Troubled Waters

“BTW, Smith’s Ck bridge is gone” 

Ah, what do you mean, “gone”?

“It’s gone, Grubby had to winch across after cutting windfall from the Pass to Smith’s.”

This little back-and-forth was received while the Trail Chief was down in MSP helping the new mom.  

It sounds like a nightmare; and it was, especially this time of year; but leave it to the Iron County Forest Administrator and his two recreational trail workers and a couple three Rangers… things start to jump.

“Wednesday, 0800, Hoyt Rd.  Can you bring your Gator?” Trail crew texts are a little unique…. 

“Yes and a snowmobile for when we forget something out on the road”.

Later: “You guys considering the weather for Wednesday?”

“Yes, if it’s too bad, we’ll do it later”.

Wednesday morning (it had sleeted overnight and a tenth of an inch of ice coated everything): “You good to go?”

“So far, so good”.

The ICF crew had decided to invest in quality materials instead of just slapping a temporary replacement over the creek.  They showed up with a fully loaded trailer; everything needed for the bridge: treated road piling for the stringers and treated 12/4 white pine decking. It was a load.  The plan was to use the ICF Gator to haul the whole trailer (backed up by the Ranger’s Gator) up two miles of snowmobile trail to the bridge site.  The Ranger’s Gator was supposed to chain up to the ICF machine if things got too steep or the trailer broke through on the trail.

0800hrs, Wednesday morning.  It’s lightly raining, or sleeting, not sure.  We head out.  

0830hrs: after yanking the trailer around a 160º corner, the materials are within 8 feet of the washed out bridge.

1015hrs: Bridge done.  The Trail Chief’s coffee hadn’t even got cold.

Looking around, what caused the washout?  

Smith’s Ck drains Smith’s meadow, a wind and water gap within the Penokee Range.  Smith’s meadow is a little over 100 acres in size.  Apparently, beaver had built up some kind of dam up in the meadow.  Some precision incident breached that dam at some point this summer/fall.  From  what we could observe, more than 5 feet of water over-topped our little bridge in a very short span, like 10 minutes.  There are leaves and sticks over our heads when we stand on the new bridge.

Ten minutes of destruction.  Two and a half hours from the time we left the town road to replace it.  In the rain and sleet.

This is the definition of the cooperation we enjoy with the Iron County Forestry Department.  The Rangers thank Eric P (Forest Administrator), James (Grubby)M, and Devon C (ICF Recreation Crew), Josh S and Karl Z (Rangers) for a seamless repair job done under less than optimum conditions.

If you get a chance, give the E 1/2 of Uller a ski or ‘shoe this season.  Take a look for the leaves and sticks above your head when you cross Smith’s Ck.  The new bridge will allow all of us to, once again, ski freely.  Z

I forgot, the sleet turned to snow as we were hauling out.  It’s not done yet.  

Snow Report in the morning.