Upper Goose Pond Cabin Access Gate

August 14, Access Gate Repairs--Upper Goose Pond Cabin

The gate at Rt 20 that controls vehicular access to the Upper Goose Pond Cabin Caretaker's trailhead has sagged to the point where it has not been able to lock for the past several years.

To control motorized access to the Cabin and adjacent AT Corridor lands, we received permission from MassHighway to restore the gate to lockable condition and install a combination lock.  The gate will normally be locked, except during deer hunting season, and the combination transmitted to UGPC Caretakers, and local emergency responders.  The combination can be changed as needed.  The gate does not impede foot travel.

This Tuesday, Pete and Cosmo brought a load of supplies and gear to the worksite.  Fortunately, we were able to drive close to the gate since we not only had the usual digging tools but a small concrete mixer, 700lbs of concrete mix and about 20 gallons of water.

The First Load

Once we got situated, we proceeded to dig out the ground around the hinge post of the gate.  We had originally thought that the post was just set into the ground, but soon found it had been set in concrete--'tho not nearly enough concrete to support the long swing arm of the gate.

While Cosmo made the initial excavation, Pete set a ground anchor to support a wire rope backstay that will help the hinge post stay vertical.

 Fortunately, digging was fairly easily, as the entire area was mostly sand.  This loose soil may have contributed to the sagging of the gate.

Excavation is Complete

While we thought this job would just be a simple re-setting of the hinge post to lift the gate arm, we found that the entire post needed to be scooched to the right about 1.5".  To do this, we set the chain fall between the hinge post and latch post and dragged the hinge side closer with a few quick tugs.

Stabilizing the excavated gate was a bit tricky, and we had a few bad moments as the thing tipped first one way then the other--no photos here, as we had our hands full keeping things together!

Finally we were ready to add fresh concrete to the post.

Pete tends the mixer

Filled to the top.  Note backstay by Pete's foot

After disposing of the first 8 bags, it was clear we were going to need more, so Cosmo headed off to town to pick up 6 more and another 5 gallons of water.  Upon his return, we mixed up the remaining batches and topped off the hole.

Pete sets a sign post.

A few "No Parking" signs between the gate and the road and we were ready to tidy up.  Don joined us for the final hour--he was away checking conditions at Race Brook Falls campsite.  It was quite a tiring day, despite the fact that we were able to park right at the worksite.  Those last 3-4 bags of concrete seemed to be much heavier than 80lbs each.

The Beaver Deceiver......

Aah, those beavers, one must deceive them to avoid flooding the trail and our neighbors property along Rt 7 in Sheffield.  See Adam Brown's report on the mucky business below.

ATC was approached in late fall of 2011 by a business owner whose property abuts National Park Service AT land in Sheffield, MA.  He reported that beavers on the NPS side were flooding his construction yard and threatening to inundate his septic mound.  Both ATC and the AT Committee were aware that flooding was happening on the trail itself and had been in to take a look at the area to see if any immediate solution was available, but were not aware that a neighbor was being affected.  After some discussion between NPS and MA Fish and Wildlife, we came up with several options: do nothing, hire a trapper to remove the beaver and kill it for its pelt (the state does not allow for relocation), or hire a contractor to install a flexible pond leveler (also called a “beaver deceiver”) device.  The first option was likely to alienate the neighbor; the second was harmful to the beaver, so we settled on the third option in hopes of being able to co-exist peacefully with the beaver. 

ATC and the AT Committee pursued a grant through MA Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA), as well as the appropriate town/state Wetlands Protection Act permits, that would allow for cost-free construction and installation of the device by Mike Callahan of Beaver Solutions.  Below is a diagram and description of the device we installed.  We will plan to monitor the area over the fall and into next spring to see if it works.  When we installed it on Friday, water was very low due to the dry summer and the fact that the railroad company had recently replaced their culvert upstream in a way that prevents water at the current level from passing onto NPS land.  This will likely not be the case in a rainy year.   

Mostly Empty Pond, Beaver dam far side of mud hole!

Assemblying the Deciever

Floating the whole shebang into position

Submergence, ready for deception...

Readying the pipe for burial in the dam



So, here's how the whole thing works:

The Flexible Pond Leveler™

Courtesy of Beaver Solutions LLC

May be reproduced

Where flooding from a free-standing beaver dam threatens human property, health or safety, a Beaver Solutions Flexible Pond Leveler™ pipe system can be an extremely effective solution. If properly designed and built, a Flexible Pond Leveler™ will create a permanent leak through the beaver dam that the beavers cannot stop. Our Flexible Pond Leveler™ devices are so effective we guarantee them. They eliminate the need for repeated trapping despite the presence of beavers.

Sorry folks, just can't figure out how to get the diagram to print in this space!

In order for these pipe systems to be effective, they must be designed so that beavers cannot detect the flow of water into the pipe. The Flexible Pond Leveler™ does this by surrounding the submerged intake of the pipe with a large cylinder of fencing. Beavers cannot get close enough to the intake to detect water movement. As a result, the beavers do not try to clog the pipe, and maintenance is rarely needed. A minimum pond depth of 3 feet is needed for the Flexible Pond Leveler™ to function properly.

