Trail building is underway at the Sculpture Forest.

Professional trail builder Eric Carabba of Backwoods Contracting will be onsite for the entire month of May constructing the upcoming trails for the park.  He has an extensive history with trail construction, land resource management, and land preservation.  He applies that expertise to his projects.

He begins by roughing in the trail path with a small excavator and scraping blade, plus a motorized heavy duty wheelbarrow and chainsaws.  The initial goal is to get down right below the organic squishy duff layer to the hard mineral soil level.  Then the more physical hand finish work begins, using a McLeod fire rake, Pulaski fire axe, Hazel hoe, rake, and other tools.  Finish work involves removing any hidden organics and roots, sculpting the sides and tread of the trail, adjusting slope and camber, and adding small angled side ditches to direct erosive water flow off the trail into the surrounding vegetation during heavy rain.

He is enjoying the peace and feel of the Sculpture Forest, and he is making good steady progress.

South loop trail being roughed in by professional trail building contractor

South loop trail roughed in among salal

First rough in pass with machines before hand finishing work

Building north loop trail through thick vegetation

Starting finish work by hand on north loop trail

Performing hand finishing work on north loop trail