One of the positive aspects of being a volunteer with the North Country Trail Association is that there is job security – always something to do! Another positive is the chance to get out and have some fun with a bunch of like-minded folks, working towards accomplishing the feat of building, improving, and promoting a long-distance hiking trail for people to enjoy, both now and in the future.
With this in mind, and with my assurance to you that we don’t have any “trail professionals” in this group and we need everyone’s contribution, I’d like to invite you to come on out and participate in the activities associated with this year’s trail work season. We’ll need dirt diggers, bridge builders, and paint blazers for sure, but we also need photographers, bridge testers, bird call identifiers, and social event organizers. We also need help from trash picker uppers, day-dreamers, new trail-tread-walker-onners, story tellers, nature lovers, and . . . , and . . . , and . . . .
Our to-do list for 2011 involves many aspects of the trail experience - all the way from a big trail-building project, to doing some tread improvement and water management, to the job of brushing back and maintaining our current sections of trail so that they are clear and enjoyable for our hikers and backpackers. Here is a rundown of what we have in mind to accomplish:
• Construct a new mile of off-road trail eastward from PA Gamelands 285 onto the Kirkwood Farm. Then, figure out how to continue on to Darlington “off road.”
• Blue paint blaze all of our current road walk mileage (that’s about 15 miles worth).
• Repaint the blazes on the trail at Cemex.
• Deal with water issues on current trail sections by putting in or improving current bog bridges, constructing turnpike, or doing reroutes. We have projects planned at Gateway, Cemex, Gamelands 148 & 285, and at Watt’s Mill.
• There are a couple of short relocations we can build to enhance the trail experience at Gateway and Gamelands 285.
• We’ll do a trash clean up at Gamelands 285 and at the trailheads and roadwalks on the Cemex sections.
• Sidehill maintenance and benching improvements to do on all of the off-road sections.
• Continue installing hiker boxes, signing, and horse and ATV deterrents in various locations. We also need to replace several damaged Carsonite posts along the trail.
• Maintain our current eighteen miles of off-road treadway to a standard suitable for a National Scenic Trail.
As we’ve done over the past several years we’ll plan on getting out twice a week for a couple of hours each trip, one trailwork session in Lawrence County and the other in Beaver County. Come out when you can for the amount of time that you can – everyone’s contribution is valuable. Due to the variability of my work schedule we won’t be able to (unfortunately) plan a specific day each week, but I’ll try to get the word out in a timely manner.
Lastly, I’d like to remind everyone that the chapter has some sections of our off-road trail available for adoption. Adopters take on the responsibility to work their section at least three times a year, keeping it brushed back and clear, and in good hiking condition. An “adopter” can be an individual, a group - friends or family, or a formal organization like a scout troop or school group. The chapter owns tools to use in doing this job, and we have training resources available from the national organization. If you have questions about where and how please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Thanks for all you have done to support the North Country Trail in the past, and in advance, for all your support in the upcoming year. Hope to see you “on the trail” in 2011.
Dave Brewer Trail Work Coordinator
No comments:
Post a Comment