Hike surprises leader

#Middlebury

This is one of two new bridges built over muddy sections of the Foote Path as part of an Eagle Scout project. The writer’s husband and dog, Kent and Gatsby, respectively, (seen on the far side of the bridge) had just traveled over it on their way along the path. (Janine Sullivan-Wiley photo)

By JANINE SULLIVAN-WILEY

As he does every year, Wayne Foote led a group hiking along the Foote Path on Connecticut Trails Day, June 1. This year, the hike held a huge surprise for him. Someone – he was sure it had to be a group – had done remarkable things the weekend before. They had swept the trail, and it appeared they even used a leaf blower. They also installed two bridges over wet sections. Foote said “It’s a mystery of who did it. I would love to see them get credit for all of the work that they did, and encourage them to do more!”

The mystery of who did it was solved when this writer called Middlebury Land Trust (MLT) board member Ray Pietrorazio. Pietrorazio serves as the MLT Scouting liaison, and he said the trail work was an Eagle Scout Project organized by Spencer Bigman of Middlebury’s Troop 5.

Spencer said he got the idea for the project from a comment by a family friend, who said a trail she used needed improvement. First, Spencer had to figure out who owned the property. Pietrorazio identified the trail as part of the Foote Tract – a Middlebury Land Trust Property – and approved the project.

There remained the project’s scope. Bigman said everyone told him, “It’s a great project, but it’s huge!” He figured he would forge ahead anyway, as he was 15 and had until he turned 18 to finish his Eagle Scout requirements. Turns out he underestimated himself. Excellent planning, coordination of volunteers and very hard work brought the project from planning in late 2018 to completion on May 25, 2019.

He and his dad, Jason Bigman, lugged in 12 cinder blocks weighing 35 pounds each to provide foundations for the two bridges. He topped them with six-foot sections assembled off-site and then brought in and screwed in place. This writer walked the trail and was impressed by the work involved in carrying those materials in over rocky, root-riddled terrain the one-quarter and one-half miles to their final locations.

In addition to the bridges, his project involved clearing and re-blazing about three-quarters of a mile of the trail from its start on Breakneck Hill Road. He recruited and organized two shifts of 11 and 14 people who used brush cutters, leaf blowers and rakes to clear the trail in one day.

Spencer will be a sophomore at Sound School in New Haven this fall and is interested in learning about large vessel operation. Clearly he already knows about large operations! Spencer described his project as “a life-changing experience” for him. It clearly was a great service to us all.

The trail, open to the public, starts just east of the bridge traversing Abbott Pond on Breakneck Hill Road. Two blue stones mark the entrance. Parking is a bit dicey there, but two cars, carefully parked, would fit.

The part of the three-mile trail Spencer worked on is clear. It winds past Abbott Pond and through stretches of ferns, brush and trees. There is less poison ivy there than on many trails but unfortunately there’s also more Japanese barberry. Two much older bridges stand near the beginning.

On a recent hike, tracks of adult and young deer could be seen, along with coyote scat on a step-cut fallen tree log. The blue blazes on the redone section and the cleared trail make it very easy to follow. The later part of the trail might well be a good project for another community-minded person or group.

Contact this writer at jswspotlight@gmail.com. Find Middlebury Land Trust information at middleburylandtrust.org.