So I think the best way to approach the fall garden plan is to clear out the raised beds by the third week of September. That gives us enough time to prep the soil before the first frost usually shows up here, which tends to be mid-October based on the last few years anyway.

Then for companion planting I'd suggest putting the garlic cloves in along the east edge so they stay protected from the afternoon wind. The kale and chard can go behind those pretty easily, and honestly we could even throw some radish seeds in between the rows since they mature in under a month. If we start those on the same day we turn the soil, we should be harvesting before Halloween with no problem.

For watering, I keep going back and forth on whether a slow drip system is worth setting up now or if we just hand water twice a week. The mornings are getting cooler so evaporation is less of an issue than it was in July, which makes me think a simple hose attachment would be fine.

Hey, about Saturday's trail cleanup, I got the list of volunteers from Heather this morning. Looks like we have twelve people confirmed, which is honestly more than I expected. That should be plenty for the north loop section. The ranger station is loaning us two carts and a set of loppers, so we don't need to bring much on our own. I'll grab extra trash bags and maybe a few pairs of gloves from the shed.

The plan is to meet at the trailhead around 7:30, go over the route briefly, and split into three groups. One group handles the switchbacks above the creek, another works the ridge trail, and the last one stays near the parking area. We'll regroup at noon by the picnic benches for lunch. If you want to bring sandwiches or something easy that works, otherwise I can pick up wraps from the deli. Just let me know by Thursday night.

Also, don't forget that the park gates open at 7 so parking should be fine, but carpooling from the community center might still be a decent idea if we want to leave fewer vehicles up there.