Stewarding the Trailhead at Sicamous, BC

... view of Sicamous Bay below ...

I saw Glen’s white truck leaving the property and then it backed up and came down my driveway.

“Wanna come to the trailhead. There is a tree down on the bicycle path there and I have to fix it. Only a short walk in. One I think you can do.”

Getting there was exactly as he had described: take the first road to the left after you get on the Trans-Canada, turn close to the Sicamous bridge but before it.

... the trail steward backpacking his chain saw in to work ...

The road climbs quickly past a property where a space for trailers can be rented, -- fabulous view there of Sicamous Bay -- and then there is a parking lot of sorts, probably only for n4 cars.

And a sign that says, Please don’t Block the Road, so vehicles get tucked to the side and in our case we began to walk up the trail to the downed tree.

Oh yes, there is a sign that says, Bear Warning.

... the chain saw? ... 
... always sharp, always full of gas ...

That sign is to remove liability from the organization that maintains the trail: we told you there were bears.

 “I haven’t seen any sign of bears here, lately,” he said. "But that doesn’t mean there are no bears.”

He seemed serious about his portion of the trail and we walked part of it: the inclines where pedalling is good work for the heart; the small slopes where a biker can feel the thrill of speed going downhill, and then the sharp incline again.

... post chain saw, 2 shoes full of sawdust ...

“Listen for bikers who are on the trail. They will be coming at a speed that can hurt you.”

Glen was behind me, and then I couldn’t see him – how could he got lost when he was behind me, I wondered since he was out of my sight.

But he was putting up a sign: WANTED.

And on the next line, “a crew of people willing to help with trail maintenance” and his phone number on tear-off tags.

... see the height of the goldenrod and in the distance
Sicamous Bay is at the centre of the picture ...

I fingered one but no use ripping it off – I know his number.

I wanted to know how able bodied a person needs to be and how often this crew will be out working.

“We will be a well-oiled team in the fall, not now,” he said optimistically.

“I used to find good bikes, about 10 years old, for half of their new price, but that is gone,” he went on.

“Add 30 percent to that old price, and there are no new bikes around. The manufacturers are sold out so you can’t even order them. COVID has turned biking into a popular sport around here.”

“Why not,” I thought.

Twenty miles of trails between Sicamous and Salmon Arm, maintained by volunteers.

They maintain a beautiful ride along the top of the ridge.

“Laynie came in April with her kids but she wasn’t in shape to ride. She got on the stationary bike at first, and now she rides along the ridge in the mornings. Sometimes we go out at 5 am and are back in time for work. Fit as a fiddle,” he said.

And he went on.

... golden rod at the trail's head ...
... look centre and above for 2 bees ...

“This is not an ancient growth forest, nor a cathedral forest. This is an old growth forest. If you look for large old stumps, now deteriorating and covered with moss, you will be able to see where trees were taken out, maybe 100 years ago,” and he continued, “The first thing a forester learns is how to look up.”

 I did look up to see a cedar, now dead, but still reaching for the heavens; a fir with a long bole, and branches only at the top of the canopy.

The sun spiraled down through cedar boughs and broken birch branches, streams of light splaying through the rotting wood and landing on the forest floor.

The deadfall he had come after was half-way onto the path – a bit of a danger for an inexperienced biker.

... the fallen tree is cut in 3 large chunks to clear the trail ...

He cut it with his chainsaw, three big pieces at a time, pushing them to the lake side of the trail, full body pushes, large pieces of wood.

As we walked, he showed me new cuts – other places where he has been cleaning up the trail.

“I have been wondering if the older sets of cousins would like to come up here, climb to the summit, have a picnic and feel the forest. “

... looking up to see how high the trees reach ...

“We should do trails like these on the property,” someone said to him.

“But why, when the trails are already here for everyone, a quick walk through an old growth forest.”

A trip to add to my gratitude list.

Arta