Laurel Mill Projects

When we started our partnership with the Forest Serive the trails were in rough shape. Between years of neglect and damage caused by contractors spraying to eliminate the invasive 'Buckthorn' tree there were mud holes and overgrown areas. We've worked with the Forest Service and most of the mud holes have been addressed and we now have a regular mowing and trimming program to keep the trails clear of tall grass. We're also maintaining the parking lot to eliminate the potholes and about 3 tons of stone are added to it each year.

Two of our members have completed the Forest Service's chainsaw operator certification process are are class A sawyers. This allows them to remove fallen trees, as long as they have a helper. In the winter we install boards and windows so that the warming hut can be heated.

We've still got a lot of work ahead of us to get the area back into good shape here's a short list of our top priorities -

Clear fallen trees (there's still a backlog of them)

Repair wet and washed out areas

Clean out drainage ditches and culverts

Replace missing trail signs

We will be scheduling work days throughout the year and would love your help. Forest Service procedures require us to notify them several days in advance and there is a little paperwork involved, but we can usually get something set up quickly. For safety reasons they require at least two people for any work day. Often we have volunteers who would like to work, but no one to be that second person. So if you think you'll have some extra time, please let us know and we'll try to match you up with someone to work with.

Hemlock Trail Reroute

Due to a number of issues, the Forest Service is in the process of rerouting the Hemlock Loop. This is to eliminate areas that are always muddy and avoid steep slope sections that are severely eroded. When the project is complete, the new Hemlock loop will be about a mile shorter than it is now. This project started in 2022 and rough in of the new route was completed in the fall of 2023 and the 'old' portions of the trail were closed and decommissioned. The new route is still rough and muddy, but the Forest Service plans to retun for a few weeks in the spring of 2024 to complete the trail.

You can help us . . .

Become a member so you'll be notified about work days.

If you have an idea for a project or would like to coordinate a work day please let us know

Please don't work on your own. The Forest Service has a set of procedures that must be followed for any work on the trails and we want to abide by them. So please only work during an official work day.