Type of Hike
Multi-night backpackTrail Conditions
Trail in good conditionRoad
Road rough but passableBugs
Bugs were not too badSnow
Snow free
This outing was part of a WTA trail work party!
WTA BCRT! (Washington Trails Association Backcountry Response Team.) We cleared the Downey Creek Trail for climbers to tackle Dome Peak this season!
This was a five-day volunteer trail crew logout of the six-mile Downey Creek Trail, led by the legendary MtnMike. We got an amazing amount of sawing done. We cleared sixty-seven (!) logs from the trail. And some of those logs were humungous!
But in addition to sawing, clearing, and a lot of brushing, MtnMike led the complete repair of a puncheon bridge that had been smashed by a falling log.
To replace the broken stringers, we cut a twelve-foot section from a cedar log, split it lengthwise, then notched it to fit the existing sills and stringers. We also cut and shaped cedar treads and rails to replace the ones that weren’t salvageable. We agreed that this super-solid repair will outlast the original bridge. And it’s strong enough to drive a bus across!
Everyone stayed safe, had LOTS of fun, and worked really hard! It helped that we had perfect weather. Hooray for WTA!
Comments
Wow, what an amazing before and after. Thanks for your hard work and that awesome puncheon repair!
Posted by:
Anna Roth on May 12, 2015 04:03 PM
Nice work! Thank you all!
Posted by:
LizzyRN on May 13, 2015 08:31 AM
I hiked this trail 40 years ago and am really excited about hiking it again. How far up did you guys clear the trail and how difficult is the stream crossings along the way?
Posted by:
TheArtistBackpacker on May 20, 2015 08:47 AM
I don't think I could have made it up there without all your hard work. The stream crossings were all easily doable last weekend. Only two windfalls required a bit of mud scrambles. Bachelor Creek Trail is another story.
Posted by:
Malcon on May 26, 2015 01:45 PM