(208) 4/4,5,6/2025
New York Long Path rehabilitation
on Tallman Mountain - Continues

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Early Friday morning, and our tool buffet is ready

We have a crew of 19 volunteers today

Jeff, demonstrating to new volunteers,
the subtleties of using a rock bar

Jerold, Bill and Sebastian,
slinging up the first rock of the day

Sandy controls the belay as the high-line starts to move

Jerold operating griphoist #2, watches
as the rock goes downhill on high-line #1

It slowly makes it's way downhill
to where Sebastian is standing

After our safety break,
it's back to moving big rocks

Using this technique, it's put a rock in a tub

Then drag it over to the staging area

Once there, we put a sling around it,
and lift it with the highline

Using a belay, Sandy will guide it

Down the hill to where highline #2 begins

At the end of highline #1,
manually moving the rock into position
for easy access to highline #2

This is the end of highline #1,
and the beginning of highline #2

Rock #2 on highline #2,
makes its way downhill

Some of these rocks are very heavy

We use rock bars as rails
to slide the tub to the staging area

In the staging area, it's out of the tub
and put a sling around it

And send it down the hill

To our worksite where the rocks are being used,
for steps and crib walls

Discussing which orientation works best

Temporarily placing this paver,
we'll finish setting it tomorrow

It's been a busy day. We moved a lot of rocks,
now it's time for our end of day crew meeting

Saturday morning view,
most rocks have been moved to the staging area

Russ picks up right where we left off yesterday.
Dan and Jeff work on the crib-wall,
Tom adds large crush for the next step base

The chief takes a look,
and agrees we need more crib-wall

Russ and Jeff moving this one by hand

Terri is content making buckets of crush

Nice and level all the time

Here is an interesting problem,
big rock stuck in the very wet ground

Using the rope-puller we slowly got it out.
As you can see, more was in the dirt than out

Next step is on the line

This one is fitting in much easier

Russ checks the step height,
a perfect 8 inches

Next comes anchor or gargoyle rocks

After lunch, moving debris to deter corner cutting

It's back to moving big rocks,
that's Tom working hard on the rope-puller

End of day Saturday.
A look at some of our new steps

It was a cold and damp day,
see you all tomorrow

Sunday morning. Last night's heavy rain
has turned the hillside into mud

A crew of 10 volunteers out today

New volunteers Hannah, Rick and Effie
start building a platform

Effie working the hazel hoe

After an hour of hard work,
the platform is taking shape

This will be a place for hikers to rest,
when hiking up this steep slope

While that was going on,
more big rocks were being moved

And steps were being built

New steps this weekend

Russ selects another anchor rock

New volunteer Effie works the griphoist,
while Terri provides guidance and support

Using the four person carry sling on the highline,
is a safer way to move the smaller big rocks

Now Russ wants to move a large, big rock

Marty keeps it under control on the way downhill

Slippery mud makes it difficult to even stand

Pushing it over to connect to the rope-puller

Highline, belay, rope-puller,
this rock is firmly under our control

Just before lunch,
another rock goes for a ride

After lunch, it's.. you guessed it,
back to step building

This big rock is stuck in the ground,
we try rock bars and the high-line to set it free

Adding the rope-puller, and we finally got it out

Over at the new platform,
another rock is stuck in the mud

It's not really big, but it is really stuck

It took a while, but the high-line was able to free it.
Mud had formed an occlusive seal on the rock

Zac has the next crib wall rock for the platform

It's 2:30, time to clean up the worksite,
and head back to the parking lot

Last crew meeting this weekend,
A Big Thank You to all the volunteers

3min. Sunday time-lapse video



© Marty Costello 2013 - 2025