Trailwork Pics and Upcoming Dates

Good Morning Fellow NCTr's:

We made some major progress on trailwork projects over the past five days - finished up the reroute below Indian Rock then worked on constructing new trail at the Kirkwood Farm (on our way!), got some paint blazing and reblazing done, and made a major improvement in condition of the treadway near Tony Dytko Road at Cemex. Thanks to Bill, Lee, Dennis, Maa, and Jake for making the trip(s) out to the woods. Some photos start here.

Two Reminders -

Sunday, August 28th Jim Houk and Dave Wright are leading our Wampum Chapter monthly hike at Moraine State Park and we'll be walking the three miles from Link Road to the Davis Hollow Cabin. We'll be hiking with the folks from the Butler Chapter that day and it will be good opportunity to get acquainted. If you are coming out to hike meet at Link Road (on the North Shore) at 1:30 or, if just coming out for the hot dog roast and North Country Trail comaradarie join us at the cabin - we should be walking in by 3:00 or 3:30.

and,

Monday, September 5th is the deadline for the Wampum Chapter Honor Award nominations. I am in need of your thoughts on who should receive the 2011 award, so please work on that and get it to me.

Thanks for all you do for the North Country Trail! Hope to see you Sunday at Moraine.

Dave Brewer
Trailwork Coordinator

Trail Work, A Hike, and Some Pics

Good Morning Fellow NCTr's:

Some updates on the trailwork schedule, a planned hike, and also some photos:

Trailwork Friday, August 19th 2 PM to 5 PM - I'll be heading out to Gamelands 285 to spend a few hours to try to finish off the reroute below Indian Rock/Painters Knob. If you'd like to join me I'll be leaving from the Sterling Road trailhead at 2:00 that afternoon. Come when you can and stay as long as you want as all help is appreciated. There's about 75 yards (easy, flat terrain) left to grub out and also some paint blazing left to do on this project.

Trailwork Sunday, August 21 4 PM to 6 PM - Meeting at the Sterling Road trailhead at 4:00. If the IR/Painter's knob project is finished off we'll instead head over to the Kirkwood property to start working on our new trail section there. Can't wait to get this restarted!

Trailwork Tuesday, August 23 9 AM to 11 AM - Leaving from the front of Jata's Diner in Wampum at 9:00 and heading to Tony Dytko Road at Cemex. We'll spend a couple of hours working eastward from the old dump site, cleaning up the mess left by the loggers on the treadway. Rocks, roots, and pathway redefinition to deal with to get this section of trail in better condition. Again, tools provided - bring your favorite bug repellent (I found out yesterday that those 'squiters at Cemex are hungry!!). Come earlier to Jata's for breakfast if you'd like.

Monthly Hike, Sunday, August 28th at 1:30 PM to ? - Jim Houk and David Wright are leading a hike on this Sunday afternoon on approximately three miles of the North Country Trail at Moraine State Park, followed by a hot dog roast at the Davis Hollow Cabin. Meet at Link Road (on the North Shore) at 1:30 where vehicle shuttles will be set up and the hike will start off. It should take a couple of hours to walk to the cabin - although there are several different route and mileage options for the hike. Hot dogs and beans are on the menu for the post-hike feast - if you don't want to do the walk then just come on out to the cabin for some North Country Trail comaradarie. The hike is open to anyone so spread the word and let's get some folks out to experience this great section of trail.

North Country Trail Calendar


Photos from a couple of different places - I have some posted, starting here from the past couple of weeks, and there are some on National's Facebook page from the Conference in Dayton, which can be seen here.

Hope to see you "on the trail" - thanks for all you do!

Dave Brewer
Trail Work Coordinator

Baker UltraChallenge

Call for help for the Baker UltraChallenge. Volunteering for these events is always fun.


fyi - this part of the Baker Trail follows the section that the NCT uses to get from the ANF to and through Cook Forest.


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Patty Brunner
Date: Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Subject: Baker UltraChallenge and Cakewalk Volunteers needed August 27
To: Patty Brunner



I hope the summer has been relaxing and fun so far!
Saturday, August 27th is the Baker UltraChallenge. We are looking for volunteers for aid stations and the finish line. The following web link shows all the aid station with directions and time that the station is open. Or, if you would prefer, call me and I'll put you on the schedule where requested.
http://www.rachelcarsontrails.org/bt/ultrachallenge/uc11/volunteersThis year we are starting at the Northern Trailhead of the Baker Trail on Vowinkle-Muzzete road (McDonald road). The Cakewalk will end at the Fire Tower in Cook Forest. The UltraChallenge will continue on the trail to Summerville where it will drop off, cross Rt. 28 and wind over to the Redbank Rail Trail. The Redbank Rail Trail has worked extremely hard and has completed the necessary bridge work to allow us to follow this corridor into Brookville. Many, many thanks! We will again end the event at the Brookville YMCA.
Please consider spending a couple of hours all day or all weekend.

