Irene Aftermath - Camp Dodge

Sunday evening things started to slow down around Gorham as far as the wind and rains. We ventured out to see the storm's damage. Far more concerns from water as opposed to wind. Rt 2 east from Gorham was temporarily closed as the Peabody River was up 12 feet and flowing over the road. Rt 16 south was closed and NHDOT was redirecting traffic.

This morning, Monday, I was able to talk with the NHDOT about the RT 16 closure and they said there was a washout where 16 goes over Cowboy Brook at Camp Dodge! After talking with them I was able to drive in as far as the road closure. Parking in the Great Gulf lot I saw the NHDOT crews working on repairing Rt16 hoping to get at least one late open by late morning. I walked up into Camp Dodge to see all structures intact but significant erosion on the driveways and potential damage to our small bridge over Cowboy Brook. Walking around Dodge it looks like Cowboy jumped the banks and was running down the field in front of the main building.

Heading back to Gorham I stopped and checked out Pinkham B Road, the road that leads to Dolly Copp Campground, to see the bridge damage I had heard about the night before. There was significant erosion along the road when the Peabody jumped the banks and was flowing more than 4 times as wide as usual. Once I got to the bridge I found a 8 foot section completely gone!

Unbelievable.

For now the Camp Dodge Driveway is gated and will remain closed until we are able to assess the condition of our bridge over Cowboy some time on Tuesday 8/30/11. Next will be to assess the trail conditions and trail bridges.

Photos: Alex DeLucia

WMNF Closed - Hurricane Irene

FOREST CLOSURE

Due to the threat of extreme weather associated with Hurricane Irene the White Mountain National Forest
HAS BEEN CLOSED effective 6PM Saturday August 27, 2011
through midnight Monday August 29, 2011.

Current National Weather Service projections call for the weather event to reach New Hampshire on Sunday, August 28, 2011.

· This closure is to ensure public safety and effective emergency operations. The closure includes all trails, campgrounds, developed sites, huts, shelters, and ski areas.

· The storm event is expected to bring heavy rain and high winds which will make backcountry travel and camping extremely hazardous due to swollen streams, dangerous crossings, and potential flooding. Road systems will be vulnerable to wash outs and compromised road shoulders.

· High winds are predicted that will cause trees and limbs to blow down in campgrounds, along trail systems, and across roads.

· Ability to conduct Search and Rescue operations will not be possible Sunday during the height of the storm.

· Please dial 911 to report an emergency. Please report any storm damage to the Forest Service by calling (603) 536-6100. In case of a power outage, call (603) 536-3693.

BTTC - Leadership Crew 2011

The 2011 Berkshire Teen Leadership Crew had big shoes to fill and high expectations to meet. A stellar 2010 Leadership Crew had set the bar high. The crew was coming in with a lot of experienced members. Jesse Samdahl was back for his third year with the Berkshire program and took up the role as an intern for the crew. In addition, we had Michael Day (also coming back for a third year), Max Crystal and Zoe Payne-Taylor returning to the Berkshire program from previous years. To round out our crew’s resume we had participants from AMC White Mountain trips, an SCA crew volunteer, a Himalayan trekker and many others with extensive hiking experience.

Our project was to cut a new switchback on the Appalachian Trail along the side of Mt. Prospect just north of Mt. Greylock. When we started, the trail had a minimum grade of 35% causing the trail to erode beyond its limits. Our goal was to cut a switchback at a more sustainable grade. This meant a lot of sidehilling. While previous crews this summer had begged us to teach them how to “dougie,” (see http://trailsblog.outdoors.org/2011/08/teach-me-how-to-dougie.html) this crew cried “Teach me how to sidehill, teach me, teach me how to sidehill!” Melody Feo and I (Mike

Leavitt) did our best and had a lot help from our returning participants (especially Zoe and Max who had sidehilled last year). Everyone picked up the new skill very quickly. Because of the

crew’s experience level, Melody and I were able to allow them to make many of their own decisions about the work. The crew found time for a lot more than just trail work however. The weeks included numerous sunsets, swimming, jokes, stories and trust falls.

