The Unturned Stone

The Deep Gap Trail in Mount Mitchell State Park nears completion. At this point most work is focused on a huge staircase we call “the Hundred” though it looks like it will be even more steps than that when completed. The short stack of steps above leads up a small rise in the trail.

Mike stands atop recently completed stone cribbing built to replace an old timber wall. One of our faithful power wheelbarrows rests nearby. The track wheelbarrows can carry up to 1000 pounds and are fairly stable, even on tough terrain. They are narrow enough to navigate many of the trails we build.

A land snail browsing on a lichen and moss covered rock. Land snails have the reproductive organs of both sexes, allowing them to mate with any other snails they might meet. This is a useful trait considering how slowly snails move and how unlikely they are to encounter other snails.

All photographs by Frank.

On Monday we rolled a diesel train through the woods, bringing in the mortar mixer and more of our gear. It’s a thousand feet through a dense forest thicket.

The southeast corner of the cabin. The big stones in front of the wheel barrow will eventually support the hearth. The fireplace will be centered on the back wall of the cabin.

The mountain meadow is alive with insects. This longhorn beetle was found guarding the gate at day’s end. Ian said it had Santa Fe colors.

Sometimes it’s like working at the ocean, the cool, damp air swirls with mist. We are a lot of miles from the ocean, and a mile above it. These are the clouds. Walking the trail in on a overcast morning it’s easy to confuse North Carolina with Oregon or New Hampshire.

The foundation walls are four and five feet thick. They are short, only a couple of feet tall, but they sit on live rock, what we call the mountain.

The lime mortar smells different from portland mixes and feels softer in my hands. Its softness is what will allow it to survive up here.

While not as aggressive or venomous as rattlesnakes, copperheads are quietly dangerous because they are so well camouflaged on the forest floor. When threatened, they freeze and their color and markings hide them amongst the dead leaves. People step on them unknowingly and pay the consequence. Dave almost stepped on this handsome specimen, which he described as “shiny as a new penny.”

Copperheads bear live young, a somewhat uncommon trait in reptiles.

Photo by K.J.

Despite their ominous coloring, Black Rat Snakes are good to have around. Farmers have always appreciated their appetite for mice and rats, hence their name. They are not venomous and generally slither away when they encounter people. They are long and lean and adept tree climbers. They are not always purely black; young animals wil have gray splotches and some adults will even be brown.
Photo by K.J.

In the middle of June Fred traveled to Dartmouth College to lead a workshop for student volunteers who will be rehabilitating and building trails on the campus this summer. The three day workshop covered all aspects of trail design and construction, with special emphasis on using winches to move materials. Winches are amazing tools that allow people to move heavy loads over impassible terrain. By elevating the load, sensitive environments can be protected and there’s less wear and tear on the body. Winch systems can be complex and require a good deal of training and experience to use safely and effectively. Twelve students took part in the session, which draws heavily from Lester Kenway’s trainings and writings on winch systems.

We believe that hands-on experience is the most valuable way for people to learn and understand the system. Real life practice and problem-solving were mingled with brief classroom sessions that focused on safety and technical components of the system. Learners were introduced to the system with the above illustration of a basic winch set-up. Fred led the students through the system piece by piece, labeling each on a huge poster version of the illustration at the front of the class. After seeing it drawn the students built the same arrangement from the ground up. Fred reported that by the end of the session the volunteers were problem solving winch set-ups and technical issues for their forthcoming projects.