Trail builder session for Both HOP Connector and Rooty Trails

On our first June session we had another solid turnout, with twenty-two (22) volunteers we were set. We had enough volunteers to break into two groups; one continued the work of capping the HOP connector trail - the other working on the north end of the trail extension called "Rooty." Working on this rerouted and extended trail seems like the next logical step in the HOP Public Trail Facility project. When complete it will be the multi-use trail that crosses "Up Only" above the connector trail that goes to "La-Z-Boy." As you will see (viewing the map through the following link) "Rooty" will drop into the sections shown as "Flow Lines" and "Technical Climbs" . . .

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This was another session where everyone worked really hard, so hard that no photos ended up being taken - sorry. But on our 6/19/15 (Friday) special session we did better.  Pictured below are nine (9) volunteers that came to us from Community Action of Skagit County, they are AmeriCorp and Vista volunteers.

In this second image (below) you'll see Lyall Biship (one of our regulars) walking toward the camera, he helped John Erbstoeszer, Jerry Granahan, Bret Turner and I support the session. Having trained volunteers to guide special sessions is essential. If leadership interests you please feel free to contact us.

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In this third image (below) Bret Turner is moving "native material" down the trail. Just above the wheelbarrow's tub (in the background) you can see two volunteers filling buckets. This helps us to move a lot of material, no wasted time - a handful of filled buckets can be quickly dumped into the wheelbarrow tub.

Bret is great, we hope he represents what will become a growing trend - young volunteers seeking more responsibility within our group.

In this final photo (below) John and his team are starting a retaining wall. This trail work is being done on another connector trail, one that is on the south side of Little Mountain Park. We are putting the final touches on this trail that links the parking area at the Silver Arrow Bowen Archery Range to the trail called "Down South."

It will take one more session to finish this project. Might you know of a group that would like to help?

Our next session is 6/27/15. It is supposed to be hot so we'll have lots of iced lemonade, in addition to lunch, snacks and beverages.

Another load of crushed rock is being delivered.  If we have enough volunteers we'll do as we did last time; split into two groups - finish the capping and continue our work on the north end of Rooty.

We hope to see many of you there!

Memorial Day Weekend Trail Building Session

While long weekend sessions can sometimes result in light turnouts, we had twenty (20) volunteers and perfect weather. Since it was another session that we were all working really hard not many photos were taken. Below you'll see Simon LeClair, our newest equipment operator, dumping a load of railroad ballast. Jerry directs the dumping as Lyall rolls out the Geo-tech material.

In this second image (below) you will see Simon the first year that he worked with us. This photo was taken at the service road that links Sidewinder and Huff-N-Puff. Back then we were working on our second trail. While volunteers typically come and go, we love it when we have exceptions to that rule.

In this third image (below) Simon holds up his "MVTB Equipment Operator Certificate." His Skagit Valley College nursing certificate will be hanging next to it this month. Congratulations!

In this fourth photo (below) Evan Clasen holds up the MVTB tee shirt he just finished earning. Another great volunteer.

Our next session is will be held on 6/13/15, we hope to see many of you there.

More Progress on the Heart of the Park Connector Trail

I apologize for our lack of recent blog posts. A great deal of energy has been going into Hidden Lakes, which many of you have been asking about.  At the end of this post a brief update is given, with a link to additional information. Moving on, we'll do my best to bring you back up-to-speed. Below is a photo at the beginning of our 4/25 trail building session. Pictured are employees from the Burlington Target store, their families, and a number of our regulars. Later the weather improved and others showed up.

In this second image (below) the volunteers from Target work on the lower section of the Heart of the Park connector trail. In this photo they're preparing an area for railroad ballast. As you can see it looks like a wet area, that's the reason a special type of "large rock" is used to create a solid base - shown in the next photo.

Below Art places Geo-tech fabric before the railroad ballast is dumped. This keeps the rock from merely sinking into the soft mineral soil. The mud that was mixed with organic materials was cleared off. This technique ensures that we will have a solid and sustainable trail bed. The railroad ballast, since it will not be contaminated by the soft material from below, will allow water to travel through the elevated trail tread (downhill) without damaging it.

