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Trail
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our property -- the woods, which was an unused portion of the property.”
Teachers often thought about taking their classes outside for a walk in the woods behind the school, but the thought of bushwhacking through tangled vines and undergrowth with a dozen young children almost immediately deterred them, she said.
But Skip, with the help of friends Brian Clark, Chris Stringfellow and Joshua Swatman, his brother Kenny and his father Skippy (who is also Troop 123’s Scoutmaster), did the bushwhacking for the teachers, children and staff at CCLC. After school, on weekends and over summer vacation, the crew cleared about 400 yards of brush on a trail which begins just behind the school and winds through the woods, along an abandoned dirt road and ends at the school’s new pavilion.
After clearing the trail of brush and tree roots. Skip and friends hauled at least 100 wheelbarrow loads of wood chips and sawdust from Peter Kramer’s cabinet shop in Washington, spreading them along the length of the trail. “My dad drove the pickup,” he added.
To avoid steep inclines and hills. Skip also built several bridges over gulleys on the trail.
And about half-way down the trail, there’s a small natural ampitheatre for outdoor classes. It’s complete with benches for the children and a lectern for their teacher. All are built of wood, sunk into the ground and designed to last for many years.
Along the trail, small wooden signs identify native trees for the children. In other places there are wooden cutouts of animals, painted and labeled with the animal's name. A small beaver sits on his haunches near a tiny stream, and a squirrel stands next to a tree, ready to scamper at the slightest sound.
Skip estimated that the project took more than 100 hours to complete, and he said it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of several members of the community. Dean Morehouse contributed the lumber he used to build the bridges along the trail and the outdoor classroom. Peter Kramer contributed more wood for the animal cutouts
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