Good Evening Fellow NCTr's:
Lee Fairbanks, Doug Turner, and I headed out to the state line at PA Gamelands 285 this cool, gray afternoon to work on our little reroute project there and the session proved to be both productive and therapeutic. Doug worked down on the relatively (relatively!) level section at the top of the stream valley, grubbing out the rocks, roots, and dirt along the flagline to make a connection to our existing trail. While he was doing that Lee and I worked our way eastward, up a pile of root-infested rocks, digging sidehill and a switchback. The three of us knocked out eighty-some yards of trail in two short hours.
It got therapeutic today as each of us kind of worked our own area of what was being built, crafting the new treadway with what each of us knows about building trail. Not a lot of conversation, just kind of being "in the moment" in the woods.
I can't speak for the other two guys, but for the most part, my thoughts included contemplation of my love/hate relationship with trail rocks. As we decide to build a new section of North Country Trail across a big old pile of discarded strip mine rocks we always agree that it's gonna be "some tough digging." Then when we start digging I think, "Man, this is tough digging!" - as I set aside the pulaski, hazel hoe, and McCloud and have to use the pick-mattock to pry them out of the ground. But then, once I get going, I start realizing the possibilities, like "I can build a little step-like thing here with that big rock," or "These'll be GREAT for that little bit of cribbing I need right here for this sidehill!" or "This will look awesome with that little wall of rocks right there." Trail Rocks - hate 'em - love 'em.
Enough of that - some photos from today are here http://picasaweb.google.com/105725471641034380528/WampumChapter2010TrailWork#
Between family and work obligations I am going to be tied up the rest of this weekend so, tentatively speaking, our next trip out probably won't be until next weekend sometime. I'll get the word out as soon as I know something definite.
Thanks for all you do for the trail!
Dave
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