Our Community Work day on Saturday was a big success thanks to our dedicated volunteers. We helped the Master Gardner’s in mulching the front entrance gardens and made great progress on rebuilding the natural fence on Escalator.
Many hands made light work and we are very grateful.
If you couldn’t make it this time, we have another work project on June 21 to build a new bike skills feature area just off Birches trail. Save the date and stay tuned for more details.
Due to logging on the Proctor Library lands, the Carriage Trail is closed from Resting Brook to Proctor. Please respect this trail closure by staying off the trail.
Loggers are using heavy mechanized equipment and we do not need to hinder their progress.
Thank you.
Community Work day, Saturday, May 3rd from 9am-12pm. We have several projects we will be working on. Helping Master Gardner’s in the front entrance and the natural fence on Escalator. The natural fence posts have been installed by GE Aerospace volunteers. GE also cut some saplings for us to weave on Saturday, May 3rd.
Many hands make light work hope to see you there.
Bring water, gloves, sunscreen and bug dope.
Pine Hill Partnership had a busy summer in the park with trail refurbishing.
Spring started off with KSA Built reworking Rosey’s Rollover now has nice built in features. Rosey’s Rollover now connects over to Bone Spur and Freefall. KSA Built also reworked Lower Jersey Turnpike that was in dire need of trail tread work. Annex and Sore Elbow both have rock gardens that people were expanding the width of the trail to avoid the rocks. We now have two ride arounds so folks can avoid the rocks if they prefer that option. The rock gardens are still there on both trails.
Killington Mountain School came in one morning and helped move a lot of dirt on Overlook. The turnpiking was raised about a foot, Lichen Rock and the turn just west of Lichen Rock was refurbished so it would drain better.
Yes plan hiking group worked on the lower part of Voldemort to raise the trail tread to prevent the sogginess in the spring and late fall.
Yes plan from Grove St. campus came in and hiked up to near the suspension bridge to help turnpike a section of trail that was too low and holding water.
In May the local community volunteers built a pretty cool feature on Furlough. Thanks to KSA Built for finishing the ride off ramp and rock rider over Nugget!
VYCC came in for 3 days in early July to help start refurbishing the trail tread on PA4J. With their help for 3 days and 4 volunteers for the next bunch of weeks we repaired 1686′ of trail tread. A lot of dirt was moved by Nemo. We spent 815 volunteer hours to improve rolling grade dips, banked corners and generally getting water off the trail tread quickly.
PA4J was built in 2007 and has no trail tread work done in the 17 years. As you can see from this picture how much trail degradation has happened in last 17 years. We have lost about 10″ of mineral soil due to traffic and more frequent heavy rains. We rebuilt the base layer with flat rocks, then moved many loads of Nemo dirt over the top.
It took 4 volunteers most of the summer to finish the last section of PA4J. We managed about 120′ of trail tread work per day. Blew a tire on Nemo and popped a clutch cable that we were able to fix up in the woods. Thanks to GT Power being open the Friday after the 4th of July to fix our tire!
Lost pulaski in 2011 found this year in the dirt pit we were digging in, with part of it’s handle.
Full loads of Nemo dirt on PA4J and pulling the flat tire off Nemo.
Our goal this summer was to install 3 more of our big benches. We were able to get one on Lunch Rock at the top of Broken Handlebar, Rocky Pond and Main St/Meadow Way on Redfield trails. These benches were pre-cut back in July on one of the hottest days and we were ready to move out the 6×6 timbers of the lumber trailer. Thank you maintenance staff at Rutland Rec for helping us level a spot and gather a large rock for the bench at Rocky Pond.
Late August brought an Eagle Scout teeter totter project to fruition. Colton Lapham reached out winter of 2023 about an Eagle Scout project. Nate Netsch drew up the CAD drawing. Colton went and procured all the pieces and parts. Sunday, August 18th Colton’s Scout troop built and installed the new teeter totter. We couldn’t have done it on a wetter day either. It started out dry but by the time we left it was raining quite hard.
Early September brought us a Pro crew from VYCC. These are college age folks who are into working outdoors. They were happy to be digging dirt vs crushing rock like their previous 3 weeks of working on stone stairs in NH.
With the pro crew’s help we rebuilt Underdog from Centrifuge bridge to Rocky Pond. It was in dire need removing water off the trail tread quickly. In the course of week we repaired 917′ of trail with 2 volunteers working with the crew every day. Keith Wight joined us for a day which was great as it was time to shore up a banked corner. The old log stump that was in the ‘S’ turn was rotted enough that we were able to remove it.
Underdog was built in 2006 and has very little trail tread work done to it over the years.
These pictures show how the rocks kept people from riding the original line. We popped the rocks, reclaimed the original trail tread, moved mineral soil to improve out-slope and covered with leaves to keep the new mineral soil on the trail.
Your membership dollars are very important to Pine Hill Park. Pine Hill Partnership who maintains the trails receives very little financial assistance from Rutland City taxpayers. The more financial support we receive from the community the more we can improve trails and features in the park. Please go to our donate page. Any size donations are welcome.
We are looking to hire 3 part time folks to help us in the park next summer. Working with Pine Hill Partnership and Rutland Recreation maintenance team. If you have anyone interested please send us an email at pinehillpartnership@gmail.com.
Thank you for reading and hope to see you on the trails.
