Bog Bridging Gone Wild--June 22, 2013

More Bog Bridging 

 Today's project was to get a large load of bog bridge materials to a work site that was pretty remote (for Massachusetts).  It is a good mile and a half in from the road, and the AT passes over some pretty rocky terrain on the way.  We also had over 75 pieces of lumber to deliver to this distant location.

In previous posts, I've gone into some detail about the why's and wherefore's of installing bog bridges, so the topic of this post is about Transportation.  This particular work site is so far into the woods that we were definitely considering harvesting some nearby trees to use for materials.  However, scouting around we found only a few that were suitable.  They needed to be Hemlock (moderately rot resistant and straight of trunk), have a diameter 12" but not more than 18" (larger would be too heavy to move), and provide enough length for the 200ft or so of trail that needed work.  They also had to be reasonably close to the worksite and have enough room to fell them without hanging up in other trees.  While we did find a few possible candidates, using them would mean that 10 years from now, we'd be in the same situation--but without any suitable trees.

The other issue was that processing (felling, debarking, splitting, transporting, notching and installing) native trees requires a measure of experienced crew power, and we would have needed to devote several project days to this effort--did we really have enough time this season to devote to this one project?

Instead, we decided to use our usual rough-sawn Tamarack lumber and  offer the project to any interested service groups.  Most service groups can put a fairly large number of people into the field on a given day.  While most are not particularly skilled in trail work, they are eager to assist, and enjoy a day outdoors--even if it means carrying pieces of wood and nailing them together in a mud hole.

However, even the most enthusiastic group would find the required 75 3-mile round trips daunting, so we looked for a way to reduce the distance from the materials cache to the worksite.

Our first idea was to make use of a power line right of way that crosses the AT 3/4 mile from the project site.  Scouting this access revealed a cliff between the road and the AT that we would not be able to get the materials over.  However, a few years ago, the local snowmobile club had cut a trail through the woods that bypassed the cliff so they could ride (illegally) on the power line.

Don, Steve and Silvia on the power line

This turned out to be the best approach, so we organized a work party to schlepp the goods to the AT, where the BSA troop will pick them up for a 10 minute walk to the jobsite.

 We decided to use a power wheelbarrow to transport several pieces of wood at once.  This is essentially a motorized, track driven bin that has a pretty light footprint and can travel over forest duff and occasional wet areas little damage to the ground.  It can carry about 400lbs at a time, up some pretty impressive slopes.  It is however, very slow and does not handle rocky or uneven surfaces very well.

Don returning with an empty wheelbarrow

The 3/4 miles of power line travel on existing twin track was not without it's challenges.  After about 3 weeks of rain, the lower areas of the vehicle track are pretty wet.  Muddy water hides two 18" deep trenches left by power company maintenance vehicles.  Stay centered to keep the wheelbarrow from sliding into them.

Climbing a steep slope with a load of planks

 Once in the woods, we followed the old snowmobile trail up the hill to the AT.  We typically have a spotter in front to point out rocks or other obstructions to the operator.  The wheelbarrow has very short ground clearance, and can get high-centered on protruding rocks, or if canted too far to the side, will turn over under the wide, heavy loads we placed on it.

After 6 round trips we got all of the pieces to the staging area near the AT where the scouts will hand-carry them about 1/4 mile further to the work area and install them later this month.

Last load to the drop off point.

In late July, Scouts from BSA Troop 1 in Pittsfield transported and installed all of the materials on the AT.

A Hardened Patio for South Wilcox

The new South Wilcox shelter built in 2007 has the usual patio out front under the shelter overhang.  The patio was constructed by building up a rock retaining wall and filling the interior with rocks and mineral soil to create a level area that the picnic table could sit on, under cover of the shelter overhang.  In a project earlier this year we moved the privy at this site, (which had not been moved for 10 years by the way!) and made repairs to the rock retaining wall around the patio. 

So today our project team of Don and I started out with buckets of mineral soil from the pit behind the shelter to level the patio.  We used a long board found under the shelter as a screed to flatten and level the area.  The leveling was done by eye as yours truly forgot to bring along a level!  I would guess we put down a dozen or so buckets of mineral soil to accomplish this part of the job.  Then we mixed buckets of mineral soil with concrete (we had previously lugged in a 94# bag of cement!) in a ratio of 3 to 1 and spread the mix about 1/2" to 1" thick over the whole area.  Lastly it was time to sprinkle water over the whole area and watch the cement set.  Well actually we decided to have lunch! 

Here's what it looks like all done:

We put boards around the patio and posted a sign on the shelter center post asking hikers not to step on the patio until Friday and to feel free to put the picnic table back on the patio at that time.  Hopefully the cement will have set by then.

