Day #1 on the Jim Donnelly Trail

Day #1 on the Jim Donnelly Trail

We are benching the tread to a full 48". Of course it isn't always easy.

That's an easy spot above.

On February 12th we had 16 volunteers out there from 9 to 3. We've got motivated volunteers.

Currently the plan is essentially to continue to bench the sections of trail corridor which are not constrained by trees, rocks, drainage crossings, and across switchbacks. We will also skip sections identified as possible drainage opportunities, such as grade reversals. We will also skip areas which lead into and out of certain problem sections, in case a slight reroute is needed in the approaches.

The immediate goal is not to bench the trail to the full requirement and finish the tread. We'll be making a lot of passes on this bottom half of the JD trail. The goal is to leave each section passable and ready for weather however. In the photo above, the up-slope cut is too steep and will need to be beveled off, the bench may still be too narrow.

It's a Class I trail. It will receive a lot of use, in both directions, from all types of trail user, right from the trail head parking lot at Hunting Hollow.

The trail is currently closed to use. We are wiring closed the portagee gate after each work day. The top entrance to the trail is uncontrolled at this time. Any person descending the mountain on the trail corridor will most likely end up using the new trail corridor. A saw-horse could be taken up there at a great cost of energy and time, but it would probably make little difference. A home grown sign, or some tape across the trail would probably do little to discourage use of the trail either. The main thing I am concerned with is tread damage after rain. Certainly once the trail is open, advisory signs to not use the trail after and during rain, need to be in place. Just as important, the local trail using community and trail patrols need to communicate this. One horse going up the trail in poor conditions would be able to create a lot of damage.

Flagging tape will be going around some trees to mark problem areas in the trail. That doesn't mean the trees are slated for removal. They are indicators that a technical situation is present and that options are being considered. For example, there are a couple of places anticipated, where the trees may be too close to allow a wide enough bench to meet the standard. We'll consider slight reroutes of the trail if possible, against removing a tree, or raising the tread height to obtain a consistent width, or for that section making an exceptional narrow section to serve as a traffic control point. If a tree is recommended for removal, it will be evaluated by staff, and we'll wait for staff to find an opportunity to remove the tree with a chainsaw. We'll document many of these situations here on this blog as they develop.

Since it is a multi-use trail, and conveniently located next to the parking area, I am very serious about getting the entire community out there working on it side by side. Bikers, hikers, and equestrians all need to pitch in some labor and get to know each other more. I think this will bode well for minimizing conflicts on this trail.

This weekend all user groups are invited and will be working on the trail this Saturday the 19th of February. We'll share building it, and we'll share using it, and we'll share maintaining it.

When the bench work on the trail reaches the 1500' elevation we'll split the focus into two areas: above 1500' and finishing the trail below 1500'. We need to get the entire tread ready for traffic below 1500' so that a ranger or maintenance worker can drive a quad up the trail to operate a chainsaw and assist. The problem areas in the trail will by then have solutions ready to apply, and these can be performed by small teams of our most experienced trail work volunteers. We wish to avoid solutions which require cribbing, but there will probably be a few cases where it will be neccessary to shore up the tread on steep sideslopes and spare magnificent trees. 

Here's a section above which looks like it may actually be over 10% in gradient, side slope is steep. The trees on the left side of the trail form a line past which benching cannot occur. The only way to make the trail wider and reduce grade is to bench lower. The risk here is that large deep oak tree roots may be found, which if severed, will injure the trees and make them more prone to falling down across the trail and creating more damage. So here's a situation where it may be best to compromise the standard a bit. This is mentioned just for the sake of an example of a potential problem section.

Above is a photo of completed tread benching in a straightforward easy section, with relaxed sideslope. The upslope is nicely beveled and the tread bench actually exceeds 48" and there is no evidence of a partial bench trying to masquerade as bench. The tread isn't perfectly smooth, and that's fine, as I expect the repeated hiking of many trail workers will take care of that. Out slope appears to be present, but will be checked with a bubble level toward the final stages of the build out.

The outside edge of the tread is flagged before benching the tread, here marked by red pin flags, to provide a point of reference for the trail worker. Multiple passes by different personnel are made with cutter-mattocks and mcleods to acheive a consistent finish. Volunteers encouraged to work as teams. Volunteers are discouraged from "owning" a section of trail and bringing a section of trail to completion from start to finish alone. When one or two people work the same section to death it takes longer and can create unusual trail features. If people stay in the same place too long they can actually take too much material away and even create basins which become puddles someday. Crews of four or five people working as a team in multiple passes will get more trail built with more consistent results, and will enjoy a very social collaborative experience.

At the end of the day volunteers should have a good feeling about what they have accomplished. They will be tired but not to the point of exhaustion. They use safe practices and do not rush the work. Quality is important. Toward that quality they need to have patience and understanding that perfect results may not be possible in one day. Some things will require many visits to fine tune to a satisfactory condition.

Inevitably we encounter tough rocky sections of trail. Some times unexpectedly we find rock buried under the surface of what looks like smooth turf at the surface. These sections need special attention and evaluation before committing to the flag line. Rocky sections are excellent opportunities for the trail. The excavated rocks themselves, of all sizes, are excellent building materials for other places along the trail. Rocks should be securely piled up a collected in caches above the trail tread line. No rocks should ever be pitched or rolled down the trail or allowed to do so, as they could end up injuring a worker below. Sometimes we may need to tread the trail around certain large rocks we find. Each instance will be unique, and require creative problem solving. Rocks are dangerous. Moving heavy rocks can break fingers and break backs. Every move must be carefully planned and coordinated teamwork is essential. Rocks can be found anywhere in the tread you are digging. Always wear eye protection!

Soil conditions vary. We need moisture in these coarse clay mineral soils to break down the cohesion of the soil. When dry, this soil is almost as hard as rock. That is why I am going to organize as many trail days as possible when the conditions are right with this remaining winter and spring.

We've got a long way to go. Additionally we have a technical situation at the very start of the trail which we think we have a solution for, that will cost $1000 in materials and many hours to implement. We also need to find time to re-flag the sections above 1500' before the grass grows up tall. It's a real challenge.

Another idea we are pursuing is the purchase of a job-box to chain up to a tree higher up the trail so that we can have a ready tool cache onsite.

And finally on the bottom technical trail build at the start of the trail off of Hunting Hollow Road we are thinking about using horses with pack saddles to help haul up the 50# retaining wall stones we'll need. It's not neccessary, and may not happen, as we could get a ranger to use a quad, but it would be wonderful to do it that way if it is possible and permissible.

Currently we've been getting some rain this week, and trail building conditions should be ideal for this Saturday.