The tradition of the Trail Crew is almost as old as the Randolph Mountain Club itself. Since 1910, people have been employed to perform maintenance tasks on the trails, and since then there has almost always been a paid position for trail workers who work to preserve some of the country’s oldest and most dear paths and trails.
Currently, the Trail Crew consists of eight strapping young men and woman and a wise veteran of the RMC serving as their crew leader. When they’re not cooling their heels by Cold Brook, sharpening axes and caring for other tools in the Goetze Workshop, or cooking meals in the luxurious Stearns Lodge, they can be found on the trails.
Summer Trail Crew season starts in early June with a brief orientation where they’re brought up to speed by some of the best in the business. Axe skills are honed by Cristin Bailey, a Trails Manager with the USFS, and the crew is given a taste of backcountry physics a la the Grip-Hoist by David Salisbury, writer of one of the definitive books on trail maintenance, by the end of their first week the RMC TC are a walking (er, hiking) encyclopedia of woodland ethics and trail work knowledge.
When orientation is over, the real work begins with patrolling. RMC trails befall all sorts of minor damages during the winter, notably blowdowns (trees and other obstructions of the treadway) and clogged drainages. During the patrolling period, the TC will hike every single RMC trail with axes, chainsaws, hoes and picks, clearing blowdowns and cleaning drainages. In other words, they try to make every trail fully functional and easily accessible by hikers. Patrolling is also useful because it gives TC members a lay of the land a taste of all of the trails. Increased familiarity means increased connection to the land, and increased devotion to the tasks at hand.
After the blowdowns have been cleared and the winter melt siphoned off of the treadways into freshly cleaned drainages, the TC transitions to their longer-term construction and renovation projects. RMC members eager for a look at recent TC works are advised to take a look at the newly-constructed trailhead on the Ledge Trail, as well as the stone staircase towards the top of Lowe’s Path near the Log Cabin, both of which were finished last year.
Construction projects this year include completing work from last year on Israel Ridge and a large-scale project on Inlook trail. Through these projects, the TC’s aim, as always, is to maintain and improve trails so that they will be able to accommodate hikers, and to preserve the integrity of the forests which they are located in.
If you see the crew on the trails, feel free to introduce yourself and say hello. The crew is friendly (although they may look dirty and surly), and interested in helping out where possible. Members and town residents are reminded that the Stearns Lodge is a private residence for the Crew, although there will be several events held there throughout the summer that are open to the public.
This blog will be updated regularly by Benzo Harris, a second-year TC member, as well as other TC members. Please check back regularly for updates on the Crew’s activities and for information on upcoming events.
