Trail Mix

by Larry Scott, Trails Chair

“Port Ludlow – A Destination Hiking Village”

Corduroy pathway built on Creek View Loop to relieve muddy section. Photo Credit: Larry Scott

In the April Trail Mix article, Trails postulated that submitting articles with a timely element to future efforts always runs the risk of being either out of date or flat out incorrect due to some outside timing circumstances. And, in fact, that proved correct.

What Trails offered as “COMING UP” was: 

1. Build two short sections of corduroy trail on the Interpretive-Creek View Loop connector to correct for muddy seepage we have not been able to mitigate any other way.

2. Add additional steps to the same location rising from the bridge towards the muddy location.

3. Begin to build the last Oak Bay Trail (OBT) section approved from Walker Way.

It’s good that two out of three isn’t bad in some circles, because we didn’t achieve three out of three. We overcame the extremely muddy section of the Interpretive-Creek View Loop connector in #1 (see this month’s photo) and we began building the last OBT section from Walker Way to the northern Around the Bay Trail (ABT) crossing in #3, but we did not get to add the additional steps to the Interpretive-Creek View Loop connector in #2. That task will now be coming in the next weeks along with the major effort of completing the last OBT section during the spring/summer Fun Days.

To complete the last OBT section, we will have multiple Fun Day crews at a time, limited only by the number of tools available on any given day. Jerry Keck (Trails Maintenance) will head up finishing this trail, so watch for his planning email blasts and join in when your schedule matches the outing date/time.

Our annual Scotch Broom remediation effort will be held on Monday, May 4, and will be headed up by our Natural Resources/Vice Chair of Trails Tim Rensema. Here’s his notice on the upcoming pull, which will now transition to include selective locations of English Ivy, partially due to our success over the Scotch Broom. Be sure to let him know if you can participate in this annual community event.

“We will be conducting the traditional Scotch Broom pull (now English Ivy and Scotch Broom) on May 4, 2026 (a Monday). We will meet at 9 A.M. in the Village Store parking lot. Anyone interested please contact Tim Rensema at aedomguru@aol.com so he can get a good number for the barbecue of hamburgers and sausage at the Beach Club after the Fun Day. We will meet for the barbecue at noon. We have not eradicated the Scotch Broom but are on our way to controlling it.” 

If you want to come out for a Fun Day of camaraderie while helping to improve our community, email me at mclgscott@cablespeed.com and let’s keep improving our trails.