OHT Sylamore Section -- Good Shape!

I hiked on the Sylamore Section from Spring Creek TH to Cripple Turkey TH, last weekend. It was a nice hike, plenty of water this time of year. The trail is CLEAR! I know this notice was posted a few months ago, but I was doubtful about what that meant. Well, it is clear. Even the tiny pieces of rotten wood that you would normally find along a trail corridor are cleared off. There were only 4 limbs in the trail in 14 miles. Some of the places had to be retreaded, because of all the damage from fallen trees. The trail has even been weedtrimmed along that entire stretch, about 12 miles of trail, 2 miles of road. I can't recall ever seeing such a long stretch of trail weed trimmed. It just amazed me to see a clear trail going right through all the brush piles left from the ice storm. Lots of manhours.

I did check the trail at various points going up Push Mtn. Rd. (Hwy 341) and it appeared to be in great shape. I know I wouldn't want to try bushwhacking through the area, I think it might take all day to go a 1/2 mile through the bad parts. I know you couldn't take 10 steps on the trail w/o passing a fallen tree that had been sawed. Will be a heaven for snakes this summer! I sure hope there isn't another ice storm, there won't be a forest left...I think it damaged 90% of the trees, in some capacity, in some areas!

And a GREAT BIG THANKS to OHTA VOLUNTEERS for this! They spent a solid week (plus weekends) doing the work at their base camp this past fall, plus other OHTA individual volunteers have been hacking away at it since last spring - it was really a mess. Everyone who uses hiking trails really should join a volunteer group like this and do your share, and a special THANK YOU to everyone here who is already doing that...