The idea of this whole effort is to reduce the amount of dirt that gets into the shelter from hiker foot traffic by providing a relatively hard dirt free surface in this area.  It should also make for a surface that is less likely to get uneven and erode.  There is a bit more rock work that could be done to strengthen the corner opposite the stairs but all in all we have a much improved patio. 

We have a number of open project days on our schedule this year.  If this effort at South Wilcox is successful, we may try to make the same improvement at the Noepel shelter later this year.  Anyone got some good ideas on how to lug 94#'s of cement up to Noepel?

6/4/13 Timber Steps at Furnace Hill Road

Today we addressed a long-standing problem on the Trail just south of Furnace Hill Rd, in Cheshire.  The trail crosses a deep drainage dip, probably created when the land was logged off in the mid-1900's.  At the bottom of this ditch we built a simple bridge about 5 years ago, but the 12ft climb back up through soft soils has been the site of a number of solutions over the past years, none of which were very satisfactory.

For this attempt, we decided to use large timbers to provide durable steps up this steep slope.  Many years ago, a trail volunteer salvaged some 6x10 timbers from a bridge being demolished in Pittsfield.  For a long time they have sat in the pile of materials adjacent to our toolshed waiting for the appropriate project.

We cut several of the timbers into 5 ft lengths and pulled out all of the old nails that were still embedded in the wood from its previous life.  Being treated with preservative, these chunks were really heavy, probably over 100lbs each.  Fortunately, the project was close to the road and we had a good crew on hand to tote these beasts up the hill.

Once on site, we demolished was was left of a rotting stair made from native logs, and a few of the undersized rock steps that were sliding down the hill.

Clearing out the former steps

Don and Dave started to excavate trenches to insert the new timbers in the lower section, while Denis started on the top two steps.  Sim started on a large drainage dip up hill from the stairs, so water draining down the trail will be diverted, reducing the erosion of the bank that supports the steps.

Setting the timbers

Figuring out at what height and distance to set the timbers was the tricky part, the slope of the hillside varies, and the steps needed to conform to it so to keep a reasonably regular interval for hikers.

Don drives rebar to pin the steps

Denis places rock to secure the timbers

The steps were pinned to the soil with re-bar stakes, but the stakes alone will not be enough to resist the weight of the backfill dirt and hiker traffic, so rocks are set at the ends of the timbers to help stabilize them.  The timbers are also installed leaning back slightly into the hillside.

 Once secured, the gaps between the timbers are filled in with mineral soil harvested from a "borrow pit" dug out of sight of the trail.  Mineral soil is the dirt that is below the soft 'living' layer that supports most of the plant life in the woods.  Mineral soil doesn't contain any roots or vegetation, so it packs down well, and won't shrink over time.  The borrow pit is then filled in with brush and branches to as not to be a hazard to people who are off-trail.



So, you may be saying, "these timbers don't look very natural, why didn't you use rocks, or logs harvested from a nearby tree or two?"  Rocks certainly would have been a longer lasting and more natural looking material, but large enough rocks were not available in this location.  To survive, rocks for steps must be very large, so most of their bulk can be buried in the soil, otherwise they won't stay in place.  The smaller rocks at this location just did not have what it takes.  Locally harvested logs were previously installed and lasted only a few seasons in this damp location.  The treated bridge timbers will last longer, and being close to the road and within sight of neighborhood houses, we did not feel we were diminishing the trail experience for hikers.  Another alternative, building side-hill trail that would switchback up the slope with no structures, was not possible in this location either.  We would need approximately 75 feet of footpath to climb this slope, and AT lands here are very narrow--we would have been well onto the neighbor's property.  So here we are with timbers.

An important final element to the project was the construction of a large drainage dip just uphill from the stairs.  No matter what materials or type of construction we installed, if large quantities of water pour over the steps in heavy rains, nothing will stay in place for long.  The drain will divert water coming down the hill away from the steps.  The local maintainer will need to make sure debris does not collect in the drain--if it is overwhelmed, we'll eventually loose the stairs too.

Just as we were wrapping up, we had our first customer, an NB thruhiker, who seemed to have no difficulty traversing our work.  Apologies for the shovel handle in the picture, my photoshop skills aren't up to removing it.


Cosmo

A Tuesday Project Day

Ah, at last, a day without rain!  Our small Tuesday Project team took advantage of the drier weather to tackle a number of problems.  First up was a trip up the Race Brook Trail to remove a large hemlock, duck under blowdown.  Below is a shot of the hemlock (which was much infested with the wooly adelgid by the way) with the branches removed in preparation for bucking.

 With all in readiness, the area checked for dangers and an escape route planned and cleared, Cosmo set his saw to work cutting the trunk off at ~ 20' from the stump. 

