Trails, Footpaths, Rustic Park, & Beaver Park Clean Up

why couldnt they be opened for dirt bikes and atvs?

Didn't realize there were trails back in Glen 9 that were general use until I saw the map you posted.  I had walked down by the Po River with the kids and noticed what kind of looked like a trail but it was too overgrown for us to walk down.  We'll take the weed wacker and hedge clippers next time we're down there and start clearing the path.  Didn't look all too bad from what we saw.  We were down there a couple of weekends ago and there was still snow on the ground.  Would have to assume that the places that don't get much light are still covered with snow.  We have already cleared the overgrowth on the road we're on and cleared up the path to the bathhouse.  We haven't noticed that many people back in Glen 9 and a lot of the campers on the river appear to be abandoned, which will make it easier to clear the path behind them.

Just a follow up to this discussion.  If these trails are supposed to be part of our amenities, don't we have a full time maintenance staff that we pay for through our dues that probably have the equipment that could clear the paths rather quickly?  I like the idea of helping out, but get a little confused as to why funsteaders take on so much responsibility to improve amenities that should be maintained by IACT. 

We use IACT as a "vacation" weekend getaway.  I have no problem going out and helping improve things, but see a lot of discussion on this board about funsteaders trying to figure out solutions to things like clearing paths that should have been maintained in the first place, recommending removing sheds, etc., that have been built years ago that may be in the overgrown paths now (under what authority would a funsteader do this, maybe site control approved these sheds way back when), getting rid of old junk campers that IACT should be taking care of, making road signs which should be a given and the responsibility of IACT because of safety concerns for fire and rescue, and the like.  The list seems to go on.  What do our dues pay for?  At this time of year with no one around, the maintenance crew should be in a position to make significant improvement to things that have been neglected.  Just wanted to open up a discussion.  Thanks.

IACT is 800 acres, we have three maintenance employees... and their laundry list of things to do is quite large. Please bring this to the attention of the board at the next meeting that you feel we need more maintenance employees. I certainly agree with you. There are more people in the administration office than there are out cleaning up and maintaining IACT. I can't fix the poor management and business practices of IACT, that's left up to the admin office and the board. So try to vote in a board member who'll get job done and not be misguided. If you attended the last board meeting when we heard the auditors report, you would be quite disturbed with our money practices. The auditor couldn't even say with confidence the audit report was complete as there were so many times that money moved here or there and wasn't approved until after the fact... there are no policies on who has access to money... They could only audit what's available to them, and our computer program is so outdated only one man, the man who wrote it knows how to get info from the software. Well and the people in the admin office use it and get info from it.  So the auditor could only audit what information was supplied to them. They said the exact same thing last year... I didn't have a warm fuzzy feeling when I left. We weren't given copies of the report, I anticipate we'll get one soon.

But what I can do is my part and help out where I can. Currently, it's open up these old trails on Po River because it's very nice down there and I enjoy it. I only hope you will come join us some time. It's not hard work, we still go to enjoy ourselves and let the dogs run. Ultimately site control will have to take the iniative on the sheds and fences. No funsteader is allowed to remove or destroy another person's personal property. This is the same when you clear off a neighboring lot. You can only remove brush and debris.

In regards to old sheds and campers, this is a failure years ago on site control's part for not enforcing bylaws and declaration of restrictions.

Regardless, of when it happened; who didn't follow; here we are.

You say IACT should do it? I say we are IACT. Let's do it.

Finally got a chance today to get down to the path on the Po River behind Glen 9 and spent a couple of hours with a pair of hedge trimmers trying to clear the way. It's a really nice walk and there's a bench down there so obviously it was maintained at one time. Need to find a better way then the hedge clipper route...have quite a few sticker bushes that I've been pulling out of my arms and hands tonight and it was really slow going. So, at this rate, in a couple of years I'll at least have that section done. :). Thanks for telling us it was there...the kids had a blast.

Thanks Stafford! Glad to hear the kids had a great time. It's very nice down there and as soon as we can get some hands down there, I think we can at least get the river walk portions cleared fairly easily.

Hi Virginia...thanks, but don't think we had anything with us except for a tackle box, fishing poles (didn't catch a thing) and the hedge trimmers...but stranger things have happened. I'll look next weekend. Didn't see a tricycle on the hill. We went down the hill close to where the bench is in the picture I posted and stayed in that area. Wanted to walk further towards Glen 16 (I think that's Glen 16) but there was snow on the path and didn't know how bad it would be to try and bring the kids further down on the river's edge. The water looked pretty swift, and although it didn't look real deep, if one of the kids fell in, they would have been swept away pretty quickly. Eventually want to clear the path wide enough so we don't have to worry about the kids getting too close to the water when they're walking.

