Building "My" Trail...

“This manual labor is KILLING me! But that's okay. I've lost touch with physical "work" since I've started teaching, but I'm getting re-used to it...

My trail - The Leverette Cemetery Trail (as I have named it) - begins at a small, abandoned cemetery, and terminates 1.3 miles away at an existing trail - The John Humphries Trail.

The cemetery property is adjacent to a 2000 acre, heavily wooded development on Jackson Lake, GA. The Cemetery Trail winds through greenbelt owned collectively by the residents of the development.

The trail skirts close to a few houses, yet it gives the hiker a genuine feel of isolation along some of the other stretches. Road noise is within earshot of the entire route, however.

I actually built the trail in 1995, but moved from the development soon afterward. I never advertised the existance of the trail, and it soon fell into disrepair due to lack of use (I was hoping that a sign at the John Humphries intersection would attract enough hikers). The new trail follows most of the old route, but I added a few changes to route it through some better places. Also, I hope the route changes will better reduce the accessability of bikes, ATVs, etc. I'm doing a much better job now, too, thanks to the new Pulaski - whatta tool!

A description of the trail:
The cemetery is surrounded by woods, and is itself wooded - trees have taken over the small plot. The cemetery is accessable from the highway by way of a graveled lane. There is somewhat of a cul-de-sac that will provide trailhead parking.

From the cemetery, the trail follows an old logging (farm?) roadbed for about 100 yds. It then turns right onto the development property, meanders a couple hundred yards, then makes the first of two road crossings.

Across the road, it gradually descends through an old pine grove toward a creek. The creek (spring) comes out of the ground at the top end of a gorge, and I routed the trail in a manner that U's around the end of the gorge. It gradually ascends up the george hillside, parallel to the creek, then descends to cross another creek where it intersects with the first creek.

From there, the trail ascends to the top of a hardwood ridge and follows the ridge (and passes Claudell's grave) for about three hundred yards. Creeks are visible on either side of the ridge. The two creeks join below and at the end of the ridge. From the top of the ridge, you can spy a large hardwood bottom. Also, the creeks converge in a rocky outcropping that can be seen from the ridge - it's the best view of the entire trail.

The trail switchbacks down the end of the ridge, and crosses - then follows - the creek. It crosses the creek again at an old logging road crossing. From there, the trail gradually ascends along another creek for several hundred yards where it crosses another road. The road runs along a ridge, so the trail begins yet another descent after crossing it. These woods are mostly hardwoods, and the trail does nothing fancy before crossing another creek and terminating at the other trail.

It's been alot of fun. In about 12 hours, I have completed about 1/2 of the work. It's gonna be a nice destination for me and Belle - if nobody else...”

“Dude that rocks that you have your trail.But as far as hard work I love it.I have been at my job 11 years as a coil maker and winder and it's hard work you get very dirty and I love it.My hands have never been fully clean for more then 9 years.And I am very proud of that.”

“Good job Joe! I'll bet it's beautiful. Mike, what is a coil maker, what type of coils?”

“I make coils for electric motors.Anything from 5 HP to 595,000 HP.I have worked at Grand Coolie Dam,Hoover Dam,and Bath County Pump Generator Station.

I love it I work with high voltage everyday.I sometimes test coils at 150,000 volts and sometimes with a load of 1500 amps.I have been shocked by as much as 2500 volts and that through me all the way across the room.

My job is a blast and I would have no other.”

“I can't wait til Spring...”

“yep - its official - you're crazy, mike”

“It's great.......:)”

“No wonder Mike has so much energy, he's a human battery!
LOL”

“LMAO......:)”

“I haul coils..etc....got any LTL freight leads for me?...*grins*
I went from being a truck mechanic for my pops to a sales rep for a national LTL line....no more grease for me!!!! Gojo, let me know when you wanna swing that pulaski around alabama and i'll see about lending a hand”

“Sounds cool gojo - what color are the blazes?

If the Pulaski is the saw you had in Ocala, then I will attest that it is indeed a fine, fine saw. I can also attest to the fact that gojo knows a lot more about saws that I do. He talked about that saw like most of us talk about tents and packs.”

“Big Coop:

A Pulaski is a type of forestry tool. It has an axe on one side of the head and a pick on the other. Quite handy for trail building. We used them when our scout troop built a trail near here.

Gojo:

Congratulations on your trail! It's quite satisfying to see a path in the woods that came from your own hands, isn't it?”

“Man I wish I could have my own trail.

:(”

“Cool story gojo. I want to build a trail! Maybe when if reach my ultimate career goal of being one of those old farts who lives in a travel trailer and works for the forest service.

Mike, I was an electrician in the Navy and I gotta agree you're crazy!”

“Thank you....:)”

“Gojo, just kinda curious. Sounds like most of this trail is on the housing development's ground? What about the rest of it?

