Maple Canyon bridge installation

Trash from Maple Lake

The Grotto- Bridge Replacement

Spanish Fork Peak (aka Maple Mountain peak)

We had a report of a tree down near the top of Spanish Fork peak. We hoped to get above the poor air, but this didn't happen.


After Kyle cut the tree, we were able to get it sliding down the slope and well away from the trail.

I sometimes have a hard time keeping coverage with the GPS unit. This was my solution.

Teet Mountain

While replacing signs in Sheep Creek (Spanish Fork canyon), we decided to check out one of our USFS radio towers at Teet Mountain.

Talley takes in the view looking North West.

Maple Canyon Eagle Scout project

This bridge was built 1/4 mi. up Maple Canyon and was the joint effort of our crew and an Eagle Scout. It turned out beautifully and I hope it will last for years. Thanks to Kyle for coming in on a day off to assist and thanks to all those who participated in this project.
Another element of the Eagle project was the installation of 4 benches along the trail. Each bench is spaced by 1/4 mile allowing users to gauge their distance, at least for the first mile. Luckily 3 of the bridges happened to be at stream crossings which provide a scenic place to catch a breath.
The final touch of the Eagle project was the replacement of this sign for Spanish Fork Peak.

We returned later to cut some texture into the bridge as a safety precaution.

Project work.

This series of steps was built in Maple Canyon between the equestrian trailhead and Whiting campground. Work was funded by a state grant and labor was provided by an Eagle Scout with the assistance of Kyle and Talley from our USFS crew. Good work guys.
The project goal here was to improve the approach to the bridge on the downhill side. Previously, a 12" step at the bridge end made it challenging for bikers and horses to ride over.

We got the chance to use the cross cut saw in the Mount Nebo Wilderness Area to remove this large tree.

Freshly cut logs are easy to notice as the wood is light and clean. To preserve a Wilderness quality and character, we rub dirt on fresh cut logs. The best trail work in the Wilderness is that which isn't easily noticed.

Hiking the North Peak trail on Mount Nebo.

Kyle cut this tree out of Dry Canyon in the right fork of Hobble Creek canyon.

I removed this hanger from Bear Trap Ridge on the Nebo Loop.

Proof that cattleguards are effective. This could be a good Far Side comic.

Kyle displays the Stihl 066 saw with 36" bar. We set this up with the Alaskan sawmill to plane logs for bridges.

Here we are using the sawmill on our first brige built on the White Pine Hollow trail.

This log was 24' long.

Building a footing for one end of the bridge. The other end is well anchored in rocks.

We were able to carry this log with 5 guys...barely.

It was strong enough for us...easily.

We are in the process of building two more bridges, these ones in Maple Canyon. Here is the tree for the second bridge, a stream crossing of 34'. I am prepping the log for the sawmill.

We tacked 2"x4"s to the top of the log to provide a level guide for the saw. This gives us nice flat cuts.

Dustin and Talley follow behind placing wedges to prevent the saw from being pinched.

Here we remove the top piece. This is my favorite part.

Rocky Mountain ATV & Co.

Yesterday I had the chance to ride with the guys from Rocky Mountain ATV. I first spoke with these guys when they approached the Forest Service this spring with an interest in the Adopt-A-Trail program. Since that first chat a few weeks ago, their group has cleared all trails of fallen trees in Payson canyon except for the few that our Forest Service crew took care of. In my 4 summers with the Forest Service, this is the most dedicated volunteer group I have worked with. These guys ride every Thursday and cover an incredible amount of trail. They have fashioned their bikes to hold pruners, shovels, picks and saws and are able to touch up trouble spots and move on in no time. The amount of time and money this work saves the Forest Service and our crew is enormous. At one point they were able to orient some lost hikers and offered their water and any other assistance they could. These guys represent my ultimate vision of what trails should be about. When trail users take ownership of their trails there is less vandalism, less irresponsible trail use, better signing, and more safety on the trail not to mention the money it saves in tax dollars. I have seen this happen with a number of trails such as the Bonneville Shoreline trail. When users take ownership in a trail, it improves greatly. Thanks to these guys for the work they do.

Bridge Project on R. Fork Salt Cr. trail

Cleaning out debris from the river to prevent future stream bank erosion.

Making a footing to support the center of the bridge at its weakest point. We fell this tree several weeks ago to build this crossing. The tree needed some realignment so we returned with block and tackle to pull it into place. The equipment turned out to be unsafe so we resorted to using logs as levers and were able to move the tree into place and onto the footing that way.

We made cuts like this the full length of the tree...
...then followed through with the pulasky and broke out the pieces.


One final pass with the saw to clean it up and this was the end result.

This texture from the cuts will provide some traction for hikers.

Spectacular rock wall looking down canyon. This trail has some awesome scenery.

Saw Training

Our crew has recently completed their S-212 chainsaw course. These photos show us putting those new skills to the test on the R. Fork Salt Cr. trail.



Boring into the tree to establish the condition of the inside of the tree.
Slope cut

Checking the gunning sight on the saw to establish the fall direction.

Straightening the gunning cut.

Completing the face cut.


Checking the face cut for Dutchmans.

Inspecting the face cut angle.

We were happy to have some additional help from the Fire crew.