Sprucing up the Cooper River Trail

The lower two miles of the Cooper River Trail near Salmon la Sac are looking great, thanks to the efforts of Suncadia residents who have adopted the trail over the past few years.On May 17^th, over 20 Suncadia homeowners joined Greenway staff on a perfect Saturday morning to tackle the physical work of clearing downed trees, digging new water bars to funnel water off the trail, repairing trail tread where bank erosion creeps across the surface, and clipping back shrubs to keep the passage clear for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians.

One highlight of the day was a rotating team of volunteers going old-school, taking shifts with an axe to cut through a large fallen log when the team’s cross-cut saw broke down. There were likely some sore

backs the next day, but it was very satisfying to see the last stroke cut the log into two manageable segments that could be rolled off the trail.In keeping with the tradition this group has developed, everyone took a break after six hours of work, then reconvened for a celebratory dinner in Suncadia. It was a fun, lively evening of reliving the day’s accomplishments and talking about the Greenway.

It has been my honor to get to know this crew as they come together twice a year in their shared generosity and dedication to their community, and to the landscape as an indispensable part of that community. It’s exciting to see the same friends each time, willing and eager to spend a full day to take care of their little portion of the Mountains to Sound Greenway, wanting to make sure that we always have here what we have now.

Thanks again to the Suncadia team. That’s how we do it!