Volunteer Help On The Way

Good Morning Fellow NCTr's:

Next Monday, August the 2nd, twelve youth volunteers and their adult advisors will arrive at Gamelands 285 to help us with our trail-building project out to the Indian Rock area. These folks are coming from Michigan, Indiana, and Minnesota and will be spending the week in the Chippewa/Beaver Falls area doing various service projects through the sponsorship of Mount Olive Lutheran Church. Mr. Ron Heitsch, Volunteer Director with the church, is familiar with the North Country Trail in the area and graciously offered us assistance with any projects that we had going on.

Mr. Heitsch and I walked the flag line for the new section yesterday afternoon and worked out the logistics and schedule of the operation. We also took a drive over to the backpack shelter and I offered its use for an evening cookout/campfire for the entire group of volunteers if they wanted to use it.

The volunteers' schedule of events and activities for the week, as Mr. Heitsch explained to me, is still a "moving target", so some flexibility on our part is going to be required, but at this point here is the plan:

On Monday morning they have a team-building exercise in Beaver Falls and upon its conclusion they'll return to the church in Chippewa for lunch. I am going to meet up with them at noon (free lunch!) and then our assigned group of twelve kids and their advisors will head to the Sterling Road trailhead at Gamelands 285 where we'll do the safety talk, orient them to the tools we'll be using, and give them a tour of the new trail route. Hopefully they'll have some time to get started on trail building before they head back to the church at 3:00.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday the volunteers will arrive at Sterling Road at approximately 9:00 AM, walk in to the site, and work on building trail until 3:00 PM or so.

I need your help. The size of the group and their probable lack of trail-building experience is going to necessitate some supervision and guidance on our part. Fortunately, my work schedule will allow me to be out with them all day on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and then on Thursday morning. I won't be available at all on Friday. If you could join me for all or part of any of those days next week or be there on Friday for me I would appreciate your help. You don't even need to be the trail-building maven - general knowledge of what we've already built, and a "North Country Trail presence" would be enough support, I believe. Even a short visit by members of the organization would be a plus. Please shoot me an email to let me know of your intentions on this. I would definitely welcome a partner (or three or four) on this.

I am looking forward to working with this group of volunteers. We can provide them with a positive community-service project and they will definitely help us with extending the North Country Trail another quarter of a mile eastwards towards Darlington.

Thanks in advance, and thank you for all you do for the North Country Trail.

Dave Brewer

Tuesday Morning Trail Work At Gateway 7/27

Good Evening Fellow NCTr's:

We'll be heading out to the Gateway Bridge on Tuesday morning to do some repair work on the trail around the culvert pipe we put in a couple of years ago. The water has changed its course and we'll need to do some digging to get the treadway out of the mud. We'll also take the opportunity to do some finesse work on the trail leading up to the Gateway relo, and touch up the blazes in that area as they are starting to fade.

We'll leave from Jata's in Wampum at 9:00 AM (come earlier for breakfast if you'd like) and drive up Darlington Road to the Mines and Meadows campground to park. We'll plan on being out for a couple of hours - I'll bring the tools and the blaze paint.

A couple of other items this evening:

The New Castle News has an article about the Scouts who put in the benches at the trailhead out at Cemex http://www.ncnewsonline.com/opinion/x1483667008/Twins-build-benches-for-North-County-Trail

And here's a blog post about a Venture Outdoors hike that took place at Moraine SP http://www.zackcyphers.com/venture-outdoors-at-moraine-state-park/ I had an opportunity to meet last week with Julie Meier, the Field Office Coordinator for VO in Beaver, Butler, and Lawerence counties to show her our section of trail at Gamelands 285 and Watt's Mill, and also to let her know about the miles we have available to hike directly to the east and west of Wampum. As my friend Bob Cody always says, "More feet means less maintenance." And more feet on the trail is more awareness and more support from the community.

