MID STATE TRAIL CREW

 

We cleared a rock bypass trail, following old timber skids, in Tioga State Forest around a stretch of scenic yet difficult creviced rock treadway south of the so-called Haunted Vista. We decided to work on this trail after hearing comments from previous KTA Wellsboro Spring Meeting participants.

 

Around Sand Run Falls, we replaced the signs and the post at the first junction “north” (meaning 656 feet straight south on the compass) of the falls. I had a report that the signs had been removed but the post was still there. What I found was that the signs had been removed by applying sufficient torque to break the grain longitudinally on the top of the treated yellow pine post, rendering it useless for continued use. As the pine post had enough foundation to resist the torque, it took us nearly 2 hours to dig it out. There is now a locust post, which should offer vastly increased torque resistance, plus 55 pounds of fast-setting Sakrete added to the rocks and remaining concrete.

 

The volunteers mowed and brushwhacked several areas in Tioga State Forest, as well as in State Game Land 37, on private land, and at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hammond Lake. Donna Thompson returned from injured reserve status to assist Jenn Ulmer in refreshing faded blazes at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cowanesque Lake and in the Wellsboro municipal watershed. The diverse landforms of the area add interest to this not-yet-well-traveled portion of the trail, which skirts rural farms interspersed with fingers of deep woods.

 

Slightly cooler temperatures than downstate, as well as microbrew beer with Saturday’s dinner at the Wellsboro House, greeted the much-appreciated volunteers. Neil Brennen of the Reading area, our newest and farthest-coming volunteer and outdoor blogger (“A Taste for the Woods” on various platforms), took a break from riding his bicycle across Pennsylvania to participate.

 

We’ll head north again in August to visit the MST’s Woolrich region.