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Beaver dams at MIller Fork

Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2014 2:08 am
by Michael_W
The beaver are at it again at Miller Fork. Be prepared to get wet hiking in.

Re: Beaver dams at MIller Fork

Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2014 12:37 pm
by Nick
Last time I was in Miller the road after crossing the footbridge from the parking lot was super wet and muddy. Definitely took some navigation to avoid soaked feet. This seemed mostly due to vehicles creating large mudholes in the road. How are beaver dams making the road you hike in on wet?

Re: Beaver dams at MIller Fork

Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2014 5:46 pm
by pumpout2004
I think it's the first creek crossing after the parking lot that mike is talking about. Did the beavers bring the water high enough to sweep over the bridge?

Re: Beaver dams at MIller Fork

Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2014 6:16 pm
by climb2core
It is the second creek crossing. But the road in general past the first creek is in bad shape and hard to walk. We might need a separate walking trail cut on higher ground. Oil company owns the land past MF so will be interesting if they want to improve/maobtain the road after the creek to highlands parking

Re: Beaver dams at MIller Fork

Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:57 pm
by Nick
Ah okay I do remember that one requiring an olympic long jump.

Re: Beaver dams at MIller Fork

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 1:16 am
by dustonian
Yeah walking in sucks big time... especially when the beavers get busy. Pretty much mandatory waders in winter. At some point it would be great to have a trail paralleling that horrible pig-sty road up left on the higher terrain on the hillside....

Re: Beaver dams at MIller Fork

Posted: Wed Nov 26, 2014 8:25 am
by Jeff
The road past the creek has not been maintained in over 10 years, despite whoever the owner has been.

Re: Beaver dams at MIller Fork

Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2014 9:11 pm
by Josephine
Jeff wrote:The road past the creek has not been maintained in over 10 years, despite whoever the owner has been.
Jeff - the road past the creek was graded this spring. The off-roaders tore it up and it didn't last.

An alternate trail will be great; however right now we are struggling to raise funds to qualify for a $35,000 matching grant to apply to the mortgage. There can't be any infrastructure improvements until that funding is secure (We need just under $11,000!). Hopefully soon!!!

There's lots of ways to help. Donate at www.rrgcc.org. Join the party at the Rock House on THIS FRIDAY (proceeds donated to RRGCC). Donate materials for bridges or organize a trail day (contact Driskell to arrange this). Throw your own fundraiser al la Virginia's t-shirt promotion. There's all sorts of options :-) Hopefully these are things that can be addressed in 2015!

Re: Beaver dams at MIller Fork

Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2014 4:58 pm
by dustonian
Update: cut left along the 2nd river crossing to a narrower spot and shwack through a few thorns on a newish trail to get to the dirt road up Bowman Fork below Serenity Point. Dam beavers.