Geocacher leapgorf forwarded the e-mail below to me:

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Before you fill up on dip this Superbowl Sunday, work off a few pounds at Mill Creek Nature Center!



We're looking for a few hardy volunteers (about 5 more to be exact!) to help us create a new trail this Saturday at Mill Creek Nature Center!



This Saturday, Jan 31 we'll be digging in an access trail from the roadside down to our existing trails around the wetlands. We'll be working under the direction of Paul O'Shield, a GWF volunteer who has created several such trails and helped maintain sections of the Appalachian Trail! Several others have also come together to help make this event possible: including donations from REI and Gwinnett County, who will be on hand to aide in the construction. The trail will be a simple stairway, made of railroad ties, timbers and rebar, dug into the hillside -- strenuous work! Once it's completed, we'll be able to offer a variety of service projects this spring.

Volunteers should bring heavy work gloves and sturdy work boots. We'll have plenty of tools; however if you have a favorite pickaxe or shovel, you're welcome to bring them along. We'll meet at 9am at the building site. Those interested should contact Laura at (770) 614-0562 or lbryant@gwf.org for more info, directions, and to place their lunch order (Yes, we'll feed you! It's the least we can do!)


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Laura Bryant, Director of Education
Georgia Wildlife Federation
Mill Creek Nature Center
2205 Mall of Georgia Blvd.
Buford, GA 30519

(770) 614-0562 Office
(770) 614-0756 Fax

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Since this is the "park" where I've had a couple of caches for a year and a half or so, I've volunteered to help out. It might give me an opportunity to reveal these caches to the new management of the nature center under the most favorable possible circumstances.

If anyone else wants to volunteer their time contact Ms. Bryant, but please don't mention the geocaches at this time.

Thanks!

~erik~

Finally... stairs!
I'll see what I can do. Thanks for the info Erik.

I'm not up for heavy labor but would be glad to help out in any way that I can. What time are people gathering? Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.

Somehow missed a days MyPop email from the forums and just discovered it back in my inbox.
Dang...I would have wanted to help on this one as I love the MOG area and the Mill Creek area.

I ended up wearing myself out caching in Elachee.

If anyone hears of another workday there, then let us know again.

I did see Elachee is planning some work days to do maintenance on the trails.
I didn't get the details as I barely could walk back to my truck and had to break some speed limit rules to make it to the Watching...Stuff Their Faces meeting.

Kenneth


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Kenneth, it turned out that they had more volunteers than they really needed. Leapgorf and I were there to represent the geocaching community, there were about a half dozen folks from REI, and last but not least - a crew with a backhoe from Gwinnett County. They did the heavy work building the steps down from the road to the trail, the rest of us cleaned up the overgrown trails. You can keep up with progress there (and see future work days) at their web site at www.millcreeknc.org.

Elachee's workdays are generally the second Saturday of the month. Next Saturday we'll be doing bridge building. Come on down!

~erik~

Where are the steps? Is any parking being set aside or will we be parking at the mall and crossing the street?

Maybe I'll try to find the caches if I can get down there easier.

Steven, the steps are along the road, near a cleared area with some power transformers on it. That's where the nature center will be built, with the steps behind it. You can't park there now though, so will have to either park across the street at the mall or down the street at the furniture store.

By the way, for those who want to help build bridges at Elachee Nature Center - we're meeting at 10:00 at the overflow parking lot (the one where you cross I-985 and go straight instead of left to the nature center). So far there are only four volunteers so additional help is needed. I think we'll be building a small brige this Saturday 2/7/04. Later in the year we'll build a large suspension bridge across the river that you now have to wade across.

~erik~

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Originally posted by ~erik~:
By the way, for those who want to help build bridges at Elachee Nature Center..... Later in the year we'll build a large suspension bridge across the river that you now have to wade across.

~erik~

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But one thing I like about that trail is fording the river. Oh well I guess they want to attract pampered city folk.

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Some of those that wander are lost!

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Originally posted by ~erik~:
Later in the year we'll build a large suspension bridge across the river that you now have to wade across.

~erik~

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Large suspension bridge? Hmmm... like this one?
http://img.groundspeak.com/cache/776_200.jpg

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Large suspension bridge? Hmmm... like this one?
http://img.groundspeak.com/cache/776_200.jpg

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Probably not as elaborate or as long. Ga. Power has apparently volunteered to set the poles that anchor the thing, and it has to be high enough and wide enough to escape the occasional floods that took the last bridge. More than that I don't know.

~erik~

Gee,

I will miss wading the creek to find the caches in the Nature Center.

Guess the terrain rating will do down a notch too.

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Originally posted by trez003:
Gee,

I will miss wading the creek to find the caches in the Nature Center.

Guess the terrain rating will do down a notch too.

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You know Allen, you don't have to cross the bridge if you don't want to! I *am* having a flashback to North Peachtree Creek though! (I need a soaking wet graemlin here.) At least the last creek I crossed for a cache was frozen over.

Well just like I enjoy a cache that requires a good hike, I always park at what I consider the easiest access. So while I like the ford, if there is bridge (or log) I am going to use it. I just think it is a shame that a bridge is going to be built.

I feel like I would if an access road was being built by the application trail.

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Some of those that wander are lost!

I was just kidding of course! I know how you feel though. I took great pride in working on the Raven Cliffs Trail. They decided to build several bridges on the trail though. One crossed a dip that only has water in it during extreme rains. It was sort of useless. I loved crossing the creeks on the rocks and the natural feel for the trail. That is now gone of course. Funny, it is one of their precious wilderness areas but has bridges to cross small streams-- go figure.

Now that I think about it, I guess I lied.

Here is where Robert and I crossed Panther Creek


(Click for more info)

And here is the picture of the bridge that we didn't use.


(Click for more info)

So I will cross a stream instead of a bridge at least some of the time.

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Some of those that wander are lost!