In the spring of 2019, One Nature was contracted by a couple in Putnam Valley to design and construct a trail which would connect a secondary driveway on the property through the woods to their beautiful lakeside property. As trail enthusiasts, the homeowners hoped to maintain the history of the land which once hosted some of the earliest renditions of the Appalachian Trail some decades ago (see image below). It was also in the clients’ interests to construct this trail for their family, for the future generations who would follow this path alongside a tranquil creek into the heart of the woods -- a haven for exploration and imagination.

As an environmentalist design/build company, the scope of our work is interdisciplinary and continues to expand along with a team of builders, designers, scientists, artists, environmentalists and plant enthusiasts. This project was the first of its kind for One Nature, but not out of our wheelhouse. In fact, with the timely addition to the team of an experienced trailworker, the project was completed under the same guidelines and with the same considerations of some of the most popular trails and hikes in the region. The completed trail would be scenic, sustainable and low-impact, and built with the user’s experience within the surrounding wilderness in mind. 

First things first: Preparation

In trailbuilding, there is an order of operations that is typically followed when installing a trail. First, the layout of the trail must be delineated. This is often achieved by marking or flagging a route that the projected trail will follow. In this case, the layout was designed by repeatedly walking the landscape a la the efforts of artist and sculpture Richard Long who gained attention early in his career for his work ‘A Line Made by Walking’.

With each passage through the woods, considerations as to the feel and flow of the trail were made. With each passage, considerations as to what features of the land the user would be an audience to were made. With each passage, considerations as to the sustainability, safety and maintenance of the trail were made. In the end, the trail would sprawl alongside an easy-going creek, cross over a log bridge and wind casually up switchbacks braided between stepping stones and serpentine staircases.

With a clear layout now identified and flagged, the crew began clearing the corridor of the trail. The corridor of a trail is the vertical and horizontal space that is cleared away so that the user is able to walk freely along the trail without roots, branches or other obstacles getting in the way. This aspect of the trail construction was already strongly considered while choosing the initial layout so that minimal changes needed to be made to the natural landscape while creating the corridor.

The last preliminary step in trail building is the removal of the organic layer of soil along the tread of the trail. This is an important step in trail building that has many benefits. Aesthetically, it helps to differentiate the trail from the rest of the natural setting by giving the tread of the trail a different color than the forest floor on either side (see photo). Typically, in our Northeastern region, sides of the trail are ripe with plant life and foliage while the trail itself is cleared of that foliage and the ongoing use of the trail will help to keep it this way. Structurally, it allows for sheet flow of water off of the trail which minimizes erosion and maximizes sustainability. By removing the top organic horizons of soil, the more clay-rich and therefore less permeable layers of soil are uncovered. The trail will then continue to become more resilient to erosion as these layers are walked upon and subsequently compacted further. Lastly, the trail often feels softer underfoot when the organic horizons are removed because stones and twigs are inherently removed as well. 

Down and dirty: Trail Construction

With the three major preliminary steps having been completed, it was time for the crew to begin major trail construction. The remaining task list included construction of a log bridge across an active creek, several stone staircases up steeper sections of trail, stepping stones across wetland areas and several other trail building tactics to mitigate the effects that water would have on the trail overtime.

 The log bridge was constructed with lumber that was found on site. It was specifically chosen because it was left in choice conditions to dry and harden nicely. If too soft a wood were chosen the bridge would soon need to be replaced or repaired. Although, when the day does eventually come that the log begins to rot, and it certainly will, it will provide niche growing conditions for ferns and mosses as it continues to decompose, giving its nutrients back to the forest and providing refuge for insects and other organisms. Aside from its durability, this specific log was chosen because the tree is native to the area and would fit the natural aesthetic of the land. Though clearly man made, it is always important for a trail and its elements not to look out of place. Ideally a trail will look as if it were created simply by rearranging parts that were already present there.

Foundations for the bridge to lay upon on either side of the creek were constructed fully out of stone and crushed stone foraged on site. In a scenario like this when the bridge can be easily constructed and the necessary materials to do so are on hand, a simple log bridge is a preferred method to cross water as it is sturdy and sustainable. 

Of all the trail features included in this project perhaps the most stoic of them all are the several sets of serpentine staircases woven into the landscape - reminiscent of a miniature Macchu Picchu. In areas of the trail where grade becomes steep and there are few choices of where to venture but up, stone staircases can provide an extremely long-lasting route up a slope. The concept behind the sustainability of a stone staircase is this: if a steep slope is walked upon often enough physical erosion of that surface will begin to take place. That erosion on the surface of a hillside can be exacerbated during storm events and floods. What was once a hillside might eventually be eroded and washed out to the point that it is eventually carried downstream and deposited elsewhere. Additionally, there is a heightened sense of ease to feel a sturdy stair underfoot giving you leverage to the next step. Certainly more of a sense of ease than climbing up a washed out portion of trail.

This curvilinear staircase was built 100% with native stone foraged on site using primitive technology. The tools seen in the background (and a rock bar not pictured) are the extent of the tools used to create the stairs pictured above. Built from the bottom up, the first stair is embedded in the ground against bedrock. Each subsequent stair is anchored behind and against the previously placed stone. This way it is impossible for the stones, which weigh several hundred pounds each, to slip out of place. Additional normal force to hold the stairs in place is achieved by the weight of smaller stones placed on the sides of the stairs themselves. These stairs will carry users off of the trail and down to a sublime seating area situated on the bank of the calming creek that runs parallel to the woodland trail - a perfect “meditation station” in the words of the clients.

‘Walk with me’ beckons the trail

What was once a forgotten spur of the earlier expanses of the Appalachian Trail is now a revitalized trail in the Taconic region complete with stepping stones, staircases, bridges and many opportunities to connect with the surrounding wilderness. It was our pleasure to take on this project and we look forward to many more trail building opportunities in the future. We hope the owners, their family and friends will enjoy this trail for generations to come and for those that do, a picturesque reward at the terminus awaits them!