Helen's Bridge Day II

The Ridge Runner's Trail Crew met at 8AM this cold November morning and the decision was made to split into two groups. One group headed out and arranged to meet near the top of Dowsville road in Duxbury. From there, they headed out on 4-wheelers to cut brush and clear the exstensive damage caused by October's snowstorm.

The second group met up at Helen's Bridge in Waitsfield to complete the project started the weekend before.

The first job this morning was to postion and secure new sheets of plywood. The plywood was put down to insure safe passage for our local sled dog teams as well as for the many hikers who enjoy the Mad River Path. The next step was to nail down runners to protect the bridges cross beams from the potential damage caused by a snowmobiles carbides and studs

Once the runners and plywood were nailed down, we bolted down an outer beam to keep sleds from slipping off the bridge and to also hold up the hand rail.

The hand rail supports were cut and postioned.

The final step was completed when a couple of "trolls" headed down below to complete the cold and damp task of securing the new upper bridge structure to the steel beams below. These guys deserve special praise for the extra effort and for getting their feet wet in near freezing conditions.

Thanks to all who helped out with this highly successful project. The Mad River Ridge Runner's now have a brand new bridge which is wider and stronger than before and one that should last for years.