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Trail Maintenance and Volunteering

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    • CoachLou wrote:

      Three years now I've been doing this........and now I can't go down a trail, and see something amiss, and not stop and fix it!
      I know what you're saying! I always wonder whether I ought to start bringing a saw. I can't clear the heavy stuff, but there's stuff that's too heavy to lift that I could still clear with a silky saw.
      I'm not lost. I know where I am. I'm right here.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by AnotherKevin: Remove dangling participle. ().

    • AnotherKevin wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      Three years now I've been doing this........and now I can't go down a trail, and see something amiss, and not stop and fix it!
      I know what you're saying! I always wonder whether I ought to start bringing a saw. I can't clear the heavy stuff, but there's stuff that's too heavy to lift that I could still clear with a silky saw.
      I know what you mean, too! My first trail maintenance crews were on the AT, where there were lots of roots, rocks, encroaching weeds to be removed. Last year I joined a PCT crew on the Sonora Pass. My first thought when I got there was "There's nothing to maintain! It's perfect!" Not a single root, no rocks posing a hazard, no weeds covering the trail. I couldn't imagine what our job was going to be. Turns out there were sections that needed widening, so mountain gouging is what we did (and water bars)
    • Copied from TOS...............................................
      Hi All Tim Messerich Here,
      One more time July 8,9,10 RPHCVC will be hosting trail maintenance, tree planting,water bars,bridge painting,stone work and a whole lot more! The BBQ will be going for all three days. "No one leaves unfed" Stop on down for all three days or just for one. All skill levels of trail restoration are welcome."Come on down and seat awhile." This makes our 16th year of doing kool stuff for AT hikers!
      RPH Cabin is located north of Grey-more and Fahnestock State park. We are just down the trail from Taconic State Park Way and Miller Hill RD in East Fishkill NY.
      For more info please contact Bascomgrillmaster (97) at email bascomgrillmaster@yahoo.com or call 845-297-9573 for the latest info

      ............I'll have to check and see if we have that Sunday free
    • CoachLou wrote:

      I could only attend today. We are having a picnic tomorrow for my Dads 80th. And no cheesecake, Ov has been crazy at work with 3 in her department out at work, so i didn't ask her to make one.
      When in Utah, let me know and I'll make my bourbon enhanced cheesecake. It's renowned on my block.

      Lest we forget.....



      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC
    • Dan76 wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      I could only attend today. We are having a picnic tomorrow for my Dads 80th. And no cheesecake, Ov has been crazy at work with 3 in her department out at work, so i didn't ask her to make one.
      When in Utah, let me know and I'll make my bourbon enhanced cheesecake. It's renowned on my block.
      It just may happen some day. I have a '13' thru hiker friend on FB, John 'Grizzly' Volt, always posting pics of giant cut throat and brown trout out of one of your rivers............Utah will someday be visited!
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • mental note wrote:

      I use to love workin' and sweatin' like that, I mis it so...Yup da Man Lou! :thumbup:
      Thanks 'Socks........you know I love the workin'........ the sweatin'.....no. My olive oil based skin just don't do heat.........you don't see me calling for a Cafe' Summer walk do you? I need the cold.


      ......and to make matters worse.........the Fish Car radiator said 235000 is enough!!!! I managed to limp her back home.
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • CoachLou wrote:

      mental note wrote:

      I use to love workin' and sweatin' like that, I mis it so...Yup da Man Lou! :thumbup:
      Thanks 'Socks........you know I love the workin'........ the sweatin'.....no. My olive oil based skin just don't do heat.........you don't see me calling for a Cafe' Summer walk do you? I need the cold.

      ......and to make matters worse.........the Fish Car radiator said 235000 is enough!!!! I managed to limp her back home.
      ah man! Sorry to hear about the fish car, they only come around every few hundred thousand miles or so, and it takes so long to get there.
    • We do some 'maintenance', but we mostly build new trail, or rebuilt a needed section. We are mostly over 50, way over! We all love the forest. The lower Hudson valley is beautiful country, in spite of being in the lower Hudson valley. I live the farthest away so I make a weekend out of it. Our crew is quite a collection of characters, and so different that we get along wonderfully.
      The best part is knowing that our work will be part of the AT for long after we are done hiking.........and breathing!
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • CoachLou wrote:

