Opening Water Drains

During breaks in the first big storm of the season I went out and cleared drainage on the Camp One Loop, Manley Gulch, and Pole Ten trails.
Pole Ten has a two trees down near the top and lots of pampas grass lower down but it is passable. I plan to clear the trees in spring leaving them to stop motorcycles until then.
Manley Gulch has one tree down mid way. Since motorcycles don't ride this often I'll get out and clear it soon.
Camp One Loop was cleared by CalFire and is wide open all the way including the top section that was very over grown.
Until things dry out some I'll be riding the logging roads and staying off the soft trails.
Enjoy,
Chris

Moguls Trail Closure

I met with JDSF and Caspar Creek Watershed Study staff yesterday at the Recreational Task Force meeting. Everyone apologized for not letting us know before closing the Moguls Trail. The reason for the closure is to immediately stop use that is contributing to soil washing into streams in the Caspar Watershed Study area. This study monitors water quality before and after timber harvest work. It is important for this study's accuracy to keep erosion not related to harvesting to a minimum. I asked to be given an opportunity to try and reopen the trail by addressing the erosion problems. In my opinion this would be the best long-term solution. Staff was open to this. I will set up a field meeting to look at the problems with staff and ask that the public be invited as well. This will not happen overnight so please respect this closure.


Chris

New Trail Signs

The State Forest has been placing new signs to help trail users find their way. It is good to see some work happening to improve recreation use on the forest! Unfortunately some signs have been torn out and shot up already.
I would like trail names, road numbers, and difficulty rating included at intersections but this is a great start!

Get out and enjoy!
Chris

Trillium Flowers

Trilliums are plentiful this year!
These are some of the first flowers of spring and one of my favorites.
One thing that is really neat about these flowers is that as they age their color changes from pure white to a dark burgundy.
Get out and enjoy the Forest!
Chris

Pygmy Tea

In Pygmy Forest areas high acidity turns water a red color, locals call this Pygmy Tea.
A hard pan keeps rain from soaking into soil and flat land keeps water from running off. This slows plant growth because roots are smothered. Some trees are around 200 years old and only ten or twelve feet tall, thus the name Pygmy Forest.
Exploring the Forest during and after heavy rains can be exciting. Get out and enjoy!

Hare Creek Timber Harvest Plan

This plan is mostly north/west of forest Rd 450, from Rd 510 to west of old slide on Rd 450, and is bordered by private property on the west. This part of Rd 450 is used for recreation as a connector east to west from Simpson Ln to Rd 400 and from north to south from State Hwy 20 to Rd 500. Alternative routs that could be used during logging are east-west on Rd 500 and north-south on County Rd 408 both open to motor traffic. Cyclists use an old road in the plan as a connector trail between Rd 510 and Rd 450 that is to be used, in part, as a haul rd in the plan.

An access road exists from the end of Simpson Ln to Rd 510 through this plan. I have been told this is a private rd and the owner dose not allow recreational access. If an agreement could be made with the property owner this would improve access to the Forest.

In my opinion recreational access will be very similar to what we have now after this timber harvest plan is completed and possibly will improve.

Chris

Wildlife

Red-Headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)

The woods are full of wildlife. Some animals are hard to find and even harder to photograph.
Grazers like deer and rabbits are found mostly in coastal and mountain meadows out side JDSF.
Bear, mountain lions, and bobcats are in the woods and their tracks can be found throughout the forest. Usually they hear you coming and run off before you see them.
At night raccoons, skunks, and owls are active.
Birds, amphibians, and insects are the easiest animals to find and view in the woods.
Looking for wildlife is a great way to explore the forest.
Get out and enjoy!

Rhodies

Native Rhodies (Rhododendron macrophyllum) are spectacular again this year. This is three good years in a row! They will need to take a brake from flowering one year soon so don't miss every opportunity to get out and enjoy them!

Early Wildflowers

It is officially spring the flowers are out.

Some early wildflowers.


