Our watershed has changed ever so slightly over this last winter. At first it didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary when Court suggested that he wanted to build a trail around a nearby lake. We’ve often sat on a stump looking out on the lake only able to explore the lake in our mind’s eyes, wanting to go further. This first picture shows our destination across the lake.

Court shared his intention to build the trail with Neale Gustafson, who though it was a great idea (like me he probably didn’t realize it would really happen). It is Water Board land held in public trust and Neal is the Boards chairman. Trail building began in earnest February 2009 with an exploratory trip to begin flagging out a possible route for the trail to take. A few days later with clippers and chainsaw he rendered a section of passable trail. The afternoon he came home and announced there was a trail to a log bridge crossing the stream at the head of the lake I decided I had to go see.

Walking deeper into our watershed was like walking back in time. The evidence of logging from a long ago time that left massive old growth nestled in a canyon sheltered from the winds of these last winters. Here, maybe a mile from our home is another world, a slower more majestic one than the everyday one I inhabit. The sights and smells of an old growth forest mesmerize me. The log that forms the bridge over the creek is blow down. The creek is cheery as creeks are with sweet clean water cold enough to sate the thirst a hike works up.

Over the creek the trail building was more difficult from laying the route out to hacking through dense stands of salal. An attempt was made to come in from the dam side of the lake to find the trail and shorten the work of carrying the chainsaw up the trail. The canoe was also considered as means of getting the chainsaw to the head of the lake. In the end it was slow but steady man power that accomplished what I now realize is a lot.

After a week away from home I returned to hear the announcement that the trail has reached it’s destination at the dam. I have had time to realize how valuable this trail is to me. I learned more of the history of the local landscape, who logged what, when, and how they logged.

Today was an overcast but not raining great day to hike Court’s new trail. The land it traverses is rough and tumble, up and down and Court has somehow wrestled a good trail out of the topography he had to work with. It is exciting to think that we may have a way to access a fresh water swimming hole during the summer months. The trail needs walking to help establish some of the footings on the side hills it traverses and to keep some of the undergrowth back in other spots. I could learn to carry clippers like Court does to help with the undergrowth. He carried clippers today, I carried the camera.

Congratulations Court on a magnificent job and thank you for the blessings you bring into my life.