West Elwha — Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026

Gray Wolf Trail Crew was back out on the West Elwha Trail today. There was a mucky spot about 2.5 miles in that needed attention. The fix was building a turnpike, which is what trail workers call a raised section of trail, shored by curb logs, and filled with rocks and dirt.

Part of the crew tackled drainage, digging trenches to carry water away from the site. Rocks and dirt were gathered from nearby. Other crew members found a downed cedar (we call that a volunteer) a ways down the trail. Cedar is best because it resists rot.

The tree was bucked into logs of the right length, the bark was peeled to make the logs less prone to rot, and then the crew carried the logs up the trail and set them in place. Finally, we placed big rocks for a foundation, followed by smaller rocks, and then covered all with a nice bed of dirt.