Trail Work Reports 2015

May 9th – Artist’s Bluff/Bald Mountain Spur

A group of 11 members and friends of Trailwrights gathered to work on our adopted trails. We divided up into 3 groups to perform both needed maintenance as well as improvements to these trails. The first group of 2 refurbished the blazes on both trails using a brighter color selected by NH DRED for its greater visibility. The second group of 3 cleaned/repaired all water bars/drains and brushed the trails. The remaining 6 worked on improving 2 sections of the Artist’s Bluff Path on the Bald Mt side. In the first section, tackled in the morning, 8 rock steps were added with a side-hill ditch draining into a newly created rock water bar. After lunch, we moved up hill to the second area where 7 rock steps were created using several 4-bar rocks. Both staircases were screed in to encourage hikers to stay on the trail. Work in this area will be continued on a work day to be scheduled later this year. A total of 85 hours were put in for this, a most productive day. Follow the link to our Face Book page for pictures of the day’s effort.

August 8th – Mt. Pemigewasset Trail

A group of 12, comprised of Trailwrights, the adopter and others acquiring the hours to qualify for the Trailwrights Summit Club, put in a total of 93 hours making improvements to the trail. We split up into 2 groups. In a rough area the first group quarried and set 10 rock steps with cribbing added and installed 1 water bar. In another area a portion of the trail was creeping down slope due to erosion and to avoid numerous obstacles. The second group reconstructed approximately 130 linear feet of that section of the trail by removing the obstacles and, using side hilling to bring the trail back up slope, widened the treadway with cribbing added as well as installed 1 rock step and 1 water bar. Another rock step was added in another area to avoid a potential slip hazard. All in all, it was a most productive day with good weather and no bugs. Thanks to all for a job well done.

August 15th – Dan Doan Trail, Orford, NH

A group of 7 Trailwrights assisted James Munroe in performing much needed maintenance on his adopted trail. The following work was done to help alleviate significant muddy sections on the lower portion of the trail: 1. Improved 125 linear feet of trail-side ditching, 2. Installed 35 linear feet of stone cribbing with back fill from side hilling to raise the treadway, 3. Installed 8 rock step stones, 4. Installed 1 earth water bar, 5. Cleaned 3 drainages 10-20 feet long entering the trail side ditches to lower the water table. 6. Dug out several water bars. Additionally, 10 plus blow downs were cleared from the trail beginning at the summit along with brushing in the upper parts of the trail. A total of 54 hours were put in on this a most productive and fun day. Thanks to all for a job well done.

October 17th – Artist’s Bluff/Bald Mountain Spur

On a day that was significantly better than forecast, occasional short snow squalls and sunny spells but no rain, 15 members/friends of Trailwrights gathered to work on our adopted trails. We had a number of volunteers join us for the first time; several were working on their hours to qualify for the Trailwrights 72 Summits Club. The erosion control was handled by a group of 7 who cleaned/improved all the water bars and ditches. The remaining 8 improved a section of the Artist Bluff path that had been started in the spring and then a short ways farther up the path, quarried rocks in the vicinity to create a rock staircase. The staircase consisted of 10 rock steps, 2 step stones with a rock water bar at the top and another at the bottom of the staircase. It was then screed and brushed in to encourage hikers to stay on the treadway. A total of 95 hours were put in on this a most productive day. Many thanks to all for a job well done.