The request to build this reroute came about due to concerns about erosion that were raised by Kay Jenkins, the regional resource protection specialist whom we originally worked with at Tyler State Park a few years back. The soils in the area were primarily sandy and quite erosive, so it was important to keep the grades shallow to prevent water damage from occurring due to the frequent rain events that take place at the park.

The new section we built was fairly short, maybe 100 feet total, and since the creek crossing was pretty narrow, the bridge we built only needed to be about 16 feet long. On the second day, we assisted with the construction of a granite path from the restroom to the trail head. As part of this project, we also showed the park staff the importance of corralling users.

We enjoyed working with the park staff and giving them some on the job training in sustainable trail design and construction techniques. It was a fairly quick project that went smoothly, and the park staff were happy with the results and small amount of time that it took to achieve them. We expect that they’ll keep us in mind for future trail needs, and we look forward to returning to Purtis Creek State Park in the future for more work.

We worked in two main areas of the trail system. The first was in the neighborhood trails behind Bud’s house, where the trails were originally built about 3 years ago. Those problem areas were fairly small and pretty easy to fix. The second area that needed some attention was trail we had built about a year ago right outside the Mercer Arboretum. One area got a lot of traffic when the trails were wet, which caused a mud pit to form. Unfortunately some of the use was illegal activity by ATVers, which the Montgomery County Sheriffs have had a hard time controlling. As a result people who wanted to walk the trail were forced to go wider and wider around to try to avoid the mud and standing water. We solved the problem by building a raised causeway out of road base that we compacted and then capped with crushed granite. It looked much nicer and more inviting to use afterward, and we hope that people will enjoy having a more sustainable (and dryer!) path on which to walk. We always enjoy working with Bud on the Spring trails, and are glad to have the opportunity to return year after year to do maintenance work.

The 2010 mini-conference was a fun and productive event, with about 30 participants representing member companies from around the United States and Canada. We were there primarily for continuing education and business networking, but it was also nice to catch up with colleagues and friends that we hadn’t seen in a while. Several informative sessions were presented, including: how to write a legally binding trail contract; creating EPA storm water protection plans; professional liability insurance guidelines; federal DOT (department of transportation) guidelines for hauling mechanized trail building equipment; and creating an individualized company safety policy and manual.

Eureka Springs is a quant little town surrounded by incredible natural beauty, and just around the corner from the conference center was a beautiful piece of land where we hoped to build a legacy project together with our colleagues. Unfortunately the weather had other plans for us and we got rained out—we don’t mind getting dirty, but there was so much mud and flowing water it made the conditions unsafe for work, especially with machinery. But it was still nice to go out to the site and brainstorm trail design options with other trail builders and gather ideas for what the local companies can do when conditions dry out. Overall it was a good trip, and we returned to Texas with several ideas for ways to improve our company procedures and productivity.

Several hospital employees enjoyed walking on their meal breaks to get some exercise and be outdoors for a while before returning to work. However the only place to walk was in the employee parking lot, which was not the best experience that one could wish for. Fortunately there was a large field with an excavated detention pond adjacent to the hospital on the property, and the directors of the employee contribution program thought this would be a nice venue to provide a walking path for employees that would be somewhat of an ‘escape into nature’ away from the parking lot. In spite of the fact that the hospital is located directly on the feeder road at I-10 and the Grand Parkway and sees a huge amount of traffic, the detention pond provides nice habitat for turtles and several species of water birds. There are also several red-winged blackbirds that live in the area, and even a hawk that regularly hunts in the field next to the pond. Therefore providing people a delineated path to get to and around this water feature and encourage exercise in the process was a huge goal for the hospital administrators.

