We got reports of a blowdown high up on Laura Cowles Trail, and John Sharp remembered seeing three others on Halfway House, so John Sharp and David Hathaway met at 8:30 at the closed gate to the Underhill State Park.

The road had been washed out just above the winter parking area earlier in the week, but had already been repaired. We headed up with the chainsaw, climbing Eagles Cut, the CCC road, and Laura Cowles. Temperatures were in the high 20s F, and started encountering ice about halfway up. The blowdown was pretty close to the top, and was quickly removed, with David cutting and John clearing the pieces.

We continued to the ridge, where the wind was very fierce, and proceeded to the Halfway House junction. We cleared one blowdown above the Canyon Trail junction (photo) and six others below (the three John remembered and three others), including one small enough to handle with a folding saw. On returning we got a report of another blowdown on the short approach trail between the Stevensville Road parking area and the starts of the Butler Lodge and Frost Trails, and David went up a couple days later to remove it (photo), about a five minute job, from parking to leaving.