Making connections

COEUR d’ALENE — Over and over, Jack O’Brien plunged the Pulaski into the dirt on Tubbs Hill on a cold, gray morning. It begrudgingly gave way.

The firefighting tool clunked into something hard. O’Brien brushed away more dirt to reveal a large stone.

He dropped the Pulaski and with gloved hands, tried to pull it free, but couldn’t.

Still, O’Brien smiled. It felt good to be out here.

“I like doing trail work,” he said. “It’s a good way to give back to the community.”

O’Brien was joined by about a dozen others working on a realigned bypass connector trail from the new home of the Museum of North Idaho to the main loop trail on Tubbs Hill.

The roughly quarter-mile stretch snaked up, around and through some rough patches that included large rocks and tree roots.

Men and women were raking, brushing, removing debris and widening the trail. Rakes, shovels and Pulaskis were their primary tools. Coeur d’Alene parks employee Tyler Long manned a jackhammer to break down a large rock.

Dave Yadon, president of the Tubbs Hill Foundation, said a nice trailhead with signage and other features will be the entry point for the trail. He said it will replace an existing user trail, kind of a worn, difficult-to-follow pathway that was eroding and had drainage issues.

The improved trail will be safer, wider, drain water better and offer a smoother, more even surface.

“With the amount of people we’re getting on the trail, we want to make a more sustainable trail,” he said.

The number of people visiting the 165-acre Tubbs Hill has been going up.

In a recent 12-month time frame, the hill was host to more than 350,000 visitors, according to a city counter at the trailhead.

Yadon said the Tubbs Hill Foundation is dedicated to the preservation of Tubbs Hill, so it doesn’t want to cut in entirely new trails. 

“We want to try and keep it as natural as possible,” he said.

But this effort was making a good one out of a bad one.

“It opens up another opportunity to connect with the main loop trail and provides some nice views,” Yadon said.

By mid-morning, crews were within about 20 feet of reaching the main loop trail. They expected to get there within another hour or so.

“It’s kind of coming to fruition here,” said Richard Gerhard.

Another volunteer, Annette Brandvold, used pruners to cut back brush and was glad to help.

“I love Tubbs Hill,” said Brandvold, who is on the foundation's board. “It’s just a treasure for the city to have this area.”

She said the improved connector trail makes it clear which way hikers should go to find the main loop trail around Tubbs.

“This really distinguishes it,” Brandvold said.

The foundation partnered with the city and others on the project that they hope to complete by June 1, which is National Trails Day.

Yadon said volunteers put in a combined 30 hours last week on the preliminary work on the lower section of the trail. 

They're not done. Work days are scheduled May 30, 31 and June 1. To volunteer, visit www.tubbshill.org.

    Jon Ingalls clears the way for a new trail on Tubbs Hill on Friday.
  

    Annette Brandvold cuts back brush on a section of an improved trail on Tubbs Hill on Friday.
  

    Dave Yadon works on trail improvements on Tubbs Hill on Friday.
  

    Mary Duffy makes her way up a section of a Tubbs Hills being worked on by volunteers on Friday.
  

    George Ives carries a shovel and Pulaski up a Tubbs Hill trail being worked on Friday.
  

    Volunteers clear a stretch for a connector trail on Tubbs Hill on Friday. From left are Ralph Brandvold, Richard Gerhard, Ken Roberge and Jon Ingalls.