Trails are for Christmas Too!

Wait until you hear this!  At 7 AM on Christmas morning as we pulled away from opening the Park gate a car drove in.  It was still very dark and yet they parked at the Filbert Grove and headed off on a hike by the river.  What a surprise!  

We counted 25 vehicles during the day and saw lots of hikers, dog walkers (some who come almost every day) and even 2 groups of horseback riders.  That was just on an 11 AM rove of the park and a 2 PM hike and geocache search.  When we closed the park at 5 PM one set of horse riders were still out on the trail and a walker was making his return to the bike trail car park on the River.   When the horse riders finally left the park it was after 5:30.  They reported making a wrong turn on the trails.  Since it was very dark we had been a little worried.

So- even on Christmas Day our time was well spent giving others an opportunity to enjoy a place of beauty on the River!

On Dec. 26 Terry and Ranger Carlie did some sign removals on the horse trail about 3 miles from the trailhead.  It was so far down the river, across the wheat field and deep in the forest that Terry asked me to come with him the next day to clear some trees that had fallen on the trail.  Since I had never been on the horse trail I was happy to help.  So we loaded up my favorite Park vehicle, the Kubota and headed out!

Yes, Inge, I really do drive this one and LOVE it!!!!  

We spent about 3 hours trimming blackberries, jerking down a mass of vines that almost blocked the trail and cutting the tree that blocked the detour around the tree across the trail.  There is lots of work to do just keeping the trail open in some spots.  It is work that both of us enjoy and it makes us happy to have been a help to someone.  It is a little muddy though---notice the boots!

Oh! and I forgot to mention the moss covered tires we pulled off the trail side (see them in the back).  Terry surprised me with my first pair of insulated coveralls and I was so glad to have them on this chilly, muddy work day.  (I'm learning to be a more contented maintenance volunteer.)

As 2014 starts on Wednesday we will be 30 days away from ending 8 months of Volunteer Work.  Who knew when we said yes to that first job in May of 2011 that we would become so involved in just 3 years?  What an adventure!!!!

Best wishes to you for many new adventures in 2014!!!