Trip Report

Saturday, January 22, the Obsidians continued their collaborative trail maintenance project with the Eugene Parks Dept. at Spencer Butte Park. The weather gods, having been propitiated by the sacrifice of an albino cheeseburger, gave us yet another beautiful day for our 4th trail maintenance outing. A group of 11 dedicated souls, including Parks Dept. staff, Matt McrRae and Brennan; non-Obsidians, Joe Geil, Gregory Wobbe and Scott Youngblood; and Obsidians, Jim Duncan, John Jacobsen, John Cooper, Rick Ahrens, Joanne Ledet, Sue Wolling and Peter Asai, met at 8:30 at the Spencer Butte west parking lot, gathered tools and fervor and headed out. Some members elected to engage in brushing, clearing and drainage upkeep along the northern trail area off 52nd and Willamette. Others proceeded to the Ridgeline tie trail about ¼ up the main trail and just below the meadow junction. There the group tackled a notorious soggy bog in the middle of the trail. Last month the trail maintenance group removed the wooden bridge over the bog, an earlier ultimately futile effort to deal with this muck gap. Rock from the surrounding area was collected and with the awesome technology of power wheelbarrows, much gravel was moved from a lower site to the boggy area. Under the skillful and inspirational direction of Matt McRae, the group constructed a magnificent stone culvert and trail retaining wall worthy of Machu Picchu. This work is expected to provide a neatly permanent solution to this former trouble spot. All agreed it was an educational and personally rewarding experience to produce a lasting improvement of this much used trail. Although forced to skirt the work site, appreciation rained upon the workers from grateful hikers. Next trail maintenance meeting is schedule for February 26, 2005.