Last October we scouted the property to estimate how long the trail would be so we could plan for how much stone material to buy. In addition to Terri, Tom Brunette from the Facilities Engineering Department was involved in the project and walked the proposed alignment with us. Due to the fact that the detention pond had been excavated and was a factor in storm water runoff, the Harris County Flood Control District had to become involved to issue permits to build the trail, including one for a small bridge to cross a concrete drainage area on one end of the pond. Although we’re not certified hydrology engineers ourselves, we do know a lot about how water affects dirt, and we noticed that two of the concrete drainages appeared to be constructed in a counter-intuitive manner. Basically instead of allowing water to naturally drain by sheet flow over land down to the pond, which was the lowest point in the landscape, whoever originally excavated the site dug swales around the pond to force water into storm drains that were then supposed to drain under the berm that was built up around the pond.

When we arrived five months later to begin construction, we found that the volume of water channeled into the drains had undercut the concrete and bored out a huge sinkhole-like cavern under the berm where the trail was supposed to be built. This created a structurally unsound area about 50 feet long right in the middle of the only place that we could build the trail. Needless to say we were concerned and immediately told Terri and Tom so they could see for themselves and we could all strategize for the best way to proceed. Tom said that he would get the construction crew that now maintained the property to re-grade the area while we worked on the other parts of the trail. We all agreed on that plan and started construction right away.

Bad weather, rental equipment problems, labor trouble, and inaccurate materials estimates from the stone company were only some of the challenges faced on the project. The other construction company also didn’t show up during the two weeks we had allotted for the project, so we were unable to complete the section that needed to be re-graded before we had to leave for another project. Fortunately about 3 weeks later we had a day open up in our busy schedule when we could return to finish the job, so that’s what we did. We did have one interesting opportunity that we’ve not had on any other job, and that was a chance to take an overhead photo of the entire trail. We were escorted by security to the roof of the hospital, where Susan was able to take a picture that showed the entire trail around the pond. Future plans of the hospital committee include the addition of picnic tables, shade structures, and exercise equipment to turn the trail into an integrated outdoor fitness facility. We wish them well in these endeavors.

The project completion deadline had to do with the fact that some of the proposed reroutes were located in golden cheeked warbler habitat, an endangered songbird that nests in the hill country region during the spring. Federal and state guidelines mandate that no mechanized equipment can be used in those habitat regions from March 1 through September to prevent interfering with the birds’ nesting and mating patterns. Therefore we were on tight schedule to get everything completed in a timely manner to comply with regulations enforced by the state park’s regional resources manger.

We’ve had a good crew working with us on various projects for the past several months, and with the help of Mark, Bruce, and Joe we were able to complete the chainsaw work and tread construction very efficiently. We also had the pleasure of working with Park Assistant Manager Barrett Durst, who volunteered some time on his day off to come pull brush for us while Susan ran the saw.

Part of this reroute project was more complicated than the prior ones last fall due to a number of factors. First, it was almost a 2 mile hike out to the work site every morning, and then of course a 2 mile hike back out at the end of the day. Fortunately our crew guys are fit and very outdoorsy themselves, and they usually enjoyed the walk and commented on how nice our “office” was. Second, there were two creek crossings that required additional time and effort to cross in a sustainable manner. One of them was solved by installing a rock armored crossing that turned out quite nicely. The other required a steep bench cut into the creek bank to allow horses to get to the narrow running creek and step over it. To prevent loss of soil into the creek and damage to the riparian environment, we very carefully excavated a huge amount of dirt at the crossing using the new Bradco tilt-attachment on our dozer bucket and placed the excavated soils out of sight away from the new trail. Progress was slow, but at the end of the day we had a nice new section of trail that will allow horses to get a drink and then cross over the creek, while avoiding the old section of trail that had become so eroded that it was dangerous for all users.

We also enjoyed meeting with the Friends of the Park group during the project to give them an update, and they reported being very happy with the work we’ve done on the trails in the past. Hopefully they will enjoy the latest addition to the trail system, and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the park staff and the Friend’s group.

February 20 and 21 Ryan and Susan returned to Sid Richardson Boy Scout Ranch in Runaway Bay (about 1 hour northwest of Fort Worth) to teach our annual trail building school to Dallas Off Road Bicycling Association (DORBA) trail stewards and regional land managers. On our way there, we stopped at Purtis Creek State Park on Friday the 19th to do a trail assessment and provide some consultation services at the park manager’s request.

