C2C core volunteers organize frequent work trips for the purposes of grading tread, brushing, removing downed trees and invasive weeds, placing signage, and other maintenance. We need volunteers (individuals or groups)! Check back here for dates and times, or contact us to request info about upcoming opportunities. All trips meet in the morning at the northwest corner of the BiMart parking lot at 53rd Street and Philomath Blvd, to carpool to the work site.
Wear sturdy boots, a long-sleeved shirt, and pants, for protection from tools as well as vegetation such as stinging nettles, which are found overhanging the trail in some locations. Work gloves are a good idea for hiking through some of the brushy areas. Bring a lunch, water, and a hard hat if you have one. We will supply a hard hat if you do not have your own. We will supply all the tools necessary. You need to download, sign, and date this liability waiver form before you will be allowed to participate in a work party. A separate form for those under 18 years of age is available here. Once you have done so, bring the signed form to the outing meeting departure location, or mail it in advance to the C2C Trail Partnership, P.O. Box 1562, Corvallis, OR 97339-1562, or email us a scan of the signed form to contact@c2ctrail.org. When we receive the form or the e-mail, you will be added to our “explorers” e-mail notification list, and you will then be alerted to the next work party.
Work Party Summaries by John McNair
- 2/2/2026: A small crew went out this morning to do some more work on the parking area between Old Peak Road and the Lower North Ridge Trail: drainage and some pothole filling. We hope to spread more gravel soon. Thanks to Jeff, Fred, John, Randy and Mary.
- 1/14/2026: We had eight workers today, mostly on Lower North Ridge Trail (LNRT). Ken and Steve went separately to Sugarbowl to cut downed trees there, and then to Old Peak Road to clear logs. Big thanks to adopter Theo, who scouted the trail yesterday and let us know the location of the trees. We cut two 20-inch trees over the trail and two smaller trees near the top. We added roofing paper on a small bridge to make it safer. We drained puddles and holes in the parking lot at the base of LNRT. We cleaned tread for a significant part of the upper trail. We staged timbers and posts near the trail to use for future cribbing and steps. We checked out old cribbing on one turn, which was in excellent shape. Corvallis was in deep fog all day, but we were in sunshine when we got to the woods. We had two NEW helpers today. Another great day in the woods.
- 1/9/2026: We had six workers and covered a lot of trail sections. We surveyed/cleared Bull Run, Branch Creek, Hogback and Grant Creek. We cut about 10 logs on the trail tread. Most were small, but a few were about 12″. We tossed a lot of smaller sticks and branches. There was wind damage out there, but nothing major. There were signs posted on Hilltop Rd. (USFS 31) indicating logging trucks on Bull Run Road (USFS 3119), but we didn’t see any nor much evidence of heavy traffic. We used several parking areas that we had recently improved. They are looking tired and need some raking and smoothing. Our old-timers will note that the toilet bowl at the top of Branch Creek is now gone. Randy and Sabrina worked on placement of large rocks at the creek crossing just west of the Grant Creek kiosk.
- 1/3/2026: We had 14 workers cleaning woody debris and logs off the newly brushed 5083 road. Thanks to all who came out, especially the strong contingent from the coast. We cleaned and improved 13 water bars, improving the driving experience. All of the work hours required by our grant have now been met! We found a lot of shiny geranium (invasive) on the roadside, so we will contact the Forest Service botanist, who won’t be happy. We dodged the rain, so a good time was had by all. Another great day in the woods.
- 11/28/2025: We had 11 hard workers turn out to build some new trail. We hope this will be part of the reroute, which was made necessary by our C2C Trail closure around mile 54-55.
- 10/8/2025: Four of us worked on Gopher Creek section. We brushed the whole thing and did some hinge work which sharpened up a portion. We then added cribbing to a turn on the way down from the landing. More needs to be done, but made good progress today.