And, here's the big one, did you have permission to create the trail? I'll save potential, future berating till after that answer. heheh :-) So please answer it, K?

I'd like to talk about making trails... and groups that do that, etc. And the proper procedure. The mountain bikers you took a "dis" at have a very good program and procedure for trail building and maintenance. They have a manual that's probably 2" thick that addresses building trails on different types of soil, proper grade on slopes, etc. All trying to keep the trails draining well, etc.

Ok, enough said till I hear your answer. I hope it's a legal trail, built through proper procedures. Unless YOU OWN the land.”

“Yeah, don't end up like the "Eco-Arsonist" down in Phoenix.”

“With the exception of the 50 yds or so that skirt alongside the cemetery. The development is "private". One must be either a member (landowner) or a registered guest to use the boatramps, beaches, golf course, etc. The same will apply to the trail.

As I stated, I no longer live there (sold my house), but I have a brother and nephew - and their famalies - who live there.

No, I haven't gained "permission".

The trail is marked with blue diamond blazes. The John Humphries is marked with orange rectangles - bluh!

A Pulaski has an ax bit and an adz (not a "pick"). I used the Pulaski and the pruning saw to sever an 18" tree that was lying in the way. It was about 4' off the ground, but is flat now...

I use the saw alot, the Pulaski alot, but mostly a rake (yard broom) to define the trail - the leaf litter and pine straw is quite thick throughout.”

“Okay, let's all chip in now for the "gojo defense fund"......let's see,,,,,criminal trespass and wanton destruction of private property,,, I wonder if how many times you have to go around the prison yard to make a mile??? LOL.

Other than that, it sounds like you are doing good work gojo.”

“Thanks for the correction on the Pulaski gojo. I couldn't think of what that was called and pick was the closest thing that came to mind.


Ummmmm....deny everything unless there are witnesses and then confess and throw yourself on the mercy of the court. Good thing I'm not a lawyer, huh?”

“My motive is to rebuild the neglected Leverette Trail.

"What trail?" they may ask.
"You know - the Leverette trail." I'll say.
"Never heard of it." they'll say.
"Hmmmmm. I've been hiking that trail since '83 - in fact, I buried Claudell near it. I checked it out for the first time since the mid 90's and discovered that it needed lots of TLC. So, since I have the tools and time, I figured I'd giv'er a go." I'd tell them.
"You're a Great American!" they'll all cry.

"Awwww, don't mention it - just enjoy!"

BTW -
The golf course expansion was recently turned down (again) by the Homeowners Assoc. If it's ever passed, the woods - and the trail - will fall under bulldozers...”

“The members of the Board are relatively new - few (if any) were around in the 80's, and would be clueless about any pre-existing trail. Most of the board members are old fogies that have retired, as were the members of the 80s. Frankly, the members from the 80s have moved away or to the Big Board In The Sky - may they rest in peace.

I approached the Board in the 90s about allowing a public beach volleyball tournament. They were very receptive to the idea - in fact, they provided several tons of fresh, white sand for the court and allowed us to close the adjacent boatramp for additional parking. They're good folks - I'll be fine...


BTW -
My eldest brother lived there for 20+ years, got divorced and remarried... his second wife was a board member for a few years until they moved away three years ago.

A 30 y/o niece (his daughter) has recently moved from there for the first time in her life (well, since she was six or so).

My dad bought two lots at auction in 1979. My brother built a house on one, and I bought the house (from the original builder) that was built on the other. I lived there for five years (80s) plus two years (90s)...

My roots run deep there...”

“Cool, it's good to know they won't hang you until after they give you a chance to explain. LOL!”

“This week-end I'm hoping to blaze a trail through the densest, god-forsaken place on Earth... my sons' bedroom. Talk about overgrown!”

“Don't do it! You might never return! I had to go into my son's room this morning for something and I almost didn't make it back out alive!”

“of the Mighty Mighty Tacoma...”

“An ex-friend in the 70's had a trash strewn VW, only the drivers floor area was devoid of rubbish. We're talking burger wrappers, donut boxes, garbage, trash, and I don't even want to know whatelse. It was knee deep. I got in his car, he started it up. I rustled the pile of trash at my feet, yelled "rat" and pulled my knees up real high. He shot out of that car so fast... I still chuckle thinking what a dope he was/is.”

“I called the trash in her bug "Kitty Litter"...


Looks like we're in for some perfect (for manual labor) weather this weekend. I'm thinking I'll be able to complete the "work" portion of the project.

After the dust settles (next weekend?), I'm gonna get a couple cans of blue spray paint and make and/or enhance blazes. I'll make a diamond template from cardboard. I'll spray over the blazes from the old route with brown or gray - whichever is appropriate.

