Summer Mode!

During the last week of May, the newly enlarged Trail Crew got a taste of how summer workweeks are going to be.  We got to experience the challenge of taking on multiple simultaneous projects, survived an intense storm, learned a thing or two about keeping eighteen people occupied during too-wet working conditions, and continued to revise and improve on the amounts and types of tools we pack for particular tasks.  

Our main task at Mines of Spain State Recreation Area in Dubuque was to fix this staircase (built by the Trail Crew last summer) that had been broken by "falling" boulders.  

Our fearless leader, Mark, showed us how fun being the cause of "falling" boulders can be, and we had a great ethics discussion on why people do things like this and how/if we can stop them.

Another project we worked on at Mines of Spain was replacing rotted/damaged railroad ties on the Catfish Creek Trail.  Railroad ties are seldom the best trail building option (they can leak creosote, a harmful preservative, into the soil) this trail has soooooooooooo many railroad tie steps (hundreds upon hundreds) it would take a crew our size multiple years to switch to something better like flagstone, not to mention more money than the parks have just for the stone.  Our best option here was to replace the dangerous steps with new ties, and hope that we have the resources to opt for something different in the future.

Another project was to rebuild/fix waterbars on Calcite Trail--a trail that was built right through the drainage area between two hills, and at much more than a sustainable slope--creating a perfect path for channeling rainwater runoff, and thus a nightmare of a trail to maintain.  The ideal solution would be to re-route the trail, which is again too great an undertaking for this crew when other parks have equal if not worse problems.  However, we were able to improve the situation by building up existing waterbars--a task that will have to be redone every year, but will go a long way in keeping the trail intact and usable.

Waterbars are basically speed-bumps for water that will at least slow down the flow, but will optimally divert the water off of the trail altogether.  This can be aided by accompanying the waterbar with a "knick", a semi-circular, shaved-down section of trail that is canted to the outside.  This allows water to flow off of the trail before even hitting the waterbar, greatly extending the waterbar's life.

A series of waterbars on a steep hill

Adam helps carve a "knick", so water will drain off the trail before hitting the waterbar

An extremely well constructed waterbar--it is minimally disruptive to a hiker and the accompanying knick will help sheet water off of the trail gently instead of creating a narrow channel of runoff.

On one section of the trail, the terrain extended uphill on both sides.  This is the worst place you could build a trail, because there is nowhere else for the water to go--the trail IS the drainage canal.  Here we built our waterbars to direct the water to the side of the trail, and then dug large "silt-retention pools" for the water to collect in, and hopefully sink into the ground rather than rush down the trail.  If these pools fill up, the water should meander through some plants, debris and undergrowth before coming back to the trail, thus greatly diffusing its velocity and volume and therefore destructive power.

Here is a diagram showing how one of the waterbar/silt retention pool combos we built should work. This silt retention pool is about a 2' deep hole, and we made it about 2' x 3' in size.  We covered it with debris to make it look less like a random giant hole, and in a week or two plants will return to the area to make it even less noticeable.  As you can see, a large stream of water should exit the trail before the waterbar and collect in the pool area.  If it does overflow only small amounts of water will return to the trail at a considerably slower pace.  

One last project was replacing railings and other supporting rails on these really neat floating bridges near Horseshoe Canyon.  It was a difficult task, and the crew even made use of a boat to access outer areas of the bridge.

One of the great things about being an AmeriCorps crew is that some of our time can be used for "education". This is one of the things that really sets our program apart, and makes for an enriching, often life-changing experience, rather than just working on construction projects for a summer.  Typically this occurs out on the trails, when we see certain plants, animals, or insects.

Leah stands in a large grouping of Garlic Mustard, an invasive plant that spreads rapidly and prevents other native species from growing.  There is simply too much for parks to get rid of, and one way we are encouraging people to get involved is to go to your local parks and eat some!  Seriously, the plant is edible, healthy, and tastes exactly like garlic.  It has the texture of a tender lettuce leaf.  I've had some in Caesar salad and loved it, but I've also heard it makes a mean pesto!

A silkworm dangles nearly 20 feet from an overhead limb.

One of four turtle sightings that day!

However, sometimes adverse conditions (rain, in this case) keep us indoors and we can use this "education" time to watch presentations, engage in discussions, or even visit educational sites or facilities.  On our final day in Dubuque we spent a couple of hours at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.  If you've never been to a museum with a bunch of biology, forestry, and environmental science majors, I highly recommend it.  

Next on our plate for the month:  AmeriCorps Orientation, starting work at Lake of Three Fires, and attending/volunteering at the 2010 Iowa Trails Summit in Cedar Falls/Waterloo.

We will be building a trail for pedestrians that will be featured at the Summit, if you would like to come see what we do and help out, here is a flyer for our trailbuilding day: