Athletes at Camden Hills Regional High School may soon have a safer cross country and skiing trail to train on, thanks to a volunteer group.
The Windjammer Trailblazers has been formed to spearhead efforts to construct running and nordic skiing trails at the Rockport high school, according to CHRHS athletic administrator Steve Alex.
Alex said the trails now used by the high school and middle school cross-country running and nordic skiing teams extend across land that cannot be properly maintained as it does not belong to the school.
“We are very excited to create a first-class course that equals the standards of our athletic facilities here at CHRHS,” Alex said in a press release.
The Trailblazers have marked a 5K course consisting of two loops that will consist of most of the present course’s grass areas, and will include a new trail that stretches about three-quarters of a mile through the woods.
Volunteers will be clearing trees, moving stones and installing five culverts along the old stone walls, which mark the high school’s northern and eastern property lines.
Alex said he hopes most of the trail will be cleared and ready for base material by June, when the school also plans to resurface its track.
Ground-up asphalt from the track can be used as a base on the trail, which will save the school costs of hauling away more than 200 cubic yards of material and the cost of purchasing an equal amount of crushed gravel.
Wood chips or stone dust will make up the surface once the base is complete, depending on the amount of funds available.
Alex said the school prefers stone dust, as it offers the safest, most stable, long-lasting running service, but he noted it is more expensive than other trail finishing surfaces.
If everything goes according to plan, the trail should be ready for the 2017 cross country season, which starts in late August.
The Windjammers’ cross country teams have raised funds via car washes and the Race for the Trail 5K the team holds during Homecoming weekend.
In addition, several funding commitments have been made, including one from an anonymous donor who has agreed to provide a landscaper to perform excavation work, along with in-kind site planning services from Will Gartley of Gartley and Dorsky Engineering and Surveying in Rockport.
Alex said the budget will depend on how much volunteer labor and donated materials the Trailblazers can secure. The group’s goal is to raise $10,000 to purchase the crushed gravel, stone dust and five culverts needed for the new trail.
The group has set up a Facebook page to post updates and to coordinate volunteers: facebook.com/windjammertrailblazers.
Donations can dropped off at the high school or checks made payable to CHRHS Trailblazers and sent to the high school at 25 Keelson Drive, Rockport, ME 04856.
Those wishing to volunteer or to discuss corporate sponsorships or in-kind donations of equipment or services can contact Shawn Stockman at sstockman01@hotmail.com.
