Southview Ridge Trail

Overcast skies today, but dry. Peter, Darko and I turned up Atrevida Loop (clockwise) to hook into the Southview Ridge Trail heading southeast from Tin Can Junction at Km 1. There was a considerable amount of blowdown, but much to our delight it had been cut out by someone unknown within the last month as the shavings were still fresh. All we had to do was buzz the odd rare blowdown and mop up twigs and branches along the way. The level trail is well marked and takes you out onto Southview Road, on the height of land about 1 km up from the highway. We had dropped off a vehicle there so we didn't have to hike back.

Sliammon Lake Trail (SCT)

Heavy snowfall this morning as we set out, though no problem for Peter's 4x4. We cleared from Tomkinson (Wilde) Road up at the Km 6 gravel pit parking lot eastward on the Sliammon Lake Trail (SCT). We cleared past Thethyeth Lake out to Kayach Bluff. The top picture shows a view from there looking south over Sliammon Lake. The new cutblock at Little Sliammon Lake is just visible above the far shore. The new logging road exits through the saddle out to the gate on the highway at Sliammon. The snowfall stopped after a while, and Peter and Darko caught some rays at lunch.

Upper Browne Creek Trail

John and I cleaned out the upper end of Browne Creek Trail from the highway sign near Old Mine Road down to the intersection with Dinner Rock Road, just below the fork and the gates on that road. From there we hiked on down to Hurtado Bay for lunch and our turnaround place.
Now all of Browne Creek Trail and the linked Hurtado Point Loop are cleared.
The photo shows a view of Mace Point on Savary Island taken from Hurtado Bay with a squall of hail just having passed overhead and the skies clearing from Vancouver Island.

Lower Browne Creek Trail

An unexpectedly sunny morning lured us out, and so we took the chainsaw for a walk. We parked at the gate on Dinner Rock Road, just above where Browne Creek Trail intersects the paved road that runs down to the campsite. Right away we came upon trees that had fallen across the road, before we even got on the trail. We found a good supply of blowdown to cut and clear all along the trail and more across the creek over toward the Hurtado Point/Bay Loop which we had cleared out yesterday.
The railing of the Browne Creek footbridge was damaged by a blowdown at one end, but we cut the bole out of the way, and the bridge is still servicable. There remains one larger tree beyond there that can be easily climbed over, and still needs cutting with the big saw. Other than that the trail is clear now, but would benefit from a bit more sweeping of small woody debris.
If you carry a staff it's easy to flick small branches off the trail without much effort, and no bending down and picking up things. A little flick with the wrist and the offending branch sails off to the side of the trail. Give it a try sometime. Any longish stick, five feet or so, will do the trick. It's actually fun, just ask Peter.
We'll be going over the Upper Browne Creek Trail (to the south of Dinner Rock Road, and uphill to the large wooden trailhead sign up on the highway near Old Mine Road). Conditions of that section are unknown as of this point.