trail clearing technique and tools

[ArlyA]

Here is recent posts to BRT's trail FB page.
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Folks, we've not been posting much due to the lack of user financial support. We asked for $60 this summer for that can of paint and did not receive any $$ for it. We can not afford to continue to groom these trails with so little community support in the summer, or winter as we pay for 90%. What do you suggest we do? We have users, they're just not helping much. Sandy wrote for grants last summer and we got zero in return, all that for wasting 40 hours. She works full time.

another post
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Boundary Road Trails​

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Here is why we ended up caring for these trails. About 8 years ago we found them knee deep in overgrowth and fallen trees so we contacted the landowner. Several groups had said they were keeping them up, but obviously they weren't so we took over the clearing of them. This took us about 200 hours that summer and various expenses so we asked other groups for a modest donation and got a "No". A few years later the largest trail system in Houghton put severe limitations on dogs which reduced our usage of them to zero. We contacted the landowner again, who gave us the OK and we tried grooming over the winter just to see if anyone would show up. We bore all costs. Usage went through the roof and the parking lot car spilled onto Boundary Road.. After that we set up a GFM site and QR payment system and Sandy wrote for a grant that went to most foundations in our area and the response was a "thanks sending us that!". She asked for a parking lot update cost, a mowing machine and operational costs. Now we are looking for help to continue anything. We are the only dog friendly location in Houghton, Chassell, Pinesdale and Southrange.

 

[MossRoad]

That's got to be frustrating, and disappointing.

Have you tried to get any media coverage?

 

[ArlyA]

That's got to be frustrating, and disappointing.

Have you tried to get any media coverage?

I've contacted our paper twice about this. No response.

 

[Bearsixty7]

Have you tried posting on Nextdoor, Facebook local pages, local online news website, etc?

Maybe post up that the trails are going to close if no money and/or time is donated.

 

[MossRoad]

I've contacted our paper twice about this. No response.

Daily Mining Gazette?

 

[ArlyA]

Have you tried posting on Nextdoor, Facebook local pages, local online news website, etc?

Maybe post up that the trails are going to close if no money and/or time is donated.

If you look two posts back, its from Facebook.

 

[kenmbz]

Signs on the trees showing the costs you bear and asking for help, and saying when the end date of the free clearing will happen.
Then on the cutoff date, if nothing happens, just stop and do what you want on the trail if anything and make sure the access areas are not cleaned by you.

Pictures of you doing the trail work on the signs, just with pole saws and brush cutters might also help, but don't show vehicles or anything expensive.

I wish you luck, in my old town the bicycle club maintained a lot of the trails and had volunteer days and partnered with IMBA. But that was a large group, this has been only you and the wife so all the overhead to make something like that happen might be out of reach.

Boy scouts are also another group that might help.

I did trail clearing with both, no money involved from anyone though was forthcoming, but nice to work with other volunteers instead of 2 people.

 

[ArlyA]

Signs on the trees showing the costs you bear and asking for help, and saying when the end date of the free clearing will happen.
Then on the cutoff date, if nothing happens, just stop and do what you want on the trail if anything and make sure the access areas are not cleaned by you.

Pictures of you doing the trail work on the signs, just with pole saws and brush cutters might also help, but don't show vehicles or anything expensive.

I wish you luck, in my old town the bicycle club maintained a lot of the trails and had volunteer days and partnered with IMBA. But that was a large group, this has been only you and the wife so all the overhead to make something like that happen might be out of reach.

Boy scouts are also another group that might help.

I did trail clearing with both, no money involved from anyone though was forthcoming, but nice to work with other volunteers instead of 2 people.

Boy scouts, ha! signage on trees is a waste of paper and time. We have a GFM notice right at the trailhead within 6ft of where people enter and you hear "didn't notice that".

Have you tried to gander donations before?

 

[FriendwithTractor]

Have you tried trail days? Well advertised days where people can come work on the trails? I know that's had success in B.C.
Mountain Biker's creed is "No shovel, no ride."