The weekends allowed for the crew to take a break from trail work. The first weekend they became certified in Wilderness First Aid by completing a two day course. During the second weekend, they went on a Leave No Trace backpacking trip. In between all of this, there was some down time allowing for barbecues, ultimate Frisbee and feeding the cows.

All of the listening and learning culminated when it came to their day to lead. Everyone was paired up and given a different day to lead. Each group was responsible for leading the crew from the time they woke up until the time they went to bed. This included waking everyone up, carrying the medical kit, leading the work projects, organizing all other aspects of the day, and even planning and shopping for that day’s meal.. Melody and I spent our days working on separate projects, leaving the leaders to run the crew and make all the tough decisions. Matt Moore and Valerie (2009 crew leader) came out on Thursday with a reporter from the Berkshire Eagle. The crew was featured in the August 19^th paper!

Melody and I woke everyone up at 5am the last day and were greated with sleepy groans. We all piled into the van and made it to the top of Mt. Greylock to see the sun rising over the clouds.

The sunrise ended with a delicious chocolate chip pancake breakfast on the summit. We then packed up camp and returned to the KCC for the last time. After a long, busy three weeks, participants ran to greet their parents and pets. Joyful greetings were followed by reluctant farewells. Big hugs, a few tears and Laurel wishing everyone “a good life” concluded the 3 week Berkshire Leadership crew. Everyone walked away from the three weeks looking forward to a shower and a meal not involving beans, rice or pasta. However they also walked away as sidehilling experts, hikers and leaders.

Like our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/AMC-Berkshire-Teen-Trail-Crew/165750386836423) and see more pictures!

Mike Leavitt - Projects Coordinator

Everything you know, upside down: Log repair and replacement in backcountry shelters

Log repair and replacement for backcountry full scribe log shelters is a tricky and slow business. The building must be lifted in the air, the floor must be removed, and the new logs must be scribed to fit the courses above. Effectively, you are being asked to build a building upside down. When done by hand, with an eye for long term durability and a clean appearance, such carefully executed work can not be rushed.

AMC maintains ten shelters in Maine and New Hampshire, and of those ten, four are full-scribe native log structures, built between 1974 to 1981. Gentian Pond, built in 1974, is the first shelter that required attention, as the back corners and the front first log course displayed significant rot.

With logs cut to replace the sills well over a year ago, and funding from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s LL Bean Grants to Clubs, AMC Trails spent three weeks in July replacing four logs and the floor of Gentian Pond Shelter.

The technique we culled from our collective experiences in construction, foundation work, log repair, and previous projects such as the RMC’s Perch shelter. It was a team effort, with crew members from the backcountry caretaker program, the roving contract trail crew, and leadership from Sally Manikian (that’s myself), White Mountain Trails Supervisor Dave Salisbury, Roving Contract Crew Supervisor Kris Kebler, and Director of all of us, Andrew Norkin.

In addition to our prior collective knowledge, I spent a week in June on Montana’s Ninemile Ranger District in the Lolo National Forest learning firsthand from the historic preservation and restoration professionals from the US Forest Service’s Preservation Team. I learned invaluable techniques on how to fit logs into existing structures. For more information on the Ninemile’s historic preservation courses, ranging from crosscut saw maintenance to horsepacking to Leave No Trace Master Courses to log building work, click here. The courses are open to the public, and I highly recommend them. The photo on the left is from the Montana project.

For Gentian, the basic technique was to band the shelter together by attaching vertical 2”x8” pieces of hemlock to the inside of the building. This strapping providing structural stability for the shelter as it was lifted, as well as provided a place to jack off of. Once the floor was removed, we were able to attached the strapping to the interior walls, and slowly lift the building into the air, blocking the corners with three foot sections of 6”x6” cribbing. Removing the floor, lifting the building, cleaning out the silted earth and trash underneath, and cribbing it into place took the first week.

