De-Commissioning and Re-Naturalizing the Loop Trail at Hagg Lake

On February 22, seven volunteers gathered at Hagg Lake to continue progress on the Loop Trail re-route project. With trail conditions too wet for active digging, the crew pivoted to focus on de-commissioning and re-naturalizing a former section of trail between Turtle (7) and Gandolf’s (8), where the new alignment is taking shape.

An uprooted tree had destabilized a key bridge in this area, making it unsafe for passage and prompting the need for a re-route. As part of that process, volunteers worked to close and restore the old trail corridor. By the end of the day, roughly 70 percent of the north side of the section beyond the damaged bridge had been de-commissioned.

De-commissioning is an important but often overlooked part of sustainable trail building. Properly restoring former tread helps prevent erosion, discourages use of closed segments, and allows the landscape to recover naturally while the new trail is developed.

Highlights of the day included a mix of frequent volunteers and newer faces, including younger helpers eager to be part of the effort.

A big thank you to Spurcycle, a new bronze-level NWTA sponsor, for donating raffle items and supporting volunteers throughout the day. Their involvement added energy and appreciation to an already productive dig day.

Thanks to everyone who showed up and helped move this important project forward.