trail clearing technique and tools

[2manyrocks]

I am finding that I have to limit some things I used to do. Got too hot in the garden about a month ago. Wasn't doing that much when it happened.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I bet you are about ready to get back to snow grooming. It's probably not quite as hard on you.

 

[ArlyA]

I bet you are about ready to get back to snow grooming. It's probably not quite as hard on you.

Yes and no. We love doing it but we hoped we could get some grant $ and donations from the general trail users. We constitute 90% of the operational cost and over the summer we take in less than $50 per month which isn't enough to buy a can of paint. https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=boundary road trails

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Yeah that's an odd situation. I remember that you are doing all this work on a volunteer basis. But I don't really understand the connection to the trail system that requires you two being the caretakers, other than you just like the trails. Your posts make it seem to me that it's just about a full time job keeping them up. We all have our passion projects, but it is ok to take a little break when you need to and ask for help, financial or otherwise.

 

[ArlyA]

Yeah that's an odd situation. I remember that you are doing all this work on a volunteer basis. But I don't really understand the connection to the trail system that requires you two being the caretakers, other than you just like the trails. Your posts make it seem to me that it's just about a full time job keeping them up. We all have our passion projects, but it is ok to take a little break when you need to and ask for help, financial or otherwise.

We have been putting out the word and posting, that we are planning to give it up. It took my spouse around 40 hours give or take, to write for a locale grant which payed back with a "thanks!"... I told her she needs to take a real vacation away from that. People did say they'd help with grants, then don't respond when you ask about actually doing it. These things listed are the norm.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

There are times that taking a step back is the only way to shed light on a bad situation. There is no shame in that. Often times people don't realize how much someone does until they are gone, usually not through malice. I volunteer at my church for several things and have very much seen the trend that if a program is running smoothly, it is often forgotten about and taken for granted. Even if that project has high visibility. Again, usually it's not out of malice, it's just that the program running on its own doesn't require active management so it's kind of in the "completed" box in most other's minds.

It's healthy for you, and for the project to take some time away. That way others can understand the importance of what is being done behind the scenes, as well as the time and money involved. People will say they understand, and they think they do usually, but it's not real until they experience it first hand. Stepping back will also give the opportunity for others to gain experience while there is still a safety net. Picture what would happen if you broke a leg or you both were injured in a wreck and had to take a season or more off, the trail system would need someone that could step in.

I really don't understand why you feel like you "owe" the trail system your time and money. That's not intended as a jab, I just don't know your motivation, and I get it's not my busness. Me, I would not paint trail markers if I were not provided with paint by the governing authority of the trail system. It doesn't make sense for a single household to bear the financial and labor responsibility of a public resource. I would put that onus on the trail system. Creating boundaries (is that a pun?), both financial and personal time related, is good to make sure you are not taken advantage of.

My nature is a "fixer" so if I'm out of bounds I understand. I don't mean any disrespect.

 

[ning]

There are times that taking a step back is the only way to shed light on a bad situation. There is no shame in that. Often times people don't realize how much someone does until they are gone, usually not through malice. I volunteer at my church for several things and have very much seen the trend that if a program is running smoothly, it is often forgotten about and taken for granted. Even if that project has high visibility. Again, usually it's not out of malice, it's just that the program running on its own doesn't require active management so it's kind of in the "completed" box in most other's minds.

It's healthy for you, and for the project to take some time away. That way others can understand the importance of what is being done behind the scenes, as well as the time and money involved. People will say they understand, and they think they do usually, but it's not real until they experience it first hand. Stepping back will also give the opportunity for others to gain experience while there is still a safety net. Picture what would happen if you broke a leg or you both were injured in a wreck and had to take a season or more off, the trail system would need someone that could step in.

I really don't understand why you feel like you "owe" the trail system your time and money. That's not intended as a jab, I just don't know your motivation, and I get it's not my busness. Me, I would not paint trail markers if I were not provided with paint by the governing authority of the trail system. It doesn't make sense for a single household to bear the financial and labor responsibility of a public resource. I would put that onus on the trail system. Creating boundaries (is that a pun?), both financial and personal time related, is good to make sure you are not taken advantage of.

My nature is a "fixer" so if I'm out of bounds I understand. I don't mean any disrespect.

