Crow’s Nest: Eagle Scout project on Creek Trail

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager.

Photo: Daniel Barringer

Do you know know that section of the Creek Trail where you have to pick your way across stepping stones, sometimes when they’re surrounded by floodwaters? Well, no more. (By the way, the photo above is from 22 years ago, among the first digital photos I took. And the oak tree pictured inside the curve of the trail is also shown below all these years later.)

Photo: Daniel Barringer

Tristan Gaboriault has led Scouts from Troop 140 to complete construction of an elevated “turnpike” here; this refers to a trail construction technique that raises and firms up muddy and eroding trails. First they removed the stepping stones and graded the underlying soil smooth. (Drought conditions actually made it easier to work in this area.)

Photo: Daniel Barringer

Then they laid down a geotextile fabric which keeps the gravel from sinking into the mud, and mud from rising up through the gravel. They lined the edges of that with stones we provided from elsewhere on the preserve.

Photo: Daniel Barringer

Then the whole site was backfilled with clean gravel and tamped.

Photo: Daniel Barringer

We think this will be an enormous improvement to the Creek Trail in terms of accessibility, beauty, and reduced erosion. Come check it out!