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.

Applied Physics: Wiacek Woods Work Party

Saturday we met to help continue work near the new Paugussett Trail bog walk at Wiacek Woods.  Bill Dyer got a work out with his twin crow bar trekking poles hiking into the work zone.  He'll probably want more at the next work party.  It was good to walk through all the improved sections of the Trail that we had worked on earlier in the year.  With all the fallen leaves you could hardly tell that there had been major trail construction there earlier.

 Teresa showed off the new bog walk sections to the volunteers.

Teresa Gallagher showed off the new bog walk to the volunteers.

Ellen, Bill & Tom trimmed out the Birch Tunnel section out to Meadow Street.  There were a lot of broken branches poking in at eye level.  It's now really inviting instead of a scary Halloween ride.

Matt and Aidan did a good job with moving rocks over for stepping stones.  

Rocks lines up to become stepping stones

Aidan and Matt also carried earth to cover eroded sections of the trail with a lot of roots that were sticking up.  This made the footing a lot nicer.

We had a lot of lessons in applied physics.  

• rolling a big rock is easier than lifting one,
• lift with your legs, not with your back,
• rock nets and teamwork make it a lot easier to move heavy rocks,
• a crow bar with a fulcrum to lever up rocks can be your friend,
• hand tracks also are good back saving devices for moving heavy rocks,
• keep your fingers and toes out from under rocks while being picked up with a bar in case the bar slips,
• wear leather work boots rather than sneakers, if possible, while doing rock work

Tom cleared out sight lines along the Meadow St. pull-off opposite Mayflower Lane.  The Paugussett Trail exits the Birch Tunnel at Meadow St. and becomes a short road walk to the cul-de-sac at the end of the road after that.

UI had people up in a bucket working on the new lines

Thanks to Tom, Matt, Aidan, Bill, Ellen, Teresa, and Terry for working on this section today.  This section of the Paugussett Trail has see a lot of improvements this year.

Round 3 - Paugussett Trail Stone Hauling

 A sunny Saturday with no rain in sight; seems very abnormal.

This was the third work party in a row to finish up this section of the Paugussett Trail north of Constitution Blvd.  It's a very wet stretch that was hardened with crushed stone over the last two weeks.  This week we were putting a finish topping of finer crushed stone over the coarser sections.  This week was less muddy - above is the "Before" picture of the clean crew at the start.

Jack, Anne, and Val were loading the wheelbarrows and buckets with crushed stone.  Other volunteers were hauling it out along the trail to the end then working their way backwards.  Thanks to the Shelton Highways and Bridges Dept. for dropping off more processed stone.

We didn't get a lot of photos this time, but it was a lot of hard work.  And despite the cool weather it got surprisingly hot in the sun.  We need to bring more water next time.

Helpful Trail Tip:  Bring water, lots of water.  And snacks.  And dress in layers.

Some people cleared up the upper Eversource crossing, others raked, smoothed and tamped down the fine stone mix.  Everyone helped.  Devin was a big help wheeling the crushed stone.

Trail Hardening is hard work.  I could almost hear Bill Dyer cheering us on.  We kept going until lunchtime when we ran out of steam and water, but we got this section all covered.  Val & Ellen shoveled and moved a lot of stone all morning long.  Some of the younger guys could take a lesson from them on how to keep working and being efficient.

 It may take some more fine finishing but this was a huge improvement for the trail tread.

Thanks to Devin, Val, Ellen, Ivana, Andrijana, Anne, Teresa, Terry, Jack, Jaden, and Cooper.

Sunday Morning Stroll - 2024 Shelton Trails Challenge

It was a beautiful Sunday morning so my wife and I did one of the Shelton Trails Challenge Hikes together, sorta.  It was Level 2 Paugussett Trail from Indian Well State Park to Buddington Road hike; a distance of 4 miles.  To avoid spotting a car she started at Indian Well near the falls, and I started at Buddington Rd.  We passed and drove each other's car home.  I got the better part of the deal because I was hiking downhill, without a big pack.

I parked at the trail kiosk near the powerlines, then went downhill and crossed Josh's Bridge.  The neighbor had their goats out mowing the grass and brush.  We waved and he made sure the goats stayed out of the road.  

The first part of the hike was very peaceful and quiet.  There wasn't even much road noise once I got a little away from Buddington.

The Woodpecker Staircase is a funny landmark tree along the trail - still standing.

Vernal pools were filled up due to all the rain.  The frogs were not making as much noise now that they've laid their eggs in the pools.

The scout bridge over the J Pond was in good shape.

Eklund Native Garden was clear and getting ready for Spring growth.  The trail then crosses Oak Valley Road and heads along the west side of Hope Lake.

The Paugussett Trail joins with the Recreation Path near Hope Lake.  Traffic started to pick up and I went past the Dog Park and Trail Barns at Nells Rock Road.

Families were out enjoying the RecPath.  This portion of the hike was on the handicapped-accessible gravel Path.

People were fishing at Silent Waters, jogging, or strolling along the RecPath.  The Paugussett then turned uphill after the dams and followed the Powerlines north toward Independence Drive.

