Trail Update: Work Party Plan for May 24, 2025

With only 3 work parties left, we are nearing the finish line on our project on park property.

Last session we completed the work around Song Sparrow Bridge (it looks so great!) On May 24, we are headed back to the Pump House Trail Head to finalize our work there.

We are excited to host participants from the Mountaineers Go Hike Course, bringing our volunteer sign-ups to about 50.

Our objectives for the work party:

• Caning invasive blackberries and trimming vegetation encroaching on the trail between the rock garden and the culvert (marked on the map).
  • The is goal is to remove vegetation and tree limbs that catch on trail user’s cloths and skin as they ride and walk AND keep invasive blackberries from taking over where native plants are growing within 4′ of the trail.
  • Load trimmings in garbage cans and wheelbarrows and dump in locations designated by our team leads.

• Establish three bench sites for the Port.
  • Clearing plant life, trimming branches, laying landscape cloth, marking outer edge of area with 4×8 rock.
  • Build a step down at the bench site next to the elevated trail.

• Repair vandalism to the rock wall at the Pump House Bridge.
  • A couple of weeks ago, someone(s) pulled several big rocks out of the rock wall and threw them in the creek. The also pulled apart a step and destroyed the rock work around the culvert.
  • We will retrieve the rocks out of the water, rebuild the wall, steps and culvert.

• Final capping on elevated trail
  • After we are done running powered equipment over the elevated trail, we will complete the final sand capping from the west end of the elevated area to the bridge.

• Clean out Pump House. Leave trash in the designated area at the trail head for the park dept to pick up.

Additional projects, if there is time:

1. Establish “Y” trail from the trailhead to the maintenance road
2. Trimming blackberries on the bonus loop
3. Planting grass seed and wildflowers in the decommissioned borrow pit near the Big Meadow

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