You Shall Not Pass

There was a big turn-out to help clean up the Old Trails Barn and move stuff over to the new Trails Barn.  It was a brisk morning and by brisk I mean cold.  So we got to it quickly.  Folks broke up into multiple work parties and started tackling various tasks to get the blood moving.

Some when to clear out the old woodpile by the Dog Park fence, and move it into the old Barn.  Some moved some stuff to from the Old Barn to the New Barn, some went to fix broken railings at the Silent Waters Dam, some started shoveling the pile of processed stone before it froze in place, and some started driving the stone around and dumping it off. 

Val & Bill fixed the busted rails on the RecPath fence at Silent Waters (again).  A tree had come down and smashed the rails, and the Trails volunteers fixed this hazardous spot.  There may be other hazardous spots out there along the trails, but we repaired this one today before the ground froze.

The Silent Waters Canoe Launch on Constitution Blvd North needed some tread repairs due to erosion and tree roots.  So while people were moving stone and barn contents, others were dropping off crushed stone to improve things for next spring.

It took at least 4 loads (surprisingly) but we got the canoe drop off ready for Spring.

 There were some RecPath customers that came by as we were working.

This little guy seemed a bit bewildered by the whole process, but who knows; he could be on the Trails Committee some day, probably also fixing up the RecPath and canoe launch.

The ramp down to the lake was fixed up.  Now all we have to do is fix up the stones along the launch.  That may wait until the weather is warmer at this point.

Others were moving stuff between the barns, and loading stuff into the Gator to get hauled up the RecPath from the Dog Park.  That material will get moved around to repair erosion when it defrosts.  Thanks to the City of Shelton crews for dropping the crushed stone mix off at the parking lot.

Here's Graham doing his "You Shall Not Pass" pose from Monty Python and the Holy Grail movie.  In reality, he's just finished feathering out the drop off at the bridge abutments so our handicapped - accessible path is actually handicapped-accessible for folks who want to enjoy the woods without an aggravating 3/4" jump at the bridge.  And it's also more enjoyable for folks that walk, ride bikes, push baby strollers, etc.  It may sound dumb, but it's the little things that matter sometimes. 

Thanks to everyone who came out: Bill, Val, Mark, Mike, Ralph, Ralph, Ted, Graham, Mary, Mike, Terry, Annie, Bob, Sam and anyone else we missed.   A lot of seasonal tasks got done around the Trails Barns and RecPath at Shelton Lakes.

It was a Jungle at Silent Waters (Mind the Hornets)

 It is was a jungle along the RecPath at Silent Waters.  Thankfully, a crack crew of trails volunteers fixed that problem.

This is the "Before" picture at Shelton Intermediate School  when everybody was fresh, clean, and un-wounded.  Then we got to work.

A group took off and went in at the Turkey Trot kiosk and another went in at Rt. 108 by the crosswalk.  Our goal was to cut back all the jungle that was growing into the Recreation Path while we had been working on other trails in June.

It was getting pretty hairy by the last week in June.  It was worse by the end of the first week in July.

It was a busy morning with a lot of active trail users enjoying the RecPath.

We had a fine crew of Shelton students helping with cutting brush and clearing the Path.

The overlooks of Silent Waters were cleared at the dam.  Matt was trying to fix the fences.  We'll have to come back to work on some of the missing rails.

Some of the fence sections need work.  Sigh!.  Again.  Please be a little careful and don't fall off the top of the dams in those spots.

The beavers seem to have abandoned Silent Waters, and the water levels have dropped.

The lily pads at Silent Waters looked good though.

The buttonbush by the canoe launch looked really good.  There were lots of bees working the flowering shrubs.

We had a good work party, marred only by Val getting into a hornet nest on the downhill side of the main dam.  She took a lot of hits, dropped everything and ran, but she is recovering.  She's tough.

Thanks to everyone who came out: Myisha, Sam, Ethan, Noah, Luis, Graham, Matt, Ellen, Mark, Terry, and Val.  Maybe Val can give some safety pointers class at the next work party on how to deal with bee stings.  We're going into wasp season and it's one of our main safety risks doing trails work (that and driving to the work parties).  

