Jefferson Park x2, 30 June & 4 July

[retired jerry]

Okay, had to google it

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washboarding

"These sources attribute washboarding to three causes: dry granular materials, vehicle speeds, and the quality of the granular material. Other cited causes include vehicle speed, traffic volume, and hard acceleration or braking. Also, the source claims that light vehicles have a bigger effect on producing washboarding than heavy trucks."

" Highway department guidance suggests a range of particle sizes from stones that are in the 1-inch (25 mm) range, mixed with progressively finer particles to include a small fraction of fine particles that bind the larger particles together. They also mention the role of equipment that can re-blend and smooth surfaces that have corrugated."

"The maintenance advice from Colorado was to drag or grade the road frequently, applying light volumes of new gravel with minimal sand content and providing good drainage with a crown. The same source advises reduction of traffic speed."

[carlyk]

Huh, interesting. I’ll keep all that in mind next time we come across such a road We live in the country and drive a lot of gravel roads on private properties that are regularly graded and re-graveled, so I guess we are just spoiled!!

[kepPNW]

By the way, there was a dead horse in Russell Creek, left hand side downstream of the crossing on Wednesday. I met up later with a ranger who told me there was a search and rescue Tuesday evening. A horse in the S/R party slipped off the trail into the creek and needed to be put down. I didn't see any evidence of scavengers, but no doubt it's only a matter of time before they or the USFS go to work on it. Ugh.

Amazing! Was there yesterday, and there is still no sign of scavenging on that beast! Three and a half months later!

Not sure whether or not to post a photo.

Edit: Posted off-site, so people can opt-in if they want to see it.

[Water]

poor horse, hope it went quick. very sad for the owner as well.

i do have to say thanks for sharing. That's...totally bizarre how well preserved it is. Probably some bloat from decomposition but it looks whole?! No ravens to open it up on the side. Or vultures, a bear, wolverine, etc..

What is it, being in the creek and creek bed the temperature has always been 45-50 through most of the summer? It is kind of fascinating.. and yet someone like ronald ohm or others, with synthetic fabric on them, rubber soled boots, and all sorts of equipment can vanish without a single trace found..

[kepPNW]

Yeah, what a terrible decision to have to make, too.

I tell ya, I was sure expecting far worse given how long it'd been there! Absolutely no smell, either. I bet the creek is pretty darn cold, indeed.

I guess it's easy enough to understand land-bound critters not messing with it, given the way the creek is flowing. But yeah, it baffled me why the birds never descended!