the technique wired earlier in the day. We made so much progress, so quickly that it was actually fun. I need to make a video, demonstrating the technique.

Several groups on horseback passed us.

We only saw one guy on a bike though, a mid 90's Stumpjumper with V-brakes.

On the way out, Eddie and I chopped out a bunch of stubby little stumps and he got stung by yellow jackets. Hah! Good he's not allergic.

The CTHA fed us. Man it was good.

I don't think any beverage tastes as good as Coca-Cola when I'm thirsty. Yeah, pure water quenches the thirst but Coke is just so delicious.

The plan for next time is to start working on Moss Creek from FS28-1 toward Jones Creek. There is less work to be done on that section. I don't believe that there are any CTHA work parties scheduled for December or January, but maybe I can get a few SORBA parties going. We'll just have to see.