by Jenn Ulmer, Representative-at-Large
The KTA’s White Mountain Ridge Trail Care Weekend was held September 19-21, 2014. Fourteen wonderful volunteers collaborated this weekend to completely transform the White Mountain Ridge Trail. The KTA thanks Ben Auer, Tom Bastian, Kevin Busko, Bill Dietrich, Pete Fleszar, Valerie Hulme-Loss, Ed Lawrence, Tony Robbins, Elena Rose, Wanda Shirk, Donna Thompson, Jenn Ulmer, Dave Walp, and Phil Williams for donating their valuable time and energy to the Trail Care program. Also, kudos to the 2 brave souls for whom this was their first Trail Care Event.
First, a little history: this was a continuation of the last 2 years’ efforts on the White Mountain Ridge Trail. The trail was so overgrown with rhododendron and laurel that volunteers had to scout ahead to find the treadway to clear. Plus, the rainstorm last year washed away a day’s worth of fresh blazes.
This year, we were left with a gnarly swath in the middle of the trail, so there was a bit of a hike just to get to it. From the west, there is access from the Reeds Gap Spur Trail. The east end terminates at Weikert Hollow Road. In between is a nice little access trail called the Devils Elbow Trail. Brushcutting crews were able to completely open up the pathway, and paint crews blazed from the Reeds Gap intersection to a half mile east of the Devils Elbow Trail intersection. On Sunday, we concentrated on the Devils Elbow Trail. We gave the trail a complete, once-over brushcutting and applied fresh red blazes, as well as put up a beautiful new sign at the intersection with Weikert Hollow Road. (We didn’t get a chance to check on all the signs we planted last year on the Reeds Gap Spur Trail to see whether they had “grown.”) We also lopped and chainsawed the entire trail.
Thank you again to all the fabulous Trail Care volunteers! Looking back at the end of the day, it looked like an entirely different (read: navigable) trail! We enjoyed your company at the campfire on Friday and Saturday nights!