 Autumn Pinette Tom
Carruthers, left, of Bethel and Denis Morgan of Sandy Hook move a rock
along a trail they built Sunday at Collis Huntington State Park.
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But well-meaning, and ultimately misguided, nature-lovers have been known to do just that, said Tom Carruthers of Bethel.
The resulting "bootleg trails'' can create a host of problems down the road, including erosion of the land, sedimentation of watercourses and injuries to the people who use them.
But no such hazards will exist on the trail a hard-working group of volunteers began cutting through Collis Huntington State Park this weekend.
By the time their work is completed later this year, the result is expected to be "a sustainable trail that will last for years and years and years," said Carruthers, co-chairman of the Fairfield County chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club and marketing director for the state chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association.
Under the direction of professional trailbuilders Chris Bernhardt and Jill Van Winkle, some two dozen people spent Saturday and Sunday installing close to 1,000 feet of what will eventually be a mile-plus trail through the 883-acre park.
 Autumn Pinette From left, Tom Carruthers, Tim Burton of Madison, Paula Burton of Sandy Hook and Denis Morgan work on a trail.
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The trail will be another path for hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers to enjoy.
Planning for the new trail, part of the extensive network already in the park, began more than a year ago, said Carruthers. Before the first limb could be chopped or stone moved, the trailbuilders had to get permission from the state and discuss the planned route with the park's land manager.
Longtime AMC member and Sandy Hook resident Paula Burton laid out the trail, connecting various points of interest users are likely to visit.
"Those are places where people are going to go anyway, so you might as well build your trail there,'' said Van Winkle.
But before work got under way, participants attended a trail-building school at Tarrywile Park in Danbury on Friday where Van Winkle and Bernhardt instructed them on proper construction techniques.
Their appearances were funded though Subaru and the International Mountain Biking Association, with the assistance from Eastern Mountain Sports, AMC and NEMBA.
Even in areas where the terrain is only slightly inclined, Van Winkle said, it's important to "define the trail" by cutting into the earth, to provide a clear demarcation for hikers and bikers.
"Otherwise, you'll get turned ankles and wheels sliding off the edge of the trail,'' which will widen it and create erosion, she said.
The volunteers also carried the trail over a several gullies, once with the assistance of a wooden footbridge built by Dave Herde of Oxford, and other times by "armoring'' the stream bed with flat rocks. The process, similar to fitting stones together to create a patio, permits water to flow uninterrupted around the stones, while still allowing people to keep their feet dry.
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"This is the first trail I ever worked on,'' said Marc Fleisher of Wilton, an avid mountain biker, who saw the project listed on the NEMBA Web site.
"When I saw they were doing this, I said 'Huntington Park, I ride there a lot.' So I came,'' he said.
Contact John Pirro
at jpirro@newstimes.com
or at (203) 731-3342.
