Last spring, a trail user informed Fence Repair Crew leader Rich Easterly of a partially dismantled fence along the trail near Spring Valley. Apparently the corner section of the fence was removed and laid aside in order to do some repair on the culvert. The fence section was left to rot on the ground.
The Friends’ three-men-and-a-dog Fence Repair crew was busy for weeks rebuilding a culvert wall and fence elsewhere on the trail, however, so the Spring Valley project had to wait.
By the time Rich inspects the fence area again in August, the entire area, including the removed fence section, is overgrown with tall weeds.
The repair crew’s first step is to clear away the vegetation. Then they take apart the removed fence section and find that the only reusable pieces are the 8-foot vertical posts. Ray, Roger and Rich set the vertical posts (with Rich’s dog Cody supervising).
Twenty miles south on the trail, there is a stretch of fence no longer needed where they can reclaim boards for reuse. So the crew heads to Morrow for 5 horizontal boards and 2 top boards. The following week they return to Spring Valley with the reclaimed boards to complete the fence repair.
Finally the area is again protected with a strong fence and is more beautiful, thanks to the FLMSP Fence Repair crew who logged a total of 30 volunteer hours on the project.
Photo above: Rich Easterly and Ray Jacobson
Photo left: Rich and Cody with Roger Flechsig
September 2016
