Trails Update: September 19, 2025
the zen of raking
Our week started with a bang (and later, splashing). Coastal Culture welcomed volunteers who braved the forecast for another Sunday Dig Morning. The skies felt heavy with an imminent downpour so we shifted from benching and de-duffing to capping and shaping. The dirt pits were clever and generous: “Dig right here to about a meter down” “uh, isn’t this part already “finished trail?” Yes, finished-ish… We harvested mineral soil straight from the trail bed to shape some swoops and cap last week’s extensive rockwork. Countless buckets and wheelbarrows toiled back and forth smoothing out our project. “Raking the finished trail is one of my favorite tasks” I claimed, offering the rake to Caroline and she never handed it back: The work was fun and satisfying! The lunch bell rang right as the skies opened up. We enjoyed Sarah’s poke bowls under the WORCA tents. Finally some rain! After lunch, the crew sheepishly hiked back up to the Rock Rabbit Resistance (better?) to tamp and prepare more projects for next Sunday’s (Sept 21) volunteer digging event: Sign up here!
extra jello!
Tuesday featured a bonus trail NIGHT sponsored by EVO. The Sun Sets at 7:30, so we tackled a relatively small project: completing the Green Jello>Beaver Pond connector. We had tinkered on this at the end of last season and the little bit missing was perfect for an evening of fast digging. We set-up another conveyor belt moving rocks and dirt to cover last season’s effort. “NO MORE ROCKS! please!” cried Michal, overwhelmed at the volunteer’s proficiency. Soon after that, it was “NO MORE DIRT! We’re done.” It’s so satisfying to finish another project! The cool evening was topped off with Sarah’s “Witsend” soup and Dan’s "Deluxe Grilled Cheese” (An ancient recipe from my Phish Tour days…)! Thanks again to Coast Mountain Brewing for the perfect pairing for good food and friends and extra Jello!
alta lake road wildfire thinning
This project covers a rather large area and will be affecting multiple trails north of Rainbow Park this Fall. Lil’Wat Forestry Ventures will conduct the work. Their crews will work by hand (as opposed to heavy machinery) minimizing damage to the trails. WORCA participated in a walk through to advise how best to conserve the trail experience, prepare to remediate any damage and help with communication and safety (what sections of trails to close and when). Trails affected are: Between the Creeks, Rainbow Falls Loop, Lower Rebob, Lower Billy Epic, Surf’s Up, Get Over It, and Nectar Connector on the west side of Alta lake road. East side impacted trails are: A River Runs Through It, Bart’s Dark and Rainbow Express. They will try to minimize the closures during cutting operations so, it is important for all users to respect the posted signage. As always, check Trailforks before your ride but remember that a sign in the field trumps any trailforks update.
See you on the Trails!
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
