Logan Clare's Scout Project at Nells Rock

Logan's was another in a great series of scout projects on Shelton's trail system this we've benefited from this year.  He was working on the Nells Rock Loop on the Abby Wright Open Space on Nells Rock Road.

Coming out of the parking lot if you go left you will soon cross a boulder field that the trail traverses.  Logan and his team dug up a number of loose stones in that and re-laid them in a level tread.  The idea was to keep the trail corridor looking rustic, but improve the footing so you didn't have to bust an ankle getting across the rocks.  The trail goes between a ledge and swamp in this spot and it's the only route.

But busting rocks isn't all that Logan's team from Troop 27 did.  They also built a short bridge over a stream (dry due to drought in this photo, but often wet) further out on the loop.  The nice thing about Nells Rock Trail is that is a stacked Figure 8 trail so you can do a short inner loop, a longer outer loop, or tie in in with a longer walk along the Shelton Lakes network

These trails are also particularly good for cross country skiing and snowshoeing, so get out and enjoy them this fall and winter.  Thanks Logan for all your help on Shelton's trails.   Now Troop 27 has to schedule a winter skiing or snowshoeing event on Nells Loop.

Update:  A surplus of $62.00 was donated to the Conservation Commission, and is ear-marked for future Scout projects. 

Meet the Trails Committee

Here's the entire Trails Committee modeling some new scarves that Lynn made while she was injured and couldn't work on the trails. From left to right:  Richard Skudlarek (our chainsaw master), Sandie Skudlarek (they recently got married on the Rec Path overlooking Silent Waters), Terry Gallagher, Lynn Reid, Bill Dyer (Chair), Sheri Dutkanicz, and Jim Taradine.  Bill and Sheri are also members of the Conservation Commission.  They are a committee of doers, not talkers, so most of the time they are clearing trails rather than attending meetings. 

Bobcats in Derby Next Week

The CT DEEEP is hosting a very civilized talk about Bobcats in Connecticut in Derby next week.

Ok, maybe not this civilized.  But the talk will be civilized and there'll be a live bobcat at the Kellogg Center in Derby next Tuesday November 12th at 7:00.  The Center is located on Hawthorne Avenue just off Rt. 34 and is a great place for a nature talk.

You can learn a lot of good Bobcat Facts and may even be able to tell the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion.  The cost is $5 (suggested).

It sounds like fun, and my favorite part is at the end, when they take the child or person from the audience who was most annoying during the talk, give him or her a head start, and see if they can out-race the bobcat to the lobby.  People are allowed to bet on how far they get.  OK, this last part may be exaggerated, but they might just start next week and my money is on the turtle pond.  

That Darn Dam!

Not unlike painting the George Washington Bridge, trail maintenance many times requires going back over a particular area or structure on a regular basis to provide safe passage or to define a path through a heavily wooded area. Thus, leaf-blowing some trails in Autumn or fence-mending when needed.

 Though not technically a trail item, the red barn does house the tools required to get the job done, so keeping the barn from collapsing by holding it together with paint is somewhat desirable. That's why we have work parties!

 Click on photos to enlarge

"What's going on here?" We had a number of weak or damaged rails that had to be replaced on the fence along the Silent Waters dam. With only 10 new rails to work with on this day, we had to be selective in replacements. The safety of the trail users was our primary concern.

Jim offers advice as Jeff removes a broken rail.

Jeff's son Anthony clears the growing accumulation of leaves from the Rec Path at Silent Waters.

 

"Well! Just don't stand there! Do sumthin'".

 

Jeff and Terry force another new rail into place.

 

Jim and Richard prepare to recycle the old rails.

"Time to go home?". Terry whistles "Hi-ho, hi-ho!", not realizing that there's painting to be done before the day is over.

 No, it's not over! Work continues at the barn. A new coat of paint was needed, and we had the brushes, paint, manpower, and Bill Dyer, "aka, "Tom Sawyer", to convince the volunteers that painting was fun!

 

Anthony shows how it's done.

Bill's concern was keeping the paint on the barn, and not on his clothes.

The other Bill was just trying to stay warm on this cool, breezy Autumn day.

Jim preferred the high life, spending most of his time on the ladder.

Jim watches Richard trying to restore an old edge to an old barn

We like to start at the bottom, and work our way up!

