Caney Creek Trail maintance and trail reroute

by ouachita hiker Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:51 pm

To all hikers,

On Sat. 2/8th the Caney Creek Wilderness Tail Maintainers: Tom OH Trigg, Janet Outlawpacker Trigg, Bryan son of OH Trigg, Mark the axe man Davis , Mark trail reclic Adams, and Eddy ED Mitchel, entered the wilderness from the West trail head. We forded a cold Cossotat River and hiked approx. 2 miles to a campsite beside Caney Creek. The next .2 miles was blocked by fallen pine trees. These trees had been down at least one year, victims of the pine bark beetle. This is were our work began. To make a long story short by noon 9 trees had been cut and rolled of the trail. The FS had instructed me to make any necessary trail reroutes and I will try to explain as best as I can what we did.

Please take note:
When you reach Caney Creek you will see a campsite with a fire ring on your right.
After this campsite is a large pine down across the trail. The trail will go around this pine and our reroute begins on the left side of the root ball. You will go down hill, toward the creek a little ways and veer to the left. It is still very rocky thru here, you will pass some down pines, one of which was cut by Mark Davis before our arrival. You will come to a very large pine (approx. 150 or more years old) and now you will go back uphill to the original trail. You will cross this old pine, you will have to go high and scoot over the top, later we are going to build stone steps here, and continue ahead thru a series of pines that we cut out. When you can't forward any further, due to more down pines you will go up hill around a very large pines root ball and then come back down to the original trail and the creek crossing.

It is more clear when you get to this area. In a couple of weeks some of us are going to go and work on this reroute to make it a little easier to follow. Also after lunch we cut thru a tree that, by the tree rings, was over 100 years old. It is a shame that these once great trees have fallen victim to the pine bark beatle.

The trail is clear to at least the next creek crossing, Caney Crossing #2, 2.35 miles in from the W. trail head.

(later when I have the pictures on Webshots I will send them out)

thanks, OuachitaHiker