Volunteers along with KSA Built have put in two new features on Furlough.
Name this feature by sending pinehillpartnership@gmail.com an email with ‘name that feature’ in the subject line.
Winner gets a choice of Pine Hill Partnership t-shirt or hat.
We had a 3 week crew from VT Youth Conservation Corp. One week was a ‘pro crew’ a little bit of experience and just out of college. Then a two week Community Crew which are high school kids that go home at the end of the day. The ‘pro crew’ camped over at Lake St. Catherine this year. Too many mosquitoes for camping at the Rutland Rec Community Center.
We built rolling grade dips on a few trails along with pulling rocks and some resurfacing. The rolling grade dips help improve drainage so when the heavy rains come the rain is not running straight down the trail tread for miles. We’re catching the water with the rolling grade dip.
We pulled some rocks that were growing thanks to erosion and trail use. People were widening the trail in a few places by riding around the rocks. Snowdog doesn’t like hitting rocks jutting too far up either.
Some concerns over making some trails to easy. Remember the park is for everyone and it is a city park.
KSA Built has been in the park since the end of May. Rosey finished up Exit Strategy so we could get that open.
From Exit Strategy KSA Built moved to Casey’s Cross to put a culvert in to fix our perpetual mud area.
Broken Handlebar North was next up for a major tune up. The table top has been improved with an ‘A’ and ‘B’ line for an exit. The ‘B’ line jump at the bottom that flows really well. Further down the rock face there is now a ‘jump line’. Please look at this feature before attempting to hit it. There is no roll over it is a ‘jump’. The rest of Broken Handlebar North received a tune up as well with some hip jumps, log jump.
Table top above
Jump line which does not have a roll off feature!
REMEMBER: Pre-ride, free-ride, re-ride!!! Broken Handlebar is not an easy access for first responders.
Rosey’s Rollover landing area received a little TLC. Next year the rest of this trail will be improved to make it more fun to ride.
Upper Halfpipe has gotten a significant upgrade. Many of the features that had been built in 2008 all needed some TLC. Lower Halfpipe is getting tuned up as well.
Upper Halfpipe getting a small reroute for better flow
Lower part of Furlough will have some drainage issues resolved. The water current runs straight down the trail tread which is not good for the trail.
Aaron’s Air will also receive some TLC before KSA Built leaves for the season.
All this repair work has been through an ERSA grant through the state. Pine Hill Partnership is paying out of pocket $11,000 as the quote and bid came in at different prices due to diesel being more expensive. Please consider becoming a member or making a contribution to help cover these costs. https://pinehillpartnership.org/membership/
Saturday, April 29th, 9AM meet at the front entrance. We will be working on Bone Spur doing finish work up near Milk Run/Watkins Wood Rd. This will be tilling and raking for our finished trail tread. And of course, new bark mulch for the front entrance gardens to make them look pretty!!! Hope to see you there!
Save the Date: A community B-B-Q is happening on Saturday, May 20th. We will have some guided rides and hikes starting at 10AM with food at 12:30pm. Everyone is welcome to come. Do your own ride or hike, then join us for food.
KSA Built is in the park doing trail remediation work thanks to the Enhanced Recreation and Stewardship Grant that Rutland Recreation received.
We are super jazzed about how the trails that cross the upper power line are coming out. Arthur’s Chair(Upper Jersey) has had a tune-up. Strong Angel and Upper Jersey Turnpike have had a lot of work on them are now open. Watkins Wood Rd spring area received a culvert to hopefully eliminate that spring mud hole.
Exit Strategy had to sit over the winter. Rosey had gotten the mini on it only to have it snow the following day. It sat over the winter all roughed in and finish work was done in early April. Exit Strategy opened the earliest that we can remember in quite a few years. The whole park really never closed for spring freeze/thaw cycles.
Underdog, Salamander, upper Droopy Muffin, PA4J and Casey’s Cross all have been repaired. Where these trails cross the power lines and it’s sunny and warm(above 25 degrees) please stay off those sections of trails. The dirt has a lot of moisture in it being recently disturbed and will rut extremely easy. We would appreciate it if folks just be aware of tire and foot traffic leaving ruts in the dirt. We do not need to readdress these in the spring.
Casey’s Cross will get more repair work done as we missed the spring that floods the area.
The work KSA Built is doing is fantastic with more refinements starting in June. Broken Handlebar North, all of Halfpipe and Escalator will all get tuned up.
A few before and after pictures.
KSA Built is starting Thursday, October 27th in the park. Rosey will be working as late into late fall that weather permits. Some trails may be closed off as they are being upgraded. Please do not ride, walk, or run if you see a trail closed sign on that trail.
Broken Handlebar North and all of Halfpipe will see major improvements. Other smaller sections of trails will have drainage’s improved so water stops running straight down the trail tread. These improvements are part of the ERSA Grant Rutland Recreation received. Pine Hill Partnership is helping defray the higher cost of diesel some of our trails can see the upgrade they need. If you would like to make a donation directly to our trail fund please do so here https://pinehillpartnership.org/membership/ All contributions go back directly into Pine Hill Park trail system.
VYCC (VT Youth Conservation Corp) will be in the summer of 2023 to do more trail remediation work.
Our trails are being used heavily and need much needed TLC so please bear with this while the work is being performed.
