The Trail’s Clear Again

The trail is clear once again. Yesterday, working together, the three of us cleared the windfall that the last storm delivered in less than two hours. We cut it in long rounds, the length of two normal stove rounds, and stacked it in the forest near the trail. We’ll probably move them to the cabin this winter when it snows deep enough to use the pulk.

winfall on the trail

Michelle surveys the work ahead (Photo: Aly Zeiger).

I used my felling ax to remove the limbs. It made quick work of them, but the head paid a heavy toll. It has a thinner blade than my splitting ax, and by the time I’d finished, the edge had become warped and mashed. I’m going to have to have to do some major reshaping and sharpening to get it back in “fighting” trim. I think I can safely put that off for a few days, unless the next storm, which should hit today, drops something else on the trail.

We will appreciate the clear trail when we all head out early this morning to get Aly to town to take the S.A.T. She’s been crushing the practice tests and writing some pretty amazing essays. The one I particularly liked discussed conscience vs. greed using Jiminy Cricket as an example of falling short of the ideal (she cited his eye for the ladies and his tendency to get distracted and left behind). She’s ready, relaxed, and sure to do very well. We’ll all be glad when she’s finished with it, though, although she’ll still have a few subject tests in November or December.

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