VOLUNTEERS ADD 48 FIXTURES ON SUMMIT TRAIL
Cardigan Highlanders Volunteer Trail Crew (CHVTC) has built new steps and waterbars at 48 sites on Mt Sunapee’s Summit Trail since August 1 by agreement with the NH Division of Parks and Recreation. We brought in teen crews from Upper Valley Trails Alliance, who worked two days totaling 156 crew hours on 19 sites while CHVTC worked five days totaling 134 crew hours on 29 sites. Credit also goes to Mount Sunapee Resort, which provided free rides up and down the summit chairlift for the trail crews.
Summit Trail was built in 1997. Except for 10 waterbars built by Trailwrights on April 29 2006, there were no waterbars to shunt heavy rains off the trail. There were no steps to protect steep slopes from eroding under hikers’ boots and runoff water. Erosion was accelerating, so Parks called on us to stabilize the trail. The two crews quarried 74 rocks for 44 waterbars plus rock steps at 4 sites.
Summit Trail has a few mudholes, and we have scouted them for possible fixes in 2019. We have a lot of fun on similar building jobs on the 16 miles of trail we tend on Mt Sunapee, Mt Cardigan, and Mt Kearsarge.
We are a NH non-profit dedicated to the design, construction, and maintenance of hiking trails. Volunteers are invited to sign up HERE