Hope to see you Tuesday in Wampum,
Dave Brewer

Sandy Beaver Canal Chapter Trail Work

Forwarding this information from Keith Brown of the Sandy Beaver Canal Chapter, our neighbors directly to the west in Ohio. These seven folks are dedicated - building new North Country Trail in that heat on Saturday!

Hi all,

Seven people showed up for work last Sat.and inspite of the hot day we made great progress. The trail from Beaver Creek State Park to State Rt. 7 is now open. We crossed Rt. 7 and uncovered a Canal Lock and cleared away massive amounts of Multi Floral Rose, trees, and poison Ivy on the way to Bear Hollow Road. We all agreed to set the next work day for the 4th week in August hoping the weather might be cooler by then. So put that date on your calendar and join the fun.

My wife and I are leaving on a month long camping trip to Novo Scotia tomorrow. So until next work day

Happy trails,

Keith Brown

Working and Meeting and Partying

Good Evening Fellow NCTr's:

In addition to our accomplishments of Friday and Saturday, which I have already related, the last couple of days have been pretty good for the Wampum Chapter and our section of trail. Bob Cody reports that he and Denny Dudda were out at Cemex on Sunday morning taking out a couple of deadfall trees and doing some finesse work with the weedwacker. Good to go between River Road and Tony Dytko.

Then Sunday afternoon the weeds and thorn bushes along the 300 yard, edge-of-the-field walk on the west side of Watt's Mill Road got the thrashing of their pathetic plant lives, opening up that always-troublesome stretch of trail to "easy hiking". In the evening Dennis and Cathy Garrett and I headed out to the old iron bridge at the Sterling Road trailhead and were able to grub and dig sidehill for 30 yards eastward to start off our planned, new, quarter-mile of trail. We're on our way to Indian Rock! (The bugs were TOUGH - when you come out for trailwork be sure to bring some insect repellent).

This evening we had a very successful wienie roast/potluck picnic/Chapter meeting at the shelter at Watt's Mill. The bugs knew better than to trifle with us today as we were ready for them. Fourteen Chapter members and friends made the trip out for a very enjoyable evening. A poll was taken, then the votes were meticulously tabulated, and it was agreed that next month's meeting (Monday, August 16th) will be the same arrangement in the same location. Sounds like a good plan. Thanks to Dennis for ably filling in for Lee and to everyone who came out and made the evening a success. Some photos here:

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/577334854UNgKrW?start=108

Have a great week - hope to see you on the trail,

Dave Brewer

Ferns at Cemex

Good Evening Fellow NCTr's:

If you listen closely you can now hear ferns growing out on the Cemex sections, and they will eventually overpower the multifloral, raspberry bushes, poison ivy, and weeds. Reason being is that Bob Cody reports that he went out Friday morning to his mile of NCT between River Road and Tony Dytko Rd. and thrashed all of the bad stuff with the mower and weedwacker, and then Doug Turner and I went out this morning and destroyed (ok, ok, we cut them back) all of the nasty plants on a mile and a half of trail at the western end of the property. Cemex is looking good - just about 4' x 8' its entire length. We were also able to get the hiker journal boxes placed at the Snake Run Road East and Sankey Hill Road trailheads. A productive couple of days on the North Country Trail, and the ferns love it! Some photos from today here, starting on the bottom row: http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/577334854UNgKrW?start=96

The plan for tomorrow, Sunday the 18th, is to head to the Sterling Road trailhead at Gamelands 285 and start construction on the trail to Indian Rock. We'll start at 5:00 and plan on being out a couple of hours - I'll bring the tools - bring plenty of water as it is going to be another hot one!

Monday evening please come out to the backpacker shelter at Watt's Mill at 6:00 for our chapter meeting/pot luck picnic/wienie roast. Chapter members and non-members are all invited. A beautiful spot along the North Fork of Little Beaver Creek that everyone should check out. Please send Cathy Garrett an email at Dcgcag@gmail.com if you are coming so we're sure to have enough wienies and enough luck (you thought I was gonna write 'pot', huh?)

Thanks for all you do for the trail - Hope to see you on Sunday and/or Monday evening.

