Eagle Scout candidate proposes bog-bridge and trail repairs at Mount Jefferson

Maddie Stauder, an Eagle Scout candidate from Troop 6 in Gardner, presented a proposal to the Town of Hubbardston committee to build bog bridges and make trail repairs at three possible locations in the Mount Jefferson conservation area.

Stauder told the committee she will select one of three candidate sites for her Eagle project: Gate Hill Trail (an ~18-foot bog-bridge section approaching an existing metal bridge), the section “behind the chimney” (a frequently flooded stretch roughly 6–8 feet long that sometimes holds about 6 inches of water), and the Conest[o/Canisto] Brook Trail where flooding and erosion limit use and might impede 4-wheel access. She said materials and labor would be funded and donated through community fundraisers and that she would recruit members of her troop and friends to help.

Committee members discussed materials and trail design to avoid making surfaces unsafe for horses and people. One committee member suggested cross-hatching or tread cuts on wood decking to improve traction; another suggested using polymer-reinforced fiberglass decking for some spans so the structure could be laid directly on grade without supporting girders. The committee indicated a preference that the selected bridge be usable by all trail users and discussed locating narrow bog bridging along one side on wider old wood-roads to separate equestrian and foot traffic.

Stauder said she would prepare a written proposal and send it via the town website email for the committee to review. Committee members offered to advise on design details, help set priorities (the group signaled that the “behind the chimney” site would be a high priority), and supply material stockpiled near Mount Jefferson Road for the Gates Hill Trail mucky section. Stauder indicated she expects to begin construction in spring after securing approval and completing her Eagle requirements.

The committee also suggested local partners who could contribute volunteer labor, including scout groups from the regional council.

The committee asked Stauder to include estimated materials, a timeline, and a plan for drainage and water passage in her written proposal; members said they would provide design suggestions once they received that proposal.

Stauder and committee members agreed to follow up by email and to place the written proposal on the Town of Hubbardston website contact email that Bob receives.