by Karen Klos
The Baker Trail is a 132-mile (212-kilometer) hiking and backpacking trail that follows forest paths, old jeep trails and dirt roads through woods, farmlands, along rivers and creeks. It was conceived as a connector between Pittsburgh and various distant recreational areas. The Baker Trail is one of the 18 state-designated hiking trails, and is included on Keystone Trails Association's Pennsylvania Hiking Trails Map.
The Baker Trail was established in 1950 and named for the late Pittsburgh attorney Horace Forbes Baker, who was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Pittsburgh Council of the American Youth Hostels after World War II. The trail originally extended from Aspinwall to Cook Forest State Park (133 miles). However, extensive development along the Allegheny River caused the Aspinwall-Freeport section to be abandoned. In 1971, the trail was extended northward from Cook Forest Fire Tower to near the Allegheny National Forest (ANF), making the trail 132 miles long. The Baker Trail begins near the Allegheny National Forest on the east side of Muzette-Vowinckle Road, and ends just south of Freeport, one mile on Route 256. Today, the Baker Trail, Harmony Trail and the Rachel Carson Trails belong to the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy, a non-profit organization.
Traversing the Baker Trail, traveling south, about 129 miles from the start near Leechburg, PA, and walking along a driveway of a private residence, one comes to a stone bridge abutment. Long ago, it held a bridge used to travel over to Johnetta Road. Baker Trail people have talked about building a new bridge here for approximately six years. With positive cooperation, a mutual agreement was reached and an easement was signed. Nearby, one can observe many animals, such as emus, ducks, rabbits and many others; hence this new project has been named "Animal Farm Bridge."
This project is being completed in two stages. The first stage took place on Saturday, April 12, 2014, and the second stage will take place on Saturday, May 10. The call for volunteers went out to trail people near and far. This close-knit community that includes Baker Trail and North Country Trail Association (NCTA) volunteers is traveling from both the ANF and Clarion Chapters of the NCT. Coming together and working together is all part of the lure of these projects. Patty Brunner is the Baker Trail Project Coordinator, and Maintenance Organizer, Trail Liaison and Board Member of the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy (RCTC). She also belongs to all four of the PA NCTA Chapters (RCTC is an affiliate of the NCTA) and belongs to Keystone Trails Association and Clarion County Trails Association. Patty contacted Keith W. Klos, former ANF Chapter President of the NCT, to commission a bridge. In 2006, Keith W. Klos had been commissioned to design, engineer and construct a 72-foot suspension bridge at Cherry Run in Crooked Creek State Park.
Stage One, starting out as a 30-foot bridge, now a 36-foot span, will use three spans to support the hikers and/or the landowners’ riding lawnmowers. The bridge footers were 4' x 6' pieces of lumber, 12 inches high, and 3/4 inch steel rods driven into the ground. All wood was pressure-treated and double-dipped, with galvanized bolts and nuts. This stage took approximately six hours, including lunch break and cleaning up. The Animal Bridge Project Crew consisted of twelve hardworking and dedicated volunteers. In attendance were Patty Brunner, Joyce Appel (the NCTA PA State Representative, Board member and member of all four chapters, member-at-large of the Keystone Trails Association (KTA) and a member of the Butler Outdoor Club (BOC)), Paul Henry (the NCTA PA Trail Council Chairman and member of all four chapters of PA NCTA, KTA and BOC), Patti and Jim Huston (ANF Chapter members, traveling from Ohio), Ed Scurry (NCTA Clarion Chapter President), Dave Galbreath (NCTA Clarion Chapter Treasurer), Dewaine Beard (A-100/ANF Chapter member, Baker Trail Manger and RCTC Board member), Mark Eyerman (Rachel Carson Trail Manger and Board member RCTC), Dwight Fox (Baker Trail Steward for this section of Baker Trail), and Keith and Karen Klos (NCTA members-at-large and former members of the ANF Chapter).
We are hoping for good weather conditions for the second stage in the Animal Farm Bridge Building Project. If you wish to become involved in this project, please contact Patty Brunner at pabrunner2@yahoo.com.