Here in the Hudson Valley we are surrounded by opportunities for recreation; hiking, swimming, biking, running, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, fishing, birdwatching, even people-watching! You name it, we got it. Chances are if your recreation doesn't include mountains or forest you’re probably headed towards some water. Better yet, maybe your day plans can include all three! In the Hudson Valley there are plenty of chances to, well, get wet and have some fun doing it. Whether you’re canoeing, going on a lazy float down the river or even just dipping your toes, the many bodies of water in the Hudson Valley invite you to do so.
As temperatures begin to rise in spring and into summer so too do our desires to seek water and cool off. From embedded mountain lakes to boardwalk-dotted marshes, each town in the Hudson Valley has its own hydrous haven nearby. If you’ve ever spent time in the New Paltz or Kingston area at the base of the Catskills you may be familiar with one or more of the many rivers, creeks, lakes and waterfalls located there. Historically, the area was a key component of the Delaware and Hudson Canal in the 1800s and provides drinking water to NYC some 100 miles to the south today. While folks in the city get to drink the water, those of us a short distance up north get to play in it - and that is exactly what one of our clients intended to do!
While they would have loved to simply walk down to the creek which runs along their property, there was simply no way for our client to get to it. See, the south side of the property consisted of an incredibly steep slope down to the water. The previous owner of the property had attempted to create an access route down to the water via a homemade staircase. A rather gargantuan, clumsy, lumbering staircase which now lay ramshackle in disrepair and humbled by time. At its base was an even steeper slope, or cliff, down to the creek - a cutbank as severe as the 100-year floods that formed it prohibits users’ entrance to the water with a 10 foot drop. So, in June of this summer past we began creating an access route that would allow for passage down to the water.
The staircase was fairly basic in design, inspired by the ones you might find on an Adirondack trail or on a hike in the Catskills. The stairs were composed of chunks of 6 x 6 lumber reminiscent of old railroad ties, each reinforced with two foot lengths of rebar driven through half inch holes drilled out on both ends of the stair. In addition to the obvious advantages of keeping our materials minimal, the integrity and strength of the staircase was in its simplicity. In fact, over-engineering may have been the downfall of the previous staircase. Our staircase would not depend on wooden construction that would eventually degrade or hardware that would eventually rust and rip out of that degraded wooden construction.
Instead, our staircase would depend on being seated ergonomically against the hillside parallel to lines of contour. Each step would be pitched ever so slightly so that runoff would run quickly off and away from the staircase thus minimizing erosion. Each step would sit on an earthen shelf excavated down to a firm clay-rich layer of soil tamped repeatedly to become even firmer and water resistant. In addition to the stairs, a cedar handrail would trace the outside edge to provide stability to the user which would reduce downward force on the steps in the long run and in turn increase their longevity.
To determine the shape and the route that it would follow our crew meticulously assessed the slope and based our decision on several factors. We considered slope. We considered the flow of the staircase and how it would feel to walk it. We considered the flow of water. We considered its functionality and efficiency. We considered the grove of sugar maple and shagbark hickory trees. We considered what path we might want to travel if we planned on regularly carrying a kayak down - after all that was our client’s biggest goal, right? After much deliberation and many stake flags pressed into the hillside our route was clear and our staircase began to take shape. Part of the reason for our simplistic design was to keep our stairs independent of each other. This way we could be flexible and wind the staircase down the hillside in any shape or configuration as we deemed fit. Plus, this allows the steps to be more easily maintained and if one fails it doesn’t seal the fate of another, or many if not all as the previous staircase did. In the end we mapped out a path that is safe and artistic with an emphasis on functionality.
For two days our team of three worked to construct the staircase. One person would cut the lumber to size and drill half inch holes at the ends of each step. The second would excavate and tamp the foundation shelves that would hold each step. The third would set the steps on those shelves and drive the two foot lengths of rebar down through them, sinking a total foot and a half into the ground. Once the stairs were set we worked to backfill and anchor them in place with crushed stone. which increases drainage and further protects them from erosion. With the stairs in place it was now time to set posts and install a handrail. The posts were buried over two feet into the ground and the holes were filled back in with a matrix of crushed stone. We try to shy away from using concrete in our work and find that a well packed matrix of crushed stone and the right kind of wood yields the same, if not better, durability and results. The handrail was constructed out of cedar 2 x 4 and 1 x 6 lumber all sanded until soft to the touch (and pleasantly aromatic).
Finally, at the base of the stairs we worked to install our final element - an earthen deck. The deck, a late addition to the plan, became one of our favorite aspects of the project as we worked to build it and we hope it will provide countless hours of time spent lounging by the water.
