The Chattanooga area trail building and maintenance community has just received a key set of tools and the training needed to make what was extremely difficult or out right impossible so much easier. It is called a High Line Grip Hoist system. Here is a photo showing the tool in operation:
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This photo shows Wild Trails Director Randy Whorton, Lyndhurst foundation President Bruz Clark, Southeast Youth Corps Brenna Kelly and SORBA Chattanooga Chief Trail Builder Barry Smith easily moving a large rock to be used for a bridge abutment. Prior to having this tool, these large rocks would need to be moved on the land using rock bars or worse heavy equipment. These previous method were more dangerous, more physically demanding and much more harmful to the landscape.
The equipment and the training was funded by Wild Trails in the form of two grants, as follows:
Lula Lake Land Trust – $2,000 to provide for a portable trail-rigging cache designed to move large objects during trail construction projects. These tools, which will also be available for loan, will be managed by Lula Lake and require a certified rigging specialist.
SORBA-Chattanooga – $2,000 in conjunction with the Lula Lake grant noted above, to fund a four-day trail rigging workshop. This workshop will enable several local trail-advocacy groups to become certified for using trail rigging equipment that can help move large boulders and other objects.