by Ed Lawrence, KTA Trail Care Chair
Despite the forecast for a rainy weekend 12 volunteers convened in the Group Camping area of Colton Point State Park on Saturday morning, May 21st, to join crews for the West Rim Trail Trail Care. Picking up where work stopped last year, the participants continued to cut back the abundant laurel overgrowth that is constricting sections of the treadway on the southern half of the WRT. Reclaiming the corridor from laurel is slow going, and every foot of the way was contested by the wiry and tenacious bush, but another 1 and 1/2 miles of trail was cleared between the Pine Trail access and Bohen Trail by the end of the day. A lopping crew also worked to open the trail south of Bradley Wales Picnic Area. Sunday's crew went out with their rain gear on and cleared the trail from Barbour Rock to Deadman Hollow Road.
Earlier in the month, in preparation for the Trail Care weekend, blowdowns on the last 12 miles leading to Rattlesnake Rock parking area had been cleared as well. Thanks to the folks who devoted their time to improving the West Rim Trail a total of 124 hours of work was logged.
Volunteers were: Joe Healey, Mike Sullivan, Tony Robbins, Becky Clawson, Stephen Paylor, Wanda Shirk, Steve Nickerson, Henry Bonson, Daryl Warren, Rick Stibgen, Tom Bastian and Ed Lawrence.