PNOA Lizzie Lake Trail Maintenance Event

May 29–31, 2026

The PNOA Lizzie Lake Trail Maintenance event was successfully completed over the weekend of May 29–31, 2026. Led by Li Wan (老万), with Roy Cao serving as Assistant Leader, a total of 8 dedicated volunteers participated in this challenging but deeply meaningful event in cooperation with BCMC to celebrate BC Trails Day.

Participants included:
Roy Cao, Mandy, Lao Liu, Lucy, Sophie, Rick, Linda, and leader Li Wan.

Several registered participants were unfortunately unable to attend at the last minute due to work commitments and health-related reasons, leaving the remaining volunteers to take on a significantly heavier workload than originally planned.

The weather throughout the weekend was beautiful, but the work itself was far more difficult than anyone had expected.

On the first morning, the team met with BCMC volunteers at 8:00 AM. Brian introduced the volunteers to tool operation procedures and trail safety protocols before everyone gathered at the trailhead for a group photo at 8:30 AM.

PNOA volunteers were assigned to work more than 7 kilometers away from the trailhead. Along the route stood a bridge requiring urgent repairs, and the team was tasked with transporting three heavy bridge stakes weighing over 20 pounds each.

What initially sounded manageable quickly became an enormous physical challenge.

The team had to carry the bridge stakes through an uncleared trail while crossing three difficult boulder fields. At the same time, volunteers were already heavily loaded:

• Some carried the stakes
• Some carried brush cutters
• Some carried chainsaws
• Others carried 10 liters of gasoline and additional hand tools

With limited manpower, there was nobody available to rotate or replace carriers along the way. Everyone pushed forward under exhausting conditions, and the level of physical effort was difficult to describe in words.

Because so much energy was consumed simply transporting equipment into the mountains, the team managed to clear only about 2–3 kilometers of trail on the first day.

Yet despite the exhaustion, the evening became one of the most memorable moments of the trip.

Back at camp, everyone gathered around a campfire and shared a joyful potluck dinner. Homemade dishes, wine, delicious food, and hot tea brought warmth and laughter after an incredibly demanding day. After burning so much energy on the trail, everyone slept deeply and peacefully that night.

Realizing progress had been slower than expected, the team borrowed an additional large brush cutter from BCMC on the second day. Once again, volunteers carried the heavy machine deep into the mountains before beginning trail clearing from approximately the 10-kilometer mark.

Many sections of the trail had become completely overgrown with thorn bushes and dense vegetation. In some places, the original trail had entirely disappeared, forcing the team to literally cut open a new path with the brush cutters.

Under intense sun and heavy heat, surrounded by dense brush and fallen timber, the volunteers worked continuously while taking turns operating equipment and opening the trail.

Step by step, the team finally reached Lizzie Lake.

The joy of success was written across everyone’s faces as they celebrated by the lake and took photos together. It was a moment of pride, relief, and accomplishment after two days of relentless effort.

But the farther the trail was cleared, the harder the return journey became.

The team still had to carry all of the heavy tools and equipment back out of the mountains themselves. There was no replacement crew waiting. After hours of physical labor, every step on the hike back felt heavier and longer than before.

Still, nobody complained.

Nobody gave up.

Everyone encouraged one another, supported each other along the trail, and continued moving forward together. After more than three exhausting hours, the team finally returned to the trailhead before dark.

The moment they reached the parking lot, everyone collapsed onto the ground in complete exhaustion, barely able to speak.

And yet, while walking back through the freshly cleared trail and seeing the newly repaired bridge, the team felt something even stronger than fatigue — a deep sense of fulfillment and pride.

There is a saying often shared among hikers:

“The mountains magnify a person’s character.”

When people are tired, hungry, overheated, sore, and carrying heavy loads through difficult terrain, qualities such as patience, responsibility, resilience, and selflessness become impossible to hide.

Sometimes the most moving moments are not when someone lifts a heavy load once, but when they quietly continue carrying it for the entire journey without complaint.

Special appreciation was expressed for Mandy, Lao Liu, Rick, and Roy Cao, who repeatedly carried heavy equipment across long and rugged mountain terrain. Lucy was also recognized for her professionalism, attentiveness, warmth, and thoughtful support throughout the trip.

As Li Wan joked during the event:

“In the past there were the Five Heroes of Langya Mountain; today we have the Seven Warriors of PNOA.”

Trail work is often said to be the hardest kind of hiking.

Many people love hiking on beautiful trails, but far fewer are willing to dedicate their time and energy to maintaining them for future generations.

