Paradox
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- May 29, 2006
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Recently, I became interested in the Trailwrights’ 72 List for no other reason than “it was there.” From the Trailwrights’ website I learned that there was a work party scheduled for 7/18 on the 0.4 mile Bald Mountain portion of the Artist’s Bluff Loop at the Northern end of Franconia Notch. I joined Hal, Bill, Peggy, Barbara, Daryl, and Ray at the trailhead at 8:30am in a day of departure from the beakbagging I have enjoyed over the years.
From the website I also learned that the “Trailwrights, Inc. founded in 1987, is a non-profit volunteer organization, the purpose of which is to promote environmentally sound techniques of trail maintenance and safe ethical hiking practices. To this end, Trailwrights has sponsored hundreds of trail maintenance workshops and hiking/backpacking workshops. Trailwrights has also organized the restoration of the New Hampshire Trails Day program. They are made up of volunteer men and women who enjoy hiking and care about the maintenance and use of hiking trails.
Hal mentioned that the group at one time numbered as many as one hundred members. Regrettably the participation has dwindled, much in the way that many volunteer service organizations have over the years. Groups such as Rotary, Shriners, the Lions, and others have incurred similar drops in membership as many of us, myself included, have pursued personal goals such as climbing mountains such as Rainier, participating in all consuming events such as triathlons, and leading exotic animals up the Autoroad.
After selecting tools from the well stocked trailer we headed across the parking lot to the trailhead where we relocated the sign demarking the Artist’s Bluff Trailhead to a location with better visibility.
Proceeding up the trail that traversed the side of the hill, Hal quickly identified an area of terrain above the trail that was eroded by a large volume of water and found a suitable location for a new waterbar. It took us about an hour and a half for three of us to cut a trench find and move the flat rocks to line the downhill wall of the trench and place an exit sluice on the downhill side of the trench.
In this way we installed three new waterbars, greatly improved another three and cleaned out dozens of others. We also installed several new rock steps and identified locations for some others in future work parties.
At one point early on we had a conversation with a park ranger who thanked us for the extensive work Trailwrights has done over the years. He also informed us that the trail will be renamed “Veterans Memorial Trail” and is to be dedicated later on this summer.
It is exhausting work but very rewarding. I attempted to count the folks who passed us during the day on the trail and feel it could be safely estimated at about 80. Most were groups of 3 to 5, many of them families with young children. This trail is a great way to introduce a 4 year old to hiking. The short trail leads to a beautiful view South, down the notch.
From the website I also learned that the “Trailwrights, Inc. founded in 1987, is a non-profit volunteer organization, the purpose of which is to promote environmentally sound techniques of trail maintenance and safe ethical hiking practices. To this end, Trailwrights has sponsored hundreds of trail maintenance workshops and hiking/backpacking workshops. Trailwrights has also organized the restoration of the New Hampshire Trails Day program. They are made up of volunteer men and women who enjoy hiking and care about the maintenance and use of hiking trails.
Hal mentioned that the group at one time numbered as many as one hundred members. Regrettably the participation has dwindled, much in the way that many volunteer service organizations have over the years. Groups such as Rotary, Shriners, the Lions, and others have incurred similar drops in membership as many of us, myself included, have pursued personal goals such as climbing mountains such as Rainier, participating in all consuming events such as triathlons, and leading exotic animals up the Autoroad.
After selecting tools from the well stocked trailer we headed across the parking lot to the trailhead where we relocated the sign demarking the Artist’s Bluff Trailhead to a location with better visibility.
Proceeding up the trail that traversed the side of the hill, Hal quickly identified an area of terrain above the trail that was eroded by a large volume of water and found a suitable location for a new waterbar. It took us about an hour and a half for three of us to cut a trench find and move the flat rocks to line the downhill wall of the trench and place an exit sluice on the downhill side of the trench.
In this way we installed three new waterbars, greatly improved another three and cleaned out dozens of others. We also installed several new rock steps and identified locations for some others in future work parties.
At one point early on we had a conversation with a park ranger who thanked us for the extensive work Trailwrights has done over the years. He also informed us that the trail will be renamed “Veterans Memorial Trail” and is to be dedicated later on this summer.
It is exhausting work but very rewarding. I attempted to count the folks who passed us during the day on the trail and feel it could be safely estimated at about 80. Most were groups of 3 to 5, many of them families with young children. This trail is a great way to introduce a 4 year old to hiking. The short trail leads to a beautiful view South, down the notch.
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