 With a bit of persuasion, the deed was done and the root ball was stable enough to keep the trunk up in the air making for an easy cutoff at the root ball.  As you can see below we left the trunk on the trail at the far end, an easy step over.  We did this as Richard, the section Maintainer, intends to use the trunk as a retainer for a retaining wall along this steep side hill section of trail. 

Next we traveled to Goose Pond Rd. and the open area at the trail parking area.  Those black flies were out in force and biting so work was between slaps and waves to deal with the little buggers!  We loaded Cosmo's truck up with a busted up cast iron bathtub and some sheet steel; staked out a good number of rocks and obstructions to be avoided by the brushhog later in the season when we will mow the area; bucked up several deadfalls in the field and lugged the pieces to the nearby piles; and lastly mounted 2 new signs directing drivers to the parking area just beyond the AT crossing of Goose Pond Rd.  Hopefully, with will solve the problem of folks parking on our neighbors grass.  

After one more stop, at Perlman's in Pittsfield to get rid of the scrap metal, we called it a day.  Another satisfying day of Fun in the Woods!

Season's Opening of Upper Goose Pond Cabin

Yesterday was the day....long awaited by those who love the Upper Goose Pond area and we had a great opening crew of 9 volunteers.  It was a nice warm mostly sunny day for the event that started out as usual with initial opening, removal of the Grumman canoe from the cabin and removal of shutters to let in some light and air.  As this was happening our barge crew of Jim, Mike, Steve and Ellie set to work lashing the canoes together to form a catamaran.  As this year's cargo included a new bear box we needed the capacity afforded by the catamaran. 


Canoes lashed together for large cargo

Once we had transported the cargo from the Leisure Lee dock there was much lugging of the goods up to the cabin.

Above, Steve and Mike carry some heavy loads up the hill.

By mid afternoon we were nearing completion of the opening tasks with all the materials stored, cabin cleaned out, canoes out, water brought over from the spring, gas hooked up and pilots lit, etc.  There sure was an impressive supply of consumables including pancake mix and syrup to store!



Pete brings some supplies into the cabin

Last job for the day was floating and assembling the dock.  With the prep work done by Pete and now having done this a few times it didn't take long to get it all assembled and floating. 

With Mike and Penny's arrival for the first week of caretaking we took our leave and headed back down the hill, satisfied with another great day at Upper Goose Pond.  Pete returned to the cabin today (Sunday) to complete a few jobs and reports that Mike and Penny had a very successful first night with 7 guests! 

Thanks to all who helped out and welcome to Ruth, Michael and Ellie, our newest caretakers who joined in the days efforts.



 

Chainsaw Certification

It's a good thing

Saturday April 27th--
5 volunteer sawyers from Massachusetts and two from Connecticut met at ATC's Kellogg Conservation Center for a re-certification of their chainsaw operators skills.

In the dim and distant past (over 10 years ago), just about anyone could drag their chainsaw out of their garage and head into the woods to take out trees that had fallen across the trail.  You can well imagine some pretty scary scenarios, deep in the woods with lots of sharp power equipment roaring away--even without being in Texas.

The AT has an excellent record regarding maintainer safety.   The Trail is a unit of the National Park Service and works closely with the National Forest Service.  Responsible managers from both agencies want to make sure that workers have access to the best possible training and education regarding work hazards they are likely to face on the job--even if they are "just" volunteers.  To that end the Park Service and Forest service require that anyone operating a chain saw on the AT (or cross cut saw--more about this later) must be be qualified to perform the work.  That is, they must know  correct techniques for maintaining and operating the equipment, have the required personal safety gear, and have a clear understanding of the physical forces involved when trees (or parts of trees) weighing 1000's of pounds are cut apart.  This applies also to crosscut (hand powered) saws, too.  Even 'tho the danger of being badly cut may be less, the forces released while cutting are still the same--and must be clearly understood and anticipated.

A volunteer explains to the instructor how he will cut and remove this fallen tree.

As you can imagine, the initial reaction by volunteer maintainers to this "nanny-state" interference with their work was vocal.  In some clubs it amounted to a minor rebellion.  Now, a decade down the road, certification is considered a reasonable and normal requirement by all but a small minority of volunteers.

Speaking personally, I took my first certification course in 1999.  While I was familiar with conventional carpentry tools like table saws and circular saws, I soon discovered I had much to learn and that cutting tree trunks in the woods is a lot different than cutting dressed lumber in the shop. 

A volunteer in the process of cutting a downed tree while instructor Peter Jensen observes her work.

