9/6/24: 3 Rock Steps on West Ridge Trail
Three volunteers set three new rock steps at the top of small gullies in hopes hikers use them, and thus stay on the trail and cause less erosion by making herd paths. Lifting their feet more than one foot high seems to be a step too high for them, so we set these new steps and hikers used them immediately.
This team was Jose, Chuck, and TM Craig. We hiked up to Cliff's Bridge and looked at the work done by our last team there on 8/24: Ben, Scott, and TM Craig. They re-set the signpost for Skyland Trail, re-dug ~15 yards of side ditch that carried water from the slope above and dried the trail, barricaded a herd path, set 6 pavers to bypass a muddy trail, and barricaded the herd path made by hikers to get around the mud.
Friday's team carried on with the theme just downhill. They re-set the bottom rock under a staircase of four other rocks (built 1989) to keep it from collapsing. Chuck was scouting for more in the woods. He found several about 50' uphill that were talus buried in the forest. Opposite sides flat, angular edges... we flipped the best one down to the stair. Digging to make room for it, we found the tread to be coarse sand and half-inch angular stones like they came from a crusher. We soon had that one set as a new step, and backfilled and tamped the mineral soil beside it. See photo 1.
We moved downhill, barricaded a herd path, stopped at the base of a slope of a slope of large talus rocks hikers were bypassing on their path. One step would get them up to where they could walk up the talus on small pavers set before we ever adopted this trail, in 1985. We think it may have been the 1935 crew led by Clyde Smith. Chuck found a rock that fitted perfectly, with an edge that fit behind another one already in place. Five minutes' digging... See photo 2.
Meanwhile Jose sought a slab to fit the top of the next gully, below a cross-ditch with pavers (built 2021). He found one near the trail, we measured it, and now there it is. We moved barricade back into place, filling that herd path. See photo 3.
This trail needs more barricade, but the team onsite set rocks because it turns out that you have to provide a smoother and easier route or the hikers will just wear in another herd path. Steps first, barricade second. Communication and collaboration on this team were excellent. I learned things from them...
Three volunteers, seven hours. Next week, back for more.
Many thanks,
Craig
