Reading the ground

Snacky-d and I went for a hike in the snow today, questing for a new route to an old trail.  Sand Spring Trail in Shingletown Gap has gotten extremely popular over the last 8 years, ever since it was added to the R3 epic route in 1999. The trail follows the path of least resistance, running straight up a draw. Unfortunately, water also likes to follow the path of least resistance, so what was once a nice ribbon of dirt degrades into a wash a little bit every year. Ever since Forestry took down the deer exclusion fences southeast of the trail I have talked about how "someone should really fix that". Well this should be the year.
One of the cool things about Shingletown Gap is that it wears its history proudly. Other areas in Rothrock just hint at the lumber heritage, Shingletown has remnants just about everywhere. One of the more noticeable things you come across are whats called charcoal flats. Ever notice that you are riding along and suddenly you're in the middle of a clearing about 30 feet wide and the trail surface has changed to black? Thats a charcoal flat. The crude iron furnaces common to this region  were fueled by charcoal made pretty much on site. The way this was done was to build a large pile of trees, cover it with earth and then let it burn for up to a week with little to no oxygen. (The person who was responsible for keeping the fire going in the right conditions was called a "Collier", which I am guessing is where both the lake and the trail name comes from.)   
So what does this have to do with re routing trails? Well, the hill sides in Shingletown are dotted with these flats. Because of the acidic soil that remains from the fire, they are often pretty clear of brush. They are about 30 feet in diameter, which is just about perfect for a switch back. They are also almost dead flat, making them a nice break point when you are on a long climb. My hope is that by connecting the dots up the hillside, we can build a trail that is longer and more fun, and last as long as the flats have already been here.