Stone Wall Building Class  - Eldorado Canyon State Park

Sun 03/01, Sun 03/15, Sun 03/29, Sun 04/12, Sun 04/26, Sun 05/10, Sun 05/24, Sun 06/07, Sun 06/21 @ 09:00 AM to 01:00 PM

Trail work  -  All Ages

Have you ever wanted to learn how to build stone walls? Eldorado trail workers have been building stone walls and stairways for almost 50 years. And a lot of those walls need help! We'll learn in six four-hour sessions: Session 1: Principles of Building with Stone. We'll do some hiking and look at existing walls to learn what makes walls last (and what makes them fail). We'll learn the five basics of stone walling. We'll also spend time learning about the right protective equipment for the job. Session 2: Walling 101. We'll practice placing stones on a wall. We'll also spend some time talking about body mechanics - you don't have to have a sore back and pinched fingers to do this! Session 3: Tool selection and use. We'll learn about and use stone shaping tools to make stone fit a little better. We'll also spend some time talking and thinking about when shaping stone is efficient and when to put the hammers down. Session 4: Strip and rebuild. All of us will work together on an existing, small wall that needs a rebuild. We'll strip the wall down to its foundation and put our skills to practice. Session 5: Transporting stone, and transporting heavy stone. Well built walls take more stone! We'll spend some time talking about biomechanics, team lifts, and play with some fancier ways to move stone efficiently. Session 6: Assessment day! We'll find some small sections of wall that need rebuilds, and you'll make it happen! I'll make sure that you're able to safely and effectively build stone walls in Eldorado. When we're all done, you'll be able to work with the trail crew, other qualified volunteers, or on your own on wall building projects around Eldorado. It's a truly rewarding endeavor - we build for quality, not quantity, and as a volunteer, there are no time constraints. You build walls that you get to be proud of. Fair warning - your hat size may get a little bigger with a day of thank you's from passing hikers. In case of weather or illness, we'll make up sessions as needed. Your instructor, Mike, has been building with stone for almost 20 years. Last fall Mike went to Vermont and passed a Level 1 DSWA exam with the Stone Trust. Hope to see you there!

Volunteers Registered: 13 (4 available)