2025 Goals

The Trails Committee has a very long to-do list, so for 2025, several items were prioritized as goals for 2025: 

1. Upgrade the mucky approach to the Stockmal Trail bridge. During major floods, there is a current across this area, so secured bogwalk or bridge sections may be appropriate; 
   
   

   

   Flooding across Stockmal Trail at the bridge

   
   
2. Work on recognizing past Eagle Scout projects;
   
   
3. Apply for a DEEP Recreational Trails Grant for the Rec Path (if it is funded for 2025);
   
   
4. Repair three kiosks, starting with the Hope Lake Kiosk (begun);
   
   
5. Build a bridge for the Paugussett Trail at Birchbank's scenic Chimney Junction. This is the most challenging project. The brook has a strong current when it floods. 
   
   
6. Construct a new Curtiss Brook Connector trail to serve as an access trail to the Rec Path at Pine Lake.  This trail would serve as an alternative to walking along Rt 108 in a spot that has no shoulder, something high school student do frequently. Volunteers would construct a 'pilot trail' that could be upgraded if funding allows. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Build a Boehm Pond access trail off of Corn Hill Drive as requested by residents. This is a project best routed during mud season in order to find a dry route. 
   
   
   

French's Hill Winter Work Party

2025 is off with a bang.  The groundhog sees his shadow and we start getting a snowy winter in February.  Saturday we met at French's Hill to cut back brush before it snows tonight.

We had a good crew to work on cutting barberry and blow downs.  The parking lot was a bit icy, but passable.  Thick pants and sturdy work boots are encouraged, along with warm gloves, hats, and safety gear.

It took a little while to get started, but we got squared away and broke into groups.  Mark & Ray went over to Granderson Place to clear a blow down and cut stuff going out on the Red Trail.  They also cut stuff later at Oak Valley Trail.  Bill, Aidan, and Kaden cut back brush and cleared debris along the entry drive and parking area.  Ellen, John, Danny, Bodie & Larry worked their way in along the trails.  Terry took the brushcutter away from the other folks so it was safer.

John is clearing briars along the trail entry.  The sickle bar attachment is good for getting the brushy stuff, and prevent an explosion of briars in the spring.

There were newer blow downs from recent storms.  We'll need to come back for this one on the White Trail, but it's passable for now.

Barberry was cut next to the trails, and a lot of clumps cut off trail.  The barberry will re-sprout in the spring, but it'll be smaller green growth that can get cut more easily with lighter tools.   This will make it less of a crisis during April to June when everything needs to be cut at once, and it may allow some native species to sprout and compete for space and help the forest environment.  

The 3-bladed brush knife and smaller guard are a better combo for cutting barberry.

The White Trail was nice and peaceful (when we weren't working with power tools).

Helpful Trail Tip:  Micro-spikes on your boots are great for packed down trails that are icy.  Mine, of course, were home resting in a nice dry warm drawer.

Judging from the tracks, a lot of local residents have been using the trails.  One of the reasons for preserving Shelton's Open Spaces.

Near the end of the end of the work party, a couple of younger volunteers wanted to try out traditional clearing techniques on a dead snag which normally we leave up for the woodpeckers (but we have a few snags to spare at French's Hill), so here's Bodie.

And Danny going at it.  Apparently, it was warm work.

Timber! (nice thumb)

Team work - The End.  Hopefully, they can shovel tomorrow.

Thanks to everyone who came out on a chilly morning; Mark, Ray, Ellen, Larry, Danny, Bodie, John, Aidan, Kaden, Bill, Terry.  There's more to cut, but this was a good start on our Pre-Spring Clearing.

Now we just wait for snow tonight and then the Super Bowl.  Have fun exploring French's Hill and bring your tracking guide. 

First Work Party of 2025

 The first work party of 2025 was cutting briars in the snow North of Constitution Blvd.  An earlier work party scheduled for Jan. 9th was canceled due to weather. 

We needed a new route to mow some of the trails following the Eversource powerline construction.  The big timber mats they put down to drive equipment on turned what was a usable road on City Open Space into a compressed swamp that was impassable at times.  So we shifted the route to slightly higher ground, which was a wicked briar patch.  The temperature was in the teens when we started, but it was sunny and the wind wasn't blowing.  So this was one of the best days of the week so far.

Bill was using his electric hedgetrimmer, but stopped to take pictures of our group.

Aidan, Nancy, Mark (& Mike) were going thru the thick stuff.  This was a day to wear the thicker, briar-resistant clothing.

A happy mid-winter work crew.  We split into 2 groups so we could use the brushcutters and hedge trimmers a safe distance from each other.

Bill & I also cleared out barberry along the Paugussett Trail from Constitution Blvd to the powerlines, and some of the other nearby trails.  Cutting back the barberry and other invasive species during the winter helps scheduling trail work in the spring when everything is leafing out.  Barberry is a pain to control, but cutting it now makes it easier to kill some of the fresh sprouts in the spring.

This stretch of the Paugussett Trail was pretty in the snow.  Some of the blowdowns that had been hung up in the trees finally decided to come down in December.  These will be added to the chainsaw portion of the To Do List.

There were a lot of prints on the trails in the snow (people and animals).  It's nice to see hikers and neighbors using the trails.

This is the path thru the thicket after the work party.  The gator path is re-routed around the wet spot N. of  Derby Junction (the power companies term for this spot).  Eversource is done with their work here, but UI Co. is still working on their powerline replacement project.  It should be easier to use and maintain our Gator/walking trail during this spring.

Thanks to Nancy, Mark, Bill, Aidan, Mike and Terry coming out to cut thick briars on a frosty morning.  It turned out to be a decent January day.  The first work party of 2025 is in the books.