USFS summer trails work roundup

The U.S. Forest Service covered a lot of ground improving local trails over the summer. While our first summer trails roundup covered City and Borough of Juneau and Trail Mix, Inc., summer trails work, this article covers everything the USFS completed this summer.

Amalga (Eagle Glacier) Trail

The last ½ mile of trail near the cabin was resurfaced using onsite materials. Workers also built around 200 feet of double-planked trail.

Auke Nu Trail

Twenty-five bags containing a total of about 10 yards of gravel were helicoptered to the trail and staged for work next year. The trail was also brushed.

Dan Moller Trail

Trail workers did some ditchwork and cleaned culverts.

Dredge Lakes Trails

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The Beaver Patrol volunteers spread 19 tons of gravel on select Dredge Lakes area trails to raise them above flood levels. Also within Dredge Lakes, the Moose Lake Trail was brushed open during the last of spring by the Forest Service Volunteer Trail Maintenance Team. The trail makes a great winter ski route to the south shore of Mendenhall Lake but had grown in recently because summer flooding had made it inaccessible to summer trail crew workers.

East Glacier Trail

Crews improved drainage along 100 feet of trail by doing ditchwork and cleaning water bars, a trail feature used to prevent erosion. They also brushed and lopped the entire trail.

Herbert River Trail

Crews cut brush a couple of feet back on 1 ½ miles of trail and lopped the remainder.

Montana Creek Trail

The Montana Creek Trail was brushed from the cabin to near the meadows. Crews also replaced a 25-foot bridge.

Moraine Ecology Loop Trail

Crews lopped and brushed the entire trail.

Nugget Falls Trail

The USFS purchased 540 tons of gravel to address flooding issues. Volunteers helped Forest Service crews use gravel to raise the trail 3 inches above the outside grade. They completed about 1200 feet of resurfacing and installed three culverts. Conservation Volunteer International Program volunteers later brushed the entire length of the Nugget Falls trail, by hand, to maintain a nicely groomed look.

Peterson Lake Trail

About 2000 pounds of yellow cedar planking was flown into Peterson Lake and used to repair about 300 feet of trail near the cabin.

Trail of Time

Crews lopped and brushed the entire trail.

West Glacier Trail

Crews used local gravel to improve drainage by raising, ditching, and creating water drainages along 300 feet of trail. They also logged, brushed, and lopped the entire trail. Glacier State Contractors, under a Forest Service contract, constructed a new half-mile long, 10-feet wide, compacted gravel multi-use path on the west side of Mendenhall Lake connecting the City and Borough of Juneau paved bike path with the West Glacier trailhead.

Windfall Lake Trail

Trees were milled into planking onsite and used to repair about 200 feet of trail.

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