Take a peek into our trailblazing!
My hubby transplanting a fern
Take a peek into our trailblazing!
Here are some fun facts:
Our 20-acre Gig Harbor forest has been in my family since 1965 and in Forest Management since the early 1980’s
Thanks to immense effort by my hubby over the last two years, it is now registered as a Stewardship Forest* with the USDAMost of our trails inside the forest are narrow walking paths
This outer trail is our ‘working path’ which is six feet wide to transport small tree and brush-clearing equipment
On this fairly easy terrain, we hand-clear (the six-foot wide trail) about 50 yards per hour
*Stewardship Forest:
We are committed to sustainably managing our forest with respect to wildlife habitat, carbon sequestration, human enjoyment, overall health of the forest, per a written forest management plan that meets all of the requirements of the USDA Forest Service.
PLEASE NOTE: The Ash Family Forest consists of a main trail which is open to our neighbors and the rest of the forest which is currently in Forest Restoration and is not open to the public. The trail shown here is in the Forest Restoration portion and only for use by the Ash Family Forest crew.
Read more about our Ash Family Forest
My home and gardens are an open canvas - come walk with me through our acre of gardens waiting to happen
I grew up around these trees, running through the forest barefoot with friends, crawling under huckleberry bushes to make camps
Smaller branches and thinned logs make great Critter Piles in our Ash Family Forest
We are creating trails through our forest just large enough for our ATV, chipper and other forest-management gear. In keeping with our motto of staying close to the earth, all trails are built by hand.
Another day working in the Ash Family Forest and thinking this would have been easier if I was 30 again!
All of the trails through our forest are created by hand, but this new cart my hubby built (along with our new ATV) will make dragging all of the tools into the forest so much easier!
It’s official - the Ash Family Forest is certified under the United States Stewardship Forest program!
Making trails through our forest
A forager’s meal after a long day working in our forest