You definitely have me curious now. We had walked that stretch of path first and didn't see anything before we came back with the hedge trimmers a second time around. My goal was to clean up, not mess up. :) The kids played in the sand by the bench most of the time. Neither time there did we see anyone else. With 3 out of the 4 kids under 7, it gets a little hectic at times. And with just the little bit of clearing I did...they all wanted to use the hedge clippers and weren't too thrilled when I told them they couldn't. They had enough trouble getting themselves down the hill, but I guess it's entirely possible that I had a couple of sneeky kids who somehow managed to take stuff down.

Let me know what time....

Heard the weekend weather isn't supposed to be that hot...with Saturday the better out of the two days. Will check back to see if you are all meeting up. May bring the boys down for one of the days...don't know yet. All depends if it's nice enough to play outside. Went down on the river this past weekend, Virginia, and didn't see what you left. Guess whatever it was, it is long gone. I now hear that the sneaky kids did drag some stuff down there that they may not have brought back up but don't know what it was.

We have plans all day Saturday. They are calling for afternoon rain on Sunday. We're going to go to Glen 9 parking area at 10:30 am, head back to big bear island and work our way towards Rustic Park.

Sorry...didn't make it down to IA this morning...maybe this afternoon...but that isn't looking good either. Had every intention of coming to help. Will try next time.

Anyone going to make it down this weekend and want to help with trail cleanup!? we have a good portion of it done. I'd like to start looking at Rustic Park this weekend. Also want to get some photos of the powerline area and ask that debris be removed. We need to get it removed before the power company gets involved.

Ok, that's it!! We're charging for those big fish you are catching from our Glen. LOL!

Smiles!  Thank you for all of that work you did to help the acres look great.

Oh, I need to know where in Glen 8 you were fishing.  I'm in Glen 8 and often fish off of my neighbors bank (let's not tell him though).  Maybe that's why I never catch anything LOL.

Maintenance was cleared to purchase a brush hog. I'm wondering if they are going to come in behind us and clear the trails? I put a call into maintenance to see if this may be on their future work schedule. I'm sure those guys can to it much more quickly and more efficiently.

Talked to maintenance super, he said he hadn't heard anything in regard to the matter but he would touch base with Wanda and see if it was something on the horizon for them and that they were purchasing a brush hog. I asked him to let me know if he heard anything because he and his crew can probably clear that whole thing in a day or two with their equipment where us with mowers and clippers and just barely chipping away at it.

That big downed tree is in Glen 6 off Fawnskin Lane.

We now have a nice wide trail from Access to Big Bear Island all the way to Rustic Park. We still need to cut through the briars at Rustic Park to make it to power lines. We found a really nice beach along the river which we cleared a path to get to it as well. Enjoyed seeing Tammy & Junior Epperd down this weekend and hope to see the trail being used more and more. The more people using the trial the less maintenance needed. Enough traffic will keep the brush down. We also walked the path from Glen 6 towards Big Bear Island. There is still a trail there but it is slightly overgrown. We'll get it widened back out next.

Beach we found   Small beach but very nice for small group. Very shady and vocal water.

Lonely Bench overlooking Big Bear Island.

Haha!  We used a lawn mower and some clippers. We made it just to the power lines, still have to cut through the last set of briars. I think we may go to Glen 6 next and work on making it back to Glen 9 again. Seems like that area has over grown since when we last cleared in winter. You can still walk it, its thick though.

I'll be down this weekend with some of my buddies. When they leave on Sunday I may go down on Po River.

Thanks Tammy;  credit to Stafford & family and the other funsteaders who've helped as well. I added a slideshow of the few pictures I have taken with my phone. Looking forward to seeing more people down on the trail. We need to the traffic to keep the brush at bay. I'll take my digital camera down there once we get trail cut back open from Glen 6 to 9.

Didn't make it down to the riverwalk this weekend - had a lot of little things going on but plan on taking Pixie down perhaps next weekend - will look for those branches and drag them off to the side.  Glad you got your handy dandy weed eater attachment out in one piece - hahaha...hope the kids found some minnows!

Just got off the phone with Aaron - said it was nice for them to finally meet you Stafford :-)  Also said that they finally broke through all to way to glen 6 - through to the power lines - OMG!!!  That is awesome news - also mentioned there must have been someone else down there working too?  They didn't see anyone else but it was evident there are other folks pitching in - such great news!  That riverwalk has been forgotten about for so many years and it's just the perfect place in the hot dog days of summer because it stays cool near the water in the shady woods - maybe we need to think about doing some type of 'event' to draw some funsteader attention to this lost amenity!? 

