Word Count: 1017

Jere’s an essay I wrote about an unlimited, cheap, resource that we’ve integrated into a lot of our projects at work. Enjoy!!

Innovative Ways to

Use a Limitless Resource

Nobody in this valley will disagree with me when I say this place has a lot of rocks. Big rocks, little rocks, heavy rocks, multi-colored rocks, rocks with all sorts of minerals buried deep inside them and their extraction having become the driving force of our mining history and heritage. Rocks, rocks, and more rocks. Did I mention that this place has a lot of boulder-like material?

Looking at things from a moronic perspective, I’m guessing that might be a big reason why this area is commonly referred to as the southern part of the“Rocky Mountains.” I could be wrong, but evidence seems to indicate otherwise.

If you disagree with me (and no one actually does…), all a person needs to do is dig a hole around here. Once you get about 6” below the surface, and most of the dirt has disappeared (top soil, what’s that?), you’re guaranteed to hit rocks of one sort or another. Rocks are everywhere, so we might as well become accustom to working with them buddy.

Now in my job as one of the Parks-n-Recreation Department guys for the Town of Silverton, we’re forced to do all sorts of different things with a limited budget at our disposal. Why not utilize this thing we’ve got a lot of? Namely, rocks. They’re cheap, available in profuse amounts, and you can use them in all sorts of cool, creative, and innovative ways.

One of the ways we’re utilizing rocks is in the lining of trails in and around Memorial Park. This has become an ongoing project over the past five years and besides allowing me to appease my inner-child stacking tendency, it’s been a great way to put myself in a “zen” mode of thinking as well.

Fairly simple for us to pull off, all we’ve basically done is pick the rocks up and line the trails at various spots. Believe it or not, a satisfying task that enhances the trails, adds to the rustic charm of this town, and contributes to overall outstanding appearance of the park. Next time you’re feeling bored and want to take a nice hike, check out those trails behind the tennis courts. No guarantees your hike will improve your overall outlook on life, but you’re getting some fresh air and a bit of exercise, so that alone can’t hurt.

One of the really neat things you can do with rocks is slap a coat of paint on them. This totally transforms their appearance. Taking advantage of this plethora of rocks at their disposal, an earlier group of people painted, and arranged the rocks along that berm dropping into Memorial Park. Silverton weather conditions being what they are (extremely intense and the diametric opposite of most tropical environs?) over the years that self-same rock lettering is starting to show some wear and tear. This is quite a surprise since I’ve always thought this valley has such mild, beach-like, weather conditions?

Earlier volunteer work sessions were planned this summer, but seasonal rains put a stop to that happening. Result-us guys in the Parks-n-Rec. Dept. decided to take matters into our own hands. Got a hold of the paint that had been planned for the volunteer session that never happened, weed-wacked and cleaned up the area around the rocks, re-positioned those boulders so they actually formed letters, then repainted them. The end result speaks for itself and looks nice. Unless you happen to be into the “chaos” lifestyle and liked the rocks in their previous incarnation as that of a turbulent moonscape.

Then we branched out even more and one of my colleagues chose to re-paint the “S” above town. This entailed him rappelling down to the spot where he re-painted the letter. I meanwhile, used my old-man card and spent the time while he was endangering himself-mowing the lawn next to the Visitor-Center. Beside allowing me to feel that unique paranoia a parent goes through when their child chooses to join the military, the end result he pulled off looks great. Now all we need to do is slap that coat of glow-in-the-dark paint over his handiwork and we’re all set. Plans are in the works.

Rocks, because of their unique shape and nature, can be stacked and arrange in a multitude of ways. The Town Master Plan envisions a trail loop circumambulating the valley, and large portions of the trail system have already been completed. One section we’ve chosen to concentrate a sizable portion of our free time on improving happens to be just downstream of the confluence of Cement Creek into the Animas River. Whenever our crew has a few extra moments at work time, we’ve devoted those free moments to arranging all sizes of rocks in the creation of miniature pockets of vegetation along the river trail in this area. Simply positioning rocks in various configurations has totally transformed that section of the trail system.

One of my colleagues, who happens to be a master trail builder, has instigated this operation and the results are nothing short of amazing.  Just by using what’s available in large sums, and cheap to collect in our area-lots of rocks. The end results look really good too by the way.

So, what can we conclude from this operation? Other than the fact that yours truly is a bit eccentric, which most of us already knows, you should use what’s available in large amounts in your area to improve the overall appearance of the place. If you live close to the ocean, I’m sure there’s a lot of ways to utilize those sea shells in and around your area. Cactus plants and sand dunes? Just sitting there at the disposal of the desert Parks-n-Rec. personnel asking to be utilized. Ice caves in your area? Just begging to be used in some sort of trail formation. Do you sense a theme in this particular situation?

With the assistance of his fellow Parks-n-Rec colleagues, David G. Swanson is in a constant search for novel ways to use rocks in and around Silverton…