It was a fun day, really! Nice weather, easy projects, good exercise. This is a great way for a family to enjoy a productive, educational, and community improvement day. By all appearances Jeff and son Anthony experienced a morning of working together as a team.You can't buy that bonding!

Hoptoberfest (we can't do free work all the time)

Another Saturday morning, another work party.  We met at the Red Barn by the Shelton Dog Park, then headed off to work on the Shelton Lakes Recreation Path.  It was a great team with a lot of  volunteers; we levitated leaves, we fixed fences, we found benches, we beautified barns, all at no cost to the taxpayer.  God were we gullible goobers, but we had a good time on a beautiful Fall morning.

Rich and Sandie will probably detail  the "work" portion of the work party, however some of us had enjoyed the "party" portion at The Slab afterwords.  The Derby-Shelton Rotary Club was hosting their first ever Hoptoberfest  by the Farmers Market.

So while a few Trails Committee members were watching a nail-biter 62-17 UConn game (and not in a good way), the rest of us were out supporting the Rotary Club.  They sponsor Shelton Day where we have our annual booth to talk to folks about open space and trails in their neighborhoods.

Teresa was enjoying Howie and the Soul Potatoes at the Pavilion in the sun.  A very fine design by Jim Tate & Company.

It was a beautiful afternoon, if somewhat blustery, at The Slab along the Housatonic River downtown.  Its hard to imagine what this brownfield site used to look like in it's post-industrial heyday before it became the major downtown park.  The Conservation Commission and Trails Committee have been long-time supporters of better public access in downtown along the River and it is starting to pay off with downtown revitalization.  It's really good to see community events like this bringing people into downtown.

A number of folks were trying out their bikes and skateboards along the Riverwalk.

Terry & Bill were doing their part to support the Rotary Club.  Don't ever let it be said that the Trails Committee isn't civic minded.

We'd like to discuss a few suggestions for next year though; start a week earlier, add several more porta-potties, and fill up larger cups.  Possibly add a polka band just to fit in and keep up the Valley image.

All in all it was a great time & we'd recommend doing it again next year.  We'll definitely have more trails volunteers off the Disabled List by then and be able to make a better showing.  We need more parties at the end of work parties.

And a nice job by Allegra Printers on the graphics for the event.  They've helped out with printing for the City on our trail maps and brochures.  They are a good local business if you need printing.

Paint the Barn this Saturday

This weekend's (10/26/13) trail work party will be re-painting the Trails Committee's Barn at Nells Rock Road on Saturday.  We may also be retrieving a bench, fixing some fence rails on the RecPath, and clearing some brush depending on who shows up.

The Barn was last repainted by the Trails Committee in 2010 before the Dog Park was constructed and the White House torn down.  It's been needing re-painting but we've had other trail work that was a higher priority.  Emily Tarini's repainting of the Dog Park Shed is making us look bad and we have to spiff up our Barn.

So meet at the parking lot on Nells Rock Road and Rt. 108 at 8:30 and bring your old clothes.

Afterwards, some of us are going down to the Riverwalk at 1:00 to support the Shelton-Derby Rotary Club in their noble cause:  Hoptoberfest.  Tickets are $25 if purchased in advance, $35 at the gate.

Eagle Scout Project: Josh Kreitler's Blue Trail Extension

Here's another one of the many Eagle Scout projects completed in 2013. Josh Kreitler was responsible for building an extension to the Blue Trail (future Paugussett Trail), about 1/3 mile in length, from the powerlines near John Dominick Drive south to Buddington Road. Some photos of the new route were posted a few months ago. 

Constructing the bridge.

The trail extension included a significant wetland crossing, which is why this trail was not built previously. The problem was solved by using telephone poles to cross the gap, with planking attached.  Getting the hefty poles through the woods and into place was not easy.

Nice way to start a hike.

Nice job!

As an aside, the new trail section was built more or less as depicted in this plan from several years ago, when UI was selling the land alongside the powerlines:

The trail as built

At the time, one of our local developers was hoping to purchase the land to complete a block of land for a subdivision. The City of Shelton had the 'right of first refusal' because it was land from a public utility, and the Conservation Commission recommended the City purchase it for open space, which was done.  The second plan shows how the trail would have looked if the City had not purchased the land and the twelve proposed homes had been built (the two homes on the right are in the final stages of construction, but the rest of the proposal is dead).

Homes and trail under an earlier proposal.