The trail work continues, yesterday afternoon in drizzling rain, today in blazing hot sunshine. The long stretch that meanders along beside Horse Creek is in danger of quietly disappearing within another two seasons. Willows encroach, small spruces and poplars spring up in the middle of the trail, buffalo-berry bushes produce new clumps from half-buried branches in all directions. How can so much junk shoot up in such a short growing season?
This is slow work. The chainsaw stays at home, useless for this endeavour. Swede saw, secateurs and kelly swing are the order of the day. The smaller berry bushes can be pulled from the earth by hand; larger clumps must be opened up with the swing, then cut apart with secateurs. Small willows and aspens, secateurs; larger ones, swede saw. Then a pass with the kelly swing tops off the wild roses, fireweed and other small stuff. A hundred yards in three hours is good going, down by the creek where the growth is heavy. The rest of the trail system will need only a casual snip here and there.
The fall colours, fresh air and the company of two Seppala bitches are our compensations for this grinding labour. When the snow flies, we'll be ever so glad we did it and anyway, it beats digging ditches…
Posted by jjeffrey at August 28, 2003 09:04 PM