Although the bridge was just placed in March, the rains that followed proved to raise the stream that flows across the Paugussett Trail connector higher than anticipated, resulting in in involuntary migration of the bridge 10 yards downstream. Fortunately, it was almost immediately snagged at a bend in the stream and was easily recovered. Our mission was to re-set the bridge in place and secure it in the event another 100 year (give or take a millennium) rain event occurs.
Bill (Cinderella Boy) Dyer plans the layout of his skunk cabbage patch. More likely, he is clearing a trail for the hikers and bikers. This is low, moist ground, ideal growing conditions for skunk cabbage. As it is right in the path of the trail, it has to be bypassed with a minimum of disruption.
The bridge is returned to it's original position, held in place with rebar stakes. This is looking north, toward the higher and drier side of the stream. Less problems with skunk cabbage on that side.
Bill has been elected to test the stability and strength of the bridge by the other members of the work party. It is acts of courage like this that probably led to his position as chairman of the Trails Committee.
Terrance has a difficult time in getting his ball out of the rough after refusing to take a penalty. Actually, he is grunting away at trying to pry loose flat stones to help stabilize the bridge.
It was decided to make the path through the skunk cabbage easier and drier to navigate by placing extra sections of our old boardwalk on the ground. This also makes less of an impact on the soil and growth, and keeps the bikers from sinking into the muck, forcing hikers to detour around their decaying remains.
Repairs to the old sections were unplanned and thus hastily made, resulting in a patchwork quilt appearance to the path. Whatever it takes!----------------
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Rich & I installed stepping stones across the swampy part earlier in the week. So Bill can wear his white shoes walking on the trail now.
ReplyDeleteTonight I removed some of the trash for Clean Sweep week, but I was running out of steam at 8:00, and left a few tires and bottles for anybody who wants them. I should've brought the Gator. One elderly woman walking on Independence Drive asked me if I put that junk along the road. I replied huffing and puffing while rolling a mud-caked tire up the hill "yes ma'am, I put that junk there". I could almost hear Alice's Restaurant in the background. She mellowed out a bit when she realized that I hadn't driven the rusty, moss-encrusted crap to dump on her street, but was just cleaning up the town park. She was picking up trash along the sidewalk to we had a great time trash talking litterbugs.