2013

Gilsum, NH

Calhoun Family Forest

Porcupine Falls Trail

In August of 2013, the Monadock Conservancy, an organization based out of New Hampshire, approached the Rovers to tackle a series of projects. The Calhoun Family Forest, a recently acquired property of the Conservancy, was in need of public trails - all of different size and caliber. The Rovers, in their first long distance journey outside of New York and New Jersey, embraced the picturesque landscape and welcomed the challenge.

The largest project in the series was a series of stone staircases approaching Porcupine Falls. The full crew (about 25 members at the time) planned one 3-day weekend where they constructed a beautiful 26-step stone structure that would lead to the natural water feature.

Impressed by the work, the Monadock Conservancy welcomed the Rovers back (through commissioned splinter trips) to complete a variety of other projects which included a stone cribbed bridge abutment, stone benches, additional staircases and, interestingly enough, monolithic standing stone. It would take two years and over 1,000 volunteer hours from our faithful crew to complete all of the necessary work at the Calhoun Family Forest, but in the spring of 2015, the Rovers were able to pack their gear and rove on to the next project.