February 2022 Meeting

Minutes from Regular Quarterly Meeting on February 7, 2022

Big Canoe Trails Committee 

Mtg took place via Zoom; Commenced at 4:00 p.m..  

Members in attendance = 21 (50 + total members).

NEXT MEETING is May 2, 2022  - Venue TBD

FYI: Meetings are scheduled for the 1st Monday of 2nd month of each quarter

NEXT WORK DAY:

Mitch will announce next work day, which will take place in the next 1-2 weeks.

NEWS: 

Mitch Waldman is new Vice Chair of Trail Committee

Mitch addressed the group; he will be helping to take some of the load off Liz. 

Mitch will be organizing the work days.

1. Update: Bikes on Trails – Status in Big Canoe Rules

  • Liz commented that a few mountain bikes ARE being ridden on BC woodland trails. The current BC rules & regs actually do not prohibit this, even though the trails are not suitable for mountain bikes and a lot of damage is/can be done.

  • The BC POA is updating the entire set of BC rules, and Liz worked with Amy Tropfenbaum on the POA to craft some agreeable language for the revised rules that will prohibit bikes on most of the trails.

  • Bikes will be allowed on the paved trails, Jeep Trail, and gravel trails (e.g. Meadows and Playfield).

2. Big Canoe Staff Change: Lydell Mack has replaced Anu Saxena as Director of Operations. (Anu will instead be overseeing large civil engineering projects in BC)

3. New Members:

  • Marcel Jacob - Nancy Womack Trail from Upper Falls Trail to Valley View; Partnered with Clardy Schwarz

  • Marc Decker – Meadows Trail; partnered with Ken Bechely

Welcome!

CONTACTS & PROTOCOL: 

  • Phone: Liz can be contacted at 678-615-8566

  • Email: To contact both Liz and Mitch: info@bctrails.info

  • Mitch Waldman will check work projects in advance to confirm equipment and materials needed and to obtain measurements, etc., in order to streamline each work project.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

1. New Steps at Meadows (Gadalutsee access).

  • Replaced rotting timbers. This was a very large job, involving 6 trail committee members and over 5 hours of work each member. 

2. Nature Valley - Large recurring hole at Nature Valley main parking area was filled by BC maintenance and mulch was added.

  • Pavilion Views at Lake Disharoon – Final (large!) tree was cut down by Clardy Schwarz and cleaned up by committee members.

3. John Williams & Covered Bridge Trails – Multiple improvements, including more cribbing, completed by John & Jim Hansen.

4. Multiple downed trees cleared from multiple trails.
- e.g. Fire Hydrant Trail; and opened up the view on another portion of the Choctaw Trail (near Choctaw Holes 3 or 4). Lydell Mack was impressed and requested the work/view be extended.

5. Choctaw Trail / Mill Ruins Trail – Daffodil Bulb Relocation.
- Daffodils are growing in the mill ruins trail and are getting stepped on, so committee members have started digging up and relocating the daffodil bulbs that appear in the trails. (Aside: The Weaver family lived in the area in 1839, and it’s assumed these daffodils were planted then. Some bulbs will be relocated near the cabin on the Jeep Trail).
- This will be an ongoing project.

6. Indian Mounds Trail – New foot bridges and bog bridges installed.

7. General: Much more work was done than can be listed above.
-cribbing
-Drainage issues fixed
-Replaced steps; fixed broken steps
-Inspections
-Limb and debris removal
-Stabilized stone stacks at Choctaw ruins
-Blew leaves off trails (by the ton!)

UPCOMING / NEEDED PROJECTS

  1. Replace steps at various locations, including Lower Falls Trail (a) where steps meet the pavement and (b) Yellow Root access trail (Railroad ties need replacing).

  2. Remove trees at backside of Playfield to expand useable area.

  3. Repair portion of Nancy Womack Trail above Ponder Point; tree is down and is diverting water and causing soggy and eroded trail.

  4. Fix drainage issues at Meadows. Ruts are created with each heavy rainfall. BC Maintenance fills in the ruts with gravel, but it gets washed away next rainfall. Needed: Create water bars to reduce the volume and speed of the water.

  5. Relocate daffodil bulbs from the mill ruin trail on the Choctaw Trail

MISCELLANEOUS

1. Articles:

  • Bill Dempsey has written (and plans to write) a number of articles highlighting the work of the Trail Committee and providing general info about the trails.

See bigcanoetrails.com/articles

2. Trail “tours” with Trail overseers: Contact Mitch to schedule a time to walk your trail to determine if any additional improvements are needed or to hear your suggestions.

QUESTION(S):

  1. Is there a plan to create a trail that will circumvent the entirety of Big Canoe?

Liz: This has been looked at briefly in the past. The biggest issue is that, at the north end of Big Canoe, there is very little, if any, green space available between private property and DNR property.

  • Liz invited anyone that is interested in this project to check it out and determine its feasibility.

Stacy Johnson