Uwharrie Volunteer Work Weekend

[Ghost]

No doubt. When is the next work weekend?

 

[DRaider90]

Sorry for the delayed response, internet at the house has been down for a couple days (and the internet on my phone is good for checking stuff but not posting).

Anyway next workday is the weekend of the 15th. This is the one we are trying to get a Bobcat w/ Auger together for. There are some very rocky/root filled areas that need guard rail put up, so that is our primary goal. I have also been talking with the FS about some other side projects to put the Bobcat to use on with the bucket also.

And the weekend after that is the big October/Fall trip I organize with the Isuzu/Mitsubishi crowd. We will be doing a light workday (trash, trail diamonds, etc) that weekend also.:greensmok

 

[Ghost]

Sorry for the delayed response, internet at the house has been down for a couple days (and the internet on my phone is good for checking stuff but not posting).

Anyway next workday is the weekend of the 15th. This is the one we are trying to get a Bobcat w/ Auger together for. There are some very rocky/root filled areas that need guard rail put up, so that is our primary goal. I have also been talking with the FS about some other side projects to put the Bobcat to use on with the bucket also.

And the weekend after that is the big October/Fall trip I organize with the Isuzu/Mitsubishi crowd. We will be doing a light workday (trash, trail diamonds, etc) that weekend also.:greensmok

Well damn that is the weekend I was looking at going to the house in Aiken, SC.... Hmm, will have to see what I can work out.

 

[DRaider90]

The workday might end up being a light load one anyway. I haven't seen a big interest in NC4X4 in getting a bobcat out there (money wise, hauling wise, any way really) so we may have to save the guard rail install for another workday. But nothing is written in stone till I hear back from Terry Savery with the FS.

I know the busiest workdays are the ones near the end of the year (December usually) and the ones at the beginning (February, March, April, sometimes May). 3 of those being workdays falling during the seasonal trail closure. I guess being able to wheel the trails when they are closed for a day is an added incentive. So if anyone isn't able to make this upcoming workday etc those would be the ones to absolutely shoot for. I am out there every workday rain or shine but I know everyone can't do that.

I am also trying to work behind the scenes so to speak to get volunteer incentives going. If anyone on here has any ideas feel free to post them up. Anyway we can get more people volunteering is a good thing.

 

[DRaider90]

Looks like it will be a light load workday. Only 2 areas of guard rail will be installed, and it will all be apart of the effort to get the new Saw Mill re-route opened. This will be an opportunity for volunteers to get the first ride/look at the new section of the Saw Mill trail. We will be putting up carsonite trail signs, blazing the trail with diamond markers, etc. So when the trail re-opens with the new section it will all be set. The guard rail will be used to block off the old section of the Saw Mill trail to keep people on the new section.

 

[DRaider90]

We got to be the first members of the wheeling community to hit the new section of the Saw Mill trail. We put up 9 sections of guard rail, put up a couple "arrow posts", put up a bunch of trail diamonds, and overall had a great time.

FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW TRAIL SECTION:

Kinda blurry but this is the Forest Service Access "Road" for the Saw Mill Re-route. You can see the contractor Dump Truck parked there. They had a cat Bulldozer out there too but didn't get a picture.

Volunteer Crew and Pete running the Auger:

Getting the post ready, and Pete this time post hole digging:

Some of the Rail up, and a couple rigs parked:

Rigs parked near the RML entrance to the re-route:

Quick break before putting up the next section of rail:

All the way in the background you can see Rocky Mountain Loop and the barricade blocking the entrance to the re-route:

Everyone parked on the Forest Service Saw Mill Access Road getting ready to put up the last piece of guard rail:

Last piece of guard rail put up. Rare view of vehicles on the OTHER side of the guard rail:

Group shot (Pete and Drew took the pictures) right before we left:

 

[DRaider90]

Here are some pictures I took during the workday...

 

[DRaider90]

 

[DRaider90]

 

[DRaider90]

 

[bigalpha]

Are you looking to do another work day or three? IF so, how much are you needing to fulfil it?

 

[DRaider90]

Are you looking to do another work day or three? IF so, how much are you needing to fulfil it?

Not quite clear on what your asking, but we are out there every workday which is once a month. The only month we don't have a workday is January while the Forest Service is on hiatus essentially. We actually did another extra workday this past weekend, picked up 15 bags of trash, put up more trail diamonds on the un-opened re-route, and put up some carsonite signs:

If you are talking about Bobcat rentals, I only think we will be doing 1 more rental this year. I was hoping for two, but its been harder to raise funds these last couple months. I know one club CORE that donated $200 back in June will be getting the 2-Man Auger that blew up in September running again, so they aren't able to put money towards Bobcats. Right now we have $100 put together but that isn't enough for a rental. A rental with an attachment (Auger or what ever) is a little over $350. So we are talking a minimum of $250 to get one more Bobcat rental in this year, probably talking the December workday when the trails are closed.

My bank account was over drawn this month so I know how money can be tight for people. And it doesn't get better for a lot of people the closer we get to the holidays.

 

[bigalpha]

Yeah, I was wondering what the cost was with renting the bobcat with the auger attachment that you guys used last time.

Do you think that renting the bobcat is a big priority and will help you accomplish a lot of tasks?

 

[DRaider90]

The simple, short, and sweet answer to that is yes. Equipment is a very high priority, and it at a minimum doubles the amount of work we can get done when it comes to the larger projects.

