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| General Information |
| The Harrods Creek Trail Vision |
| Build on the vision and work of developer Jim Brown, who has created a lovely trail in the woods about 1 mile long below the ridgeline on a bench or ledge above Harrods Creek at the rear of his farm on U.S.Highway 42 and the Paramont Subdivision. Get his permission to connect and join his existing trail and permission from adjacent land owners to participate in extending the present path in Paramont to the southwest and northeast to allow hiking or riding, above or along Harrods Creek in the Harrods Creek valley with access points at Hwy 329( Covered Bridge Road) and Hwy 1694(Gum St) initially. Extend North and East following the Creek east to Ky 393 and on to KY 53 then extend further to Old Sligo Road where it could join the dedicated trails in the L’esprit equine development. Ultimately could join the Oldham County Horse park on KY 524. This path would be generally on forested land which is too steep to develop, where livestock is fenced away from it, and along the creek which is scenic, but also floods. Today, there are an amazingly small number of landowners who could and would need to agree to allow this to happen. |
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| Think Big. Think Long Term. Begin Small |
| At the Covered Bridge road access point there is an attractive option where the trail could be extended further southeast along the old roadway where Locke Lane used to go to Sleepy Hollow Rd(also KY 1694) coming out near the bridge. The old road way is below the bluff along the rear of farms which now front on Covered Bridge Road. This old roadway is a 2 mile ride or hike and at least one stone bridge with a culvert at the rear of the Hebel farm. mid way along it the trail could drop down to the creek and come out at the bridge at 1694. |
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| Sources of Big Idea and the Long View |
| The Appalachian Trail begins in Georgia and extends 2000 miles to Maine. It is volunteer maintained and began as a vision in 1930's. There is a Pacific Crest trail on the West Coast. The closest parallel to what is envisioned here is a 14 mile trail in Edinburgh Scotland through land just like this which after hundreds of years in totally urbanized but the serenity of the woods and the creek side path remain protected by the steep hillsides from encroachment and this walkway is a joy to the surrounding residents. This is a project which will benefit people who are not yet born and last long after those who help it become a reality are deceased. It will be a community asset and enrich all who walk on it or maintain it. This pathway if extended the full length of Harrods Creek could be 18 miles+-. |
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| Volunteer Citizen Participation |
| Borrow from the Appalachian Trail Club model and establish an Association of hikers or riders who will spend a week-ends or other free time maintaining the path, cutting the deadfall, placing stones in creeks to step on when crossing, keeping trail edges from eroding and occasionally making a scheduled trash patrol packing out the inevitable paper or plastic left by the uncaring, who have not learned “the pack it in pack it out” ethic of good hikers and riders. The peer pressure and the educational value of the volunteer maintainers is vital to the establishment of the trail and will go a long way towards assuring land owners that their participation and granting of easements will not be an action they would regret. The easements might be granted to and Association and membership could be a requirement for use. The fellowship of the group and the value of their labor will be priceless in building community. Groups could take responsibility for a section. Scout troops, pony clubs, surrounding stables, church youth groups, teachers with biology, botany, and environmental awareness classes. St. Francis School, Oldham middle and high schools, Goshen, Liberty and Harmony & La Grange elementary schools students, parents and teachers would be a source of support. Civic clubs who could become involved are North Oldham Lions Club, Prospect,-Goshen Rotary, Crestwood and La Grange Rotary Clubs. |
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| Dreaming and Planning |
| The first phase is helping the land owners appreciate the concept and inviting them to see the initial section Jim Brown has built. They will then be able to visualize how nice the walking experience is and how the location of the trail at elevations below the homes and fields allows nearby residents to enjoy privacy and the hikers to be in the woods feeling far removed from the noise and commerce. They will get to enjoy the inpirations and the healing properties of a quiet hike.
Naturalist John Muir remarked, “You go out to go in”,
What he saw and what I have seen in hikes over many miles on the Appalachian Trail and in Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, on the Kaibob trail to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and along the banks of Harrods Creek is how the quiet allows people time to be introspective, day dream, and focus on what is really meaningful in their lives. The combination of allowing the mind to lay fallow, the motion and exercise of walking, the change to a different group of stimuli— the water and the woods is both healing and inspiring. The reward can be renewed mental strength and vigor from an hour or a day of walking in solitude. The experience can also be a small group experience where there is fellowship and the shared companionship of friends, where conversation and memories shared along the path further enrich the hikers’ or riders’ lives. |
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| Trail Design Ideas |
| In many cases there are and will be places along the route where horses and riders could pursue an alternate path from hikers. Often there is a higher existing path or logging road and a lower path nearer the creek. By having places where there would be choices it could reduce wear from horses and present a smoother path for hikers. |
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| Types of Help needed in initial Phases |
| Outdoorsmen, volunteers, neighbors, surveyors, or engineers, and foresters who will hike the route with owners to help locate the path routing it where it will acceptable to them, be protected, and not come too close to existing or planned future residences.
