Spring cleaning on 300 square kilometers

The winter hiking trails are regularly cleared, gritted and controlled – apart from this winter, which was different than planned due to corona. As soon as the snow melts in spring, the grit often "migrates" to adjacent meadows or fields. In contrast to road salt, the gravel does not cause any damage there. Nevertheless, it must be removed, since the meadow would grow there only very slowly or not at all.

As here at Leithener Wiesenweg, the top layer of meadow was removed together with the gravel with the help of an excavator. What will still be brown in the next few weeks will then quickly recover and soon shine in rich green! In addition, so-called gullies are cleared of gravel and branches or newly constructed to prevent flooding during heavy rainfall. In addition to the gullies, rain gutters also help to drain off water. This prevents cracks, ditches or holes in the path created by the rain. These must be cleaned manually with a scraper and freed from rocks and debris.

The network of cross-country ski trails in the entire region amounts to over 245 kilometers of trails. In order to be able to orient oneself well on the trail, signs are placed everywhere along the trail. Since a large part of the cross-country ski trails run on forest areas or fields and these are used differently in summer, these signs have to be taken down again at the end of the season. Here, excellent organizational skills are required in order to be able to put everything back up correctly the next season! In summer, on the other hand, numerous bike signs guide us through the region and to the most beautiful Platzl'n. These are installed in the course of spring cleaning – and who can not resist to get back on the bike as soon as possible?

You may know it from your own backyard when all the snow melts: the weight of the snow can quickly dent fences or break off a wooden board. In order to ensure the safety of hikers and bikers on the trails, the damage of the winter is therefore repaired annually and various renovation work is carried out. This ranges from the simple replacement of a wooden board to the complete renovation of a bridge, as was the case last year with the Puitbach bridge in Leutasch. The beautiful and natural Gleirschklamm gorge in the Karwendel also undergoes a "lift" every year. Here, entire sections of the wooden path are often renewed so that the wildly rushing gorge can be visited in summer.

With the melting of the snow, unfortunately not only crocuses, primroses and heather wink out of the snow. Plastic waste, handkerchiefs and cans adorn particularly busy hiking trails and roadsides. Despite numerous trash cans on the paths, unfortunately too much trash still ends up in the great outdoors. With the help of a garbage tongs, the waste is collected by hand and then disposed of properly. By the way: Did you know that one cigarette butt contaminates 40 liters of groundwater and takes 2 to 7 years to decompose completely?

Also this year we and hopefully many motivated participants make an important contribution to our nature. The #CleanUpPlateau Challenge takes place on the Seefeld Plateau and everyone can participate! Here you can find all the details. Spring cleaning in the Region Seefeld is very versatile and time-consuming. Depending on the work assignment, the employees are out and about in small teams of two to three people. With their manual and solution-oriented skills, they ensure the ideal conditions for the summer season. Even when the traces of winter have completely disappeared, the Bauhof team is still regularly on the road in the region to maintain paths and repair damage.