Nov 4 TRLT Outdoor Challenge Day 4

 County Trek Spot - Birkhead Loop Hike

Last week's hurricane remnant dropped some trees around the county, so let's take a look at the Birkhead damage today. I'm hiking the 11.2 mile loop from Tot Hill trailhead. I met the only two hikers of the day before I could even break a sweat. It's Crystal and friend getting some miles in for the TRLT Outdoor Challenge. She mentions a tree down - says I can't miss it.

Here it is, about a minute walk from the lower junction with Forester Trail right smack in the middle of the Birkhead Mountain Trail. It looks worse than it really is.

Here it is from the other side. The crown of the tree came down over the trail. It is many many small branches can easily be ripped up by a chainsaw in a few minutes. To me it looks like a no brainer - one sawyer and one swamper can handle in short order. It is not in the wilderness, so have at it with a chainsaw. Small bar chainsaw would do the trick.

side one

It is clear sailing on BMT to Robbins Branch Trail. Down to Robbins Branch and then this. A massive Oak has been uprooted and taken out a medium sized Maple for good measure. This is right in the area where we have had massive trees down previously. 

side 2

The good news here is that, again, it is the crown of the tree that is over the trail. We are in the wilderness so it's manpower not horsepower. This one can be cut with good handsaws. Two cuts of about 8 inches are needed and many small cuts to get all the crown branches. Looks like a crew of 4 to take turns on the handsaws. 

I'm feeling pretty good about the trail, as I round the turn onto Hannahs Creek Trail and hike to the end of the trail at the BMT junction. We all know the monster that lays there. Even if we had a tuned crosscut, this would be a hellava cut to make.

My suggestion here, is to cut the small tree out of the rootball and make a slight trail detour to where the big tree can be easily stepped over. The reroute would be less than 10 feet. 

I'm back bebopping on the BMT now and almost to the unnamed side trail when things get ugly. First obstacle is the small tree above. The trail went between the large rootball and the new small rootball. We'll have to cut the small one to reroute the tree about two feet to the left. 

This area, from here to Camp 5 has many very large oaks down - not over the trail but in the nearby forest. This small maple has come down over the trail and can be cleared with handsaws.

This blowdown is from June 2019. The SAWS crew did not make it this far on their last day, so it still sits there. There are many overhead hazards and hard to predict binds with this one. I think it is above our pay grade.

Just beyond here, on the ascent to Camp 5 is a small pine across the trail above thigh high that can be cut. 

Newly downed trees are waypointed above except the first one I mentioned.