In the years ahead, countless hikers may walk safely along the Lizzie Lake Trail without ever knowing who cleared the brush, repaired the bridge, or carried the heavy tools deep into the mountains.

But the mountains will know.

Thank you to all PNOA and BCMC volunteers for your dedication, teamwork, and love for the outdoors.

PNOA Lizzie Lake Trail 步道维护活动

2026年5月29日至31日

PNOA Lizzie Lake Trail 步道维护活动于2026年5月29日至31日圆满完成。本次活动由老万（Li Wan）带队，Roy Cao担任副领队，共有8位志愿者参与，并与BCMC合作，共同庆祝BC Trails Day。

参与人员包括：
Roy Cao、Mandy、老刘、Lucy、Sophie、Rick、Linda，以及领队老万。

原本报名人数更多，但由于部分队员因工作及健康原因临时无法参加，因此实际参与人数减少，也让剩下的队员承担了远超原计划的工作量。

整个周末天气晴朗，但工作的艰辛远远超出了大家原本的想象。

第一天早上8点，PNOA与BCMC志愿者集合。Brian首先向大家介绍了工具使用方法以及安全知识。8点30分，大家在trailhead拍照留念后正式出发。

PNOA义工被分配到距离trailhead七公里以外的区域进行清理工作。而在七公里处，有一座必须维修的桥梁，我们还被要求运输三根20多磅重的修桥木桩（stakes）。

原本看似普通的任务，很快变成了巨大的体能挑战。

大家需要肩扛木桩，在尚未清理的trail上艰难前行，还要翻越三个乱石坡。同时，每个人本身都已经负重累累：

• 有人扛木桩
• 有人背brush cutter割草机
• 有人提chainsaw油锯
• 还有人背着10升汽油以及其他工具

由于人手有限，全程几乎没人能够轮换。一路上大家只能咬牙坚持，辛苦程度难以言表。

也因为大量体力消耗在运输设备上，第一天大家只完成了约2至3公里的清理工作。

然而即使白天已经累到筋疲力尽，晚上大家依然生起篝火，拿出自己最拿手的菜品一起potluck。美酒、美食与香茗，让整个营地充满欢笑与温暖。

经过白天巨大的体力消耗，大家当晚都睡得格外香甜。

由于第一天进度较慢，第二天大家向BCMC借来了另一台大型brush cutter，再次辛苦地扛进山里，从大约10公里处开始继续清理。

很多路段早已被荆棘和灌木完全覆盖，甚至已经看不出原来的trail位置，只能依靠brush cutter一路“开路”。

烈日暴晒之下，荒木茂密，闷热得让人几乎喘不过气。大家轮流操作机器、彼此协助配合，一步一步艰难推进，最终成功清理到了Lizzie Lake。

到达湖边的那一刻，胜利的喜悦溢于言表。

大家开心地在Lizzie Lake拍照留念，那份完成任务后的成就感与快乐令人难忘。

然而，清理得越远，也意味着返程更加艰辛。

所有沉重的工具依然必须靠大家自己扛回去，没有任何替换人员。连续工作后，大家越走越疲惫，甚至有种“怎么都走不到尽头”的感觉。

但一路上，没有人抱怨。

没有人泄气。

大家依然互相鼓励、互相扶持，硬是在天黑之前，经过三个多小时的艰难跋涉，成功返回trailhead。

到达终点的瞬间，所有人几乎都累瘫坐在地上，连说话的力气都没有了。

然而，当大家回头看着已经清理完成的trail，看着新修好的桥，那一刻，所有辛苦都变得值得。

徒步圈里一直有句话：

“山会放大一个人的性格。”

当一个人又累、又热、肩膀磨痛、负重前行的时候，他是否愿意承担、是否愿意为团队付出、是否还能坚持不抱怨，都会被无限放大。

真正让人感动的，不只是有人扛起重物，而是有人一路默默扛着它走完全程。

特别感谢Mandy、老刘、Rick以及Roy Cao，多次肩扛重型设备穿越崎岖山路。Lucy也因她的专业、细心、周到与暖心，获得大家一致称赞。

老万在活动中幽默地说：

“昔有狼牙山五壮士，今有PNOA七猛士。”

很多人热爱步道，但真正愿意花时间和体力维护步道的人并不多。

未来几年，也许会有很多hikers安全地走过Lizzie Lake Trail，却永远不会知道是谁清理了道路、修复了桥梁、把工具一路扛进深山。

但山会知道。

感谢所有PNOA与BCMC志愿者的辛勤付出与无私奉献！

特别感谢Mandy 提供细节！

Video Courtesy of Mandy Z.