The DORBA school is organized by Rick Buckley, a dedicated member of DORBA and organizer of the local IMBA National Mountain Bike Patrol program. Through his relationship with the Boy Scouts of America organization, he facilitates access to the scout ranch property which provides an excellent training environment for beginner and advanced trail builders alike.

Over the past several years, Ryan and Susan have taught a beginner-focused class that served the needs of new trail stewards who came into the group each year. However several of the more-experienced folks who have been around for a while requested an advanced level class, so that’s what we decided to do. Fortunately, not one but two of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Trail Care Crews were in town, so they were available to teach the basic class to new recruits while Ryan and Susan worked with the “old hands”.

This year’s school was the largest ever with approximately 50 students, an inspiring turnout. Most of them took the basic class, while about 10 folks enrolled in the advanced class with us. It’s a good thing our class was small because we taught a course and then led an outdoor project on rock work, where it’s critical to have small groups to keep the process smooth and safe.

Our in-class lecture on Saturday morning focused on the different types of equipment and safety measures needed to complete rock armoring projects. Armoring is a way to harden the surface of a dirt trail with rock to ensure the sustainability of the tread, and there are several methods one can use to achieve this goal. Our project wound up using a combination of flagstone paving and boulder causeway techniques, and it was a great learning experience for all involved. Rick taught us a great knot technique to create a rock sling out of climbing webbing, and we taught the group how to use a come-along and rock bars to move a 700 pound rock with just 3 people. The main focus during the whole process was safety, and teaching the class how to communicate with each other so that rocks were moved in a controlled manner and no one got hurt due to moving too quickly or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Doing rock work properly and safely requires a lot of time, and in spite of that the class managed to accomplish quite a lot during the Saturday afternoon project. Unfortunately the rain on Saturday night and Sunday morning prevented any further work on the project, since it became too muddy to work effectively. Therefore we were unable to complete the entire section of armoring, but Rick and the crew now know what they need to do to finish it, and we’re confident that it will be a great job when it’s done.

In addition to the work and training aspects of the weekend, the social components of the program are always fun as well. The traditional Saturday night hike and climb in the Devil’s Den rock formation was a blast, and hanging out around the camp fire with class participants was quite enjoyable too. We also finally got the opportunity to meet George Wible from www.MountainBikeTX.com. George has created a great website to organize trail information and reviews from all over the state, and he’s been very kind to funnel potential trail building jobs our way so we were pleased to be able to say thanks to him in person.

We enjoy the opportunity every February to return to Sid Richardson to offer training to DORBA folks and land managers in the surrounding communities. It appears that the demand for those services continues, so we look forward to continuing that relationship as long as we can all make it work out. Hopefully the 2011 school will be even better!

The section of new trail that was built followed the creek through the low areas, staying above the flood lines. The trail crossed two wet areas that needed to be bridged with smaller bridges. The section also crossed some dry ravines that needed to have crossings built. Most of these crossing were accomplished by utilizing spoils from the new trail construction to build up crossings that would keep users dry in all but the most wet conditions.

The two large bridges provided a logistical challenge as well as a structural challenge. The bridges that washed away were each over 20 feet long and were displaced by a 12 inch rain. The new bridges need to be elevated above the high flood stage of Canyon Creek. Our contact at the MUD wanted the bridges to be 4 feet above the normal level of the creek. This also meant that the bridges went from 20 feet in length to 25+ feet in length.

Even working at the site proved challenging at times. The wood being utilized to cross the creek here is 16 foot long sections of 4×6’s. Getting back and forth to work on either side was difficult.

The superstructure was supported directly on the ground which can be seen in the upper picture. The tall 4×6 sections will be utilized for railings later on. After building the main structure, we added ramps to either end to make it easier to ride up and over the bridge and to utilize strollers.

All of our work at Canyon has been well received. Its nice to have a project where the neighbors are out everyday checking on progress and thanking us for what we’re doing.

