3.0 Turnpike
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Turnpike
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Turnpikes raise the tread of the trail above the surrounding wet, flat area. Stone or log sides hold in
crushed rock and soil. Long turnpikes can reduce water flow from one area to another causing standing
pools of water to appear. It is important to provide drainage through the turnpike using culverts, dips,
ditches, or other techniques. Turnpikes can be made accessible for all. [64]
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3.1 Puncheon
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Puncheon
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Puncheons are another way to keep our feet out of the mud. They are usually built with hiked-in cut
lumber. Mud sills are set on the ground perpendicular to the path of travel. Stringers are then placed
on top of the sills and finished with decking. A puncheon can be used on wheelchair accessible trails or
completely covered with dirt to be more horse friendly. [65]
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3.2 Bog Bridge
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Bog Bridge
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Bog bridges keep hikers above the mud and prevent them from trampling sensitive plant life. These are
simple to build. Bog bridges can be constructed from trees cut down nearby or treated lumber that has
been hiked into the work site. One or two planks of wood or a split log are placed in line with the path
of travel and secured across the top two mud sills. Flowing water can easily wash bog bridges away, so
they shouldn’t be placed in streams or areas of high seasonal water flow. [90]
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3.3 Corduroy
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Corduroy
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Corduroy is a technique that has been in use since 4000BC. Logs are laid perpendicular to the direction
of travel in low swampy areas to keep the tread passable. The bumpy surface can prove hazardous to
users, especially horses, but can be covered with dirt or gravel to create a smoother, safer tread way.
Corduroy roads were used by loggers throughout the United States, especially in Maine and the Pacific
Northwest, to help transport timber through muddy areas. If the logs are completely buried in a wet
area, it will take them a very long time to decay and rot. Corduroy roads dating back to the early 20th
century can still be found in the United States. [117]
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3.4 Stepping Stones
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Stepping Stones
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Stepping stones are large rocks with a flat surface to walk across. They allow us to walk over streams
and muddy areas without getting wet and dirty. A suitable stepping stone weighs at least 200 pounds.
If the stones are not big enough nor properly set in the ground, they can wobble, be washed away by a
stream, or even worse – people won’t use them. In muddy areas where rocks are not available, log
“cookies” can also be used. [79]
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3.5 Open Culvert
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Open Culvert
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Open culverts create a channel for small streams to pass through the trail tread. They are easy to step
over but cannot handle large amounts of water. Slabs of stone create the bottom and sides of the
culvert and won’t wash away or move like dirt. Unlike the closed culverts most people are more familiar
with, open culverts are easy to keep clear of debris. Both open and closed culverts made entirely of
stone can be found on the Appalachian Trail on Bear Mountain. Look for them while you hike! [90]
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3.6 Bridge
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Bridge
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Bridges allow us to cross very muddy areas, flowing water, and dangerous areas such as steep valleys
and roads while remaining clean, dry, and safe. Bridges come in every shape and size and are made out
of many different materials. Many bridges on trails are built from trees cut down nearby. Once the best
placement for a bridge is determined, abutments set the bridge upon are built if needed. Trees are cut
down, branches and bark taken off, and the logs are placed across the stream, either by the work of
many hands or the help of rigging and high lines. Once the logs are secured, decking and railings are
added. [111]
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3.7 Climbing Turn
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Climbing Turns
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Climbing turns are a way to reduce the steepness of a trail, making it less likely that water will get
trapped on the path and create a gully. Instead of building trails from the bottom of a mountain straight
to the top, climbing turns can make things more interesting by taking you to a beautiful place you might
not have seen otherwise. Rather than an abrupt turn, such as a switch back, climbing turns create a
large radius turn that slows down users instead of making them come to a complete stop. Slower traffic
means less displacement of soil from the trail tread and a safer experience, especially on multi-use trails.
[111]
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3.8 Step Stile
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Step Stile
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A step stile is one way to allow people passage over a wall or fence while keeping animals in. Stiles
come in many form: wooden ladders built into or over fences, narrow gaps in fences and stone walls,
and stairs like these built into stone walls. On the Appalachian Trail you will find step stiles where the
trail passes through farmers’ fields. They make it relatively easy for people to climb up and over the
boundary but impossible for animals to travel through that point. Stiles are also used to allow passage
over historic walls while not destroying the structure. [100]
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3.9 Crib Wall
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Crib Wall
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Commonly referred to as retaining wall, crib wall is a trail-building term for a wall built to hold up the
tread of a trail. Crib wall can be constructed from wooden logs or stone. Dry stone crib are held
together by gravity and friction and can last for centuries. On the Appalachian Trail on Bear Mountain
there are thousands of square feet of crib wall built to provide tread to walk on across the steep rock
slopes. When you are hiking up the trail, look at the downhill edge – all of those stone walls were built
by volunteers led by trail-building professionals. [102]
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3.10 Rock Splitting
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Rock Splitting
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A lot of rocks were needed to build the Appalachian Trail on Bear Mountain, but rocks don’t always
naturally come in the size or shape for the job. So trail builders used the ancient art and science of
splitting stone to size with feathers and wedges. First, the rock is examined for cracks, fissures, grain,
and cleavage planes to determine how it will split best. Next, holes are drilled every four to six inches in
line along the desired split. Lastly, feathers and wedges are inserted for hammering. The wedges are
hammered one at a time, keeping them at the same resistance against the feathers and rock. The
wedges increase in pitch like a xylophone as the split nears, until finally there is a “snap, crackle, pop,”
and one rock becomes two. [132]
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3.11 Habitat Restoration
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Stay on Trail!
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Feet can cause a lot of damage! Especially if many feet walk across the same areas over and over again.
Feet compress the soil, making it harder for roots to get the rain water and oxygen they need. As a
result, sediment can make its way into streams and rivers affecting fish habitat. This area is in the
process of having plant life restored in an effort to protect the Hudson River. Please stay on the trail,
which is built to withstand the many feet that come to Bear Mountain. In doing so, you can help
preserve this beautiful park for future generations to enjoy. [105]
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