Also Saturday and Sunday August 20th and 21th will be a trail maintenance. Dewaine and his work parties have been extremely successful and are down to the last tasks. If interested in going up for the day or camping let either Dewaine (412-719-9904) or Patty know.

As always, the trails can not exist without volunteers. We do appreciate all that everyone has done in the past and hopefully will do in the future.

Thanks!
Patty Brunner
412-609-8422

Trail Therapy August 6 and 7

Good Morning Fellow NCTr's:

The paying job demanded much this past week so it is time to get out for some North Country Trail therapy over the next couple of days. The weather forecast is iffy but we should be able to squeeze in some trail work around those (nice, refreshing) sporadic showers that are being predicted. Here's the plan:

Saturday morning, August 6, we'll take off from the front of Jata's Diner in Wampum at 9:00 AM and head to the old dump site on Tony Dytko Rd. to replace a couple of damaged Carsonite posts and do some rehab on the treadway that the loggers messed up. We'll plan to stay out for a couple of hours that morning. If the weather looks reasonable we can also replace some of the missing paint blazes through that section. Come earlier to Jata's for breakfast if you would like. I should be there around 8:15 tomorrow morning.

Sunday afternoon, August 7, the plan is to meet at the Sterling Road trailhead at PA Gamelands 285 at 4:00 PM and spend two hours working on our reroute through the Indian Rock area. We've made great strides on this section over the past couple of weeks and a good, solid session should just about get us to the finishing point. Got the tools sharpened up and the grubbing should go easy!

In other news, Tammy Veloski sent me a note that she and her sons, Kyle and Dale, did a maintaining walk-through on the two miles of trail from Watt's Mill Road to Sterling Road last Sunday and as a result we're in good shape out there. Appreciate their work on another warm, humid summer day. Tammy also takes great photos so I took the liberty of posting them in our chapter's 2011 album. Those, and a couple of others from last week's excursions can be seen starting here.

Lastly, here's a link to the NCTA calendar. I've been trying to get events posted on there in advance so folks can be "in the know" ahead of time. Our monthly meeting scheduled for the 15th of August is on there, as is our next planned hike and cookout on the 28th. You can also see what the other North Country Trail chapters across the seven states have going on.

Have a great day - hope you can make it out sometime over the next couple of days to enjoy some "trail therapy" with me. Thanks for all you do for the trail!

Dave Brewer
Trail Work Coordinator

* Photo is by Tammy Veloski - Kyle and Dale walking through one of the hemlock sections at Gamelands 285.

Thursday, July 28th Bridge Work at Cemex

Good Afternoon Fellow NCTr's:

I've put together an eight-foot-long, foot and DR mower bridge over the past week and it looks and works pretty darn good sitting there on my back porch. However, since I don't have any water related issues on my back porch here in Canfield, I thought it might have more utility on the rerouted section of trail below the haunted house at Cemex where we need to cross over a seasonally-wet water course.

The plan is to gather at the Fletcher Hill Road trailhead tomorrow evening (Thursday, July 28) at 6:00 PM to carry in and install it. With enough hands on the carry in we should be able to knock this task out in a couple of hours. Jim Nocera and I worked one evening last week on this part of the trail, finishing up the grubbing and paint blazing and so this bridge is the final step on the reroute. Appreciated his help on another warm and buggy evening on the North Country Trail.

Come when you can and stay as long as you want - all help is appreciated! Hope to see you tomorrow evening at Fletcher Hill.