 

 

 

 

Truthfully, most volunteers (in a normal year) might go through at most a tank or two of gas operating their saws on the Trail--there just aren't that many situations where a chainsaw is truly needed.  The recent series of storms in New England and the Central Atlantic states have created many more situations where powered equipment is necessary--and there is the potential problem.  Sawyers with limited experience being put in a situation where they literally have days of work required to recover the Trail from storm damage.  In my first certification class in '99, I learned just enough to keep me from cutting my feet off by accident.  4 re-certifications later, I'm fairly competent--but learn new things with every class.  Most importantly, I know when to walk away from a situation that I can't handle.  When the trees trunks are piled like pick-up-sticks from a big storm along miles of trail, it takes a cautious and experienced team of sawyers to get the work done safely.

Sawyers are certified in two skill Classes:  Class A are certified for small limbs and branches in 'non-complex' situations (usually single logs across relatively flat terrain) and are typically first-time operators.  After 3 years, 'A' Sawyers are eligible to re-certify as Class B and take training that addresses more complex situations involving larger trunks and complex interactions between multiple downed trees.  Sawyers of either classification must renew (or 're-cert') every three years.  Class C sawyers are typically professional instructors.

Instructor Peter Jensen (partially behind tree) discusses the cuts needed to fell this tree.

Most trail maintenance situations can usually be handled by hand tools like axes and bow saws--but an understanding of the forces involved when an uprooted tree lies across the treadway makes the work safer and more efficient--regardless of the tools at hand.

Chainsaw operation is pretty rare for most Trail maintainers.  Trail clubs typically have a corps of certified sawyers who are able to tackle specific situations where the regular maintainer may be out of their comfort zone.  Clubs can also bring certified volunteer sawyers to bear when natural events create wide-spread or localized heavy damage.  Only the saw operator needs certification, other can assist by being 'swampers' helping to remove the cut debris under the direction of the sawyer.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) provides funding for volunteers to train and certify with professional instructors and provides funding for all required safety equipment (including those fashionable orange chaps).

Hubbard Brook Boardwalk, 2013 Edition

March 30, 2013:  Hubbard Brook...again.

Almost a year ago, we made our first concerted effort at re-building the underpinnings of a long board walk between Shays' Rebellion and Hubbard Brook in Sheffield.  For your review, here's the Link to that post.

Still passable, but treacherous

Here we are again, fixing another section with the same problem.  Why didn't we fix the whole thing a year ago?  Because it wasn't broken, yet.  Seriously, we think we have the walkway pretty well stabilized at this point, the remaining sections have all been addressed, at least for the next couple of seasons.

This walkway was installed in the late 80's/early 90's when the NPS purchased land in the Berkshires to help reduces the number of AT miles on roads.  Of course most of the land that was available was not suitable for houses or agriculture--so basically we got the swamps.

To build the initial walkway, the 10ft x 4ft platforms that make it up were supported in helical piles that look like this:
 

Each 10ft section is supported by a pair of these

They are about 4ft long and installed by slipping a large rock bar through the eye at the top and turning them into the ground like a giant screw.

Back then, AT maintainers did not have experience building large boardwalks such as are now found at Pawling NY, Pochuck NJ, or Thundering Falls VT.   These modern ones are designed to be universally accessible portions of the AT,  capable of supporting powered wheelchairs, and large numbers of hikers at once.  Their piles are much larger, and must be driven in by a machine.  Some of the piles at Thundering Falls were driven 90ft down before they were solid enough to support that boardwalk.

Our installation at Hubbard Brook was not intended to meet this type of structural load--over time, the smaller piles we installed 20 years ago have begun to tilt sideways as the ground freezes and thaws.

To provide better support, we've constructed cribs:

Completed Crib being moved into position, see video below

Basically, stack of timbers fastened together "Lincoln log" style and covered with a flat bottom to spread the load out on the soft soil under the boardwalk.  Sometimes, cribs are filled with rocks when used as abutments for trail bridges over streams.

About 800lbs of materials....

To make all this happen, the crib materials are carried to the jobsite--in this case about 1/4 mile from the Shays' parking area. 

A good view of the tilt problem

Once all of the materials have been delivered, it's time to get your boots on

Jacking up the east side...

The sagging sections are then jacked up on each side.  Because the entire boardwalk is connected, the work needs to take place at multiple points at the same time--otherwise, we'll pull the sections apart.  Placing the jacks under the support helps to straighten out the sagging helical piles as the bridge is raised up.

...then the west side.

Boardwalk must be lifted high enough for crib to be set in place underneath it.

Crib Construction

Cribs are built, slid into location, and dumped over the edge, right side up into the mud.









A period of shoving the crib into place under the supports then follows.  This is usually accomplished by some mild cursing and grunting as the thing is wiggled through the mud into place.

Crib in place.  Water below, boardwalk above.

We installed 4 cribs in all, ready for hikers.  We'll see what next winter brings.  The video and most of the photos in this post were taken by Christine Ward, the maintainer for this section of the AT.

Good to go