- 9/24/2025: We had six in today’s work party. We brushed the Grant Creek section, cleaned hinge on most of the steep switchbacks, and added cribbing to a turn near the top and three more posts to the bottom of the steep section. The stream was dry and a new 10-inch log had fallen on the creek crossing. Weather was superb. Saw three to four log trucks rolling down Hilltop (FS-31). Checked the kiosk and there were still cards in the box. Saw a few lobster mushrooms and some chicken-of-the-woods.
- 8/26/2025: We had a good crew who blasted the middle section of Gopher Ridge with weed-eaters and rakes and loppers and a bush-hog. The middle part has often been missed when we tackle this stretch. Most of it got a good haircut. Randy, Mary and Robert stayed later to attend to widening cuts in the bumps, easing access.
- 8/10/2025: The weather was supposed to be very hot, but where we were it was tolerable to pleasant. We brushed and raked four potential parking pads on Bull Run Road (FS-3119). They are ready for rock, but could use some follow-up if possible. We also reinstalled the short culvert at the bottom of Lower Bull Run. Then Randy, Mary and Holly went off to work on upper Gopher Ridge bumps. The rest of us went to install more steps on Hogback. We put in six more.
- 7/6/2025: We had great day brushing Sugarbowl and Van Eck sections. We had six people working. We had all three big Honda brushers going the whole time and also a small Stihl, which worked OK, but was underpowered for the work. One party of three went to the bottom and to the Van Eck road and water trail, which they brushed. Ken intends to install a carsonite sign at the top of the water trail to make the water source more obvious. A second party blasted the top road of Sugarbowl and the nettles took a savage defeat. We had five bikers pass by. They did appreciate our brushing efforts. We did discover a new tree over the trail. A big alder, which Randy has in his sights. It was quite nice out there, discounting the horse and deer flies. I walked part way down the sidehill switchbacks to see how the trail was holding up. It is almost 10 years old and is in good shape. All the work Ron and Gary put into the turn cribbing was well worth it. Ken reported that the drainage on Van Eck we worked on this winter seems to have improved the tread. So, a job well done! Another great day in the woods.
- 6/28/2025: Yesterday we had a long fruitful day clearing the Palmer Mountain section of brush. We had eight workers. Besides brushing the trail, we thoroughly cleared the parking area and the turn-around nearer the berm for possible future parking pad improvement. The 5083 road was very overgrown with new growth. Rather discouraging, since we are having the roadsides thoroughly brushed each year. We installed a new carsonite sign for the newly USFS-approved path to a better water source of Fergus Creek. The original Fergus Creek crossing still has adequate water, but the level is falling fast. Also, Steve added stickers to the trail signs which match the day hikes from the new brochures. Three through-hikers went by while we were working. They were on their third day. Another great day in the woods.
- 5/25/2025: We had another successful work party brushing the rest of Hogback and all of Grant Creek. We had nine workers. We brushed, lopped, raked and did some tread work. I am particularly happy with how the switchbacks of Upper Grant Creek have held up. I still remember Rollie, Amber and Curt moving a lot of dirt off that steep hillside. It looks great. There were probably twenty or more bikers going up Hilltop (FS-31). There was one day-hiker going up from the Grant Creek parking area. Another great day in the woods!
- 4/12/2025: We had another very successful work party today, thanks to a lot of help. We had a new couple and one who was there the second time. Randy and David separately went to Gopher Ridge to clear the logs on it and then possibly do some needed brushing. The rest (eight of us) went to Van Eck and Sugarbowl. Steve and Theo cleared the remaining logs on the two sections, so the list of logs to remove is complete! The rest of us worked on drainage and putting in a very short trail so hikers can access water from Sugarbowl Creek. It was flowing beautifully. The trail had short sections that were very soggy, making this an excellent time to improve the drainage. Ken and Louisa organized us to make major improvements. More to do, but I was impressed by what we did in a few hours. This has been an ongoing problem. The final task was installing a carsonite sign at the road/trail junction on Van Eck. I still have not come up with a decent remote water symbol, but we installed the sign for future stickers which will direct hikers to nearby water.
