Trail work with volunteer opportunities!
Last updated 12/612
Trail work has ended for the winter
Trailmaster:
Jim Langdon, 943-3992.
I've decided to close the fall 2012 trail work season. The weather is getting cold and I know that as soon as I schedule another work party the ground will freeze.
As a wrap up, we had 165 individuals add their names to my sign-in sheets on work days, totaling just shy of 1000 hours worked. The top helper this fall was Ray Merriman, with 23 work days and 91 hours. There were 19 volunteers who worked more than one day. Amazon and Lamb Weston each sponsored three work parties for their employees. Amazon had 27 workers with 108 hours, and Lamb Weston had 103 workers totaling 358 hours.
The 15 work parties this season used picks, shovels, and rakes, starting in the heat we had so late in the season, and transitioning to the cold - and it seemed always with the wind! We widened and regraveled 3700 feet of the rocky Skyline Trail, and then groomed the trail all the way down to the parking lot. We also added gravel to about 7600 feet of the trail.
We groomed the Canyon Trail from bottom to top; repaired some low spots and added gravel on 800 feet of it. We placed rocks along the top of the trail to stop it from growing any wider, as it already exceeded five feet wide. On the summit of the Canyon Trail, we scraped down to the dirt so we could use up all the remaining gravel. I will get some more, come spring.
On the Sagebrush Trail, we added about 20 tons
of rocks to help support 625 feet of the lower edge of the trail,
before we regraveled that section. We would've done more, but we finally
ran out of rocks. Not to worry, a new load arrived last week, so we'll
be ready when spring starts to peek out. We also groomed the
lower part of the trail.
Finally, we moved about 15 tons of gravel up the hill to a stockpile at the top of the tram. We then disassembled the tram and moved it into storage.
All I can say is, Thanks for all the help! If you don't know what to do without the trail work, hold on. The spring work season will start around the end of February, and I'll drop you all a reminder by then.
Jim Langdon, Trailmaster
Friends of Badger Mountain
943-3992
If you're interested in helping out next spring, here's the basic info you should know.
First, are you on my e-mail list? If not, please drop me a note and I will include you on it. That way, I can let volunteers know when and where a scheduled work party is planned or, especially, if any changes need to be made.
A typical weekend trail-work party begins at 9:00 AM and lasts about 4 hours. Where we meet will depend on that day's work, so you will need to sign up if you're not already on my e-mail list.
Much
of the work is suitable for teens and adults. Some days
will have easier jobs, which grade-schoolers can help with. If you're
available, there will also be some weekday work crews,
so contact Jim for
the schedule. We can also schedule a private work party for any group
that wants to help out. As always, bring work gloves, water, and snacks,
and dress for the weather forecast. Tools will be provided.
Your help is greatly appreciated. Many thanks,
Jim Langdon,
Trailmaster
Friends of Badger Mountain
943-3992
Info about the revised trail, posted on 2/25/12
We will be moving this section to the north, further down the slope. About 1200 feet of new trail will be built over the weekend of March 10 and 11. The plan is to close the Canyon Trail those days at the top of the steps, so hikers can still take the newer Sagebrush trail to the top of Badger. We would have a usable new trail by Sunday afternoon. The existing trail will be closed and filled in for future revegetation. The Lake Lewis marker will be replanted on the new trail, too.
When this section of the Canyon Trial was originally built, we followed an existing track along the ridge top.
With the number of people using the trail, this proved to be too steep. That has
allowed excessive wear on the tread, exposing the rocks. A number of users have
been walking beside the trail to get away from the rocks, but this is just
spreading the problem. We could just cover it with dirt and gravel, but that
does not fix the cause of the problem. We would have to come back to the
problem all over again in a few years.
The new route will be around 100 feet to the north. Moving the trail will allow us to bypass two humps on the ridge. It will also be a little longer. The resulting trail will have a slope similar to the Sagebrush Trail, which is about half the current steepest section. When it is all done we will have a trail that is not rocky and will be easier for our volunteers to maintain.
Tip: Walking through Work Zones
When you're hiking on Badger and come across trail work in progress, please remember it's like road work -- please wait until you are told to go forward. Remember, too, to stay on the trail, even in a work zone. The workers are prepared for you to walk on their work and sometimes even need it to pack it down. Thanks!