Heavy equipment won't help us pick up trash, put up trail diamonds, install hay bales, or install carsonite signs. But in any other project, repairing bridges, installing guard rail, draining mud holes & tail ditches, removing hazard rocks, armoring stream/drainage crossings with rock, repairing/removing culverts, etc its a vital key to getting the work done. And even some of the projects like re-shaping mud holes/tail ditches can't be done in the time allotted with hand tools.

I have no problem coming in Friday and putting 4 hours on the equipment to get some projects done, then come back Saturday with the main group to put another 4 hours on it so we can get even more done. Getting our full 8 hours of work out of the machine. That is what happened in September. Friday I used the Hydraulic Breaker to take care of 2 projects, then Saturday we used the Bucket to tackle 3 more projects totaling 5 projects. Without that equipment we would be looking at getting 1 project done of the 5 with the equipment. And we would have to at least tack on 1-2 more hours of work onto the day Saturday.

The 3 major benefits of any heavy equipment is:

1.)It allows us to get more done in a single workday more efficiently
2.)It allows us to tackle larger projects that would usually have to be contracted out saving the Forest Service Grants/RTP funds for other projects/needs.
3.)The cost of the rentals is counted toward paying back grants/RTP funds therefore helping them get more grants/RTP funds the next year. The rental of one piece of equipment with an attachment gets them the same amount of credit as approx 7-8 people working an average workday.

Currently at the rate new projects are added, we have enough work to support as many equipment rentals as we could afford. BUT only if we have the people to work with the equipment to get the jobs done. A Bobcat with an Auger can drill a bunch of holes, but without the people to get the guard rail in place its just a bunch of holes.

 

[DRaider90]

Just a reminder if anyone is interested in making it out, the next workday is this weekend. :cheers:

 

[Ghost]

Just a reminder if anyone is interested in making it out, the next workday is this weekend. :cheers:

Question.... You meet at hunt camp at 9am? If someone were to get up there say at 10 where would they look for you?

 

[DRaider90]

Question.... You meet at hunt camp at 9am? If someone were to get up there say at 10 where would they look for you?

There is no definite answer to that question. Sometimes we don't leave Hunt Camp till 10AM, and sometimes we are gone by 9:15AM. On occasion we have to go to Janet Becker's Host Site at Arrowhead to pickup tools/supplies and are up there at 10AM. Other times we are at a trail head/parking lot. It all depends on what the Forest Service gets done before we show up. Very rarely do they come to the Hunt Camp with everything we need. Usually we end up having to go somewhere to get tools etc.

What I can tell you is I did get the workday e-mail today:

Hi Richard, Randal & Eli - Please let me know if you have folks planning on coming this weekend and if Greg Horton was planning on coming with his tractor and auger? The reason I ask is I'm only planning on a few small projects for 2 to 3 groups to work on. One project is on Slab Pile Trail where Eli & CFSJC worked with Drew a couple months back to armor a stream crossing. We need to reshape the crossing a bit better so it drains better and then we need to put up about 4 long pieces of guardrail to keep people from driving around the crossing. So if CNC will be there with their own auger that will help me. The 2nd project would be the installation of split rail fencing on Dutch John Trail in a couple of locations. The split rail fencing is already stacked on the trail but needs to be moved to the new locations. The 3rd project would be on Dutch John Trail and it would be resetting the guardrail that was installed in September when the augers broke. We have purchased 2 new hand augers so if CNC will have Greg there with his tractor and auger then the other groups would have augers to fix the guardrail and to install the split rail. I'm sorry I haven't sent an email out but I was in Asheville all last week working on Forest Planning and trail stuff and I wasn't able to get an email out to you guys.

Pete & Drew - Please verify that you two would be available to work this upcoming Saturday, November 19th with the OHV clubs. Also, would we be able to use the Kubota tractor on Saturday for the Slab Pile Trail?

Thanks everyone. I appreciate it. Bye - Terry

[FONT=&quot]<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> [/FONT]
Theresa Stevens Savery (Terry)
District Recreation Staff Supervisor
National Forests in North Carolina
Uwharrie National Forest
789 NC Hwy 24/27 East
Troy, NC 27371-9332

That tells me, we will have groups on Dutch John and Slab Pile. So that would be where to look for us if someone was showing up at 10. The only other thing I could do is if I knew for sure the person was showing up at 10AM, I could leave directions to where we were going with Janet Becker at Arrowhead. So all they would have to do is stop by Arrowhead and talk with Janet the host, and she would tell them where the volunteers were headed.

 

[DRaider90]

I sent Terry a reply e-mail, and she sent me some more details. Here is the part of her reply relevant to the next workday.

Hi Eli - Plan on meeting Drew & Melissa at 9 am on Saturday at the Hunt Camp. Today Pete & Drew worked on the crossing to reshape it and to get it to drain that is at site #2 on the attached list. CNC 4x4 will be there on Saturday so we'll have them work on getting rock from the trails and bring it to the crossing. They can get a lot of rock from Wolf Den Trail and then they can put in the guardrail. I'll have your group work on fixing the guardrail on Dutch John Trail at site #11 and moving the split rail fencing that's stacked up at site #11 down to site #18.

That means if anyone shows up after 9AM and they don't see anyone at Hunt Camp the next place to go would be the Double Parking Lot (Dutch John Trail Head), and then look for us on Dutch John.