I'm sure you've already thought of the lockbox requesting donations at the trailhead for maintenance. But these days I'm sure that would grow legs and walk off more often than not.

 

[dodge man]

At some point Arly you just have to quit. People will notice then. At this point it’s become a burden to you and your wife.

 

[ArlyA]

At some point Arly you just have to quit. People will notice then. At this point it’s become a burden to you and your wife.

But then we loose the only nearby location to hike and ski and let mutts run. I stated on the FB page that we are not receiving enough donations and ready to give it up and we did get many responses and a few donations. I told my spouse to not waste any more of her time writing for grants. 40 hours for the last one wasn't worth the "BIG thanks!" she got.

 

[ArlyA]

Here is the GFM page if anyone here would like to see us keeping these trails up.

 

[2manyrocks]

But then we loose the only nearby location to hike and ski and let mutts run. I stated on the FB page that we are not receiving enough donations and ready to give it up and we did get many responses and a few donations.

I may not be understanding this, but I'm getting the sense that the reason for not quitting is having access to a place to hike, ski, and let the dogs run. But it has become too expensive?

Here is recent posts to BRT's trail FB page.
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Folks, we've not been posting much due to the lack of user financial support. We asked for $60 this summer for that can of paint and did not receive any $$ for it.

I'd say people have no clue how many hours or how much cost is involved. If you want to ask for donations, my thought is to tell them how much it costs, what those costs are, and how many hours are needed to maintain the trails. Telling us one can of paint cost $60 is very specific. But perhaps telling people that it is not just $60 for a can of paint, but it's also other specific expenses and I'd name them.

My other thought is how many actually read your FB page versus how many just come out and use the trail that don't read it?

Perhaps cut back on the amount of trails you work on so you continue to have somewhere to take the mutts but you aren't spending as much time and money?

It starts getting into tax issues, but I suppose the landowner could charge an access fee from which to pay expenses, but that might cause the landowner to just decide that the trail is closed. And I don't know how you'd actually collect the fee from people who just show up anyway.

 

[IndyJay]

"Please help support our efforts to keep these trails maintained either by volunteering your time or by donating a few dollars to help defray the costs of supplies.
(url to GFM or FB)

 

[2manyrocks]

"Boundary Road Trails is free and open to the public for all seasons of silent sports - cross country skiing, snow shoeing, fat tire biking, mountain biking, hiking. Bring your furry friend - we're dog friendly!" Boundary Rd Trails

I'd say that people stop reading right after "Boundary Road Trails is free and open to the public."

Maybe the results would be different if it said, "Paid members only."

"Season passes 2023-2024 individuals $____, couples $ ____, family $_____" But there will be issues to address like whether to form a corporation/limited liability company and 501(c)(3) status plus whatever else there might be in Michigan. And someone has to deal with the paperwork.

Perhaps an intermediate step is to inform users that real donations are needed or otherwise paid memberships or closing of the trails may ensue.

 

[ultrarunner]

Here it was equestrians that kept trails open but when horses started to no longer be allowed those trails slowly returned to nature.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I like the signage idea too. Something warning of impending trail maintenance stoppage with a number or FB page to contact for informaton.

 

[ArlyA]

We've been in this game for a while. Folks don't care what the machines cost or hours of work done out there. Nonetheless we will change the verbiage some on the FB page that my dearest put on there. Everyone has suggestions for more work, but to busy to help with it. That is marketing, grant writing etc, etc.

 

[ArlyA]

I'd guess no one here has ever went to your boy scouts and ask for help. I have.

 

[ultrarunner]

Back in the day when I was in scouts we were always found working on community projects…

The most popular were litter pick up on trails, tree planting and following up watering for 3 years in summer for each planted tree…

We were not allowed any power tools… only rakes, shovels and pack leaders had loppers and bow saws.

My troop and neighboring troops no longer exist… scouting not doing well in SF Bay Area and local governments passed motions not to affiliate with scouting… so no more school auditoriums for meetings or dockage for sea scouts.