2007 SKIBO TRAIL CLEARING REPORT

TO:  All Members of the SSC
FROM: Tom Jahn , SSC Cross Country Ski Chairman

On October 27 and 27 a group of SSC members - volunteers will assemble at Skibo for our annual trail clearing ritual – come rain or shine. If you want to participate, please, contact Laurie at BookSkibo by email, or by phone right away to make reservations. Rooms usually are all booked in short order. The stay at Skibo is free. You will have to pay for linen/towels, if used, or the Saturday’s meal, if we cater it. (Not likely.)

Usually we divide up in three or four groups, to walk the trails; first on the private land south of the road, and later in the afternoon on Saturday, and on Sunday the trails on the Green Mountain National Forest’s (GMNF) land north of the road.

This year we have a major job to tackle on the outer loop of the GMNF trails. A by-pass has to be cleared to avoid a VT State declared deer wintering area. The Feds (GMNF) have found no deer currently present, but the State insists – based on their findings some 50 years ago, so the Feds bow and we go along, and will cut a by-pass trail. We have scouted this stretch before hand. It will be about 1 Km long, mostly on old timber skid roads.

Some work has already been done during the Crayfish Party (very successful) weekend by nine stalwarts members, who participated in a 1.5 day Power Saw Use and Safety Seminar (also very successful) conducted by GMNF. See picture on the SSC Website.

Power saw users at the upcoming SSC trail clearing are expected to adhere to the very sensible Safety Rules we learned from GMNF.  We will show you. Also, please, bring your own First Aid kit.

See you at the Trail clearing.

Tom (Jahn)