TRAILBLAZERS REPORT
In the winter of 2021 , a West Winds resident , Raymen Rice , approached Brett Hamilton , LLA Operations Manager , with the idea of building an additional bridge over the small creek that the West Winds Trail crosses on the way down toward the Ben ' s Branch Bridge . While the watercourse was easily crossable by foot using the current pedestrian bridge , it was too narrow for golf cart usage .
He proposed constructing a separate bridge to accommodate golf carts along the upstream side of the wooden pedestrian bridge . His father , Tim Rice , assisted with the engineering piece of the proposal . LLA was willing to furnish the materials for the project , and Raymen , family , and friends would supply the labor . The LLA Board of Directors approved the project at the April 2022 meeting .
Raymen , his friends , and his family performed all the bridge construction and the area ' s landscaping in one day in mid-April . The wooden bridge is six feet wide to accommodate the width of a standard golf cart , the span is 12 feet long , and there are guard rails on both sides with a height of a little less than one foot . The bridge is a " low bridge " and is less than 48 " above the water surface , thus requiring no handrail . The people involved in the construction , landscaping , and finishing touches ( besides Tim Rice ' s engineering design work ) were Raymen Rice ; Tom Balent ; Jeff Westley ; Ken Cortez ; Dakota , Payton , and Kamryn Rice ; Kat and Sabrina Cortez ; and Laven Balent . Thanks to Raymen and all these folks for their hard work and great effort to enhance this community area .
During the spring months , the Trailblazers Committee performed trail maintenance tasks on sections of the Balmoral , Lake Anita Louise , and Pinehurst Trails . While we mostly pruned back limbs , branches , and vines in the mid-spring , by late spring / early summer , vegetation had exploded , and much of our work was weed-whacking back vegetation from the sides of the trail and the trail bed itself . This is generally an ongoing process through late fall before the vegetation dies down .
The earlier parts of August are included in what is considered the dog days of summer — a period of hot , sultry days . A walk on one of the shady trails in the LLA community can offer residents welcome relief from the hot temperatures and higher humidity of the month . Trails that go through shaded , wooded areas like the Aspen Trail , the Lake Anita Louise Trail , and the Balmoral / Hamptons Trail can fit the bill . Trails close to water like the Pinehurst Lake Trail , the segments of the Lake Merle Trail on both sides of the lake , and the Indian Caves Trail in the cave area are also good bets . Check out their various locations and other community trails on the downloadable version of the LLA Trail Map . See the link on the Amenities section of the website . Enjoy your " cool " walk .
16 LakeTalk August 2022