by Matt Ruddy
Oregon Timber Trail Executive Director
This past weekend, June 10th - 12th, the Oregon Timber Trail Alliance got back down to Paisley to work with a small but mighty group of volunteers. The Avery Pass section of the Timber Trail was, and still is, in need of tread work and rehabilitation from the damage caused by the Brattain Fire of 2020.
On Friday, we started the work day with a one mile (or so) hike up the trail from Avery Pass towards Morgan Butte. On the way up we stopped for a viewpoint overlooking the Chewaucan River with Gearhart Mountain and the Winter Rim in the distance. From our high point on the trail, we worked back towards Avery Pass - reestablishing and rerouting trail in the areas that burned hot, rebenching existing singletrack, and knocking off the outside edge (or berm) to allow drainage off of the gently outsloped tread. We finished off the day with a happy hour at camp and some hot meals.
We logged 100 volunteer hours worth an estimated $2,600.
With a bounce in our steps, we began on the upper section of Avery Pass, much of the soil still mixed with soot but courageous green growth popping up all along the trail. With a few more reassurance markers posted and a much more visible path, we headed down to the steep ridgeline and spent the rest of the day benching yards and yards of trail that, over time, had eroded into the scary, narrow pitch of high exposure.
A highlight of the day was building out a remarkably stable rock support feature. With the Travis tools swinging, scraping and digging, cooperative counting and chanting while lugging gargoyles with the rock sling, and finally adding a few gangly branches to tie the trail together, we ended up with an inviting little piece of trail that carries you around the bend into an expansive view of the Fremont-Winema Valley.
A huge and heartfelt thanks to Nate Crabtree and his rock-solid squad from the USFS. They continue to show up with effort and ideas for making this stretch of the Timber Trail rugged yet rewarding. The second day of work wrapped up and we fired up the grill to discuss what we had accomplished over brats, sausages, and mac salad. Hearing stories from our members and volunteers who made the drive in from Bend, Lakeview, Ashland, Portland, and beyond is always one of the most rewarding ways to wind down these events. A special thanks to our beverage sponsors: Deschutes Brewing, Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider, and Nossa Familia Coffee, and safe travels to amazing volunteers. On behalf of Matt, Mike, Nala the trail pup, and the rest of the Timber Trail team, we can’t wait to see you again and get back out there.
Nala keeping an eye on the proceedings