8/17: Andrew Brook Patrol
Four Cardigan Highlanders convened on a warm and hazy Sunday August 17 at the Andrew Brook trailhead in Newbury: Trailmaster Craig Sanborn, Team Leaders Scott MacFaden and Bob Humphrey, and newer crew member Andrew Koo. Our primary goals for the day were to clean drains (and redig them where needed) from the second crossing of Andrew Brook to up above the third brook crossing, and to remove several reported blowdowns at varioius junctures along the trail.
Traillmaster Craig focused on the stretch of trail between the second and third brook crossing, and Scott, Bob, and Andrew headed up above the third crossing to begin their efforts. The latter trio paid particular attention to a lengthy side drain just uphill of the third brook crossiing that the crew expended several work days last year on reconstructing. Situated at the top of a sleep slope, this drain captures significant amounts of upslope runoff during spring snowmelt and heavy rainfall, and its proper functioning is essential to preserving the stability of the trail downslope. Prior to last year's reconstruction efforts, the drain had become overwhelmed during high water periods, and consequently precipitated downslope erosion.
The uphill trio also expended considerable time toward removing a 14" dbh white birch blowdown that had fallen across the trail a few minutes above the third brook crossing, and posed a hurdle for any hiker shorter than about 6' 3". This removal effort was greatly enhanced by Bob's Katanaboy trail saw, an imposing beast that some say is about as effective as a hand saw can be. In fact, the hardest part of removing the blowdown wasn't the sawing—it was moving the freshly sawn log off the trail.
On the descent, the four of us reconvened to place barricades intended to close a short trail spur hikers were using to access the new bridge constructed earlier this summer just above the second brook crossing. Barricades are a tool we periodically employ to direct hiker traffic away from areas that have sensitive resources, or can't sustainably support a trail.
While Craig, Bob, and Scott are longtime Cardigan Highlanders, Andrew is a new recruit, and earlier this season earned his tartan—provided to new crew members following their third day of service. While new to our crew, Andrew is hardly a trail maintenance novice—he currently adopts a section of the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. We're glad to benefit from Andrew's expertise, and look forward to working with him in the future.
Almost every hiker or group of hikers we encountered stopped to express thanks for our efforts. While trail volunteers are typically a self-motivated constituency, and don't seek external recognition or acclaim, it is nonetheless gratifying when hikers recognize the fruits of our labors.
Submitted by,
Scott MacFaden, CHVTC Team Leader