We're involved in a music camp and there's a bit of an age generation shift going on - the camp is in its third decade, and a lot of the people who have been involved in the camp for a long time are wanting and needing to step back from duties but are finding few stepping forward.

I came to a similar conclusion - it's running so well that others don't see a need to participate in the running.

I think a partial solution for the camp at least is to basically draft some people into helping with certain aspects, basically turn them into apprentices; at the very least after a few years you get a few people who have some view into what different parts of setting up & running the camp takes (there's a lot of repeat campers, who are all ages), so if "the person" who usually does the thing isn't available, hopefully there are replacements that aren't starting from zero; also, more and more of the duties can be off-loaded to them as the old timer gradually retires.

The main this is to make it clear to people who are benefiting from whatever it is (the camp in my case, LBBJ's church programs, Arly's trails) that there's a lot of effort to do it and they need to step up because it's going to stop if they don't - but people don't just hear "we need help" and help as you've all noticed, because they always think someone else will help.

No, you have to grab them by the collar and say "hey you - you're coming this weeking and going to help us do the thing" and before they know it they're having fun being helpful.

Arly, any chance you can set up some basic maintenance days near popular trailheads and basically grab people off the trail and make them see that they need to help, and they should help now, and then they should come join the fun on more serious days further up the trails? It's a lot to do, I know, and I don't really have the social energy to get in peoples' faces and confront the slackers - I tend to just go do it myself instead, but that obviously has its limits.

 

[ArlyA]

We're involved in a music camp and there's a bit of an age generation shift going on - the camp is in its third decade, and a lot of the people who have been involved in the camp for a long time are wanting and needing to step back from duties but are finding few stepping forward.

I came to a similar conclusion - it's running so well that others don't see a need to participate in the running.

I think a partial solution for the camp at least is to basically draft some people into helping with certain aspects, basically turn them into apprentices; at the very least after a few years you get a few people who have some view into what different parts of setting up & running the camp takes (there's a lot of repeat campers, who are all ages), so if "the person" who usually does the thing isn't available, hopefully there are replacements that aren't starting from zero; also, more and more of the duties can be off-loaded to them as the old timer gradually retires.

The main this is to make it clear to people who are benefiting from whatever it is (the camp in my case, LBBJ's church programs, Arly's trails) that there's a lot of effort to do it and they need to step up because it's going to stop if they don't - but people don't just hear "we need help" and help as you've all noticed, because they always think someone else will help.

No, you have to grab them by the collar and say "hey you - you're coming this weeking and going to help us do the thing" and before they know it they're having fun being helpful.

Arly, any chance you can set up some basic maintenance days near popular trailheads and basically grab people off the trail and make them see that they need to help, and they should help now, and then they should come join the fun on more serious days further up the trails? It's a lot to do, I know, and I don't really have the social energy to get in peoples' faces and confront the slackers - I tend to just go do it myself instead, but that obviously has its limits.

You got that right on many points. I'll address your last question at a later.

 

[ning]

One thing my wife and I found when we had little ones was that even though we weren't hiking for miles, just getting out in nature and doing something - in our case at the time it was looking around for mushrooms and trying (and failing) to identify them, which gave us something to do as a low-speed wander around while the toddlers ambled around as well. It's easy to say from here where I'm safely almost 2000 miles away from you, but I'd volunteer with you to work on trails, because I like getting out there and having a bit more to do than just walking a loop, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are others who would as well if they realized that having a more of a purpose to being out there than just "go for a hike" (I mean I do like going for a hike, but like probably most TBN'ers I tend to like it when I'm doing something).

 

[ArlyA]

One thing my wife and I found when we had little ones was that even though we weren't hiking for miles, just getting out in nature and doing something - in our case at the time it was looking around for mushrooms and trying (and failing) to identify them, which gave us something to do as a low-speed wander around while the toddlers ambled around as well. It's easy to say from here where I'm safely almost 2000 miles away from you, but I'd volunteer with you to work on trails, because I like getting out there and having a bit more to do than just walking a loop, but I wouldn't be at all surprised if there are others who would as well if they realized that having a more of a purpose to being out there than just "go for a hike" (I mean I do like going for a hike, but like probably most TBN'ers I tend to like it when I'm doing something).

