Next Hitch:
Wednesday, January 23, at 10am. 74 Dougerty Road, New Gloucester.
Program Details
Trail Crew is you. Royal River Conservation Trust and Trail Boss, Kyle Warren, host a weekly program called Trail Crew. This trail construction program is staffed and will compliment our annual stewardship field work. Work sessions are planned for two hours, Wednesday mornings and we will push forward each week focusing on just a few of RRCT’s public access properties, often spending several weeks in a row at the same site.
If you have them, bring your own tools and skills. There is a job for everyone, no matter your shape, color, ideas or ice cream preference. Along the trail you will learn how we balance construction cost against durability on a fulcrum of functionality when we plan and improve trails. Join us the one week you have time or put it on your calendar as your regular Wednesday morning ritual. The focus will be on creatively, sustainably, safely and efficiently completing RRCT’s physical work goals. Trail Crew will address the entire spectrum of on-site trail building; including boundary identification and marking, route finding and trail alignment, brush and wood clearing, water management, wetland and stream crossings, as well as treadway stabilization, and signage needs. Join us at the work-site of the week Wednesdays at 10am. The schedule and GPS address will always be posted on this page.
RRCT will bring specific tools that will be helpful. Crew Members are encouraged to bring your own tools or to create and care for your own tool box. Crew members should bring a water bottle and should wear sturdy shoes, safety glasses, gloves, and the right clothes for the day (hint; the right clothes are always layered). Dogs are not encouraged to attend this program, (mostly for their own safety), but the trails we build will be perfect to return to with the entire family.
Kyle is a Registered Maine Master Guide and is Wilderness First Aid and CPL chainsaw safety trained. He’s been learning and loving these paths and places as RRCT stewardship staff for most of the last decade. Land protection and appropriate access to it, is what feeds him. Join us each week or whenever you are able, to build on this passion.
SCHEDULE 2019
Wednesday January 23, at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve, 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester Join the 2019 Trail Crew for a special winter edition. We will focus on preparing to celebrate the 8th Annual Full Moon Trek by making sure the trails and vistas are as brush free as possible and preparing the pinnacle party spot.
TBD- Big Falls Preserve, Woodman Road, New Gloucester and Auburn
TBD Wednesday at 10am-Pisgah Hill Preserve, 161 North Pownal Road, New Gloucester
TBD,Wednesday at 10am-Knights Pond Preserve, North Yarmouth
Archive 2019
Wednesday January 16, at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve, 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester Join the 2019 Trail Crew for a special winter edition. We will focus on preparing to celebrate the 8th Annual Full Moon Trek by making sure the trails and vistas are as brush free as possible and preparing the pinnacle party spot.
Wednesday January 9, at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve, 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester Join the 2019 Trail Crew for a special winter edition. We will focus on preparing to celebrate the 8th Annual Full Moon Trek by making sure the trails and vistas are as brush free as possible and preparing the pinnacle party spot.
Wednesday January 2, at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve, 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester Join the 2019 Trail Crew for a special winter edition. We will focus on preparing to celebrate the 8th Annual Full Moon Trek by making sure the trails and vistas are as brush free as possible and preparing the pinnacle party spot.
Archive 2018
November 14, Wednesday at 10am- Elmwood Trails, GPS: 847 Elmwood Road, – Members: Bill, Kyle
November 7, Wednesday at 10am- Elmwood Trails, GPS: 847 Elmwood Road, – Members: Bill, Kyle, Tom
October 31, Wednesday at 10am- Elmwood Trails, 847 Elmwood Road, Members: Bill, Kyle, Marie
October 24, Wednesday at 10am- Chandler Brook Trail, GPS: 847 Elmwood Road, Pownal
October 17, Chandler Brook Trail, GPS: 847 Elmwood Road, Pownal
Members: Bill, Kyle, Marie
October 10, Chandler Brook Trail, GPS: 847 Elmwood Road, Pownal. Work completed: Trailhead opening, trailside tree and brush work. Chainsaw work to clear blowdowns and to create a rustic log bridge. Also started borrowing soil, gravel and stones to flatten treadways.
Members: Tom, Ellen, Bill, Kyle, Marie
October 3, Chandler Brook Trail, GPS: 847 Elmwood Road, Pownal. Work completed: Trailhead opening, trailside tree and brush work. Chin saw work to clear blowdowns and to create a rustic log bridge.
Members: Tom, Ellen, Kyle
September 26, Wednesday at 10am Pisgah Hill Preserve, 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester, Work completed: Extensive limbing/trailside tree elevating and immediate trailside vista work near the summit.
Members: Tom, Ellen, Bill, Kyle
September 18, Recess
September 11, Wednesday at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve, 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester, Work completed: Extensive limbing/trailside tree elevating work through the hemlock stand near the Marshal boundary.
Members: Tom, Ellen, Carrie, Bill, Kyle
September 5, Wednesday at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve, 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester, Work completed: Installed split-rail fence sections in the parking lot to protect cars from low visibility bollards. Work continues on elevating trailside trees near the top of the trail. Longer term goals are to replace the aluminum plank bridge over Quarry Brook and to build a “site-harvested granite” bridge where needed.