Crossing Independence Dr. - Eversource is still working on the gulch.

There were trout lilys and other spring wildflowers poking up along the streams.

Passing the area that we were working on yesterday.  It was much nicer to walk on today.

The section thru Wiecek Woods was extremely muddy.  Somebody thru these silly sticks in the mud which actually made it harder to walk on.  The sticks can roll when you step on them - just wear good waterproof boots this time of year.

Crossing Meadow St. and there's a short road walk down Mayflower Road.  The neighbor's are using the trail head at the cul-de-sac to dump their yard waste in the trail, again.  SIGH.   Why can't everyone just be good citizens and either have a compost pile in the own yard or take the bush to the City yard.

It was an easy walk downhill to Rt. 110 and Indian Well State Park.  Watch for traffic at Rt. 110.

Passed an old shovel head along the trail.  Maybe we could fix this up?

There were some step-over blowdowns on the old road.

The trail pops out into a meadow with pretty wildflowers.

And there's my ride at the Falls Parking Lot - with some Dutchman's Breaches.  Now if I can remember how to drive a stick shift I should make it home.  

This spotting of cars with a friend or relative is an easy way to do some of the longer Trails Challenge hikes.  You can see a lot of nice features along the Open Spaces along the way.

Let's Get Muddy

It's Spring, it's Connecticut, and it's raining all the time it seems.  Which makes it very muddy to do trail work.  In some places people could reasonably say lets wait until it's dryer to do trail construction projects.  Some people might say that, but not us.......

The Paugussett Trail from Constitution Boulevard North to Meadow Street is a boney, wet, root-filled ankle twister that is just not the most pleasant to hike or walk.  For 2024 one of our big projects is to fix this by improving drainage, adding crushed stone & gravel, cutting trees, and making a better walking surface.  Despite Mother Nature.

Today we had about 21 volunteers show up to move crushed stone in along the wetter and rootier sections of the Paugussett Tr. listed above.  This is the group photo at the beginning of the work party.  Note how clean and mud free they looked at the beginning.

But, prior to this.  Mark Vollaro cleared out a place to dump stone, and then the Shelton Highways and Bridges Department responded to our request and dropped a load of 3/4" Processed Aggregate off.  Thanks very, very much to H&B for helping us out. 

Mark and Ray pre-fab'ed some temporary walkways across the muddy spots to help us wheel in stone.

About 104 l.f. of walks to be precise.

 

Which were then wheeled in and dumped off and spread by our great team of volunteers.

Basically, volunteers loaded many wheelbarrows with crushed stone and brought the stone into muddy and rooty areas in the trail, dumped their loads, and others spread the material out with shovels and rakes.

                            

Everybody got lots of practice with shovels and wheelbarrows.  There was no exam afterwards though.

At the end of the day it was a job well done with lots of muddy boots and pants to show for it.

Thanks to Anne, Jeff, Brooklyn, Nolan, Dillon, Ryan, Ethan, Danny, Bodie, John, Jeff, Cooper, Camille, Ellen, Val, Luis, Michael, Erik, Bill, Mark, Terry & Teresa.

We fixed up about 400 l.f. of trail and used up most of the crushed stone pile that was dumped off by the City.  Great progress - TBC.

Round Hill Road Roundup

Following risking my life getting supplies for Christmas Cookies at Shop Rite on Sunday I headed out for some trail work.  Went out to cut up what I thought were some easy blowdowns on the Paugussett Trail south of Round Hill Road.  Sharpened my saw, filed it with gas and bar oil, drove up to the site, and what did I find.

A great big old 24" birch tree smothered with vines, briars, poison ivy, you name it, fully across the trail not 20 feet behind the trailhead.  I just had to laugh, possibly sob, and said this is going to be an interesting day.  A nearby neighbor heard me and came over to say that this had come down in the storm last night.  I asked if it made any noise, and that was a big Oh Yah.

So, carting my gear I hoofed it back toward Birchbank Mtn. to find the other blowdowns that were on our To Do List.  I came across some new blowdowns too, got to a good stopping point, turned around and started working my way back to Round Hill Road.

 

 

Practiced my Notch-Bucking techniques from the CFPA class on some old dead ash trees along the trail.  The blow downs were all ash and birch trees.

 

Then roll the logs out of the way.

Rinse and Repeat.  Here's a birch tree that came down recently and the top dropped across the trail behind it.

Cleared that all out and the original trail tread is restored.

The top notch is on the right (rolled away from me - on purpose), and the birch shows the "nibbling" cuts to take out the hinge

Cleared out a bunch of blowdowns and getting back to the big one at Round Hill Road.  Who rolled up at that time but Mark Vollaro (fabulous timing).  We took off the vines, briars, and whatnot, so we could see what to cut.

Mark was game and started dropping the log.  We tried to make sure it didn't bounce funny off the rocks.

But Mark brought it down with no crushed toes.

Here's mark at the end of the job.  We left a narrow notch to keep out the ATVs.  We stood back to admire our handiwork.

A right on cue a southbound hiker came through to enjoy the newly cleared trail.  Timing is everything today.  This stretch of the Paugussett Trail is now clear for the public to enjoy.