The RecPath has reached the Powerlines!

The next section of the Shelton Lakes Recreation Path reached some major construction milestones this week. The Pruzinsky/Fairview Team crossed the Iroquois Gas Pipeline & reached the powerlines!

The RecPath base was constructed out from the Crab Apple Drive bridge northward toward the Abby Wright open space. This section will link up with the Knells Loop Trail that goes over to Nells Rock Road by the L'Hermitage Condos. The contractor is using road millings from the recent roadwork on Buddington Road as a base. The millings will be covered with filter fabric and fine gravel.

They are cutting and chipping as they go to have a very narrow corridor of disturbance out to the powerlines. This section goes through some rugged terrain and will feature some great views of wetlands and cliffs later this fall.

They used steel plates to distribute the load of construction equipment, and smaller machinery when working over the gas pipeline. The work was scheduled so an inspector from Iroquois could be there while the construction was taking place.

Next week should see clean up, more base, adding some drainage pipes, & then the finish course should start going down!

Come to our Twilight Hike this Tuesday and see the work for yourself. Look for more exciting RecPath news in the coming weeks, and pencil in Sept. 24th on your calendar (tentative) for a little RP celebration.

Stop Growing D#%*$t!

Before

A lot of work & attention has been going into the recent Shelton Lakes Recreation Path construction lately and getting the RecPath in shape for the recent National Trails Day hike. This means that a lot of other trails have not gotten needed maintenance, which combined with record rainfalls means that things have gotten way, Way, WAY out of hand.

Here's a portion of the Paugussett Trail near Dyer Straits (between Independence Drive and Wellington Court). It was impassible to anything short of tigers or ticks. So Jim & Rich fired up the DR Field Mower and swung into action on June 15th.

After

The DR Mower is towed behind our Gator & allows us to keep up with brush. The Paugussett Trail along the powerlines has some of our most aggressive plant growth and it's hard to keep up with it with just hand tools.

Before

This is another section of the Paugussett Trail north of Rt. 108. This stretch is popular with mountain bikers, residents of surrounding streets, and the High School Cross Country Team.

After

It was hot work but Rich & Jim got a lot done for just two guys. Unfortunately it's been two weeks since the mowing was done & the Paugussett needs a new haircut.

If you like using the trails come out for a work party some time. Many hands makes for light work as Bill likes to say, and these trails don't keep themselves clear.

Workin' on the Wires 9-11-10

People have been asking what's been going on along the Paugussett Trail on both sides of Independence Driver earlier this month? Connecticut Light & Power was doing a splice on their overhead powerline that runs along the trail, and they had to improve the access road (which in this section is our trail) in order to get their trucks up to the towers.

Rich Skudlarek got some action photos of the CL&P crew frying in the sun, 80 feet off the ground, in a little bucket surrounded by high voltage lines. Those guys have a tough job.

On the negative side our trail was closed for a couple of days, but on the positive side our trail was repaired and improved.

There were a lot of wash outs coming down the hill to Independence. The CL&P crew spread some processed stone about, seeded and mulched the haul road. Now all we need is a little rain to help the seed take.

Here's the finished trail coming down the hill. This will be a lot easier to mow without the gullies. Trails and utility corridors are very compatible because there are mutual interests in keeping the trail clear, and they can contain a lot of wildlife that is interesting.


Here's a Praying Mantis that my sharp-eyed daughter spotted along the trail. There are a lot of surprising things to see when you're out enjoying a walk. Thanks CL&P for fixing up the trail.

Briar mayhem along the Northwest Passage

A small group of diehards lead by Jim, Carol, Luis, Terry, Rich & Bill met at the basketball courts at Riverview Park on a cold December morning. After debating current events, and stamping our feet to keep warm we decided that the snow was too frozen to rake leaves along The Bluff Walk, so we decided to rough clear the trail through the briars along the Northwest Passage instead. So we went up to Constitution Boulevard North to work our way south through the open space corridor along the powerlines.

It turned into a surprisingly nice morning with only the noise of the the birds singing, loppers snicking, and the quite schwing schwing of Rich with his two machetes. (he always has 2 of everything). The briars and Russian Olive were so thick here that a rabbit would have to walk backwards in order to get thru the thorn maze.

Helpful Trail Tip: Hedge clippers work pretty good on briar patches if you're equipped with thick gloves, a heavy coat, and flannel lined Carhartt pants. Safety glasses would also be good too if you don't already have glasses. The briars showed no mercy.

Here's Carol, Luis, and Bill clearing a hole thru the brush. Suddenly, the peaceful tranquility of a winter Saturday was jolted awake by the sound of loud power equipment. Bill had fired up the gas-powered Stihl hedge trimmer that is possibly our most evil looking tool, but it is pretty effective with the thorns along the powerlines.

Here's a picture of Bill looking like an extra from a Steven King movie. Run away.

Helpful Safety Tip: Create a safe work zone around each worker depending on the tools involved. Bill looks scary, but he's OK if you stay about 15 feet away. Rich on the other hand kept trying to point at things all morning when we were talking, but forgot that he had a machete in his hand. Thank God he's not Italian, and doesn't use too many wild hand gestures.

Here's a picture of what it looked like after we did the rough cutting. The buzzards kept circling us, which was a little troubling, but we all made it out in one piece. Additional work will be needed , but at least you can follow the trail now. All told, about 3/4's of a mile of new trail are now roughed out from the junction with the Turkey Trot Trail up to Constitution Boulevard North at Summerfield Condos.

There is a small stream and swamp crossing north of Independence Drive. Rich and I carried in some of our old boardwalk sections from The Missing Link (we love to recycle). We'll position them in place during the coming weeks. The section near the stream is wet and will require stepping stones and maybe some small boardwalks, but it is open now as long as you have good boots. Look for an update on future work parties and enjoy the holidays.

Happy hiking.