The second week was spent fitting the four new logs to the existing building. The trickiest log to place was the front log, as we had to account for the door frame as well as scribe it to fit the log above. The tools of the trade of logwork came in handy: a Veritas log scribe, a set of chisels in various sizes, sledges large and small, a chainsaw, and a large pile of wedges.

The final touch was just as tricky as the steps before, which was to build the floor. Matching dimensional lumber to square round logs is not easy. The flooring itself was also rabeted into the logs, so that the top of the floor meets perfectly the top of the front log and side logs. Building the floor, and the ladder to the shelter, took another week and was accomplished by the Field Coordinator Beau Etter Garrette and Mahoosuc Rover Ryan Smith.

I will let the photos speak for themselves. Thanks to the combined talent and effort of the Trails Department, Gentian Pond Shelter is open to the public once more.

Week I: Floor and log removal, lifting of the shelter

Last lunch on the old floor

Rotted back corners

Rotted front log, once the floor was removed.

Where'd the floor go?

Old dogs can't learn new tricks, even when there no longer is a floor to sleep under

Attaching the 2"x 8" pieces of strapping to hold the shelter together and also to jack off of

Strapping and cribbing in use.

Side log removed.

Front log removed

A shot of the interior with the back log removed.

Cleaning out the dirt and debris from underneath the shelter

The best find? Coins from the 1940s

By the end of the week, the shelter was cribbed into place at the desired height.

Moving the logs into place

Week II: Log replacement

We started with the front and back logs, which were the first course of logs to fit into the current structure. With the cribbing and jacks off set from the corners, we were able to maneuver the logs into place and work on them. Since the logs needed to be scribed and shaped to fit, being able to move them in and out to get the perfect fit was necessary.

Finishing the notches in the front log, using chainsaws and chisels.

Trimming the rotted ends off the logs that extended beyond the roofline, to prevent further rot

Back log in place.

Running a saw between the courses of logs carved a tight fit between them.

Squaring the sill logs to the centerline of the building.

Back corner almost tight in place.

Fitting the front corner.

Tight notches

The new logs in place

Week III: Replacing the floor

Matching the square ends of dimensional lumber to rough cut native logs took the majority of the third week, along with building a ladder. The shelter is now 6" above the ground on footers, whereas before it was flush with the ledge. With a lack of air flow, dirt accumulated against the back of the shelter leading to the rot.

New ladder, customized to fit the front log.

New floor flawlessly meeting the front log.

Done.

Dodge Journals 2011: #3

“Hey Goose?” Famous words when someone comes to find me at some random time when they know that I am not really working but being the “caretaker” or “Mayor” and something whatever it may be is calling my name. On this particular morning in early June, I hear Beth calling my name in that lovely tone. It was just after 6 am. “What going on Beth?” I answer in my sleepy voice. “There is a Bear. She responds in a tone of disbelief. When I hear those words my mind goes into hyper active mode. I snap awake and into action. I think to myself “number one”. We have had no bear activity all spring until this point. I jumped out of my tent and looked to where Beth was pointing, towards the main building. What I see is a 300 pound or bigger bear looking in to the window of the rat proof. Just sitting there on its hind legs, peering in the window, clearly thinking about how to pass through this wall and hit gold. To my surprise I see his or hers, couldn't tell, arm disappear through the wall of the building. I blink and confirm what I saw. I spring to action and start to hurl rocks from my tent to the bear with each rock I throw I walk a little closer to the bear, getting real close a couple of times to hitting the little bugger. The bear slowly retreats to the woods I get to first door of the main building and grab a metal chair. I bang it a couple of times onto the picnic tables. Without warning the bear runs a couple of steps at me and huffs real laud. I hit the table again. Standing my ground strong I yell a couple more times and the bear started to head up the hill behind the main house. When it got out of my view I run into the building and grab the air horn. Looking out the office bathroom I see the bear less than 5 feet away from me. I let the horn rip. Winner, Goose! The bear took off into the woods. An awesome first bear encounter and I am sure it will not be the last.

