Trails Update: October 17, 2025
Gettin’it done!
I’m thankful for the crew accomplishing so much in this holiday-shortened week! The weather sure helped, and spirits were high as the snowline crept lower. We only spent a day on Lower Bring On The Weekend since the OG builder crew had been working up from the bottom while we made the long commutes working on the upper section. Bonus… the Michals enhanced the catch-berm on the crux of Breath Of The Wild before rolling the tools back to base. While the bears ate anything they could find, we dealt with several deadfall and danger trees. We cleared Out There, A Cut Above and Cheap Thrills. Thrilling side quest… we finally removed the old bridge over the creek. It somehow felt like a safety net or “parkour stage!” It was an intricate deconstruction, perfectly executed (no one got wet!). Bigger side quest… while hiking up (and down) to deal with the trees on A Cut Above, I could not bear to wait until next spring to remediate (some of) Beaver Pass. We spent the rest of the week redesigning a better crossing through Whip Me Snip Me, and redirecting the lower section into a more “down” line. The original trail over the rooty slabs can still be accessed from the downhill trending Hot Dog Pass.
forest meetings
I joined WORCA Trails Director Ben Hryciw for an “office ride” in preparation for the WORCA Board retreat. Just as we dove into plans for next season’s trail nights, we were startled to discover a distressed osprey on the Black Tusk FSR. The large raptor seemed pain stricken as it limped slowly away from us. Doctor Doolittle sprung into character! I chimed my best osprey chirps and the bird responded! Sadly, our short conversation did not heal the problem, so I called an expert, my good friend Bob Brett. As Ben overheard… “I’m on a bike, so, no, I do not have a large animal cage with me…” Bob relayed my photos and location to OWL rehab - A group that rescues injured raptors. Let’s hope they find and help this beautiful bird! Back on our ride-meeting Ben and I discussed major projects for 2026 as we ventured towards stunning Jane Lake. The chit chat turned into a typical Hryciw clearing mission sans Garbo (the Chief Stick Officer). Armed with only my diminutive bigboy saw, we battled logs all over Jane Lakes and Salsa Verde. Our meeting adjourned after a delightful drink at WORCA supporters Coast Mountain Brewing!
See you on the Trails!
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
