2024 Microburst Recap

 

Boehm Pond and Shelton Lakes were slammed!

It's been just over a month since the August 3 microburst cut a swath through the middle of Shelton, felling trees and knocking out power to almost half of our residents.  Here's a recap of all the chainsaw work that created. Committee members Mark Vollaro and Terry Gallagher are the only two with the bigger gas-powered chainsaws capable of cutting larger logs (some were enormous), and both have had repeated chainsaw safety training courtesy of the Connecticut Forest and Park Association. Mark often went out with a spotter/helper. Teresa Gallagher (staff) uses a smaller battery-powered chainsaw that was effective in cutting many of the tree crowns and branches that fell on the trails, and for delimbing the larger logs so hikers could step over them while waiting for the larger chainsaws. And then some anonymous freelancer cut up several big logs that were across Turkey Trot and Oak Valley Trails. 

August 4 - September 7 chainsawing hours: 

Mark Vollaro with Ray Hansen:  25 hrs (12.5 hrs each)
Mark Vollaro with Ellen Cramp: 15 hrs (7.5 hrs each)
Mark Vollaro with Luis Isaza: 16 hrs (8 hrs each) 
Mark Vollaro with Bill Dyer and Ray Hansen: 9 hrs (3 hrs each)
Mark Vollaro (solo): 8.5 hrs
Terry Gallagher (solo): 12 hrs
Mark Vollaro and Terry Gallagher: 8 hrs (4 hrs each)
Ray Hansen and Ellen Cramp: 8 hrs (4 hrs each)
Teresa Gallagher (staff - solo): 25.5 hrs
TOTAL CHAINSAWING HOURS = 127

Mark Vollaro and Ray Hansen on Nells Rock Trail

Note that these hours do not include all the work that went into pulling a zillion branches and sticks off the trail (many trail users helped with this), scouting out trail conditions, mapping all the blowdowns, or the anonymous chainsaw work that fell from the sky. Phew! 

All that is to say that some trails are a tad overgrown here and there, but we've been busy! 

Ellen Cramp assisting Mark Vollaro
(Paugussett Trail near Eklund Garden)

Luis Isaza often works with Mark Vollaro

Teresa Gallagher's little battery-saw was great at cutting
branches and small logs so the trail was passable until
Terry or Mark could cut the larger logs.

Mark Vollaro make a tremendous effort cutting up blowdowns

Terry Gallagher finished off a major blowdown across the
Rec Path near Lane Street that Mark and Ray had started.