Someone was seriously injured by entering an “Area Closed” section of the Willow Slough trail adjacent to a train trestle.  Although the zone was clearly marked, the subject was found under that trestle behind the sign.  Alex was upset and determined to make it as difficult as possible for anyone to ignore the signage and climb up onto the trestle.

The first order of business was to put a new chain in the saw.  Alex needed to cutup downed cottonwood so that the branches could be used as a natural barrier.

As Alex cut up  the branches,  Jim Curtis climbed over the fallen limbs and tossed them up onto the road where Joe would help him drag the branches to the AREA CLOSED sign.

When Cottonwood seed pods ripen in late Spring,  they form nice tight clumps of "cotton" which are easily broken apart by the slightest touch or breeze.

As we dragged the branches out, the pods released there cotton making, the air appear to be full of dry snow.  The air was so thick with the cotton that Alex had us wear face masks.  Look carefully at the background in the following photo and you will see the "storm" of cotton snow. 

Jim and Joe then dragged the long branches all the way down the road to the AREA CLOSED sign.  When we got to the trestle, the dirt road looked like someone had swept it with a wide broom.  We like cleaning up the forest.  It's a HRT thing.

We built the barrier up to where anybody attempting to reach the trestle would have second thoughts.

I think that Alex has made his point;  This area is closed,  Keep out.