by Jenn Ulmer and Donna Thompson, KTA Members and Trail Care Program Volunteers
So how many times has this happened to you: you’re hiking along, taking in the sights and sounds on a beautiful day, when all of a sudden the trail starts narrowing and you’re navigating a bramble patch? Or you come upon some downed trees over the path?Or the blazes are so faint that you really have to pay attention to make sure you don’t wander off the trail? “Gee,” you think, “someone should take care of that!” Then - maybe - you start to think, “I wonder who does?”
When we first got involved with the KTA Trail Care Program in August 2011, we thought it would be a great way to meet other hikers, and give back to the recreational activity that we love. So we contacted the volunteer Trail Care Program Chair, Joe Healey, and he gave us some general information about the weekend and what we should bring. We showed up at Ravensburg State Park after work on Friday and set up our tent. Joe and his wife Lorraine offered us some chili from a big crockpot. On Saturday morning, we lopped a section of trail with a crew consisting of KTA volunteers Lorraine, Diane, Kathy, and Connie. What a hoot! They made a long day of work just fly by! After working all day on the Mid State Trail, we all went out to dinner. What a welcoming group, we thought - we’ll have to do this again! (Never mind the fact that my Jeep had a dead battery Saturday morning, or that the showers at the state park were less than stellar - this all just added to the adventure!).
One of the best parts of participating in Trail Care events is the “down time." After a full work-day on Saturday, we usually go to a restaurant for supper (Dutch treat) and conversation, then more fun around a campfire at night. We are regaled by wonderful stories of hiking adventures, and tales of shenanigans at previous Trail Care events. This is also a great opportunity to seek opinions about hiking and camping gear, difficulties of prospective hikes, and to inevitably argue about which of the week-long Trail Crew events has the best food. Through KTA’s Trail Care, we have met the nicest, most welcoming bunch of people!
You may be thinking that you wouldn’t be able to contribute much - at least, we sure thought that. We didn’t know how to run a brushcutter or a chainsaw. However, there is so much more to do, and we have learned a lot about trail maintenance! Some things we've learned include the proper size and placement for a trail blaze; the width to lop or trim a trail since it might not see a crew for another couple years (hint: picture yourself carrying a 4'x8’ sheet of plywood down the trail); a variety of methods to alleviate swampy spots; digging sidehill; “planting” signs; and rock stepwork. Over the past year, we have earned a reputation for being hard workers who definitely don’t mind getting dirty! At the end of the day, it’s so rewarding to us to think about all that was accomplished.
Another benefit of participating in KTA's Trail Care Program is that we have camped at and hiked in so many state parks that we may have otherwise never visited! In exchange for participation as Trail Care volunteers, we usually get to camp for free! We bought a Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Passport that we get stamped at each state park we visit, to chronicle our adventures.
New to KTA's Trail Care Program? No worries! Start small and try a one-day Code Orange trail care event, or consider helping for one, two, or even seven days during a week-long Trail Care event in 2014. There is plenty to do and to learn, no matter what your background, abilities or skill level. If a full week-long Trail Crew event interests you but seems daunting, do what we did and try a weekend Trail Care event. At the one we helped with, on the Allegheny Front Trail, the fabulous supper was cooked in stoneware over a fire at the pavilion at Black Moshannon State Park!
Please consider volunteering to help with a Trail Care event at least once this year. That is all it took for us to get hooked! Even if you decide Trail Care isn't your cup of tea, your help during that one event will be invaluable. The more hands, the easier and quicker the job gets done! There is something for almost every level of ability, and each volunteer is an equal and valued member of the team.
We hope to see you at a KTA Trail Care event this year! Click here for the full schedule of events.