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2008

Jan 1 -- Broke trail with the 340 motoski over to the old Graham road detour on the telegraph route. Blowing snow and high wind persuaded me to come back. Unsafe among the dead pine.

Jan 2 -- Made a bit more progress on clearing the old Graham road.

Jan 3 -- Finished clearing the old Graham road down to the Telegraph trail. Snow is getting soft.

Jan 4 -- Improved the old Graham road detour. Cougar hunters are in the area with dogs and snowmobiles.

Jan 6 -- Pulled the sled, with lumber in it, behind the Motoski up to Winger creek on the telegraph wagon trail to improve the crossing with a bridge.

Jan 7 -- Made the river loop, via the telegraph wagon trail, on the Motoski. Saw two deer.

Jan 9 -- Talked to the cougar hunters at the mailbox. They have shot one tom and treed a female. Apparently, they don’t shoot the females.

Jan 11 -- Went up to Bone Meadow ranch, via the telegraph wagon trail, with the 250 Motoski. Ken invited me in for coffee.

Jan 13 -- Journeyed down to Donny’s at the river, by way of the telegraph route, on the Polaris 500. A smooth ride. Rode by a Moose that didn’t run.

March 6 -- Broke trail up the Whittier creek valley for several miles on the telegraph wagon trail with the Motoski. Came up close to a young lynx. A rare sight as they are elusive.

March 25 -- Went for a walk up the road as far as the Telegraph trail crossing. Saw a group of white-tailed deer. They are new to this area. Quite striking when they flash their large white tails in alarm.

April 13 -- Diverted the run off from the culvert to go across the driveway into the Telegraph park. Warm breeze blowing.

April 27 -- Worked in the Telegraph park, clearing brush, etcetera. Light rain.

April 28 -- Cleared more brush in the park. Thunder shower.

 May 4 -- Hiked over the ridge loop on the Telegraph trail. Patches of snow still along the creek.

May 10 -- Cut the fallen dead pine from the ridge section of Telegraph trail.

May 15 -- Met Jim Foulkes, a Collins telegraph researcher. Took him out for a short hike on the trail. Hot in the sun.

May 17 -- Took the quad up to begin work on opening up a short section of the original Telegraph trail that had been left uncleared.

May 19 -- Finished clearing out the short section of Telegraph trail as far as Winger creek. Improved the quad trail down the old Graham road.

May 22 -- Hiked up the 1908 wagon trail until it met the Telegraph foot trail and came back on it. The yellow, daisy-like, arnica and the blue clematis (virgins bower) were in bloom on the ridge.

June 10 -- Trimmed the grass in the Telegraph park. Cut some brush along the roadway. Some wild strawberries are ripe.

July 21 -- Met Scott Bailey. He is an avid outdoorsman who asked if he could maintain the Telegraph trail in the Blackwater river area, as he lives there. Glad for his help and interest.

Nov. 20 -- Drove the quad on the telegraph wagon trail as far as Diamond road. Cleared the windfall as I went. Four inches of snow on the ground.

Dec. 29 -- Took the sno-jet ski in to be welded. Bought a belt for the moto-ski. Broke trail as far as Winger creek.

Dec. 30 -- Minus 10 degrees centigrade overnight. Put the ski back on the sno-jet. Donny rode down on his little moto-ski, breaking trail down the telegraph wagon road.

Dec. 31 -- Tried the 1976 sno-jet out in the deep snow. It seems okay.

Happy trails everyone.

Dwight Dodge