The first day was in Desolation Wilderness, where I hiked to Suzie and Gilmore Lakes, tidying up small amounts of trash, and cleaning up one major campsite construction.
BEFORE
AFTER
It was a perfect fall day: the sun was out, the sky was blue, and the colors were bright. I met only sixteen hikers in eleven miles of hiking, including one SOBO PCT hiker, still hoping to finish the Sierra before the snows hit.
The second day was far shorter, but much harder, as I joined fellow-volunteer Eric and ACE intern Alyssa on a tree-cutting trip up the trail from Caples to Emigrant Lake. We sawed through a dozen trees, ranging in size from about ten to thirty inches, all done with a buck saw, because no power tools are permitted in the wilderness.
Happily, we managed to get through them all, except for one major hazard tree that will require a larger crew with additional tools.
We'll have to go back for this one--with reinforcements!
Meanwhile, we got our exercise sawing through these trees and then rolling and prying them off the trail. Another beautiful day in the Sierra.
Here's a link to the photos from the second day:https://photos.app.goo.gl/K1RvxhzYPHxCJUE49