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A total of nine Trailwrights turned out in the rain to tackle the erosion problem near the two tunnels of the Parkway. Fortunately it was only some 1/2 mile from the parking lot that allowed us to wheel in a wheelbarrow to aid in bringing back a lot of the gravel that had washed from the trail revealing some 90 feet of textile fabric. The days project included installing a rock waterbar above the granite steps to protect them and at the same time stop some of the water from washing below the granite steps and gullying and exposing the fabric cover.

A little further down we installed another water bar just above the steeper section where the fabric was uncovered, then a rock step to cut the grade some. We installed another earth water bar and two more rock steps in this same section. We hauled gravel to fill in the washed out part and regraded the entire section covering the 100 feet of fabric back over. Cleaned some 100 linear feet of ditching on each side of the trail where the waterbars empty into ending in the man holes.

Below the second tunnel we cleaned out some 80 feet of trail side ditch into a culvert that was completely blocked with silt and debris. We discovered two large 4ft.dia. steel manholes that were under 8” of silt built up since the parkway was finished, along with two more further up from that site and 2 steel culverts also plugged up from neglect. We cleaned all of them but discovered another man hole that we partially cleaned but is working. Ran out of time discovered as we were leaving the site. Meanwhile a second crew was setting 12 step stones down lower in the ground that were being ignored by hikers and had the soil around them washed away over the years or were never down to start with. Installed two more waterbars in this same section removed decayed matter that was holding water and replaced with good gravel.

We did not have time to complete the entire fabric section but for now it is recovered and protected until it can be finished. It needs more steps to cut the grade. If only we could obtain more of the granite we used previously for more steps. We were wet by this time (3pm) and we all moved up the notch to our Bald mt. /Bluff trail where we proceeded to take out a 2 foot large blowdown across the trail some 200 feet up from the jct. of Bald towards the Bluff. Considering the conditions we had a great time, not too wet but we did get a little muddy doing all the things our mothers would tell us not to do. Totals for the day Mt.Pemi. Trail 9 Trailwrights X 6.5 hours = 58.5 hours. Bald Mtn./ Artist Bluff Loop 7 Trailwrights 3 working 4 watching and helping clean up (why should we be different?) 7 X 1 hrs. – 7 hours 2 Trailwrights cleaned waterbars on Bald /Mtn. Trail 2 X 1 hrs. = 2 hours Total = 9 hours

Trailwrights in its efforts to keep NH Trails Day alive gathered to spend a day in Franconia Notch State Park rehabilitating this very heavily used and popular trail.
We have been working on this trail now in our third year,with one or two days per year.
As many know the trail has been neglected for many years and as a result, a lot of erosion has severely damaged the trail. The State Parks have not had the resources to do very much other than keeping it open by removing blowdowns.
Gene Bouley ( A Trailwright himself) volunteered to help out and contacted Trailwrights for help. We agreed to give it a try. The last couple years we did manage to install numerous drainages along the entire length of the trail. Many more are needed but we have made a start,and there is improvement with signs of healing.
Last year additional work was done in the form of rock steps in an area that had gullied.
This year was another day of repairing another section of deteriorating treadway partly caused by hikers cutting a switch back. The goal was to cut a side hill that will avoid that area that was cut. This was a section some 100 feet long with 6 rock steps.Building scree along the down hill side to fill in the cut section. Also in the turn of the switchback, large amounts of rock were moved to the side of a seasonal stream to keep it from overflowing and going down the trail ,along with improving a water bar above the whole section.
After getting that section completed we moved up to another area that had a serious drop that had eroded a goo 2 feet below a large downed tree trunk. We removed the trunk and added 2 lg. rock steps and graded the treadway to it,rock scree and brush were added to keep hikers on the trail.
Meanwhile, Darrell and his crew put in a series of rock steps below us.
Above that a short ways, a rock waterbar was installed to go along with 2 earth water bars.
Totals for the day were 13 rock steps 1 rock water bar, 3 earth water bars and 150 linear feet of side hill construction. A really gratifying and productive day.
Thanks has to be given to Glenn S, Bruce R, Ray J, Gene B, Dave D, Darrell H, Hal and Peg, Motobobo,and Al S. for such hard work and lots of Laughs. 10 Volunteers x 7.5 hrs. = 75 hrs Total.