The height of the pipe in the dam determines the pond level (see diagram). Water will flow through the pipe unless the pond level drops below the peak of the pipe. The pipe is set in the dam at the desired pond level, and can be adjusted up or down if desired.

Unlike road culverts, Flexible Pond Leveler™ pipes do not need to be sized to handle catastrophic storm events because heavy storm runoff will simply flow over the top of the dam. Following the storm the pipe will return the pond to the normal level. Some mild pond fluctuations are possible following very wet periods, but the pond will be controlled at a safe level since the dam height is controlled by the pipe.

When installing a pipe system it is very important to lower a pond only enough to protect human interests. The more a pond is lowered the more likely it is beavers will build a new dam to render the pipe ineffective. Lowering a beaver pond by up to one vertical foot is generally not a problem.

Whenever a pond must be lowered by more than one foot, a single round of trapping may be necessary prior to the flow device installation. When new beavers without the memory of the higher water level relocate to this area they are more likely to tolerate the smaller pond. Most Flexible Pond Leveler™ failures are due to new downstream damming in response to a dramatic lowering of the water level.

 So, there you have it!  Let's hope it works, and Adam, if you get a picture of the pond refilled with our recent rains with the elevation limited by the Beaver Deceiver, send it along and we'll add it to this post!

Great fun in the muck and mire!

Posted by Jim for Adam Brown

Bear Box at Crystal Mountain Campsite

July 10, Crystal Mountain Campsite gets a Bear Box (and picnic table)

In our ongoing effort to help AT visitors reduce their impact on wildlife, we have been installing food storage boxes at one or two campsites each season (see June 25th post).

Today, it was Crystal Mountain Campsite.  Good timing, since two weeks ago Ridge Runner Dennis came across a mother bear and two cubs feeding on blackberries on the nearby powerline.

Crystal Mountain (where there are no crystals and its elevation barely rises above the rest of the ridge line) has the distinction of being the overnight site that is furthest from a road in Massachusetts, and it is solidly up hill from every direction.  It is our most primitive site.  Prior to this visit, it only offered a few flat tentsites, a privy and a nearby stream.

Rather than tote a 90lb steel box the full 4.5 miles up from Dalton or Cheshire, we chose to access the site via a power line that crosses the AT about .25 miles to the south.  The hike up the power line is a steep one-mile slog, pretty much straight up.  Existing ATV/maintenance twin track provided an excellent opportunity to use the AT Committee's power wheelbarrow.  This small, tracked transporter can be heavily loaded and will traverse rough terrain with relatively little impact.  It is slow and does require careful maneuvering to prevent the load from tipping sideways.  On this trip it carried about 200lbs and replaced the equivalent of six 9 mile round trips had we hand-carried the gear.

 Here, Don and Adam start up the power line with a tall load.

 Routes through steep sections were scouted in advance, running the power wheelbarrow across the slope will result in it tipping over.

Keeping feet clear of the rubber tread is important.

A clear, sparkling day made for great views as we climbed above the valley.

It took an hour and a half to cover the one mile climb to the AT.  With 5 on the crew, it took less than 30 minutes to ferry all the parts the short distance to the campsite.  Because the AT is narrow and travels over a wide field of rocks between the power line and campsite, it was not possible to use the wheelbarrow beyond the power line.

We also chose to carry a picnic table to install at the campsite as well.  The addition of the table and bear box to this primitive campsite was not taken lightly.  They will forever alter the experience at this location.  What was once just a few worn flat areas in the middle of the woods now has some of the conveniences of our regular shelter sites.  We hope that the bear box will encourage hikers to properly store their food without damaging the trees in the area and the picnic table will help concentrate food prep and eating to a central location, rather than near tenting areas.
 

New Signs for Upper Goose Pond

July 6th, New Signs for Upper Goose Pond

Quite the team assembled for the final phase of this project.  In an earlier post (March 25th) I described the process of making the new signs for the  channel between Goose Pond and  Upper Goose Pond.  Today we had much of the AT Committee in attendance to perform the final installation (the great swimming later in the afternoon might have had something to do with it too).

Upper Goose Pond is a National Park Service Natural Area, completely surrounded by donated land acquired for the Appalachian Trail Corridor.   This sign provides information regarding regulations for boaters on the Upper Pond.

The original sign (see photo above) was located about half way down the narrow channel between the ponds.  We felt that a location visible from the lower pond would be more helpful for boaters who decide to turn around before entering the channel.

We chose a site on the shoreline in full view of boaters approaching from the lower pond.

Digging into the sandy soil was fairly easy, tho we soon struck water.

John and Don work to free a rock from the bottom of the hole.

 Holes for the hanging hardware (recycled from the original sign) are laid out.

Pete drills the holes while Don and John hold the sign upside down for easier access.

The completed frame is raised and set into the holes, then the signs threaded onto the hardware.

