Helping the Carolina Thread Trail grow
70 volunteers clear part of future Long Creek section
October, 2011
A small segment of the 200-plus-mile Carolina Thread Trail got closer to reality on Sept. 24.
Seventy volunteers armed with handsaws, loppers and "Pulaskis" cleared brush along a quarter
mile of future trail beside Long Creek, just north of the U.S. National Whitewater Center.
The Carolina Thread Trail is a planned
network of greenways and walking trails that
eventually will tie together 15 N.C. and S.C.
counties that comprise the Charlotte region.
The Catawba Lands Conservancy is driving
the project.
The work on Sept. 24 - National Public Lands
Day - took place along the Long Creek East
Preserve just east of the Catawba River. The
conservancy owns some of the trail property
and has received a greenway easement from
ReVenture Eco Industrial Park for the
remainder. The conservancy hopes to open a 2mile stretch of the Thread Trail here in late
2012.
"Our volunteers did a preliminary clearing of
the area where the trail will eventually be
built," said Amanda Anderson, volunteer
coordinator for the Thread Trail. Trail Design
Specialists, a commercial trail-building
company, will complete the work, with the trail
ready for public use by late 2012.
Volunteers use a Pulaski to clear brush on a
part of the future Long Creek greenway near
the U.S. National Whitewater Center on Sept.
24. Photo courtesy of the Carolina Thread Trail
Many segments of the Carolina Thread Trail will use greenways built by area counties, cities and
towns. Greenways in Mecklenburg County typically have asphalt surfaces and bridges strong
enough to hold emergency vehicles. While durable and popular with cyclists and roller-bladers,
such trails also come with a high cost.
The Toby Creek Greenway segment that opened last fall through UNC Charlotte cost about $1.1
million for a mile-long main path, a bridge over Mallard Creek and a side trail leading to North
Tryon Street.
The Carolina Thread Trail hopes that the low-tech and low-cost approach being followed on
Long Creek will greatly accelerate completion of the full trail network.
" The Carolina Thread Trail is dedicated to getting trail miles on the ground for communities to
use," Anderson said. "Natural surface trails are a cheaper and quicker way to get miles on the
ground while leveraging volunteer efforts and engaging community members."
Seventeen volunteers recently completed a Trail Masters course led by Trail Design Specialists.
Each volunteer agreed to give 40 hours of community service yearly for three years and lead
small groups of volunteers doing trail maintenance and clearing.
The Thread Trail also hosts two large volunteer work days annually plus smaller events such as
the one recently on Long Creek.
http://www.catawbariverviews.org/news_threadtrail.html