Using a $650 Evans Means Grant from the Tennessee Trails Association, the timber steps in the rugged “crack” on Black Mountain were totally rebuilt in 2014.
CTC Life Member Jim Hardy lead the operation and invested over 80 hours of his time to the project. Three other CTC volunteers helped for a few days at a time, but Jim did the bulk of the work alone.
The project involved removing 16 timber steps, back filling the base material, cutting and fitting 16 new steps and construction of a six foot by 30 inch landing at the bottom.
Jim hauled in a dozen railroad ties and landscape timbers, a generator, power tools, re-bar, and the associated tools for the project.
The Cumberland Trail drops off the Black Mountain loop trail at this point, passes by a primitive camp site and heads south towards Windlass Cave and the Route 68 trailhead.
Right, an example of the rugged beauty found among the cap rocks on Black Mountain.
Right, CTC Volunteer and Certified Trail Master, Mike Durnwald demonstrates the tight clearance for the steps on Black Mountain.