This subterranean structure makes all the difference in areas like this where there if flowing surface water. Natural settling ponds are created on the downhill side of the trail, with ferns and organic materials - creating a sustainable trail.

In this fourth photo (below) volunteers bring the tools out at the end of the session. The sun was out and the trail that was rocked (above) is ready to be capped. People came and left throughout the day, it started with rain and ended in sunshine. We had thirty-two (32) great volunteers and got a lot done.

At our 5/9 session (not pictured) we got were so busy that no pictures were taken. We did not have a "featured group" but with eighteen (18) volunteers we moved and spread ten (10) yards of railroad ballast. We are nearing the end of the shaping and drainage work on the connector trail. Capping of the ballast with crushed rock comes next.

Of special interest, that same morning at 10 am, there was an event at Mount Vernon's Riverwalk Park. Pictured below Mayor Boudreau recognizes the Blackburn Family for the beautiful steel sculpture they donated. We mention them here because they were also major donors on our Nature Trail and Bridge project. This type of support makes our work possible.  Thank you!

Also, we hope that one day we have a multi-use trail connecting the "future" south end of Riverwalk Park to a "new" trailhead planned for the west side of Little Mountain Park. This trail would link the downtown with neighborhoods, parks and schools along the way.

It would provide a safe and enjoyable trail link from our downtown to Little Mountain Park, bringing Mount Vernon's Community System to fruition.

And last but not least (below), on 5/16/15 we had two volunteers at the YMCA's Healthy Kids Day. Pictured below are Caroline Sandbo and Bret Turner, two MVTB volunteers hosting at the event. They structured the presentation, made suggestions on the printed materials and Caroline baked the cake...

Below you'll see Caroline and Bret with their first group. We are hopeful we'll see this young visitor and her family at Little Mountain volunteering soon.

Bret believed our young people would enjoy drawing, he was correct as the paper on the table top shows (below). Beside cake and drawing, each was given a Trail Builder calendar, showing our volunteer sessions for the rest of the year.

Bret and Caroline were a great team. Here is one last photo of the cake, which I think was AWESOME! Thanks for the great work!

Caroline first started working with Bret when he was an apprentice with United Way. Bret was responsible for their Youth United program called Varsity in Volunteerism. It is a great program, one that links high school students to local non-profit groups. It is a rigorous program, one requiring a significant time commitment. We love this program!

Our next session is will be held on 5/23/15, we hope to see many of you there.

At the beginning of the post I mentioned Hidden Lakes. This issue is critically important to us since the Hidden Lakes property boarders the north side of Little Mountain Park. This property is on the opposite side of Little Mountain Road. It is across from the main park entrance and runs down to the east park entrance - a.k.a. the Nature Trail - past the beaver pond.

Following is a link to the Mount Vernon city council's approved Resolution No. 887. It was signed by Mount Vernon's City Council and forwarded to the Washington State Legislature. In it they ask the legislature to reform the Washington State Forest Practices Rules, and for a "temporary" moratorium on the logging of Hidden Lakes.

Please open the following links, it will take you to the city of Mount Vernon's official website for City Council meeting agenda, presentations on Hidden Lakes by experts, and Mount Vernon's Resolution No. 887:

To be added to our "supporter/advocacy" list please sign up on our mailing list.

A Damp But, Productive Trail Building Session…

On April 11th the weather was mixed.  It pouring just before the session started, then the rain stopped and the sun slowly broke through.  Tough early weather can put a damper on volunteer turnout. But we still had seventeen (17) great volunteers and got lots done. Below Jesse and our other early volunteers stand at our sign-up area, grabbing their tools before we head out.

Below Stryker and Jesse show us the advantages of working on a wet day.  An accumulation of mud shows us where a new trail routing needs to be built up with rock.  Here they are removing the mud before placing fabric and rock.

In this third image (below) John has joined in, helping fill a wet spot with rock.

Here Austin and Trenton show us that new volunteers learn very quickly.

And last but not least, another group (in the sun), pose after they have cut a large dead-fall tree into sections.  Take a look at the shiny new Pulaski's.

More tools needed to be bought for our growing number of volunteers...

This session took us beyond an important milestone.  Since our first session in May of 2009 our volunteers have now surpassed 11,000 hours.