Need participation from Timbercrest Homeowners Association( Reading Room Road), and Paramont Homeowners Association. Steve Ragan and Joan Lerman, Gordon Dabney, Jim and Marianne Welch, Mark Gardiner, Gerald Baron and Joel Turner have all walked on the portion at the rear of Paramont and joined the group of Dreamers exploring the path route Yu “Emily” Liu of Oldham County Planning and Zoning has also hiked the Paramont section with the others.
Public officials who could assist with allowing the use public land near highway bridges to establish a small parking area with trash containers where people would begin and end their hike or ride and with game warden assistance from Fish and Wildlife Dept..
Attorneys and Accountants who will advise on how to best structure the entity which might be granted the hiking and riding path easement. One suggestion has been that the Organization should a non profit private membership organization where membership constitutes permission to use the trail.. What tax benefits might be gained by the donation of an easement to a non profit. What provisions will appeal to the landowners, whose consent and participation is necessary. What has past experience indicated would be good and what have been problems. |
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| Equestrian Trail Model |
| One member of the steering committee found there is a national Equestrian Trail organization which has some useful material and a model to follow. There is a Kentucky Trail Riders Association. Other volunteers and supporters, needed could include material donors, fishermen, canoers or kayakers, botanists, geologists, and game wardens for public safety and Oldham County history enthusiasts. |
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| Time Line |
| 2007 should be dedicated to visiting with all land owners to introduce them to the idea and to determine their willingness to participate and route each is comfortable with over their land. The balance of the year when owners agree, should be dedicated to attempting to get a path established from where the existing portion at the rear of Paramont Farm on Jim Browns land ½ mile along the creek ends. The portion in his Paramont Development is currently reserved exclusively for its homowners association.
Primary effort should be getting permission to cross land of the 6 land owners on Reading Room Road and Locke Lane and clearing this path towards Covered Bridge Road. 2007 attempt to begin extending the path approximately 3 miles northeast to reach Hwy 1694. This is on land that belongs to Annice Johnston, Land o’ Goshen Farms and the Belknap family, Steve Canfield Developer and Roland and Eleanaor Miller. When the trail is competed to Ky 1694 it would be approximately 5 miles long. All these distances are gross estimates. The creek turns and meanders and so will the path.
2008 Continue effort from 1694 to highway 393 adding another 4.75 miles.
2009 Highway 393 to Hwy 53 4.77 miles
2010 Highway 53 to Old Sligo Road. Bridge in L’Esprit 3 or 4 miles Portions could follow on to KY 153 and Henry County. |
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| General Comments |
| While it would be easiest to keep the entire trail on the North Side of Harrods Creek between KY 329 and Ky 1694 because there are only a few land owners to obtain permission from and a portion is already built there, it is possible to alternate sides of the creek forcing hikers or riders to cross the creek. If this is necessary because permissions are not forthcoming, for the path to cross creek to the southeast side of the creek, From the hikers point of view it would be best to make the crossing at the bridge locations, but could even be done where shallow fords are available. The establishment of the access points does not have the highest priority. Rather, let the trail grow to the exits. Let land owners become comfortable with equestrians and hikers while it is being constructed by volunteers and use the users peer pressure to assure that use is prudent and polite. As support grows and use is proven to be both beneficial to hikers and riders as well as owners, Line up governmental support so it parking areas can become funded in their future budgets when the path reaches the crossing roads. |
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| Conclusion |
| This idea is in the germination stage and if you see merit in it and want to contribute ideas, time, energy and skills to advance it please join in supporting this dream. Think and talk to others who own the lands or who might be interested in creating, enjoying or maintaining this recreational asset. |
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| Contact Information |
Harold Helm
Re/Max 100, 6006 Brownsboro Park Blvd Louisville, KY 40207
hhelm@remax.net
Office
502-897-1200 502-228-3515
Home. or Steve Ragan
(502)228_1019
Home or Joel B. Turner
(502)589-5400
jturner@fbtlaw.com
Gordon Dabney
gordon.dabney@yahoo.com
www.Harrodscreektrailasssociation.org |
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