Super Saturday

40+ volunteers & workers showed up yesterday for the cleanup of the trails - most impressive! Many THANKS!! More work was done than all the previous weekdays combined. There were a half dozen groups & 3 chainsaw crews scattered thruout the Forest at any given time. Although temps reached the 60's and it had been above freezing for several days, everyone battled the icy conditions on the shady sides of the steeper hills. The thick ice was thawed just enough to be able to kick in steps or dig in with your heels to get a foothold -- that still didn't keep everyone upright when it came to dragging & manuevering fallen trees off the trails. Some fell numerous times on the steeper icy sections. One chainsaw operator slipped & slid 20 feet down a slope, chainsaw in tow.

Only about 2 miles remain to be cleared of the smaller trees, brush & debris & about 7 miles of trails have only the large trees to be cut & removed -- almost all of these are on the segments hit the hardest, the 2nd loop (Yellow Trail) and in Tom Wallace Park. With above freezing temps forecast for the rest of the week and the continued dedication of volunteers & Jefferson Memorial Forest workers, the course will be clear race day (if no other trees fall!)

Cynthia & Todd (Race Directors) and Kim on the Blue Trail: