Theres a certain sense of permanence to the trees in a forest. Most of them have probably been there since before you were born, and most will be there after you die. Lean up against one and its as solid as a brick wall. So its always a little surprising to me to see a tree thats come down.

Sure, I realize trees are living things, with a finite life span, and that fires, strong winds and other natural events can lead to the early demise of these wooden giants. But Im still amazed when I see a tree toppled over, exposing its extensive root system. Im dumbfounded by the forces it took to rip that tree from the ground and lay it across the trail.

There were plenty of sylvan casualties last week as I hiked along the Vivian Creek Trail in the Middle Fork District of the Willamette National Forest. Fortunately, stepping over, under or around the trees wasnt slowing me down too much.

Then I a heard a loud crack and deep dull thud.

Another tree had come down. It was more than a little disconcerting to think that wooden logs weighing more than a ton might be in the process of falling as I hiked through this forest.

But as I looked uptrail in the direction of the sound, I saw a green helmet pop up from behind the downed tree. It was David Lawrence, a political science student spending his summer working for the U.S. Forest Service, clearing downed trees from the trail.

Lawrence and his partner, Claire Powers, work a four-day shift, Friday through Monday. They hike into an area, set up camp, then work up and down the trail to clear any trees that block easy passage. The crack and thud which in retrospect I realized were not nearly loud enough to represent a tree being toppled from an upright position came as the two had sawed through a tree that had fallen over a bend in the trail.

As I spoke to Lawrence and Powers, I couldnt help but notice the 5-foot-long saw they used to accomplish their daily tasks. The two could have been right out of a Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps photo. Wearing tan Forest Service-issue shirts and green pants, with the signs of two days of hard work on them, holding the old-school saw, there was little to suggest the two might spend the other three seasons texting and twittering. This was hard, manual labor, with not even a chain saw at their disposal due to wilderness regulations.

Lawrence lamented that the trees they were clearing that day seemed to be giving them a lot of trouble. By 3 p.m., they had sawed through only nine behemoths that day, he told me. A far cry from the 17 trees cleared the day before.

It was a great reminder of why I never blink at paying for the parking pass or permits required to recreate on public lands.

I know many outdoor enthusiasts bristle at the notion of user fees to access lands purchased with taxpayer dollars. Many will park just outside the forestland boundary to avoid having to pay for a parking pass.

But if my money goes to paying for people like Lawrence and Powers to clear the trail and make my hike easier, in my mind, its money well spent. I thanked both of them for their hard work and continued on the now-clear trail.

The Vivian Creek Trail heads about four miles into the wilderness to Divide Lake, a small, picturesque mountain lake just below the crumbling rock of Mount Yoran. The trail is well-maintained, well-signed and a pleasure to hike. Most of the hike is in the shade of tall trees, whose furry moss covering makes them look a little like a giant Muppet.

Off the right side of the trail, looking south, you get some spectacular views of Diamond Peak, which holds patches of snow well into August. The trail runs past Notch Lake and continues on to Vivian Lake.

I had actually come to climb up Mount Yoran, so I followed the Mount Yoran Trail, which branches off before you hit Vivian Lake. But Divide Lake at the end of the trail was a pleasant surprise, a worthy destination on its own. Its the type of place youd love to drop your pack, sit on the shore for a weekend and let the worries of everyday life float away. The lake sits just below the crumbling slopes of Mount Yoran to the north, and rather ingloriously named Peak 7138 to the southeast.

I cant recommend climbing Mount Yoran to the casual hiker, so I wont give any directions for climbing it. The rock is horribly loose, route-finding tricky and a slip in the wrong spot could be disastrous. Its only for the experienced rock-hopper, and if youve done enough of that kind of climbing, you probably know where to get more detailed route information anyway. (Although I will note, the view from the top is spectacular!)

The true downside to this day hike was not spending more time at Divide Lake. But civilization beckoned, and I had a long drive back home. Fortunately, the lake, the trail and even most of the trees will still be there when I come back.