Last couple days at the cabin.

 

It was raining lightly when I arrived at the cabin Thursday morning around 10:00.

I got moved in and hung around the cabin for a while.
After lunch the rain had stopped and occasionally the sun would make an
appearance for a short time.

I threw a few tools in the jeep and drove up to the trailhead near the Bear
Spring. Once I got parked and the tools unloaded, I started walking out the trail.

The Jeep looks better in woods than when it was red.

It looks like it is going to be a good day for photographing mushrooms.

 

I walked out the trail to where it splits; the left trail goes up the hill toward the Broken Handle Spring and the right trail goes across the gully that’s the “High Loop Trail”

I stopped at the “Y” for a short break and noticed these two nests in a large Nutmeg tree.

Nest 1 

Nest 2

Eventually I got to the end of the groomed trail.

This is where I quit the last time I worked on the trail.

I cut a little step here.

I worked my way along the trail with my rake just defining the trail.

I came to one spot where the old game trail I am following goes up a steep grade. Here I carved the trail around the hill through some down trees and came out where the old trail continues.

 

From here I just walked along cutting brush where the trail is going to be.

There were more mushrooms along the trail.

I eventually came to where the trail connects with an old skid road.

It was getting late so I headed back toward the jeep.
I left the tools leaning against a tree for tomorrow.

Friday

I woke up to the sound of water dripping from the redwood tree next to the cabin and hitting the tin roof.
Around 11:30 the fog burned off and I headed up to do some more work on the trail.

I parked the jeep and walked out the trail 

until I got to the turn off to “Broken Handle Spring”, where I took the left fork.

This trail is still pretty rough and will need some attention next year.

This tree across the trail is an exercise tree its too big to move and you get extra exercise climbing over it.

The trail is nonexistent where you cross the gully.

The pipe from Broken Handle Spring ends a short distance from the gully so I
crossed over and checked out the flow from the pipe. The flow looks like it is
about three times what it was a few weeks ago.

From here I walked up the trail to where the spring is tapped.

Everything looks good here I can hear water gurgling as it flows through the pipe.

I left the spring and followed the pipeline down the hill and intersected the
High Loop Trail at the place where I started working yesterday.

I turned left and walked up the trail to where I had left my tools yesterday.

 

I worked on the trail where it goes around the steep part of the hill.
This was probably the hardest part of the trail to build so far.
I started attacking this big log with the “Polauski” but it was more work
than I wanted to do today so I left it as you see it . Another exercise log.

As I was taking a break I was struck by the beauty of the woods where I was
sitting.

After the break I headed out the trail taking only the rake with me.

My plan was just to define the trail all the way to the skid road.

It took an hour or more to work my way to the end of the trail but now it will
be easy to follow.

 

Throughout the day as I was working I found several interesting kinds of fungi.

 

By Around 3:00 I was pretty tired so I decided to call it a day and I gathered
up my tools and headed back to the jeep.

On the way down the road to the cabin I stopped to get a picture of the
Big Fern Spring output.

 

It looks like the spring output has almost doubled since the last time it was
checked.

Saturday:

I got up around 8:30, had breakfast and spent much of the morning writing
this post. 

It was foggy earlier but at this moment it has cleared off and is around 50
degrees outside. It’s nice and warm here in the cabin by the fire.

I’m going home today and won’t be back here at the cabin until next spring.
This has been a very good season and I have had a lot of fun and we have
accomplished a lot with help from Bob and Dave.