Hey Stafford - Aaron wanted me to let you know that the 'friend' that you saw him with is his father :-D

I was down there on Saturday.  It is really a nice walk.  There were spider webs across the path, and so I think I was the first down the trail that day.  I found the bridge quite intriguing.  It has grass growing in some spots.  Really cool.

It is clear that IACT hasn't done a lot of maintenance down there, but the bridges/guard rails/benches can't be 40 years old either.  I wonder when they started neglecting it.

Anyway, Kudos to all who have worked so hard to re-blaze the trail.  It is appreciated.

Holy geez - just back back from the river walk with Aaron-n-Jessica, Roxy and Pixie - went all the way from Fawnskin to the power lines....!!!  The trail along the river is clear - hallelujah!  What a blessing it has been to see this happen - I've been hiking the path for the past several years (never thought about bringing my weed eater or clippers - duh!) mostly in the winter when all the leaves are off the trees so the dog and I could get through but we don't have to wait for winter anymore!  THANK YOU to the Boggs family, the Stafford family and all the others who have helped - we need to plan a "River Festival" sometime later in the summer to celebrate the achievement!  WooHoo

Jessica and I worked on the trail during our week long vacation at IACT since it was raining and satelite was out... we now have the trail open from Glen 6 all the way to far property line in Glen 16. We encourage everyone to see the trail and continue to use the trail. The more traffic we get the easier the trail will be to maintain. There is still work to be done. Clipped brush needs to be removed from trail path, some limbs could still be clipped back, and river access points could be cut out. It's a work in progress.

The president walked down there on Sunday following the president's forum and stated he would try to get maintainance to replace the hand rails. The bridges may take some time. Hopefully this feature of IACT will continue to get attention from funsteaders and maintenance.

Joyce, thanks for the kind words. I'd also like to mention Scott, Vicki, and Olivia Oleary also contributed to the trail cleanup. I know Stafford and the boys have put in a lot of time down there. I'm glad to see they are already anxious to begin a new project.

Connie Robinson & Tammy wish to join the trail clean up too.

Bless all those that contributed. With your support we now have a usuable trail. We're glad to hear more and more people are using the trail and enjoying it. If you have time, bring your clippers or what have you and help with the trail up. Whether you pick up trash, remove clipped debris, create river access points, or trim back more limbs; every little bit helps.

All-

To avoid poison ivy, apply a little soap to the skin prior to venturing out.  Just enough to coat, without making the skin yucky.

Then, shower afterwards.

Actually, for most people showering after is sufficient, but even sensitive people should be protected by the soap.  Soap is Steric Acid <sp>.  It binds to the essential oil of the poison ivy/oak/etc.  Then it never makes contact with the skin.  You'd have to be hyper-sensitive to be affected once you're in the shower.

GOOP and GoJo work as well, but they have an odor that many don't like.

I always tell the guards no when they ask if I want a bulletin on the way in. Maybe I will say yes next time...certainly for the entertainment factor alone. Curious to know how an article about trail clean up could be in poor taste. It is quite a boring subject compared to some of the others on here.

Curious Aaron what the president and you discussed last month after the board meeting when you both met down at the trail?

Sorry, we haven't had time to make it back down on the trails to work or enjoy it. Hopefully we'll make it on the trails this weekend and finally get some good pictures. Wish we would have gotten some when the laurel bushes were blooming. It was so gorgeous. Terrysaid he thought those bushes may be over 100-120 years old. They are definitely huge.

It's a good place to take your sweetheart for a leisurely walk.

angbei,

That tree was one of the last things we got to. Though not a far hike, it can be far when you're hauling a bunch of equipment including a chainsaw.

Thanks for the kind words and glad you're getting use of the trail. Looking at your gallery photos I know exactly where that it, if you walk down the hill and turn to the right, that was mostly already open, we just widened it. You can now turn left head north west all the way to the end of the property. Hopefully we'll meet in person soon. See ya at the acres!

Great news on multiple levels! IACT President informed me that IACT has purchased new picnic tables which will be distributed at clubhouse, tee pee, and etc... ( I think as early as this weekend) It is also my understanding that the older tables from these areas would be redistributed around the acres to other picnic areas and etc... We are hoping to have a couple that we could place along the Po River Trail, we just need to ensure they are out of the 100 yr Floodplain.