Highlights from 2017

            While compiling the numbers for the 2017 summary worklog, I thought I’d offer some of our accomplishments from the season.

Two of our most active members were unavailable for most of this season, but we did accomplish all the jobs of routine trail tending.   We patrolled all 16 miles of trail we tend, chopping about 50 blowdowns and cleaning all 170 waterbars Spring and Fall. Our trails suffered minimal erosion in the Halloween deluge.   We trimmed brush as needed and painted blazes on schedule. We replaced about 8 old log fixtures on wide trails with new logs. We scouted routes for new trails and attended many meetings.  We worked 760 hours: compare with 955 hours in 2016.

We worked 50 hours on a new 34′ bridge on Slade Brook for the Hanover Trails Committee.   We provided the design, materials list, building sequence, joinery for the 34′ hemlock stringers, setting one of the 8x8x8′ sills, and instruction for every stage of the building process.   We instructed them again for a 19′ bridge on Mason Trail on Trescott lands.

Our other bridge job was on Cole Pond Trail, where we assembled 7 8′ PT bog bridges across an unavoidable flat 3/4 mile uphill from the road.   Nearby we built a 20′ pavement along the base of a ledge revetted by a fir log. We also added several more rock steps and pavers and blazed the trail for the first time.

We rebuilt a 4-rock waterbar on Winslow Trail that had been failing for years, and hardened the slope downhill of it with a new rock step.  We also added several new rock steps and a rock waterbar to West Ridge Trail, and cut a short but much dryer relocation on South Ridge Trail.

This is not a full list, just the most interesting facts that come to mind.  Thanks to the devoted volunteers who donated their time to the trails: here’s to them!

– Craig Sanborn, CHVTC