Trail Work Twofer This Weekend

Good Afternoon Fellow NCTr's:

This Saturday morning, July 17th and Sunday evening, the 18th, we'll do a trail work twofer:

Saturday morning we'll head out to the Fletcher Hill Road trailhead with the DR mower and weedwacker and get the field walk back to Snake Run Road mowed and cleaned up from overgrowth. We also have two hiker trail log boxes ready to install, one for Snake Run Road west and one for the Sankey Hill Road area. These are two spots the Boy Scouts put in the benches last month and I'm thinking would be a good place for hikers to take a break and jot down any comments they have about the trail and their hike. The plan then is to leave from Jata's in Wampum at 9:00 AM Saturday morning and drive to Snake Run Road, stop for ten minutes there to install the first box, then head on up to Fletcher Hill Road and start mowing. Once finished there, we'll drive to Sankey Hill Road and take ten minutes to hang that box. Come earlier to Jata's for breakfast if you'd like.

Sunday evening, the 18th, we'll meet at the Sterling Road trailhead at Gamelands 285 at 5:00 and work for a couple of hours on digging new trail out at Indian Rock. The switchbacks/sidehill up and down in that area are going to be pretty extensive and time-consuming to build but "pretty cool!" when finished.

As always, I'll bring the tools. Bring along something to drink and a snack if you'd like. Come when you can, leave when you have to - all help is appreciated.

Also, remember the Chapter meeting is being held on Monday evening at the shelter at Watt's Mill. A wienie roast/pot luck is planned - please email Maa Garrett at dcgcag@hotmail.com that you are planning to attend.

Have a great week and hope to see you on the North Country Trail this weekend!

July Meeting and Picnic at Watt's Mill

This is an open meeting for non-members as well as the Wampum folks. Hope you can come out and check out the finished shelter as well as share some North Country Trail comaradarie around the campfire. As you can see, Maa is getting ready for company.

Good Morning Fellow NCTr's:

Our monthly Chapter meeting will be next Monday evening, July 19th at the backpacker shelter at Watt's Mill. We'll gather at 6:00 PM for a potluck and wienie roast picnic, enjoy a campfire at this idyllic spot, and transact any business that needs to be taken care of for the month. The site is approximately 300 yards from the road over level terrain so there is no major "hiking" involved to get out there.

Maa Garrett has the "dogs", plates, and utensils lined up, and I've got the chips and water covered (no cooking required - right up my alley), so we need folks to bring a salad, sidedish, or dessert. Please send Cathy an email dcgcag@gmail.com to let us know that you're coming out and what you'll be bringing along.

On another note, Doug Turner and I spent a couple of hours out at Indian Rock last evening finalizing the flag line for the new section of trail. The volunteers from Mt. Olive Church will be with us in a few weeks to help out with this project and once completed it is going to be a nice quarter-mile addition. Can't wait! A couple of photos here http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/577334854UNgKrW?start=96 starting on the second line down. Thanks to Doug for his help.

Hope to see you Monday evening at Watt's Mill for the meeting. If you need directions please let me know.

Dave Brewer

Sunday Trail Work 7/11/10

Good Morning Fellow NCTr's:

The plan for this Sunday's trailwork session is to meet at the Sterling Road trailhead at Gamelands 285 and work our way down through the Indian Rock area finalizing the route, doing some pruning in doing so, getting it flagged, and get definite locations set for the bridges we'll need to put in. Lee and I went through there in March to get a general idea of what we were going to do and we left a couple of ?? areas. With the Mt. Olive Church volunteers due to start working with us on the 2nd of August it has come down to answering the questions and filling in the blanks.

We'll meet at 5:00 PM, again at the Sterling Road trailhead, and plan to be out for a couple of hours. The weather should be great for a late afternoon walk on the North Country Trail. Hope you can join us - no trail-routing experience necessary and all opinions and suggestions are valued!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=108657039929755040265.0004498a6086c175b4998&z=13

Dave Brewer

P.S. The "score" out at Tony Dytko Road has been settled. That'll teach 'em. Also, the turkeys are prolific this time of the year. This photo was taken at Cemex near Tony Dytko Rd - two large turkeys and a bunch of young ones, and I spotted a second group of fifteen to eighteen at Gamelands 148 later on in the day.