I posted this note an got zero responses.
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https://www.facebook.com/Boundary.R...j5U2m6VLzwfY_KTJ6hQKSu48fIiBvaTk&__tn__=<,P-R

Boundary Road Trails​

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Folks, I'd like to do some blazing on Friday morning and the regular people who normally help, can't. Can you?? The temps are predicted to be nice. Just message us if you could.

 

[ArlyA]

Arly, any chance you can set up some basic maintenance days near popular trailheads and basically grab people off the trail and make them see that they need to help, and they should help now, and then they should come join the fun on more serious days further up the trails? It's a lot to do, I know, and I don't really have the social energy to get in peoples' faces and confront the slackers - I tend to just go do it myself instead, but that obviously has its limits.

You might have missed that we pay 80 to 90 percent of the trails operating expenses. We had hoped to get more user donations to assist with costs. We also do the vast majority of the work out there which is fun. It wouldn't work to have people show up at random. They need to wear work clothing, safty glasses, work gloves ect, ect. Not to mention have food and water.

 

[2manyrocks]

One possible option is to stop and let the trails grow up if you are doing all the work, injuring your wrist, and bearing virtually all of the financial cost just for other people to walk the trails without helping at all.

 

[dodge man]

I agree with others Arly. I always thought it was big of you and the wife to do all this work. The winter stuff looks expensive, like you have a lot of equipment and maintenance of it costs. At some point when it becomes a burden, it’s time to give it up.

 

[ArlyA]

One possible option is to stop and let the trails grow up if you are doing all the work, injuring your wrist, and bearing virtually all of the financial cost just for other people to walk the trails without helping at all.

That's the way it was 7 years ago when we took them over. Two groups had already claimed they were doing them.... So we found the land owner and asked them. We wanted a nearby location that was fun to hike and see your feet (ak mowed), plus you could run your mutts free on. No one was doing that.

 

[ArlyA]

Just to remind eveyone that we will be giving them up in the spring, unless folks step forwads and write grants or users pay more to keep them open.

 

[2manyrocks]

People should respect the fact that you can't keep doing all this work without any help at the cost of what it is doing to your wrist.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Arly, it's so sad to see, or learn, that the vast majority of the public is perfectly willing to stand back and let you pick up all of the expenses and effort to ensure they have a fun place to hike and ski. But... that's simply the truth of it all. I can relate totally with my experience in coaching Little League baseball. I've had people ask me how much that job paid even after seeing me pickup their kids to take them to practice and to play games, all the while they sit back and do nothing and make no offer to contribute to the expense nor effort.

I read every one of your posts and quickly realized that all of the expense and effort was born by you and your family. In thanks, I saw only a half dozen other comments from other facility users, with none actually offering to help. Hopefully there have been many others joining your effort. (?) If so, perhaps including pictures of them helping might encourage others to do the same. I and others on here perhaps did not realize the tremendous cost and effort it takes to maintain the Boundary Trail.

I suppose the only way to actually get others to assist is to quit yourself. Of course, the outcome would probably be that the trails would soon grow up and simply cease to exist. That's obviously not what you nor your family want. One alternative is to reduce the amount of trails that you maintain.

The trails have become your pride and purpose. Us remote readers easily can see that and appreciate the dedication you've given that goal. We enjoy reading about your accomplishments and learn a great deal about dealing with equipment and nature problems. And we understand the disappointment, especially with your injury, that others have not stepped in to pick up the slack. Sadly, that's just human nature. It's a "ME" world, as much as we wished that it were not.

My only (non-requested) advice is to continue as you have been, but only as long as you and your faimily have the energy, funds, and desire to do so. And you should not feel the pain of guilt if/when you reduce your effort. If there are truly others that appreciate having the nice trails, they'll step in and take up the slack. Or they'll simply have to accept the fact that it was good while it lasted.

 

[ArlyA]

We are packing now and heading to camp and help our freind again on her section of the NCT. I'll write something when we get back. So you see, we think clearing trails is fun, just hope to not pay for it all!

 

[airbiscuit]

So, I know you've mentioned it before, but are the trails private, state, or federal?

At least the monks are paying you, and I hope they throw in some baked goods

 

[lilranch2001]

Just to remind eveyone that we will be giving them up in the spring, unless folks step forwads and write grants or users pay more to keep them open.

Honestly, if I were you, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for people to step up, it seems in todays world, until a valuable object is missing, most people do not seem to care, sad but true