Climbing up Morkill Pass
2011 Trail Clearing Report
The 2011 season was less busy than 2010. Special thanks goes to the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) and the for the MD of Greenview who generously contributed towards the Youth Mentoring Initiative. This support went to one 10-day trip and one 18-day trip.
A thank you also goes to Outfitter Bazil Leonard and Outfitter Ed Regnier for mentoring five youth during the 18-day projects and one youth on the 10-day trip. Bazil and Ed have over 100 years combined outfitting and trail experience, so the youth had excellent teachers.
Three separate grazing-research sites were cleared up at Kvass Flats on the 10-day trip. Barbwire, page wire and metal posts were taken down and stacked for further removal by either helicopter or snowmobile. This ended up being much more work than anticipated. There was significant evidence that wildlife had been caught in the barbwire and the metal fence poles were bent as a result. We also cleared the Smoky River trail through the 2002 burn during this ten-day period. There was a lot of downed timber and it was tough cutting.
We continued to clean up the endless yards of florescent red plastic ribbon in the Sheep Creek, Continental Divide and Jackpine River areas during the 18-day trip. The five youth learned a lot from their mentors on this trip.
Our youth contingency also included 14-month old Jaely Moberly who participated on the extended packtrip along the Continental Divide. This little trailhand never cried once, despite the great distances her mother packed her on horseback.
We cleared the main Sheep Creek Trail through the burn to Casket Lake during the 18-day trip. More work needs to be done on re-routing the muskeg areas between Casket Lake and Morkill Pass. Also there is 1-½ miles of bad muskeg from Donald McDonald Meadows down Bazil Creek that needs significant work.
The youth and their mentors continued to clean up garbage and trash throughout the 18-day trip. The trash was packed out to Grande Cache by packhorse. Obstructed trails were cleared and made passable. Youth were taught packing, trail skills and more. Extensive video and pictures were taken of the youth and their mentors. A movie is in production on the 2010 and 2011 trail clearing initiatives by People & Peaks Productions.
More work was done in Sept 2011 on the Sheep Creek Trail from a contribution that Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation provided the Foundation. More work needs to be done on the Sheep Creek trail as it has been neglected for decades.
The trail clearing crew worked hard and put in long hours. It was a labour of love and was a lot of hard physical work. We would like to thank the 2011 trail clearing staff and volunteers.