Pete adds some anti-tampering enhancements to the hardware holding the signs.

Completed--good for another 20 years!  We'll come and stain the supporting frame after it has weathered for a year or so.

Nopel Shelter Work Completed

July 7th, Nopel Shelter Completed?

A team of 6 headed to Nopel Shelter to complete the final phase of the rehab started last year with assistance from the Boy Scouts and ALDHA volunteers.  In June we were able to get the new roofing material installed, but could not complete a new roof for the privy and stain the shelter and privy.  Today, we almost completed these objectives.

We were able to carry in the lumber and skylight material to re-build the roof for the privy and some stain for the shelter.  We had a slight incident with getting the stain from the cans to the paint buckets and didn't have quite enough to finish the privy--but the shelter looks great with a new roof and a new coat of stain!

Kevin and Don give the shelter a great new look

Thanks to all for a great project, started pretty much a year ago when Scout Troop 3 came up to re-build the stone platform in front of the shelter in addition to a lot of other smaller projects at the overnight site.

Steve removes the old roof

Steve assembles the new roof frame

As of today, we have to put about another quart of stain on the privy, and shift the privy on it's base--it's just about full.

New roof is in place, Kevin spreads the remaining stain.

Cheshire Bog Bridge Rehab and Open Area Work

Today our crew of volunteers took just a bit over an hour to rehab the bog bridging just trail south of Rt 8 in Cheshire.  John, the maintainer for this section, had cleared out the brush and grasses really well so it was easy to get at the bog bridges.  We replaced 8 base logs and were able to reuse all the 2X6 stringers.  Here's a pic of the crew at work on the project:

We reset the bog bridge sections on top of the soil/vegetation which raised them a good 4" as they had sunk into the mucky soil over the years.  We also recovered a section of bog bridging that had been used by a neighbor to "bridge" the highway drainage ditch.  It was put to good use on the AT in this section.  A final pic of the happy crew:

With this part of the work done, we headed up to Outlook Ave and the Reynolds Rock pasture.  We cleared out brush and small trees hiding the rock from hikers as they approached north bound so they now get a nice view of the rock.  After lunch we started mowing and trimming around the rough spots the brush hog cannot go without fear of destruction.  Sorry no pics as the rain arrived about 2PM and that was that.  Mike Balewender plans to arrive tomorrow and brush hog the pasture for us as he has the last several years. 

Another fine day in the "woods".  Looking forward to the next one.

Saturday June 23, Bear Box to Tom Leonard Shelter

Cosmo, Jim, Dave, Steve and Dennis met at the Lake Buel Rd parking area on Saturday morning to move a bear box to Tom Leonard Shelter.  Our task was to carry this 90lb steel box up about a mile of trail to the shelter.

With four carrying it at a time, it's relatively easy to move the box up the trail.

Even better is meeting a group of international students from the Eisner Camp out for a group leader training hike.  We were able to "supervise" the rest of the box's journey to the shelter.







 It seems our trip was a timely one, the shelter register indicates a visit from a large bear about a week before.

Ready for the bears.  Note box chained to tree.

Another visitor to Tom Leonard is a local porcupine.  He (or she) seems to find the shelter particularly tasty, and has be regularly gnawing away at the timbers.  The surrounding rocky cliffs and numerous hemlocks make this prime habitat for these critters.  We are regularly treating the shelter timbers with a repellent spray (contains rotten eggs and dried blood), but it's not clear that this has any lasting effect.  We've also provided a baseball bat that hikers can use to administer their own deterrent.  Trapping or killing the beasts is illegal, and in this prime habitat would not reduce the population significantly.

Why would we want a box of bears at the shelter?  And why is it so heavy?  This is not an uncommon question we get from people not familiar with camping and hiking in New England.  The box is for hikers to store their food to keep it away from bears (and other critters such as raccoons and mice) while the hikers are sleeping in the shelter or their tents.

Black Bears are pretty ubiquitous in the Berkshires.  Most people don't see them because they are generally shy and avoid contact with humans.  They are however, active mammals and cover a wide territory looking for food.  Bears are omnivorous, they will eat anything from dead animals to donuts, and like most critters want to take in as many calories as possible while expending the least amount of energy.  Bears have good memories, if they score a 'jackpot' food source--say a foodbag full of granola bars hung inside a shelter--they will remember and make another visit sometime in the future.  With repeat visits, bears will learn to ignore the yelling hikers waving their arms and go right for the food--easy pickin's.

Hikers are instructed to hang their food high off of the ground and far from trees, but this can be very time consuming, and requires suitable trees and a large amount of rope--and is still not completely successful.  Plenty of videos on the Web of bears tearing down food bags.

Installing a heavy duty steel box with a latching lid is an easy way for hikers to keep food away from all kinds of critters, including the mice that often make shelters their homes.  Some rude or inexperienced hikes do seem to consider the bear box as a place to dump their trash, but most do not.  Once a bear learns that despite the delicious smells coming from the box they can't get it open, they will typically stop coming by on a regular basis.