There has been a lot happening over the past few months at Saxon Hill. So here’s the full download on the winter logging operations and our spring clean up.
A new logging road went in crossing Low Flow and linked up with an old logging road that coincides with part of the current trail system on the Upper Flow Climb.
We have done some work this spring to make this section ridable and walkable for spring trail use. We will go back this summer and do a better tune up, but logging operations still need to do final close out.
Close-Out Operations Still Pending
Close out happens each spring when the ground is firm enough to excavate soils and create a series of water bars to prevent running water from doing long term damage. We expect this work to happen sometime in May, so please keep your ears and eyes locked on our communications.
We will announce when machines will be in the woods doing this work! We will need to temporarily close the trails for a few days to allow the machines to work interference.
Upper Trails Mostly Affected
The winter logging operations pulled timber from the upper portion of the hill. We had a ton of large logs, small debris and moderate trail damage throughout the upper trails. The affected trails include:
- Outer DH
- Pumptrack
- Boulder Jump
- Upper Flow
Big Thanks to All Our Volunteers!
We have been busy working with volunteers, trail crew and L&D Trailworks to tune up the summit trails this spring! We networked with a group of experienced chainsaw operators to pre-cut all the large logs. Then, we made a call to volunteers on social media to help us move all the large debris. In just one weekend, the logs were completely cleared! Huge response and thank you to all that came out and helped.
Next we asked for your help raking some of the smaller debris, and yet again, a great showing. We also began doing some more strategic dirt work with our trail crew member Nick Puerto (thank you Nick) and L&D Trailworks came in for a few days to tune up an area that was a bit harder to recover with our hand tools.
A big thank you to Essex Parks and Recreation staff for working with us and supporting the recovery efforts on these summit trails, and to the volunteers who gathered at our Trail Day on Saturday April 18. We reworked berms, rollers, and drainage, moved dirt and rock, raked, and even added a new optional jump or two!
What to expect for next year?
Logging operations will need to continue on the hillside trails next winter. The remaining part of Upper Flow and Low Flow will have winter operations. We are working closely with the Town of Essex and the logging/forestry team to be really strategic about how timber is pulled to minimize trail damage and make for a speedy recovery next spring as well.
See the map below for the area logged this past winter and the remaining part of the parcel to be logged next winter.
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