Gold Creek Ford Approach Restored

Buckhorn and Peninsula Chapters of BCHW submitted for two projects in the northeast portion of the Olympic National Forest to be funded by the Title II distribution of the Secure Rural Schools Act.   Title II funds are spent to benefit the public’s use of the National Forest and includes road improvements on access roads, noxious weed treatments, youth crew employment, watershed enhancement, and recreation work.  

One of our projects, located in Clallam County, is restoring to stock standards the washed-out approach to the Sleepy Hollow Trail ford over Gold Creek.   This trail has been the planned route for the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, running from Montana to Port Townsend, then up Mt Zion, and onto the Tubal Cain Mine Trail, winding through the high Olympics to the Pacific Ocean.

Our project involved purchasing gravel from the Title II grant along with compensating pack support and administration costs (for both projects).   Over 3 days of work, we completed restoring the ford approach including packing over 2,700 lbs. of gravel on horses supplied by Peninsula and Buckhorn Chapter members, and that is after having used the same stock to pack in the logs used for retaining the gravel on the steep approach.   A big thanks to all for this joint chapter effort!!!

Our next project will be packing in and out youth crews to Bark Shanty on the Lower Big Quilcene Trail.   Our chapters are paying for the youth crews out of the Title II grant funds.   All of the packing for this project will be donated by the stock handlers.   The packers are ready, but due to Covid, we are having a hard time lining up youth crews for the current season.   Fortunately, the grant funds carry over to next year if we run out of time.   I hope to call on members to assist with this effort when we get it planned.

Jeff Chapman, Buckhorn Range Chapter Director