Re: Trimming Trails

[CMKSAGEHIL <CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com>]

In a message dated 98-04-16 01:48:35 EDT, Debbyly@aol.com writes:

<<  We keep the trails clear as much as we can
 ourselves and we usually don't ask if it is OK.  The forest service is so
 understaffed and underfunded that they don't do much trail maintainence.
They
 happily look the other way when we clear trails.>>

Sometimes I think that is the best way.  By the way, every time we meet a
mountain biker when we are out with our pack horses and saws, we get prolific
thanks!
 
 <<There is a new piece of equipment available for clearing trails.  It is a
 battery operated chain saw made by Makita.  I can carry it on horseback on my
 back in a daypack.  It is not nearly as powerful as a regular gas chainsaw,
 but it works well on the smaller stuff.  It is very lightweight and
relatively
 quiet. >>

Thanks for the info, Debby.  My husband has designed a front pack for his
saddle to take our smallest gas saw if we don't anticipate a lot of
work--otherwise we take one of the broodmares along as a packhorse to pack the
saws and the gas.  (It is amazing how much these mares, many of which are
retired endurance horses, enjoy these outings!)  We had one small section on
the Pan Am that someone else had cleared for us that turned out to still have
some really unacceptable "obstacles" when I rode it to mark it.  My husband
went out by himself on my stallion Abu Ben Surrabu (better known as "Junior"
by those who know and love him) and took the gas saw in the front pack--one
branch was overhead, so he started the saw up on Junior and proceeded to saw
the limb!  He told me later that he started out with the reins dropped on
Junior's neck the way I do when sawing with my hand saw when on Junior, but
apparently Junior didn't like the chips falling so fast in his ears, so he
simply took a calm step back to avoid them.  So--he had to loop the reins over
one arm while he worked.  Real flighty Arab, huh?

Heidi