      We do some 'maintenance', but we mostly build new trail, or rebuilt a needed section. We are mostly over 50, way over! We all love the forest. The lower Hudson valley is beautiful country, in spite of being in the lower Hudson valley. I live the farthest away so I make a weekend out of it. Our crew is quite a collection of characters, and so different that we get along wonderfully.
      The best part is knowing that our work will be part of the AT for long after we are done hiking.........and breathing!
      that's a true legacy.
    • CoachLou wrote:

      We do some 'maintenance', but we mostly build new trail, or rebuilt a needed section. We are mostly over 50, way over! We all love the forest. The lower Hudson valley is beautiful country, in spite of being in the lower Hudson valley. I live the farthest away so I make a weekend out of it. Our crew is quite a collection of characters, and so different that we get along wonderfully.
      The best part is knowing that our work will be part of the AT for long after we are done hiking.........and breathing!
      As Salt Lake City recently was able to acquire additional land to expand access and link segments of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, trail building crews are currently planning work schedules for this fall and upcoming spring. One of the members is a 70+ year old lady whom can effectively use a Pulaski and trains newcomers in trail building techniques. She emailed the other day stating she's eager to begin work and asked me to recruit students for the crews.w

      Lest we forget.....



      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC

      The post was edited 2 times, last by Dan76 ().

    • Dan76 wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      We do some 'maintenance', but we mostly build new trail, or rebuilt a needed section. We are mostly over 50, way over! We all love the forest. The lower Hudson valley is beautiful country, in spite of being in the lower Hudson valley. I live the farthest away so I make a weekend out of it. Our crew is quite a collection of characters, and so different that we get along wonderfully.
      The best part is knowing that our work will be part of the AT for long after we are done hiking.........and breathing!
      As Salt Lake City recently was able to acquire additional land to expand access and link segments of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, trail building crews are currently planning work schedules for this fall and upcoming spring. One of the members is a 70+ year old lady whom can effectively use a Pulaski and trains newcomers in trail building techniques. She emailed the other day stating she's eager to begin work asked me to recruit students for the crews.
      I need an excuse to search for your Bonneville Cut Throats gif.013.gif :thumbsup:
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup:
    • Dan76 wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      We do some 'maintenance', but we mostly build new trail, or rebuilt a needed section. We are mostly over 50, way over! We all love the forest. The lower Hudson valley is beautiful country, in spite of being in the lower Hudson valley. I live the farthest away so I make a weekend out of it. Our crew is quite a collection of characters, and so different that we get along wonderfully.
      The best part is knowing that our work will be part of the AT for long after we are done hiking.........and breathing!
      As Salt Lake City recently was able to acquire additional land to expand access and link segments of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, trail building crews are currently planning work schedules for this fall and upcoming spring. One of the members is a 70+ year old lady whom can effectively use a Pulaski and trains newcomers in trail building techniques. She emailed the other day stating she's eager to begin work and asked me to recruit students for the crews.w
      I'm not sure I would enjoy a walk along the Great Salt Lake shore. My sister lives in SLC. Many years,ago, she came to visit with all 4 of her kids. Prior to her visit I told them we would plan on spending a day at the nearby beach on Lake Michigan. On the car ride across country, my nieces and nephew kept pleading wit their mother to tell me they really don't have to go to the beach. It seems having grown up in SLC, their only experiences with lake beaches was the Great Salt Lake where the "beach" is crusted with salt, and sand flies, and brine shrimp. It's hot and smelly and ugly. Despite their protestations, we went to a beach that required a climb over a sand dune. At the top, they got their first view of a Lake MI beach - pure white sand for miles, clear fresh water as far as the eye could see, no crowds, bugs, shrimp, etc... They couldn't believe it and later admitted that they were so wrong.
    • odd man out wrote:

      Dan76 wrote:

      CoachLou wrote:

      We do some 'maintenance', but we mostly build new trail, or rebuilt a needed section. We are mostly over 50, way over! We all love the forest. The lower Hudson valley is beautiful country, in spite of being in the lower Hudson valley. I live the farthest away so I make a weekend out of it. Our crew is quite a collection of characters, and so different that we get along wonderfully.
      The best part is knowing that our work will be part of the AT for long after we are done hiking.........and breathing!
      As Salt Lake City recently was able to acquire additional land to expand access and link segments of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, trail building crews are currently planning work schedules for this fall and upcoming spring. One of the members is a 70+ year old lady whom can effectively use a Pulaski and trains newcomers in trail building techniques. She emailed the other day stating she's eager to begin work and asked me to recruit students for the crews.w
      I'm not sure I would enjoy a walk along the Great Salt Lake shore. My sister lives in SLC. Many years,ago, she came to visit with all 4 of her kids. Prior to her visit I told them we would plan on spending a day at the nearby beach on Lake Michigan. On the car ride across country, my nieces and nephew kept pleading wit their mother to tell me they really don't have to go to the beach. It seems having grown up in SLC, their only experiences with lake beaches was the Great Salt Lake where the "beach" is crusted with salt, and sand flies, and brine shrimp. It's hot and smelly and ugly. Despite their protestations, we went to a beach that required a climb over a sand dune. At the top, they got their first view of a Lake MI beach - pure white sand for miles, clear fresh water as far as the eye could see, no crowds, bugs, shrimp, etc... They couldn't believe it and later admitted that they were so wrong.
      The Bonneville Shoreline Trail mostly follows the ancient eastern shoreline of Bonneville lake. 50',000 years ago the lake was freshwater with a water level nearly 800' higher than the present Great Salt Lake. Geologists hypothesize an earthquake created a channel whereby the lake drained leaving the original shoreline clearly evident on the western slope of the Wasatch Mt Range. Now known as the eastern benches, these areas are highly desireable for housing. Of course the lots are mainly platted upon ancient gravel beds creating a unique set of problems for unaware home buyers. But this is another story.

      As the climate warmed, the remaining water body was fed by several river systems but underwent a high evaporation rate creating today's Great Salt Lake and the Bonneville Salt Flats. The resulting salinity level approaches 28%, creating a density whereby swimmers literally float upon the water
      surface.

      As the eastern shoreline of the Great Salt Lake is now heavily developed with industry and housing, there is little opportunity to walk alongside the lake except for Antelope Island. Located 3-5 miles off the eastern shoreline, the 45 square mile island runs north to south offering hikes not only through shore line bird sanctuaries but also into the mountain range forming the island's backbone. Protected antelope, numerous birds and a bison herd offer wildlife viewing to hikers and bicyclists. I frequently hike and bike the island trails, but find fall through spring seasons are best to avoid insects and desert like heat.

      Returning to the BST, it runs from the Idaho border southward to Nephi Utah stretching over 150 miles. As the trail follows many of the canyons leading into the Wasatch Mts, overall distance approaches 300 miles. Currently the trail is segmented into many completed and maintained sections broken by private land or not-completed areas. However many of the trail breaks are marked by signage leading users onto alternative routes to the next completed section.

      However as the trail overlooks many of the communities located upon the eastern slope of the Wasatchs, a hiker is elevated above but is rarely out of view of urban areas. Wildlife is frequently observed with moose, bear, cougar, basin rattlers, and elk frequently sighted.

      Lest we forget.....



      SSgt Ray Rangel - USAF
      SrA Elizabeth Loncki - USAF
      PFC Adam Harris - USA
      MSgt Eden Pearl - USMC
    • It was a beautiful day today outdoors. Sunny clear skies and cool temperatures.
      I went out to our section of trail lands and walked the boundary of a little more than half of our section.
      I was pleasantly surprised to find about a half dozen turkey along with a lot of grey squirrel roaming around in the woods.
      After 5 hours of cutting brush and finding surveyor's monuments, buried under tons of leaves, I decided to call it a day and leave the rest of our section for another day, maybe next week.
      It feels good to get something trail related accomplished.
      It's good to be able to give back.
    • mental note wrote:

      Nice job Lou! Perhaps it's obviously to some,but I don't know much about the why for's and how comes of trail design, what does that bridging do? I understand the swampy areas, but he areas up higher on the ridge. Enjoyed the video, I wanted to hike longer, thanks Brada.
      As I understand it.....the south slope to the trail gets real wet and this entire area is mud when in a wet season. The original puncheon was sliding down hill and deteriorating. We put new stuff in, dug big enough holes for the support logs, to sit them in crushed stone. and stepped the path and made them level so you don't go for a ride when wet or icey.

      We have some pretty talented folks on this crew, and they make sure we all know what where and why we are doing it.
      Cheesecake> Ramen :thumbsup: