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by Ed Lawrence, Trail Care Chair
Pennsylvania has hundreds of miles of trails that can take the adventurous hiker from an old growth stand in a State Park to a remote ridge top vista. To keep these trails maintained, accessible and accurately blazed the hiking community depends on the efforts of dedicated volunteers. These volunteers work in close coordination with private landowners and, on public lands, the appropriate managing agency, to help ensure that all hikers can enjoy an optimum experience
on their favorite trail.
In June, the Keystone Trails Association (KTA), Pennsylvania's umbrella hiking organizaton, will be sponsoring four consecuative weeks of trail work opportunites on five of the finest hiking trails in the central corridor of the state. Each Trail Crew begins Tuesday evening and runs through Sunday noon. Participants can volunteer for the entire week or any number of days that best fit their schedule. All meals will be provided, but volunteers are expected to bring their own camping equipment. No prior trail work experinece is necessary and there will be appropriate work assignments for all ages and abilities. Complete information and registration forms can be found at www.kta-hike.org.
The first week, June 4-9, will be focusing on the Standing Stone Trail with camping at the Penn State Experimental Forest Lodge. Week two, June 11-16, will move south to the Everett Region of the Mid State Trail with camping at Tenley Park in Everett. The trail crew in week three, June 18-23, will be staying at Black Moshanon State Park and upgrading the 41 mile Allegheny Front Trail. The forth, and final, week will find volunteers working on both the Donut Hole and Chuck Keiper trails and camping at the Western Clinton Sportsmen's Association east of Renovo.
Besides fielding the seasonal trail crews, KTA's Trail Care Program also coordinates one day trail care events and weekend Trail Cares across the state. This year, volunteers have already worked in French Creek State Park and on the Thunder Swamp and Susquehannock Trail systems. Other volunteer opportunities this season will focus on the Reeds Gap Spur and White Mountain Ridge Trails, The Bucktail Path, and on hiking trails in Gifford Pinchot and Cowans Gap State Parks. The full schedule can be seen on the Keystone Trails Association's website. |