Friday Trailwork 7-9 REVENGE

Good Morning Fellow NCTr's:

I tried to take a leisurely stroll on the North Country Trail at Cemex earlier in the week, starting off at Tony Dytko Road heading east towards Chewton - West Pgh. Road. I had only gone a short distance when those trail thugs - the multifloral rose, black-raspberry bushes, and just common, ordinary weeds - ganged up on me, roughed me up, took my lunch money, and sent me scampering back to the car. As I departed I heard them yell, "And don't come back! We're in charge here!"

Well, tomorrow morning I'm going back. WITH the DR mower, WITH the weedwacker, WITH the loppers, and WITH the backpack sprayer. There's a score to settle out there on that section of trail! And I want my lunch money back. Who's with me?

We'll take off from Jata's in Wampum at 9:00 AM and head to Tony Dytko Road. Use caution if you are traveling up Tony Dytko from River Road as it is pretty eroded on the part that gets you up the hill and you could bottom out - you'd be better off coming from Chewton. We'll be out a couple of hours - come to Jata's earlier for breakfast if you'd like.

Hope to see you tomorrow morning on the trail,
Dave Brewer

Admin, Socializing, and Trailwork

Good Morning Fellow NCTr's:

First to the news I should've had out a couple of weeks ago: The biennial Wampum Chapter officer elections were held at Hito's on June 7th and these people were asked to and agreed to serve as our officers: Lee Fairbanks is continuing on as our Chapter President, Dennis Garrett is Vice President, JoEllen Sokoloski will continue to manage the funds as Treasurer, and Eleanor Fairbanks will be serving as the Chapter Secretary. Additionally, Dorothy Buquo will continue on as Corresponding Secretary. Thanks goes out to them for giving their time to represent the Wampum Chapter as we pursue our goal of building, maintaining, and promoting the North Country Trail in Lawrence and Beaver Counties. Also, thanks to everyone who participated in the election process - I think we did a good job with it.

Secondly, since Lee (and Eleanor) are in Maine for the summer, and since "the (trail) mice will play while the (trail) cat is away", we'll be having our July chapter meeting not indoors, but at the shelter at Watt's Mill. It will be on Monday, July 19th at 6:00 PM and a potluck picnic and wienie roast will be the dinner menu. I'll be sending out reminders over the next couple of weeks but please plan on coming out to this beautiful site along the North Fork of Little Beaver Creek that evening to transact Wampum Chapter business and share some North Country Trail comaradarie around the campfire. By the way, I've learned that we've had our first overnight camper at the shelter - a gentleman hiking from the state line to Foxburg spent his first night on the trail there. Pretty cool!

Lastly, we had a productive week out on the trail. The multifloral rose, poison ivy, and plain old thorn bushes have been given a good thrashing, both out at Cemex from Snake Run Rd. past the lime kiln and up through the old apple orchard towards Fletcher Hill Rd., and also out at the clearcut vista at PA Gamelands 285. Both of these sections are in excellent hiking shape at this point. And Dennis Garrett and Doug Turner joined me last evening in clearing and flagging out the short reroute near the state line at the gamelands for the group from Mt. Olive church to work on the first week of August. It should be a beaut when finished! Along the way we did some pruning and blaze repainting - another section of trail in good shape for hikers.

Trailwork for Lawerence County will probably be on Friday morning next week, and Sunday evening for Beaver - I'll send out notice when I nail down the schedule. Thanks for all you do for the trail!

Dave Brewer

P.S. - If you can assist Julie Watson in manning the info table at the Big Butler Fair anytime this week it would be greatly appreciated. Shoot her an email to let her know when you can be there PACC@northcountrytrail.org

** Photo is of the lime kiln at Cemex courtesy of Bob Cody.