Scott Henry (Team Hammerhead Bicycles) won the mens’ race in 5:12:51. Henry was in a lead group of 7 riders on the roads over to Rocky Hill and barely slowed going through the checkpoint going into the 21 mile lap. Tristan Uhl (Southern Elite/Sun & Ski, (5:23:34) was the closest chaser, keeping Henry almost in sight through Uhl’s home course of Rocky Hill before hitting the road with a 3 minute deficit. Uhl admitted to slowing down into the headwind on the way back and thought that he might get caught by Chad Hardt (5:25:30).

The womens race was won by Shae Rainer (Trek VW). Shae went into the singletrack at Warda in 1st and never relented the lead. She was followed by Claire McKenna (Hammerhead).

We appreciate everyones participation. We even had a few racers thank us saying that the race was their favorite and they look forward to it every year.

S&S Trail Services recently completed the first natural surface trail system in the Senna Hills community on Bee Cave Road in west Austin. The project development followed a convoluted path and came about in part due to a referral from our former business partner, who was unavailable to complete the project himself when the opportunity arose. Last spring several members of the board of directors for the homeowner’s association (HOA) decided that a trail would be a nice amenity for the neighborhood. The Senna Hills community is near the Barton Creek West neighborhood, which has trails that were developed many years ago and our company has performed maintenance work on over the past few years. Apparently homeowners in Senna Hills would sometimes venture over to Barton Creek West to utilize the trail system, as they had no trails available in their own back yard. The HOA board members knew that a nice parcel of land owned by the community was not going to be utilized for building new homes, and would therefore be available as protected green space that could have a trail built on it to allow the homeowners to walk and bicycle in the woods.

After gaining the support of the homeowners and the local Municipal Utility District (MUD), construction began in the third week of October. This was just in time for one of the wettest fall seasons in recent history! On the third day of construction, heavy rains started that led to sporadic delays throughout the entire 5-week process. Fortunately there were usually other tasks that could be performed when it was too wet to run the dozer, such as cedar clearing, bridge and retaining-wall construction, and trailhead development. We had originally planned to complete the project in 4 weeks, so although we ran a little bit over, it didn’t cause any significant problems as we had a little extra time to spare going into Thanksgiving week.

And it was nice that the trail was completed just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, because we overheard trail users on the last day we worked there talking about how they looked forward to going for walks with their families after eating the Thanksgiving feast. Similar to other projects we’ve completed in the past, it was nice to see community members who “found” the trail early on start to use it before we were even done building. The residents seemed very excited to have a path in their neighborhood available for them to explore the woods and see the pretty little running creek down in a hidden ravine. The trail follows what we call a “lollipop” configuration, in that there is a long single path that eventually splits off into a small loop that then feeds back into the original path that returns to the trailhead. Total new construction was approximately 1.15 miles, which turns into a 2+ mile walk or bike ride for residents if they complete the whole circuit and wind up back where they started.

Feedback from the community members and HOA board of directors has been overwhelmingly positive, and future plans for the residents to complete include installation of signs and some benches where we cut side trails out to scenic overlooks. After the official grand opening later this month and a trial period of trail use, if the community supports it there will be plans for a Phase II expansion of the trail system with further loops branching off from the main trail. These future planned trails will be more narrow and rugged, to provide additional mileage and a more challenging experience to trail hikers, runners, and mountain bike riders. The Senna Hills project was a very rewarding and enjoyable experience for us. Many homeowners came out to do volunteer work with us on several Saturdays during the process, and they got to see the amount of work that goes into creating a new trail and feel a sense of ownership in the creation of a new amenity for their neighborhood. Not only did we get to work with a friendly and motivated group of homeowners, but it was so exciting that the project was in our hometown. We got to stay in our own house and sleep in our own bed during the entire project! And visit with our friends during the week, and go to Austin community events and act like normal people with normal jobs. It was great! We look forward to future work in Austin with this great neighborhood and other communities like them.