April Updates – Bird Mountain Section in Morgan County

This month at Bird Mountain, the crew made substantial progress despite exceptionally rugged conditions, completing a total of approximately 945 feet of new trail across several demanding work weeks. Construction took place in consistently rocky terrain, with loose stone often extending up to two feet deep, requiring extensive excavation and rock removal to reach workable soil and create a stable trail base. 

 The team installed a wide range of trail features, including numerous stone steps and pavers, sections of crushed rock tread, grade dips, and a switchback, while carefully navigating steep side slopes that required significant dirt removal to achieve a safe, sustainable tread width. Multiple wide and deep drainage crossings were also completed, each requiring intensive preparation and full‑crew coordination, with oversized, heavy pavers used to withstand high volumes of water that move through these channels during storms. 

In addition to construction, corridor clearing continued well ahead of the finished trail to support future phases of work. Despite challenging weather, steep slopes, and demanding ground conditions, steady progress was made throughout the month, positioning the project well for continued advancement on this complex and labor‑intensive section of trail.