The Treadwell Ditch (TWD) Renovation Project continues to come into focus. Trail Mix and the Juneau Community Foundation seek funding to complete renovation work on this unique and popular trail. Long neglected after the close of the mine back in 1921, this work would include replacing tens of substandard bridges and restoring the trail tread to a compacted multi-use surface. Our team has applied for funding from the National Forestry Fund, the Pittman-Robertson Fund and the National Forestry Alliance Partnership to complete a projected five years of work on the trail. This could equate to nearly a million dollars to obtain the bridges, gravel, helicopter time and labor needed to bring the TWD Trail to its potential.
In conjunction with this effort Trail Mix created a volunteer trail maintenance team in 2017 to complement the work our professional crew completes on the TWD. The volunteer teams’ work links the bridge replacements installed by our professional crew in 2017. In 2018 our volunteer team spent over 83 work sessions totaling more than 1,402.75 hrs. Improving the trail tread by rooting, cribbing, graveling and tamping two and a half miles between Dan Moller and Eagle Creek. That included hauling almost 80,000 lbs. of D1 gravel. We will continue this effort in 2019 in the middle section of the TWD near Eagle and North Eagle creeks. We meet Mondays and Thursdays for up to half-days to do this. We also hope to add an occasional weekend day so that working folks can also get some time in helping.
As a part of this season’s efforts the Trail Mix professional crew will finish the major stream crossing at middle TWD Falls Creek. They also hope to install a few of the many smaller bridges if funding comes through in time. Meanwhile, the volunteer team has the approval to replace two smaller bridges on the north TWD just downstream from the upper-most Fish Ck. Bridge. We finished building a 24′ bridge there last year and hope to install two 16′ bridges this season.
Finally, the CBJ, State Department of Transportation (DOT) and the US. Corps of Engineers has also approved a new spur trail (Emerson Spur) up to the TWD from the Fish Creek Road. This trail will include a short driveway across the DOT’s ROW, a four-car parking pad and about 3,300′ of new trail. We finished about a third of the distance late last fall and started working on it again this March.
If you are interested in helping at all financially, please contact either Amy Skilbred or Jamie Waste at the Juneau Community Foundation. They have a Parks, Recreation and Trails Fund there with a specific account dedicated only to the TWD. Most of the money and grants they are applying for require a money match so please help if you can. If you are interested in helping the volunteer team contact Dave Haas at 586-4783, 209-3322 or at arvoldhaas@gmail.com