June 20, 2015 - East of Hyannis

Trail work for now and the future

Trail elves from the Knee Knacker community return for a sixth and final time to the Baden Powell trail, just east of Hyannis Drive, for a morning of boardwalk building.

Morning welcome and orientation

Graham, District of North Vancouver Trail and Habitat Co-ordinator, greets the crew and explains the day's planned activities.

Mule train

Trail Day on the North Shore follows a simple, regular routine: greeting/orientation, moving the supplies and tools, coffee, construction, and cleanup.

It's a life-sized version of Jenga

As you get towards the bottom of the stack, the pieces get longer and heavier.

Two is easier than one

The longest pieces are the boardwalk stringers

Recycle and re-use

The District purchases cedar lumber milled from recycled telephone poles for all its trail boardwalks, so the next time you walk along the street, look up at the hydro poles--one day you may end up walking on them!

Divide and conquer

The Knee Knacker crew is usually between 20 to 30 people, so we always spend a few (slightly confused) moments to divide into teams. For this day, one team worked on the long boardwalk, a second group tackled a shorter boardwalk and a set of stairs, and the third crew supported the construction teams and did general maintenance.

A boardwalk over dry land?

It seems odd to build a boardwalk on top of what, at first glance, looks like a perfectly serviceable track. During wet weather, however, this section floods and it can't be drained properly. Water damage mitigation is one of the big trail maintenance tasks for coastal trails, so it's important to identify problems during bad weather. Fixing water problems can require one or more techniques such as improved drainage (ditching), alternate route choices, raised tread, or boardwalks.

Powered by coffee

it's the stuff that keeps elves going and going and going. Plus some cookies.

Building a boardwalk, Part 1

After finding the optimal path for the boardwalk, the supporting boxes are placed so the stringers (the long timbers) can be positioned. After a moment to assess the path, the crew will either reposition the boardwalk or start hammering. Sometimes both.

Spike to you, nail to me

Large nails (spikes), galvanized--that's the grey coating--against rust and spiralled to ensure they don't pop out after being hammered into place.

Building a boardwalk, Part 2

Constructing the box. After it's positioned, it will be filled with rocks, with rebar spikes driven on the inside, to ensure that the support doesn't move. Ideally the box is set on rocks or roots so that it'll last longer (than if it directly touched earth).

Building a boardwalk, Part 3

Connecting the stringers to the box with the spikes. The decking has been roughly placed so that we'll know if we have enough lumber, and if the direction of the deck has to change.

Building a boardwalk, Part 4

Nailing the decking to the stringers with a branch to ensure even spacing between the boards. The off-angled board in the foreground is a shim that we're using to subtly change the direction of the deck.

Two each, and make them blunt

Two nails are hammered at each end of the board to connect it to the stringer. Before the hammering starts, the nails are blunted with a quick tap or two, reducing the chance that the nail will split the board.

Deconstructing a boardwalk

Sometimes the foreman tells you to start again. No grumbling allowed, but eat an extra cookie.

"I could be running..."

Gathering rocks is about as exciting as it sounds, but it's an important activity. Not all the building materials are supplied by the District--we have to use what's around us to get things like rocks and dirt.

Mining for dirt

When you're on the Baden Powell, finding dirt and rocks can seem challenging when all you see are trees, ferns and mossy soil. So where do you find dirt and rocks? Look for large, dead stumps or overturned root balls on fallen trees. As evergreens are shallow rooted and we live in a glaciated zone, only the top 6cm-20cm of dirt is organic. Below that level you'll find mineral soil (inorganic) and rocks. So dig around the stump or deadfall--be careful not to dig close to a live tree--to get your pay-dirt. Additioanl note, your mine should be located well off the trail to reduce the risk of a person or pet falling into it.