The word that I would choose if I were to tell someone in short what my job here at Camp Dodge really is “caretaker”. I have the responsibilities to make sure this lovely place of Camp Dodge is ready with arms wide open for all those who want to show up. However unlike all other caretakers of the White Mountain region I am in a front country setting. The good the bad and the ugly come from this fact. I love all the types of people that can visit the area, bummed by the fact that at least on this one fateful morning a car rally race, going on at the Auto Road, could be heard from my tent. But with this fact of being close to the road I do get some really fun opportunities like moving a bunch of mulch and compost around for the garden with the front-end loader. I get to sit all high up and feel as though I am a kid playing in a sand box yet again. Except this new sand box is huge and my toys are even bigger. All in all driving this beast of a loader, at least to me, is wicked fun and I would say it is one of the better perks of the job.

Camp Dodge has had a long history. Being in one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world and a started by the CCC in the early 30’s, the history for this place runs long and deep. It is a great pleasure for all our staff to be able to share this history with all the people young and old that comes through this place. From time to time we get some visitors that were either stationed here in the army back in the 50s or people that have been doing trail work in the region for 40 plus years. What I am learning the longer I hang around these parts the more I realize that I have not been here all that long yet and I really cannot claim any sort of know how about what this place really holds for secrets. There are two visits that have happened this year; one was from the old trail adopter of the wildcat ridge trail. Unfortunately he had to give up his trail after a heart attack. But he was just stopping by to see what was going on and how Camp Dodge was looking at its current. He and I talked for a little while, he told me that he thought the place looked great, which I thought was a great thing and he also told about when in his day of doing trails the person that was in my position, they called the “Mayor”.

As summer rolls on so does the garden. The garlic that was planted last fall was picked in the middle of the week by the four week Leadership Crew. We managed to harvest just shy of ten pounds of garlic. Wicked!!!! Onions and potatoes are looking nice and green. We planted a monster lettuce bed, when we cut just a fraction of the lettuce, we got 10 gallons. Had enough greens?? The Kale and Swiss shard are also looking nice a rich with their big leaves. Cannot wait put this into a stir fry! The peas made there last hurrah. For the season so far we have pulled roughly 15 pounds of sweet little pods. Wild raspberries surround the garden and the black berries are soon to fallow. Last year the best crop was the good old green bean. These little guys are just now starting to make their show. Day in and day out the beans seem to be appearing out of thin air, every other day a large bag of bean gets picked from the fields. This year with more bean plants I expect that soon enough we will be rolling around in a bath of beans. The Zucchini is also exploding faster than the Dodge staff can pick them. Veggie after veggie is exploding out of this grand garden. BOO YA.

On Friday July 25 the forest service put on a festival that was in honor of the Weeks Act. The Weeks Act is the bill that was put into law that allowed for the forest of the east coast to start getting protected. In the early 1900 the Whites Mountains were left for stumps and ash. To the dismay of many, Congressman Weeks put together a bill that supported the protecting of the White Mountains as well as helping improve the local industry. This year was the 100 year celebration for the completion of this bill. Out four week Leadership Crew got to be a part of all the festivities but demonstrating how to build a native and prefabricated bog bridges as well as rock cairns and scree walls that a typical hiker would see in the alpine zone. Many faces came and went looking with great curiosity about what we were doing. The members of the Leadership

Crew got to interact with the public talking about all of their experiences in the woods. It was great to see the team share all the knowledge about what they have learned.

Summer is rolling along faster than a big rock down a steep hill, hope everyone has a great day and gets to see the sun and a plant grow, this is 3-1 goose clear with Camp Dodge Journal #3