Rock

“A rock that rolls cannot build a home.” Unknown

Strong and enduring, rock plays an integral role in many aspects of trail work. Sometimes it hides beneath the dirt, a foundation, unnoticed by all except the builders who laboured hard to gather and bury it. Other times it takes centre stage, intricately organized to create an armour of protection.

rOCK RETAINING WALLS

Retaining walls serve a variety of functions, including providing support for widening a trail, creating the foundation for a causeway to raise the trail surface, and allowing the trail grade to be altered. Built right, a rock retaining wall can last for millennia.

French Drain

A French drain is a rock-filled trench that helps disperse water. Here the drain allows water from a ephemeral stream to travel underneath the trail rather than along the trail surface, helping protect the trail from erosion.

A layer of large rocks was placed on the original trail bed with spaces between them to allow water to flow around them and drain off the trail. Additional layers of progressively smaller rocks were used to build up the height of the trail bed. The trail was capped with mineral soil and outsloped, enabling any surface water to sheet off the trail more easily.  

Work was completed as part of the NSMBA Trail Academy program

Builders: P. Deck & M. Newman
Trail: Cabin Trail, Mount Seymour | December 2017