10/17/25: Skyland Blazes DONE!

Tuesday October 7 was the last day of 10 weeks of warm dry weather for the near future. Three Cardigan Highlanders
met at West Ridge trailhead at 0900, and by 0930 started the hike up to Cliff's Bridge a mile uphill. We turned right onto
the west end of Skyland Trail, which crosses a hillside through spruce woods, and got to Rimrock about 1130, with a break for lunch.

Going east on Skyland Trail,we descended 300', climbed over a knob on the ridge, then climbed 200' to the summit of Orange Mtn.  by 1400. Blazers Skip and Ben blazed further east 0.1 mi. to where the last crew stopped blazing last August 9. They carried on blazing towards Rimrock, with TM Craig following with more paint, water, and tools used on 3 blowdowns on the outward hike.

The severe drought we are in has caused spruce trees to shed their needles. Many places on the trails are more than 1" deep in green needles. They are like millions of tiny rollers, and they make ledges dangerously slippery. We learned by falling that we have to go slow and careful this Fall. We finished blazing at Rimrock at 1630, a total 1.1 miles. Then we descended the same way we climbed, and reached our cars at 1800, just at nightfall.

Later on, we'll report on all the work on the ridgetop trail these last two seasons. It is blazed in WHITE, and 7.4 miles long. For now, on the last day before a soaking rain and cooler more seasonable temps, we three did finish the job of blazing the entire trail. Here's to all the volunteers who made this happen!  Many many thanks!

Craig Sanborn,  CHVTC
Trailmaster