The West Rim Trail, which snakes along the edge of the Pine Creek Natural Gorge Area in Tioga County, is one of north-central Pennsylvania’s signature hiking and backpacking destinations. The May 15-17, 2015, Trail Care Weekend, based out of Colton Point State Park, infused 152 hours of volunteer work into the trail to help ensure its continued hikability.
On Saturday, a lopping crew consisting of Daryl Warren, Woody Loudenslager, Jenn Ulmer, Donna Thompson, and Catherine McLaughlin took on the encroaching undergrowth from the Northern Terminus, off Route 6 in Ansonia south to below Barbour Rock Overlook. This section of trail is in generally good shape, but it was getting shaggy. Meanwhile, Lorraine and Joe Healey, Michael Sullivan, Wanda Shirk, Ed Lawrence, Dave Walp, Tony Robbins, and Tom Bastian went further south and worked a section between the Pine Trail access junction and Dillion Hollow, which had become heavily overgrown with laurel. In fact, the laurel had congested the trail corridor, impinging on the walkway. This pushed hikers to the outside edge of the footpath, which also compromised its integrity.
Using power brush cutters and hand loppers, the crew cut the wily laurel back significantly. This was slow-going, thirst-inducing work but well worth the sweat and effort. The work opened up and rejuvenated the trail corridor. Blowdowns were also removed, and several short sections of collapsing walkway were expertly rebenched.
The work that the volunteers performed on the West Rim Trail is why the Trail Care Program exists, and it is something that we at KTA depend on to keep our trails alive. We hope that you will join us or a similar Trail Care group in the near future to be a part of these valuable efforts that so many caring and hardworking men and women participate in.