While summer work parties at Idler’s Rest have certainly looked different this season, great progress is being made on the major accessibility and improvement project. Over the last several weeks, mini-teams of volunteers and land trust staff have been busy bees installing stairs around the parking lot and removing brush and trees from the new Universal Access trail into the cedar grove.
Please help us send a high thank you to John Bolles, Jim Heidelberger, and Owen Tribble for stepping up *snicker* to help install stairs from the parking lot to the restroom area and complete the steps leading from the parking lot to the roadway.
Despite hard soil, granite, and some more than pesky pieces of rebar, our volunteer crew was able to successfully install a new stairway and complete the lower stairs as well.
Due to excavation last summer to increase the capacity of the parking lot, the original stairway to access the Meadow and Mountain View trail side of the preserve had to be removed.
Can you picture it? Here is the site of the new accessible trail and entrance to the cedar grove.
In order for equipment to cut, grade, and compact the new trail base, all brush must be cleared to soil level to ensure that the trail is safe and stable.
Conservation Projects Manager Karl is hard at work trimming back vegetation and clearing branches to make way for the next steps in trail construction.
We might be a small team, but we sure our mighty! Trust us, land trusts know how to do team building right: hard, manual labor.
With brush cleared, the new trail is really taking shape! From years only existing in project plans and our minds, we are so close to seeing this special project completed.
Soon, people of all ages and abilities will be able to safely access the cedar grove and other parts of Idler’s Rest. Thank YOU for all of your support in making this dream possible.
