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2004

Jan.1 -- The beginning of 2004 was very discouraging concerning the Telegraph trail. Logging has almost completely devastated the once pristine wilderness trail. No amount of protest was able to persuade Forestry to leave a remnant of forest with the trail. Leaving the dead, beetle killed pine would have protected the other species and younger trees from blowing over across the trail. None of the millions of dollars in timber value removed from the trail right-of-way has been returned to help with the trail preservation effort. The logging companies have put the money into their pocket while we attempt to clean up the destruction left behind. I passionately believe those trees belonged to the trail and were stolen from it.

Jan. 5 -- Thank you to Bill Meier, our webmaster, for helping with the printing of the newsletter.

Feb. 5 -- Minus 15 C.. Cut some windfalls off the old telegraph wagon road up beyond Hidden Valley. Went by skidoo. Ran into a snow squall. This old road parallels the old pack trail in several places. It will make an ideal ATV or snowmobile route when cleared.. It was first built around 1910. The telegraph wire and poles were moved out to the wagon road from the pack trail.

Feb. 22 -- Took the powersaw on the Polaris snowmobile and cut a trail through to the sandhill crane meadow and continued on down to Donny’s at the river. Nice day. Saw a total of five moose along the way. Shot a couple with the camera.

April 6 -- Fell some cottonwood trees along the creek and around the trail-head park. They become a hazard when the big limbs break off.

April 8 -- Attended the North Cariboo map committee meeting to give info about the T. Trail.

April 17 -- Attended a meeting of the Hike Canada/B.C. at West Fraser office hosted by Robin Grady. This is a group with a vision of creating a hiking trail across Canada. Tentative plans are to use a portion of the Telegraph trail.

April 20 -- Fired up the case crawler tractor and cleared out the old telegraph wagon road down the hill to the creek.

April 22 -- Cleared the ridge loop. This is the first section of the Telegraph trail out from the trailhead. The dog, Springer, came with me. He behaved well. Heard the welcome sound of a pygmy owl beeping. Experimented with painting a band of red with a band of white below it on trees along the trail in strategic locations. This is used on some trails in Europe. It looks nice and is very Canadian in color.

May 23 -- Heavy frost and ice in the dog dish. Clear. Ventured out to the Lhtakoh trail at Blackwater. Saw many deer and at least six bears. Took film of two deer and a brown bear. Heavy blowdown on the trail. Sore and tired at the end. Left more trail brochures at the Waterwheel store at Pantage creek. Noticed arnica and blue clematis in bloom along the trail.

June 8 -- Paid Donny to help work on the Diamond road to Whittier creek section of T. Trail. Mosquitoes were ferocious at the start. The northern harrier swooped down on us again this year as we walked under her nest along the trail.

June 9 -- Cut the grass in the trailhead park.

June 10 -- Built a road from the park down to the creek.

June 11 -- Cleared some bottom land below the park. Found some ripe wild strawberries.

June 17 -- Decided to look for an ATV and develop an alternate route for them alongside the T. trail.

July 1 -- Took the ATV along the old Telegraph road up the creek. Began clearing it toward Diamond road to help celebrate Canada’s 137th birthday. It’s a nice old road for an ATV.

July 5 -- Set off on the ATV to continue work on clearing the old road toward Goose lake. Put in a good day and made good progress.

July 8 -- Continued clearing the old wagon road as far as a logging road which connects to the Diamon road. Saw a deer. Found some of the old Yukon telegraph wire along the old road..

July 10 -- Explored the Diamond road connection and the connection to Goose lake on the ATV. Saw a mother black bear with two tiny cubs. Lots of deer in the clear-cuts.

July 23 -- Blazing hot. Had Donny help clear the old road. We made good progress.

July 25 -- Spent a half day clearing the old road down from Diamond road. Very hot weather.

July 26 -- Took the quad up to work on the old road. Did a nice piece. Hot! Beavers have started a dam on the creek along the old road.

July 27 -- Clear blue sky. Finished clearing out the old wagon road as far as Diamond road..

Aug. 3 -- Started work on clearing the old wagon road from the Goose lake end but got rained out by noon.

Aug. 4 -- Hot day! Continued filling in the holes the back-hoe made in the old road across the clearcut south of Goose lake.

Aug. 8 -- Put in another day clearing and repairing the old wagon road through the clearcut at Goose lake. Discovered rainbow trout living in the little creek alongside.

Aug. 10 -- Worked in the hot sun to clear the old road through the clear cut at Goose lake. Stopped for a refreshing swim in the beaver pond on the way back with the ATV. Saw a mother bear with two little cubs and several deer. Found some blue lupines in the little meadow where the old stopping house used to be.

Aug. 12 -- Finally finished filling in all the holes they dug on the old road across the clearcut. Connected the old road with a logging road so the ATV route is open to Goose lake. Very warm.

Aug. 20 -- Got as far as Punjab lake with the ATV where I had lunch and took a dip in the lake with a loon. Saw two bears on the way back. Ate hands full of delicious wild raspberries and blueberries.

Sept. 12 -- First frost of the Fall this morning under clear skies. Ventured out to Blackwater. Cleared the section of T. Trail from Pantage creek down to the river. Lots of big blueberries out there. Came upon a northern harrier that had just killed a grouse. Found a couple more Indian blades. Left them as they were.

Sept. 16 --Received from Bill Miller of Atlin, his book, “Wires in the Wilderness”. It is a well written and well researched story of the Yukon telegraph. It has just been released and I highly recommend it.

Oct. 13 -- Erin persuaded me to attend a heritage meeting at City Hall to explain our vision for the trail.

Nov. 2 -- Our AGM for the Telegraph Trail Society was held at Dwight’s place. Erin Reed was elected secretary, taking over from Betty. George Reed is a new director.

Happy trails everyone!