Along the West Shore trails of Lake Tahoe, hikers and riders can rest on benches that were shaped almost entirely by hand. Each one is the work of Sandor Lengyel, a trail crew leader with the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA), and the story behind them was recently told by Tim Hauserman in Moonshine Ink.
Lengyel builds each commemorative bench from six thick slabs of wood. The slabs come from dead and drought-stressed trees, cut on site with a Granberg Alaskan Mill, then stripped of bark by hand with an ax, wedge and draw knife. Seven benches are in place so far, and an eighth is planned for when the Meeks Ridge Trail is finished.
The benches also help pay for the trails. Donors who fund a commemorative bench give $10,000 or more, and that money goes directly to trail construction. Earlier this year a separate $250,000 gift helped move the Meeks Ridge Trail toward completion and supports a study aimed at 45 additional miles of trails around the Basin.
We love seeing the Alaskan Mill put to work like this, turning fallen trees into something lasting for the community.
Read the full article: “The Art of the Bench” by Tim Hauserman, Moonshine Ink
