By Ed Lawrence, Trail Care Program Chair
This is the third year that KTA has sponsored a week-long trail crew on the Allegheny Front Trail in northern Centre County, and happily the Ouroboros has finally gotten to catch its tail. The 41-mile loop trail, found primarily in Moshannon State Forest, circles and then enters Black Moshannon State Park. The trail was in an extremely shaggy condition when the Trail Care Program first rallied volunteers to the plateau. This year marked the magic moment when the crew finally made it completely around the trail, having cleared and reblazed the entire length of the trail with additional work on the Shingle Mill and Rock Run sections.
Based out of Black Moshannon State Park’s Organized Group Camping Area, once again Jim Catozzi worked his Dutch oven alchemy beneath the rafters of the historic Civilian Conservation Corps–built pavilion, preparing a stunning variety of meals and desserts that surprised and delighted the hungry crew. Ralph Seeley coordinated work projects with DCNR personnel in the run-up to the week and gave an interesting talk on Friday night about the network of Native American footpaths crisscrossing Pennsylvania. Special thanks to both these stalwarts for their contributions to a successful week, as well as to the other 12 volunteers for making the Allegheny Front Trail a priority.
The week’s work concentrated largely on the northeast section of the trail above Rattlesnake Road (Route 504). This was the final section of the loop that needed to be cleared to make ends meet. Other work included clearing and blazing a reroute that DCNR flagged in Slide Hollow, side hill grubbing in the Wolf Rocks area to improve the outslope of the treadway, aggressive lopping of rhododendron on the Shingle Mill Trail, and reblazing the section between Beaver Road and Underwood Road.
Crew participants also got the opportunity to view the sunset from the upper deck of the Rattlesnake Fire Tower when the golden orb finally emerged on Saturday evening after a week of clouds and rain. As usual, the conviviality of the crew made the work more of a pleasure than a chore.
Click here to find out when and where KTA's next trail maintenance event will be!