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by Ed Lawrence, Trail Care Chair
The KTA Trail Care Program wrapped up its 2013 season by once again joining forces with the Friends of Gifford Pinchot State Park, in October, for a Code Orange work day in the park, followed by a sumptuous open-air buffet provided to volunteers by the Friends group. KTA crews also worked the trails in a half-dozen other state parks this year, including Reeds Gap, Black Moshannon, McConnels Mill, Ole Bull and French Creek.
Volunteers fuel the Trail Care Program. This year, 130 individuals came out to the 16 events that the program coordinated. Of those 130 participants, 53 had never before volunteered at a KTA trail care, and we hope that their experience helping to build and maintain hiking trails was positive and rewarding and that they bring their experience back to the tread-way in 2014.
The five week-long Trail Crews reported a total of 1,957 hours of work, the seven Trail Care weekends logged 1,151 hours, and the four one-day Code Orange events added in 348, for a combined tally of the "magic" number 3,456.
Everyone who participated, from the highlands of Thunder Swamp, to the Maryland border of the Mid State Trail, Everett Region, from the Rattle Snake Rock launch of the Long Branch Trail, to the Davis Hollow Cabin basecamp on the North Country Trail, contributed to making hiking trails across the state safer and more accessible to the established hiking community and anyone just setting out for the first time to a trailhead.
I would like to give special thanks to those people who came out to multiple trail care events this season. These folks bring not only their skills and dedication but also the glue that holds the program together and the emu oil that keeps it running smoothly. They were deservedly honored for their good work at the KTA fall meeting and are again here recognized.
The following individuals volunteered at 3 or 4 trail care events during the 2013 season:
Bob Boettger
Diane Buscarini
Betty Clark
Dan Dougherty
Deb Dunkle
Elwood Loudenslager
Catherine McLaughlin
Sharon Southall
Rick Stibgen
The following individuals volunteered at 5 or more trail care events during the 2013 season:
Tom Bastian (who also puts in countless hours as the tool master)
Kevin Busko
Joe Clark
Pete Fleszar
Joe Healey
Lorraine Healey
Ed Lawrence
Tony Robbins (who also is the 'go to' guy for dependability)
Wanda Shirk
Donna Thompson
Jenn Ulmer
Dave Wittmer
Dave Walp
The 2014 Trail Care schedule will be posted online by early January. Please plan on volunteering and helping to keep KTA Trail Care 'blazing the way!' |