I'm also going to have my students make signs for the cemetery trailhead and the terminus at the other trail. They'll be neatly laid-out with a 3" lettering stencil, then chiseled out, and finally, painted blue (the letters, that is). They'll be mounted to twin 4x4 posts.”

“Good luck with it!”

“I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled for some thick (1/8" or so) blue plastic. I'll have students cut it (them) into 4" diamonds and drill holes near the top and bottom. I'll get some alum. gyp (long roofing) nails and mount the diamonds to trees along the trail. I kinda like that method...”

“...the blue nylon that some binders and folders are made from these days. It might work and would be easier to come by. Might hold up better to weather exposure, also.”

“.. but I'm still not (nearly!) done with the "grubbing". Even after completing the grubbing, I'm gonna brop back and enhance several stretches.

I'm still prolly 600 yds. shy of the end...

I was able to work about fours hours Sat, and three yesterday.

I have access to one of those wheels you push along for measuring distance, and I'm gonna be able to check it next week...”

“Keep going dude!

By the way take some pictures of it I would very much like to see what it looks like.”

“That sounds like fun!!!! I used to blaze BMX trails in my youth. Myself and others used this "greenspace" that was destiny to be a "connector" between two major roads before the county axed the plan. It was a sizable hunk of land that ran for a few miles between some neighborhoods.

I had around five other buddies all around the same age and we all had bikes. Every weekend after helping out at home I would head for the woods loaded down with tools on my bike. There was another group of kids that live on the other side of the "greenspace". We made some awesome trails and then fight over them!!!!
I had to steal my pulaski(head) from the F.S. were did you find yours because I have never found any in our big hardware store. Awesome tool aren't they, nothing tears it up like a pulaski. Hey, keep a file handy when your working out there, a sharp blade makes for easy work.

You putting in "water bars" on the sloped parts of the trail?”

“OK, I was gonna let this go. But here the thread shows up again, so I can't let it go.

Gojo, I certainly admire your work ethic. It's just too bad it isn't being put to use on a trail that has proper planning so as not to erode (I mean, even Briar is asking about water bars).

There are just so many resources to make sure it's done right. And ya know what? Once you go through the process of getting a public OK for that trail (as should have been done here), I'd say its survival rate would be a lot higher. The public would love the trail they helped create through their approval and help.

Now?? If the developers see it and think it's crap, it's gone. Pure and simple. Or at least you'd have a fight on your hands and a lot of explaining to do. Maybe a charge of destruction of private property?

It's such a shame. Knowing the process and using it to do things the RIGHT way is the adult thing to do. You made a lot of excuses above for why you're doing this. Justifying it. So have you told all your students that? The ones who will also be helping to destroy private property?? Think about it.

Sometimes these things turn out OK; sometimes they don't. You're leading your students in an illegal activity. That's a whole new angle on this sad event. Your motivation and heart are to be admired, but your common sense leaves a lot to be questioned.”

“Developers suck!”

“Who said anything about students?

Developers?
This "development" isn't what you might imagine. It was conceived and developed in the early 70's, and has since plummeted downhill. The typical interior home (the majority) is a modular - or at best a starter. The lakeshore homes are typically nice, however. The trail never presents a view of the lake tho. Of 1700 lots, about 1/3 have homes. The once-great campground is totally delapidated and fenced off - the bath houses have all but collapsed. Of the six formally pristene - but man made - beaches, only two are barely usable. Most of the once-paved roads are now gravel. About the only things of any decency are the clubhouse and golf course.

Am I doing it correctly? I have used tools ranging from jewelers screwdrivers to bulldozers *daily* for for the past 26 years - manipulating dirt is fairly simple, to say the least.

BTW - What's a "water bar"?
hehehee!

Seriously tho, of course I'm putting in bars where even remotely neccessary...

Briar -
I got the Pulaski from the Ben Meadows Co. online catalogue - $40.00. I have since received a "3D" catalogue. They have EVERYTHING for the forester, nurseryman, surveyor, etc.

Hey y'all - I'm still asking for the term that describes the way a trail is cut diagonally into a hill. "Cut and fill" doesn't apply... I don't think.”

“Depending on the grade of the traverse either the cut and fill or the full bench cut should work. The steeper areas may require the bench cut, just keep in mind to maintain the outslope on the trail bed so water flows off quickily . Avoid switchbacks or use only in areas where shortcuts aren't possible do to think cover.”

“Traverse", "full bench" - kewl terminology!

There's only one switchback on the trail - it's where the trail plunges (traverses!) from the end of a ridge to a creek. The hillside is at least 45 degrees...

"Flowing" water doesn't occur - much. The area is heavily wooded, so rain only "drips" from the treetops. Plus, the leaf litter is thick and absorbant. In '95, I often walked the trail to work - I was a "meter reader" and repairman for the water "authority" (times were tough).

I once walked during a sustained, pouring rain, and saw little water along the trail. The creeks were swollen, tho.”