Forest Hill Trail Care - Update!

Greetings Fellow Trail Enthusiants,

Until Mother Nature got angry last week, life was good on the trailbuilding front.  Nathan and his guys, along with some mid-week help, were on a roll. So much progress was being made that Nathan even entertained the idea that maybe we could finish in mid to late March. 

Starting the Tuesday after the Sweco operator finished, the crew was able to buff and finish the section of trail leading from behind the school to the switchbacks near the creek. They also finished much of the reclamation work along the same corridor. On the western side, they were able to finish much of the trail leading up to the front of the park.

What we found is that refining and adjusting the back slope, doing the reclamation work, and tamping and compacting the new trail was not taking as long as expected. That work was moving along very nicely. So we can expect, once the weather clears, and things dry out a bit, that we will make significant progress.

The critical path as we see it is things that we have to construct or build. This includes bridges and crib walls. A bridge needs to be built across the creek just below the switchbacks. Steve Utz, otherwise known as Crankee, will be building that bridge. Then,  a crib wall needs to be constructed just below the school. A separate and highly skilled crew will be during that work. There is also a small section of trail below the switchbacks that will have to be hand built. This can all be done in one or two weekends.  Once that work is complete, we can open that section of trail which will extend from the bridge at Reedy Creek to the creek crossing below the switchbacks.

On the western side, the big project is the bridge across the creek at the front of the park. This bridge will be about thirty-five feet and will be curved. Yep, they're going to bend that thing! That bridge will be built by Steve Hodson and Keith Garrent. These are the guys that gave you the bridges across the ravine on Buttermilk Heights. Steve estimates that bridge may take two to three weekends. While the bridge is being built, a small crib wall will be constructed alongside the eastern edge of the maintenance shed. That crib wall is needed to facilitate getting over a small stone wall next to the shed.

Because of the weather forecast for this weekend, no trail work will be scheduled. As far as next week, things will need to dry out a bit before we can resume. We need to get the snow off the ground and have three or four days of sunshine. We still have plenty of time people.  We'll continue to keep you updated.   

Remember, Nathan and his crew are working almost full time during the week to get this project finished. If you can't come out on the weekend, please consider helping Nathan during the week if you have the time. Because Nathan's schedule can change during the week, it is best to either email or call him before coming out.  Nathan's email is nathan.burrell@richmondgov.com. His phone is (804) 357-8897.

On another note, if you have any concerns or questions about the work being done in Forest Hill Park or in the James River Park System, Nathan urges you to contact him to discuss the issue or question. It doesn't matter if you're a mountain biker, hiker,  runner, etc., Nathan wants to hear what you have to say.

Again, please respect Nathan's wish for the trails to be closed. The trails are in no condition to be used and if ridden will just make it harder for us to finish the work. As each section is completed, we will announce its opening here and on our website. Please be patient, we are trying our best to get these trails open.

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  For For questions or more information, contact Wayne Goodman at goodmanw@verizon.net or at 804-357-7425.