Construction to ease river-to-canal access for Violettes Lock loop paddlers is set to take place in mid-October, using a combination of professional stonemasons and volunteer labor. CCA planners are eager to get additional volunteers to help with the work at Blockhouse Point, near mile marker 21 on the C&O Canal.
Members responded generously to the club's efforts to raise funds from the membership as well as the broader paddling community, David (Cotton) Cottingham says. A CCA broadcast email Sept. 29 announced, "Thanks to the generosity of our members and friends, we reached our fundraising goal," and the donation page on the website has been taken down. John Snitzer, Alf Cooley, and Cotton have led the charge to improve what has always been a difficult portage on this very popular loop paddle.
Under a plan approved by the National Park Service, the project will add two sets of stacked stone steps between the river and canal. The lower steps will begin at the water's edge and extend to the shoulder of the riverbank slope, where clay-heavy soil can become slippery. The upper steps will improve footing at the steep towpath edge, where rounded pebbles in older fill can become unstable after rain.
The budget is $5,000, including a $1,000 contingency to cover the cost of hiring masons to finish up if needed.