Sunday October 16 we went on a trail maintenance excursion. We crossed the Nome River at Dexter, and immediately started working on the trail the other side.

The red dots on the Buster trail is where we did maintenance. We did not go all that far from Dexter, but we had a lot of fun.

Participating were Keith Andrews (cameraman), Ken Shapiro, Derrick Leedy and Ramon Gandia (author).

This USGS map was produced by a "gtopo", a Linux software program by Tom Trebisky. The map itself was further edited with "gimp" (like Photoshop for Linux) which sized it, cropped it, added text and dots.

All pictures are Copyright © 2011, Keith Andrews and used with permission.

Kenny Shapiro is in fine form doing Public Works with a pick and shovel.

This particular place had a steep step, and it was not possible to climb out of the creek without the risk of injury.

Here Dr. Derrick Leedy, the Nome Veterinarian and accomplished 4-wheeler and snowmachine man, chats with Ramon.

Buster Creek was diverted by an irresponsible miner, Dan Martinson, who never repaired the damage he caused. The creek then flowed right down the road and excavated it out.

Ramon in his Honda 350 Rancher climbs out over the ramp that Kenny formed. Sydney, his German Shepherd hangs on like a spider.

Pretty stable, having four legs.

The cameraman stands where the creek used to be. Dan had a piece of equipment stuck, and he dug it all out, piling the dirt behind me (left in picture). This opened up the water from the Beaver pond which flowed down the road. He then went down the road with his bulldozer, pushing mud, gravel and willows out of the way, completely ruining the road.

This picture is taken now from Osborn creek area, and shows the trail coming down the hill.

This miner's cabin went up in the early 1900's. They weren't good carpenters, and built quick and cheap.

In this case, the lack of diagonal planking proved fatal to the cabin. It starts getting distorted and skewed by the winds, time and frost, and eventually collapses.

Judging by the cot frame and the wood stove, this cabin was used last in the 1930's.

Arriving at the banks of Osborne Creek, or more exactly, Manita Creek, Kenny surveys how to get through those willows. The creek had eroded the side of the trail, and there was not enough to safely travel it.

We had to make a bypass.

Ramon cuts willows with the Swedish Sandvik lopers.

Oh, Lonesome Trails! Here two of us are returning back to Nome.

Look carefully. The machine in the lead is Ramon, and the dog is riding in back.