Great Days on the Gil Larsen and Hemlock Heights Trails

Ten volunteers tackled several tasks in the Big Ravine on Friday August 2nd and Saturday August 3rd to repair damage after the June 19th flood and to make the trails more sustainable.
 
On Friday August 2nd, volunteers took on three projects along the Gil Larsen and Pine Bluff Trails. The lower Gil Larsen Trail was widened and moved away from the edge where the creek was undercutting the bank. A timber was set along the trail to guide hikers away from the edge.

The crew moved rocks and an iron pipe leftover from the historic water works to encourage the stream to flow away from where it was undercutting the bank just below the trail. To prevent further erosion, they reinforced the stream bank with large boulders. “Even if Mother Nature doesn’t accept our encouragement, it’s always fun to play in the creek on a hot summer day,” said crew leader Mike Kinnee.

On the uppermost end of the Gil Larsen Trail, folks dismantled a logjam and debris dam that developed over several years of flooding in the ravine that caused the creek to overflow the trail in June of this year. Trail adopter Genevieve Johnson remarked “Because it was creating a large floodplain it made sense to liberate the creek so it could flow freely. Also, this will reduce the threat of more trail damage in future high flow events.”

While they were in the upper end of the Big Ravine, folks did some touch up work on the Pine Bluff Trail, restoring grade reversals and drainage ditches to divert water off of the trail.

Lets use this pipe to protect the stream bank.

Kris cuts the log jam.

On Saturday August 3rd, volunteers focused their efforts on the Hemlock Heights Trail. In the shade of the towering trees, they started with stabilizing the steep hillside above a switchback near the top of the trail. Brush bundles of aspen saplings tied with jute twine were staked into the hillside to slow runoff in vulnerable locations. Small logs and brush were also hauled in from above and added to hillside.

​According to crew leader Kate Kitchell “The heavy rains on June 19th caused this slope to start to slough onto the trail, so we thought it would be worth experimenting with these brush bundles. The purpose is to slow the flow, capture leaves and other organic matter, and create little shelves where plants may be able to take root. This approach has helped on the School Trail slope, so why not give it a try here?”

Andy and Mary stabilize the trail edge with rocks.

Nan and Chris recontour the trail at the switchback.

Bill Bieganek refurbished a section of rock armoring in the trail where runoff had destabilized the rocks and washed away the soil. His experience with building lots of mountain bike trails was especially helpful.  Gene Lemmenes worked on the cable steps at the top of the trail by filling in rocks and dirt where the steps were starting to become unstable.

Other finishing touches completed by the crew included resetting rock steps, stabilizing the trail edge with rocks, cutting the backslope in a few locations to reestablish a wider trail tread, and raking leaves off of the trail to enable hikers to use the entire trail width. Hemlock Heights looks almost new again!

Thank you volunteers!

• ​Bill Bieganek
• Nan Fey
• John Ipsen
• Genevieve Johnson
  
• Mike Kinnee
• Kate Kitchell​

• ​Mary Ledin
• Andy Ledin
• Gene Lemmenes
• Chris Nybo
• Stephen Vircsik
• ​Kris Wegerson