Effects of the ongoing drought in our region kept us busy removing fallen trees at the beginning of the year. The Woolsey Fire in November was massive enough that it will affect our trail work for the foreseeable future. We expect this to be a multi-year effort; fire and the rain are a potent one-two punch. Without plants to absorb the rain, water becomes a driving force to move earth from one place to another. In between these two kinds of activities, we managed to get one more kiosk completed along the Backbone Trail, held another Trail Days event in Point Mugu State Park and provided crew leaders for three COSCA trail building events. We marshaled the resources and volunteers to keep trails open where we could, but the task we attempt is a job that will never be finished. It is worth repeating that the majority of trails we worked on would not have been repaired without our efforts. Government budgets for Trail Work are anemic at best - NPS and State Parks depend on us and in turn we depend on you to join us for an event or two each year. Consider joining us for a work event in 2019!

The Woolsey Fire in November of 2018 burned hot and moved fast. SMMTC crew leaders performed several post fire assessments for NPS and State Parks. With a mixture of sadness, awe and optimism we noted areas of the Backbone Trail that survived and areas that were damaged. Of concern were trails that traversed slopes that had burned. Water will either cut straight down the slope and bisect the trail or stay on the trail and scour the tread. That adds up to lots of work. Look at the image above and see where Barry's trekking pole is pointing. Thousands of these long channels appeared after the last rain.