Rain Watch at Pineglass Pass

Notes from Pineglass Pass

Pineglass Pass is a mountain trail used by hikers to reach a small overlook. The trail crosses a slope above Clearbrook Stream. The stream supplies water to the community below. During heavy rain, water can move soil from a trail onto the slope. Loose soil may then wash toward the stream. The town wants to protect both the trail and the stream while keeping the area open when conditions are safe.

For six days in early spring, fifth grader Nia Ortiz helped the Pineglass weather station record conditions. Each morning at 8:00, she read the same rain gauge and checked the same trail section. She rated soil moisture from 1 to 5: 1 meant dry and firm, and 5 meant very wet and soft. She also described the stream water at a marked viewing spot. Nia did not touch the water. The station kept the time, place, and tools the same so the records could be compared.

The town is considering a temporary plan. After a day with heavy rain and very soft soil, it could close the steep section, place a sign at the trail entrance, and direct hikers to a shorter route on a rocky ridge. Workers would check the weather station records each morning. They would reopen the steep section after the soil had begun to dry and the trail could be checked safely. The journal cannot tell the town about every season, so the plan would be reviewed as more records are collected.