Dave Brewer
Trail Work Coordinator

Five Things

Good Evening Fellow NCTr's:

It has been a busy week already with more on the radar screen for the next six days to let you know about. Yesterday, Dr. Ron Strickland, author of the forthcoming North Country Trail Guidebook came to Wampum and hiked, took notes, photos, and GPS coordinates on our sections of trail at Cemex, into Wampum, and then out through Gateway, Mines and Meadows, GL148, finishing up at the Edwards Farm trailhead. My sense of the timing of the day's events was way off and I apologize for any inconvenience it caused. Wanted to appreciate everyone who came out to meet Ron and/or take the walk with him - an awesome Wampum turnout and welcome for a Monday. Thanks to Jim Nocera, Bob Cody, Rob Prowel, Richard Lutz, Cody Magill, Dwight Fox, Gail Blakely, and Terry for taking the time. There are some photos from yesterday here and here. Cody also has a few posted here. It was a great (WARM then THUNDERSTORMY WET) ten-mile hike (one I had never done before at one time) and I think he was impressed with all of the work that we've put in building quality trail.

Speaking of "building quality trail", Jake Erhardt made the trip out to the haunted house at Cemex with me this morning and we finished grubbing out the top part of the reroute there, connecting with our existing treadway. Appreciate his help on a warm, muggy, buggy morning. All we have left to do there is to put in a short bridge for the mower and get the new pathway paint blazed. Moving forward! There are a couple of pics at the first link above, following the shots of yesterday's hike.

Thursday evening, July 14th, we'll be heading to Watt's Mill at Gamelands 285 to hang our "NO DUMPING" deterrent signs at the parking area, and to spend some time getting the backpacking shelter area mowed and ready for business. We'll meet at 6:00 PM at the trailhead on Watt's Mill Road and plan to stay out for a couple of hours. I'll bring the ladder, tools, signs, and hardware - bring some drinking water and your favorite bug repellent.

Saturday morning, July 16, David Wright and Jim Houk will be leading our first Wampum Chapter Monthly Hike, taking place at McConnell's Mill State Park. The plan is to meet at the parking lot on top of the hill at 9:00 AM and hike approximately five miles total - down one side of Slippery Rock Creek, cross over, and hike back up the other side. Here's a map of the park. Come on out to walk with these guys - bring a friend along! Should be a beautiful day.

Lastly, a reminder that the Wampum Chapter monthly meeting will be held at Hitos in West Pittsburg this upcoming Monday evening, July 18th, at 6:00 PM. Come on out for some North Country Trail discussion and comaradarie. If you plan to order dinner please come a bit earlier.

Hope you can make it out for some or all of these upcoming events. Thanks for all you do for the trail!

Trailwide Event Calendar
Dave Brewer
Communications Coordinator.

Two Great Hikes - One Low Price FREE!

On Monday, July 11th Dr. Ron Strickland, author of the forthcoming North Country Trail Guidebook, will be hiking our ten miles of trail around and through Wampum. We wanted to invite everyone walk with us for all or part of the day, or at least come out and meet him and welcome him to the area. This section of trail has been tagged as one of the trail's "premier segments" to be highlighted in the trail guide along with three others in PA, and it will be a great opportunity to show off all of the hard work we've done as a group to link North Dakota with New York on our National Scenic Trail. We have a lot to offer within the Wampum Chapter range in the way of the "hiking experience".

The plan is to meet at The Store in Wampum at 9:30 AM on Monday the 11th, shuttle a vehicle(s) out to the Edwards Road trailhead, then drive to Sankey Hill Road and begin walking westward through Cemex. We'll plan to have lunch at Jata's in Wampum (I'm thinking around 1:00 PM) and then resume hiking west out of town, up through Gateway, Mines and Meadows, GL148, to finish up at the Edwards Family Farm around 5:00 or so. Other than the meeting time in the morning the timing is somewhat up in the air, depending upon our hiking speed and what we stop to take a look at and investigate along the way.

Wampum Area Trail Map

Our second great hike - David Wright and Jim Houk have organized our first Wampum Chapter Monthly Hike, to be held at McConnell's Mill, on Saturday morning, July 16th. They plan to take off from the parking area at 9:00 AM and using the Slippery Rock Gorge Trail (NCT), Eckert Bridge, and the Kildoo Trail do a five mile loop down one side of Slippery Rock Creek and back up the other. That's always a beautiful, scenic hike and we're hoping to get a great turnout for it! Please plan to attend and spread the word.

Again, hikers should meet at the large parking area on top of the hill at 9:00 AM, wear appropriate footwear and dress for the weather for this "moderate difficulty" hike, and bring their own water and snacks. A vehicle will be spotted in the bridge area for those who might need a 'lift'.

Map of McConnell's Mill

Thanks to David and Jim for organizing this outing - should be a great hike!!