gopherhockey
04-21-2003, 10:50 PM
I remember talking with a fellow trail volunteer at Buck last Saturday about the sandy areas and whether or not it was good to bench cut the top-soil away to expose the sand. I ran into this on the IMBA web site tonight:
Sandy Soil Solutions
We have been asked by folks in areas that have a lot of sand if it is a good idea to build a bench trail, as opposed to just raking back the surface vegetation and letting the users establish the tread. It is especially important to bench and outslope the trails in these areas. If not, the thin layer of topsoil will quickly punch through and cause the tread to become cup shaped, channeling water down the trail.
In sandy areas, it helps to add something to harden the tread surface and make it sustainable. If there is a layer of compactible soil on the surface and sand or glacial till (the debris left when a glacier retreats) underneath, then the upper layer can be removed and set aside, then mixed with the sand for the top of the tread. If there is no compactible layer, then other hardening techniques must be applied (see ITN Trail Tips, July-August, 1998).
http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/contour.html
Sandy Soil Solutions
We have been asked by folks in areas that have a lot of sand if it is a good idea to build a bench trail, as opposed to just raking back the surface vegetation and letting the users establish the tread. It is especially important to bench and outslope the trails in these areas. If not, the thin layer of topsoil will quickly punch through and cause the tread to become cup shaped, channeling water down the trail.
In sandy areas, it helps to add something to harden the tread surface and make it sustainable. If there is a layer of compactible soil on the surface and sand or glacial till (the debris left when a glacier retreats) underneath, then the upper layer can be removed and set aside, then mixed with the sand for the top of the tread. If there is no compactible layer, then other hardening techniques must be applied (see ITN Trail Tips, July-August, 1998).
http://www.imba.com/resources/trail_building/contour.html