Calendar

Past Activity

Spencer Butte

  • Start date: 10/29/2011

  • Start time: 12:00 AM

  • End date: 10/29/2011

  • End time: 11:59 PM

Description:

For this month's projects we will be continuing some work and also prepping the trails for fall.

Some of our group will continue our work thinning trees from around the Junction Meadow. We will be scattering branches and tree trucks into the woods so that the meadow isn't overtaken by trees and converted into forest.

Other will check and clean drainage along the Main, West, and Tie trails to prepare them for fall and winter. Those that head down the Tie Trail will also remove brush that is encroaching and covering sections of the trail.

  • Event Leader: Bell Matt

  • Assistant Leader:

  • Event category: Trail Maintenance

  • Area Type: Urban

  • Departure Location: See Trip Description

  • Rating: Moderate

  • Roundtrip total drive miles:

  • Season: 2011

  • Permits Required:

  • Event Status: Passed

  • Supplies and Equipment Required: Weather and work appropriate footwear and clothing. All tools, equipment, gloves, and even some snacks will be provided by the City.

  • participant prerequisites:

  • Conditions:

  • Total Distance: 2

  • Member Fees: —

  • Elevation Gain: 500

  • Non-Member Fees: —

  • Committee: Trail Maintenance

  • Junior member fees: —

Trip Report

For this month’s outing our group of 10 volunteers met Josh Schrader in the main Spencer Butte parking lot on Willamette Street.

We discussed the potential projects for the day and broke into 4 groups. Joanne would clean the stairs. Nola and Lisa would take a shovel, Terra hoe, and folding saw up the Main Trail clearing culverts and doing light brushing. Matt and Jim would do the same but head up and over the butte via the West Trail. The others would hike up the Main Trail with Josh and continue to work to clear small fir trees that are attempting to take over the Junction Meadow. The plan was for those of us clearing drainage and doing light brushing to meet up at the Junction Meadow and help haul and disperse the trees that Josh cut down.

Nola and Lisa made it to the meadow to help before Jim and I. However, Jim and I were surprised to not find anyone working in the meadow when we arrived and quite a few trees that could still be cut down. We scattered a small pile of branches and cut down a very small tree with the folding saw. Still not seeing anyone we decided to head down to the parking lot. Upon arriving at the parking lot we still didn’t find anyone so we turned around and headed back up the trail.

We had almost made it back to the meadow when we finally ran into our group who had run for cover after disturbing a large yellow jacket nest. Josh had not only stepped on the nest a couple of times but had even cut a log directly above its entrance. Thankfully, no one got stung! Because of the cold morning, it took the yellow jackets a while to warm up enough to even fly around. This gave everyone enough time to realize that there was a large knee high swarm and get out of there before the yellow jackets warmed up enough to sting anyone.

We hiked back to the parking lot and all marveled at the amazingly clean steps leading into the park. We took a group picture at on the stairs that Joanne meticulously cleaned.

To view photos from this month's outing, go to:
https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/4937344/2/2011%20Obsidian%20Trail%20Maintenance%20Photos/2011_10Oct_29_Spencer%20Butte?h=a93ca0

Members & Guests signed-up & waitlisted

No. Status Full name Phone Transportation Needed? Trip Fee # Can Take?
1 Signed-Up Bell, Matt 503-884-8829 N —
2 Signed-Up Whitfield, Jim 541-937-2364 N —
3 Signed-Up Jacobsen, Janet 541-206-1251 N —
4 Signed-Up Marcus, Lisa 541-285-7141 N —
5 Signed-Up Predeek, Dave 541-345-5531 N —
6 Signed-Up Nelson, Nola 541-942-5326 N —
7 Signed-Up Ledet, Joanne 541-914-6586 N —
8 Signed-Up McMonagle, Rick 541-515-2283 N —
9 Signed-Up Lockfeld, Alex 541-686-0662 N —
10 Signed-Up Larsen, Todd 509-949-0034 N —