A Trail Tale: Rock Work on the Narrows Trail in Thorne Head
By Leila Bannon & Helen Vaughan, Summer Land Stewards
Over the past two weeks, our Stewardship Team spent four days rebuilding a section of the Narrows Trail at Thorne Head Preserve.
Our mighty Stewardship Team: Wednesday Workday Volunteers & KELT Staff
This section of the Narrows Trail was too close to the water and eroding so we redirected the path further up the shore. However, with this new route, we needed to put in a few stone steps for the most accessible pathway to the water. Enter: expert rock work team Andrew, Dillon, Leila, and Helen!
On Tuesday the 18th, we introduced “Roxanne” to the scene, our large base step. We quarried Roxanne from up the hill from the new trail and used a grip hoist to drag her down the hill, using rock bars and grub hoes to guide her path.
Land & Stewardship Director, Andrew Morgan, along with a trail volunteer move Roxanne into position for the new set of stone steps.
The next day, we had a great team help us out in the morning for a Wednesday Workday, quarrying more rocks, collecting mineral soil, and creating rock crush to fill in gaps around the steps. We could not have finished this project without this fantastic team of volunteers (sign up for Wednesday Work Days with the Stewardship Team to join in on the fun)!
Once Roxanne was in her final resting place, we began setting more rock to create the next steps and placing 'gargoyle' rocks along the edges of the steps, to guide visitors on where to walk.
Preserves Manager, Dillon Mulhern, splitting rock with an angle grinder to become the ideal shape.
This past week, we came back to do the finishing touches. We added the final steps to the staircase, added structural integrity and charm, and brushed in the old trails to complete the trail reroute. While it took several days of hard work, we are excited about and proud of the final project.
As a Stewardship Team our mission is to keep trails accessible and long lasting, protecting the natural landscape. Head down to the Narrows Trail at Thorne Head to see the finished product and enjoy the view of the river!
Below: A stone step progression! See the new stone steps from day one to completion. Can you spot Roxanne?