Indian Warrior
Pedicularis densiflora
Road 409 at Road 690















Western Trillium
Trillium ovantum
Trans Caspar Trail

The water is flowing again! Too bad fish are not running. This seems to be one of the worst years for salmon spawning in a long time. Fishing is likely to be very limited. Hopefuly the fish will come back. We all need to do all we can to insure they have a chance!

Mushrooms

This is a great mushroom year! A free permit to collect mushrooms on JDSF is available at the office 802 North Main St. in Fort Bragg, CA

Gomphus floccous (Woolly Chanterelle)
Not edible

Drains Cleaned on Camp One Loop and Manley Gulch Trails

It's December and little rain has fallen this season. The drains on upper 2/3 of the Manley Gulch trail and lower1/2 of the Equestrian Trail portion of the Camp One Loop Trail have been cleared. Local soils are easer to work when moist so it's been harder to rebuild water bars this year. Drain work on these trails should be completed by the end of the month. Get out and enjoy the Forest!

Bridges in Manley Gulch

The Manley Gulch trail has a new bridge!

Thanks to an anonymous person a very nice bridge has been constructed on the Manley Gulch trail.
















This is the stream crossing before new bridge was built.
















The log bridge is the only problem on the trail now!

Road 500 Trash

Rd 350 at Rd 500 after clean-up. Thank you JDSF!

This is the same area before clean-up.

The new party spot Rd 510 at Rd 500 is getting heavy use.

Polishing the Gas Cap Trail

Horse riders could not get over David's ramp. I cut a gap in the downed tree above the ramp so equestrians can go up and around without tearing up the trail. Horse riders were damaging the trail by going around under the tree and cutting up to the trail.

Exposed roots on steep corner were getting damaged by trail users.

I covered roots with soil to help protect them from getting torn up. This was not done to make the trail easier to ride. Heavy breaking is already cutting into soil and I may place an obstacle up hill of this corner to slow riders down.

More Wildflowers

Some cool plants I met recently!

Spotted Coral Root Orchid,

(Corallorhiza maculala) near Camp Eight on Rd 361. These orchids are everywhere this year!

Bead Lilly,

(Clintonia Andrewsiana) top of Gas Cap Trail.

Wild Iris,

(Iris Douglasiana) Rd 720 near Gas Cap Trail.

Wildflowers

Wet springs the last few years have helped this to be a great wildflower year. Rhododendrons in the pygmy forest areas are especially beautiful this spring. Irises in sunny areas are also blooming spectacularly. This is a great time of year to explore the forest!




Dogwood, Hwy 20 east of Camp Twenty.

Tree Poachers on Rd 409

Unauthorized tree cutting is a problem in JDSF. Poachers trash trails and reduce the beauty of the area. Most thieves are only after some firewood to sell or burn. Others are stealing logs for lumber milling. This site south of Rd 409 is one of the most blatant rip offs I have seen!

Old growth snag cut down by wood thieves!

Trees felled by wood poachers.













Marks left along thieves road.

JDSF Trail Signs

Over the years many attempts have been made to help trail users to find their way. Vandalism is the biggest problem with trail signs. Some trail users would like to keep the trails for themselves and tear them down so it is hard for others to find. Some want a souvenir and steal attractive signs. Others shoot at and destroy them for fun.
Gas Tank Trail at Little Lake Trail
This was a low cost attempt at marking trails using paper plates. Most plates at trail heads were immediately torn down. This plate has held up for more than two years.

Little Lake Trail at Rd 409
Metal signs where put up some years ago when this was an official County trail from the town of Mendocino to the city of Willits. Most have been vandalized but are still in place and useful. The County has abandoned this trail and it is hard to find outside of JDSF.

Cook House Gulch Trail at Opservation Point Trail
Carved wood signs were put up by CCC workers many years ago. Some of these surely must have been stolen. These were recently reconditioned and placed at the junction of Cook House and Observation Point Trails.

Cook House Gulch / Forest History Trail at Manley Gulch Trail
Laminated paper markers are being used in the Woodlands Camps area. These are inexpensive and seem to be holding up.