Since 2007 we built many bridges crossing small streams. Maintained all trails including fallen tree removal, drainage improvements and cutting back bush. We also marked several trail loops and posted a map at the trail head.

This season we plan to build more bridges. Of course, we will also be doing general trail maintenance.

Here are the highlights of project we've done so far in 2010:

April 18th: We laid a large amount of corduroy (the small logs laid in the mud) to provide easier passage through some of the muddy sections of the yellow trail. These corduroy sections encourage trail users to stay on the trial instead traveling around the puddle which only makes the puddle bigger.

April 25th: a small group of Americorps youths helped at Great Bear. One group reintroduced some native flowers (Oswego Tea and Cone Flowers) at a few different spots. The other youths helped with the construction of a short bridge on the Swamp Woods Trail. Americorps has been generous enough to fund the cost of materials for the bridge and some of the plantings.

May 22nd: Friends removed a large tree fall from the Red trail. Several trees had fallen in to each other make quite a large mess.

June 5th: On Saturday the scouts from Fulton along with some Friends pulled the invasive plant, Garlic Mustard, from the southern Trolley, southern Yellow and Green trails. There is still plenty to be found next year. Five 50 gal. trash bags were filled with the plants.

July 23rd: Just an update as to what has been happening at Great Bear. Several plank bridges have been installed on the Purple, Lower Turtle Trail part of the tow path. Plans to work on several more spots on the tow path are planned. They may be a combination of corduroy, crusher fill and planks, depending on location and severity. With the heat and deer flies, it has been not been the best time to do any trail brush clearing. Several recent fallen trees haven been cleared off the trails.
Wheel Wash needs a good clearing of the brambles, but may have to wait until it gets a bit cooler.
Some vandalism was done with the ripping off of trail markers on the Red trail, Blue and a section of Yellow near Blue. Most of the Blue markers were found and put back up but Red and Yellow need to have new markers.
A scout working for his Eagle badge, is laying out a 5K course on the trails for a combo of skiing and running. Some revamping needs to be done to get the layout off the plowed roads. In the future you may see some new markers up which are rectangular with an arrow tip, white with a red stripe. these will be the markers for the 5K loop.
If you happen to look in the white pump house, you will see that some of the graffiti is being removed.

July 30th: The missing trail markers on Yellow have been replaced.

August 7th: We did some erosion repair and control on the Red, Yellow and Green trails. This work was done on hills south of the "trolly tracks" road.

August 21st: New trail section was added to Yellow just south of the "trolly tracks" road near the gravel pit. This section bypasses the steep the gravel hill on Yellow that goes up the road. The trail has flowing turns with grade reversals and one switchback to get up the hill with minmum chance of erosion.

Next project is to cut back the brush on the Wheel Wash trail.

If you'd like to help please call Dick at 343-4565.

Please remember not to leave valuables (at least not visible) in your vehicle.