Hi Everyone – I was out on the trails yesterday doing some compliance patrolling, final trail grant project inspections with the state & flagging of projects for this work day. We have guardrail & posts at the Arrowhead Campground that we’ll have to drag to the following locations. Here’s the list of where we’ll be putting up the guardrail & how many guardrails & posts we’ll need.
1A. Slab Pile Trail – block off the gut off trail across from the camping area at a spot in the trail that gets wet a lot that is just a little west of Poser Rock. Block either end of the bypass – 2 long rails & 4 posts (1 set of each end). See Orange flagging labeled 1A.
1B. Slab Pile Trail (west of the intersection with Sawmill Trail going down the hill – Block the 2 illegal bypasses – 1 at the top of the hill & one at the bottom of the hill – We have blocked these illegal bypasses here before with large dead trees and slash but they moved a few sections of them and started making 2 bypasses. 2 long rails & 4 posts (1 set of each at either end). See Orange flagging labeled 1B.
2. Forest Road 516 (the one that leads to Art Lilley & Falls Dam) – there is a section that is flagged off with white flagging & has yellow “No Camping” signs up. Need to block off access to this area with more dead trees & slash (can get some of the slash & boulders from the new section of Wolf Den Trail to block this off). See Orange flagging labeled 2.
3. Dickey Bell Trail – on the east side of Forest Road 553 – at the campsite at Dutch John Creek at the 1st log crossing. Replace split rail fencing with 2 long rails and 3 posts (try not to block the horse trail that comes through there). On the other side of the creek block off the trail from vehicle traffic with 2 long rails & 3 posts and on the other side of the campsite toward the other creek branch use 1 long rail & 2 posts to block access to the creek (we brushed this in last month). See the 3 Orange flags labeled 3.
Dickey Bell Trail - Need to take 2 posts & nuts & bolts up to the guardrail section that is just before you reach the wooden guiderail that the contractor installed this winter. There is a rail laying up there at the end of guardrail and we blocked this off last month with slash, old split rail because we didn’t have enough posts for this. Just install this guardrail in the same area where it’s laying down. 2 posts.
4. Slab Pile Trail – Block off illegal bypass going out 1 tail ditch down to the next tail ditch. This is coming up the hill west of the intersection with Dutch John Trail. Use 2 long rails & 4 posts (1 set at each end). See Orange flagging labeled 4.
We’ll use a total of 11 long rails & 22 posts . If anyone has loppers, clippers, and brush saws please bring them because whoever’s not doing guardrail installation or working on #2 can ride the trails and brush back the trails, around signs, around the intersections of the trails to improve visibility and so the whole trail tread is open for vehicles.
We’ll meet you at 9 am at Uwharrie Hunt Camp this Saturday, October 24th. Bring brackets, chains, D rings, etc. for dragging the guardrails and if you have a truck or a trail trailer we can use to haul in the posts that would be great. Also, bring any augers the clubs or Friends of Uwharrie has please. I just found out that the tip on one of ours was broken last month. I’ll have mix gas so we can fuel them up before we head out. We’ll divide up in to a couple groups to do the Slab Pile Trail, the Dickey Bell Trail & Forest Road 516 if there is enough to split up. Bring your lunches, water, work boots, & work gloves.
I appreciate all of your help. Bye - Terry