Trails Update: June 26, 2020
Unprepared for Solstice!
I consider myself generally well prepared for outdoor work. How I dress for work (at 5am) is somewhat of a routine: I stumble to my “smelly” closet to put on whatever is at the top of each bin (It’s actually super organized). I must give credit to the Whistler re-use-it centre for my sharp style.
Long sleeve shirts and pants are mandatory for shielding mosquitoes as well as limiting the damage when the forest “fights back”. I dress for the worst weather and pack extra socks and gloves everyday. My system mostly works.
My regular duties got quite a shift for a day last week: Instead of digging in the woods, I got to recruit the candidates for our new labourer positions. Social distancing rules placed the interviews outdoors on what felt like the first day of summer.
Dressed from my “civilized” closet (since it’s important to smell professional), I spent the afternoon donning a crisp chromag T-shirt and shorts to talk shop with the keen candidates.
It went well: Trevor (WORCA Executive Director) and I agreed on the best fits for the crew and it felt like we were about to start really burning through projects! Or, maybe that feeling was just my bare arms…
Old trail, meet the new recruits.
Our first project to tackle was a sizable rebuild of the southern end of Mid Danimal. The “supporting” logs were rotten, snaking roots were scattering riders and the 30 year old duff tread was a mucky mess. With plenty of fresh muscle, we rocked and capped it all up.
The rebuilding theme then crossed Sproatt creek to focus on Industrial Waste. We are tackling sections that need work to keep this as an intermediate trail. We’ll keep working up Industrial waste until our tools end up at the Chipmunk Rebellion (part 1)...
See you on the trails!
Dan Raymond
WORCA Lead Trail Builder