Members: Bill, Kyle
August 22, Wednesday at 10am- Littlejohn Island Preserve,Pemasong Lane Extension, Yarmouth Work completed: Trail clearing work focused on elevating the trailside trees by limbing with pole saws. Nearly the entire trail is elevated. Gravel and wood chip turnpiking were added in the bittersweet management area.
Members: Ellen & Kyle
August 15, Wednesday at 10am- Littlejohn Island Preserve, Pemasong Lane Extension, Yarmouth. Work completed: Trail clearing work focused on elevating the trailside trees by limbing with pole saws. Nearly 1/2 of the trail system is complete.
August 8, Wednesday at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve- south, 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester; Work completed: Trail clearing work focused on elevating the trailside trees by limbing with pole saws. Nearly 3/4 of the trail system is complete.
Members: Bill, Ellen & Kyle
August 1, Wednesday, 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve- south, 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester; Work completed: Trail clearing work focused on elevating the trailside trees by limbing with pole saws. Nearly 1/2 of the trail system is complete.
Members: Bill, Ellen & Kyle
July 25, Wednesday at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve- south, 74 Dougherty Road, New Gloucester;
Work completed: Trail clearing work focused on elevating the trailside trees by limbing with pole saws. Nearly 1/2 of the trail system is complete.
Members: Ellen, Bill, Alan & Kyle
July 11,Wednesday at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve, 161 N. Pownal Road, New Gloucester. Work completed: Split rail fence sections moved into place and dug into the ground. This is minimalistic style fencing and the goal is for it to last 20 or 30 years…or be able to be removed promptly.
Members: Ellen, Bill & Kyle
June 27, Wednesday at 10am- Littlejohn Island Preserve, Pemasong Lane Extension, Yarmouth. Work completed: The 300′ run of boardwalks was shimmed and nails reset. This section of boardwalk should be replaced in the next 5 years. Continued shimming will enhance the lifespan. Trailside trees were elevated. a picnic table was relocated to its new home under the oak canopy along the Cheabeauge facing bluffs. Manual bittersweet removal too.
Members: Julie, Bill, Carrie, Alan & Kyle
June 20,Wednesday at 10am- Runaround Pond Recreation Area, Runaround Pond Road, Durham- Work completed: To install three traffic control bollards to replace the creaky old gate we excavated for three footings, drove rebar 3′ into the ground and conceptualized a locking system for the center structure. With the three 3-foot tall bollards prefabricated we mixed and poured concrete in the pits. The 8″x8″x3′ timber posts received 12′ spikes and lag screws in the base which set into and captured by the concrete.
The site was cleared of brush and trash. The spoil soil was removed to 161 North Pownal Road, Pisgah Hill Preserve to fill a small turnpiking role near that trail head.
Members: Bill & Kyle
June 13,Wednesday at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve, 161 N. Pownal Road, New Gloucester. The inaugural location for Trail Crew netted the perfect results. After a 4-consecutive week run at this location, we will have successfully opened a trailhead to countless future possibilities while asserting our access rights to this Land For Maine’s Future Program. This week we will be doing some stone work with on site materials and continuing to clear way to a destination spot where the trail will end and exploration begins (for now).
Members: Kathy, Bill, Barb, Alan & Kyle
June 6, Wednesday at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve-north, GPS: 161 N. Pownal Road, New Gloucester
Members: Kathy, Bill, Barb, Alan & Kyle
Work completed: The Crew brushed out an additional 750′ feet of trail to open access to the main body of the property. Elevating trees trailside and scratching through the hummus layer to get the to mineral soil for the foottread are the best way to memorialize a a route through mature mixed growth forest. We also “roughed-in” another 50′ bench cut near to compliment the one we started last week.
May 30, Wednesday at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve-north, GPS: 161 N. Pownal Road, New Gloucester
Members: Bill & Kyle
Work completed: The Crew “cut-in” a 50′ bench cut near Chhem on RRCT fee land, continued treadway development, and elevated trees trailside. In addition to the single section of split rail fence spec’ed last week to close a stonewall opening, there should be an additional section installed in the stonewall opening by Bowie.
May 23- Wednesday at 10am- Pisgah Hill Preserve-north, GPS: 161 N. Pownal Road, New Gloucester
Members: Kathy, Bill , Alan & Kyle
Work completed: The Crew “ground checked” Kyle’s layout of the fee property bounds and the Right of Way. Within the 20′ RoW, the trailhead location and the trial alignment were adjusted to take the best advantage of upland soils and the minimal amount of moving wood and rocks. We decided to route the trail along the wooded side of the stonewall near the Chhem/Bowie corner to avoid visual impacts associated with routing the trial through (RRCT fee) the edge of the field. To visually reinforce trail routing a few sections of split-rail fence will be used at stonewall openings near the trail. The first 500 feet of trial were brushed out and raked. One of three stone steps were built to visually and physically aid in the transition from the driveway to the trail. The 2’x2′ blue preserve sign was relocated to RRCT fee land.
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