And poison ivy too.  One of our volunteers is still recovering from poison ivy from the last work party.  Please remember to was with rubbing alcohol and a rough cloth to get all the invisible poison ivy sap off of you after washing.  There was a lot of it along the RecPath on Saturday.

Thanks again to Shelton's volunteers, they should get hazard pay.  There was a lot of poison ivy along the RecPath in the sunny spots, but there's a bit less today thanks to the volunteers..  The hornet nest was flagged with pink ribbon, walk briskly as you pass by.  And enjoy Silent Waters, it's worth the visit.  Check out the buttonbush.

Wet 'n' Wild

On one of the rare temperate days of this July, the Shelton Trails Committee organized a fun Saturday, inviting all to join us in guided hikes, biking, and kayaking at Silent Waters. We had initially included sledding on the agenda, but the anticipated blizzard did not materialize. That aside, we couldn't have asked for better weather.

Enjoy the cruise? This father-son team won the prize for coolest looking boat. One of our goals was to get people out exploring the open spaces that they hadn't visited yet, and we think we succeeded.

Jim and Terrance inspect the flotilla before launching the first kayak.

In spite of the low water level, the hardy sailors were able to push off from our canoe launch. Bill was elected to test the waters and managed to keep his feet dry! (and his white sneakers shiny)

Terrance bids farewell to son Ryan, the sailor gone to sea.

Ryan joins father and son kayakers exploring the perimeter of Silent Waters. This small body of water attracts fishermen and floaters both, due to its serene and colorful nature. If not for its proximity to the road, you would think that you were in a primitive wilderness.


Emma has her learner's permit, but she hasn't attended the class on which side of the paddle goes up yet. "Why is this thing going in circles?"

While the Silent Waters Yacht Club was out paddling Teresa lead a group hike along the Turkey Trot Trail. Some folks got to explore some areas that they hadn't seen before. We passed a few trail runners, dog walkers, and other familys out enjoying the trails. We also had some mountain bikers, and two cute little girls on scooters enjoying the paved portions of the RecPath over by the Intermediate School.

Teresa points out a lurking alligator while Biscuit the Sea Dog is more concerned with the dock they are about to crash into.

It was a beautiful day, we did some new enjoyable things, and we had a nice turnout from a wide variety of folks out exploring and enjoying Shelton's greenways.

ALL IN ALL, ANOTHER GREAT TRAILS EVENT DAY!

We're in Business at the Boat Club

Rich Skudlarek models the latest yachting apparel at the Silent Waters Canoe Launch (and we also allow kayaks, john boats, and inflatables if they are not too trendy). The access is on Constitution Boulevard North across from the Intermediate School. Rich & I cleared out the puckerbrush on Saturday along the road & set up the sign after we got pipes for the scouts & stopped at the big EMS tag sale. You can now park and safely off load your boat for some easy paddling fun along the RecPath.

Here is a photo of the improved canoe ramp and lake. I added 2 Gator loads of rip rap, plus some larger rocks that were scavenged. The ramp could use a few more stones in the end, but I was running out of steam on Labor Day afternoon, so everybody bring a rock to add when you go boating. I had a number of folks come up to me and ask if they could canoe/fish/hike here (I really have got to work on keeping a straight face when I offer to sell those special Shelton Open Space Passes for $5 cash). But no, I always tell them the truth; that they can enjoy the park for free. I had some people come up and ask what City Department I worked for, and after I got done laughing, I said it's all volunteers folks. You get out of it what you put into it. Hopefully some people sign up at the Shelton Trails website for our upcoming work parties.

The lake is small & shallow so it's a good place for families with kids learning to paddle.

It was nice seeing everybody out using the greenway. There were people out fishing, walking their dog, couples strolling, and families biking. I chatted with one nice guy who was surprised to see the canoe launch, and then went home & brought his brother back to show him where to launch their boat. They had been carrying their boat up & over the dam (they said it was way more work than using our new canoe ramp). I hope they get a big bass next time they're here.

Enjoy the canoe launch & please pick up whatever trash you see. Happy paddling from your friends at Shelton Trails.