Getting There
From Randle, WA, head south on WA-131 towards Lewis Road for 2.7 miles. Continue on NFD-25 for 3 miles. The turn into the trailhead parking lot is on the left. The actual trail is called the Oldgrowth Loop Trail.
In the morning of the 2nd day, James, our crew leader, made bagel breakfast sandwiches. It was rainy June weekend.
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| Breakfast time |
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| My car "tent" and actual tent |
The Hike
Elevation Gain: 237 feet
Maximum Elevation: 1,268 feet
From my IG entry for this weekend:
"On Sunday, after breakfast and packing up camp, we caravanned over to the Woods Creek Watchable Wildlife/Oldgrowth Loop Trail. I was on a 3-person crosscut team, and got some time using the saw.
I learned a ton about sawyering and using the OHLEC process for sizing up a cutting task. I think I would like to go for "A" level sawyer certification."
As you can see, I didn't really take any of my own photos. I was focused on learning some new skills and I didn't want to possibly damage my phone (or even be worried about it) while out there.
Dawn (ACL) and Jane were visiting from the Seattle/Olympia area for the weekend. They are both skilled sawyers and generous with their knowledge.
On Saturday, we were on chainsaw teams but on Sunday, Dax, Jane, and I were a 3-person crosscut team. We were not in a rush so had ample opportunity to talk about the process and make sure were all had a chance to take the lead.
Using a crosscut saw with another person takes some skill. It's as much pulling as keeping the blade from binding in the cut while the other person is pulling and to be in-sync. It also takes a lot longer than a chainsaw so there are rest breaks and chances to change position, footing, and stance.
These blades are like antiques as are the cast-iron handles. There are cutting surfaces and notches to scrape the shaving from the cut to keep things moving smoothly.
I appreciate the James intentionally builds time into our project days for learning and transfer of skills to the n00bs.
In fact, I'm signed up for TKO's 3-day chainsaw certification course in October 2024. I'm glad to go in with some prior experience and safety awareness.
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| Dax and I cutting a log with a crosscut saw |
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| Cropped group photo of the weekend crew |
After leaving the work site, we all reconvened at Huff n Puff just west of Randle for a milkshake and snack.
