In the days leading up to our last Waterway Work Trip at the Highgate Falls Dam Portage, I couldn’t have imagined what this crew could do in one short weekend.
The Roving Crew of interns (Acadia, Kim and I) spent Wednesday through Friday scrambling to prepare the site for our seven volunteers. With help from Walter (Trail Director), Noah (Field Coordinator) and Danny Hale of VASA, we moved material and set up work stations along the portage trail from the river take-out up a slick, muddy hill to the campsite.
Motivated by great company, great coffee (thanks Tim!), perfect weather and more than enough s’mores, our volunteers constructed and installed lumber cribbed steps leading out of the river, built a retaining wall to protect the river bank from erosion, moved tons (very literally) of rock and gravel, and still found time for a six mile paddle on the Missisquoi from our camp at Highgate to the nearby town of Swanton.
Playing in the mud.
The woodshop.
These guys are rock moving machines.
Making it all worthwhile.
I think I can speak for everyone in saying that this weekend couldn’t have been much better! A great big thank you is due to our volunteers for coming out despite ominous weather reports and showing us how much fun trail work can be!
See you out there,
Sam
