Well, with one project at a time, our trail care is moving right along. We’re now at around 750 hours, which is on par with previous years.
It was a significant improvement to get two bridges across the headwater streams of Stony Run. Although these streams run low enough to make a fairly dry crossing much of the year, hikers are out on the trails year around, and they can run pretty high during snowmelt times or after heavy rains.
And I should make a correction. I mistakenly identified our CASP crew member as “Joe” Peachy, and it’s actually Abe Peachy. After naming Joe Allis and Joe Thompson, I must have had Joe on my mind. I believe Abe is in his 20s, and what a worker he is; we seniors are pretty much in awe.
But many of us recall those 20-year-old days — my, what a difference 50 years make. I fondly remember my 20-year-old-days, as that was when Uncle Sam took me (and about 3,000 others) on an all-expense-paid tour to the Far East aboard the old carrier, the Coral Sea. Of course we didn’t get to see many of the touristy-type places.
One of our next bridge projects will be at the confluence of Osborne and Porter Branches, again much like Stony Run, headwater streams. And again our goal is to get hikers across with dry feet during high water times. This spot is also where the Donut Hole Trail diverges from the STS after running concurrently with it for around eight miles. So while there we would like to bridge both streams.
Unfortunately, we didn’t get our booth set up for the Maple Festival. Friday wasn’t bad, but the forecast for Saturday was for more rain, and it did. So our next venture will be our water station set up for the God’s Country Marathon on June 4. We will be at the location we’ve manned for a number of years, Mile-19, which is at the bottom of the west side of Denton Hill.
It’s here, that after the runners have “conquered the hill,” that we can tell them “it’s all downhill from here to Coudy.” It’s always a fun day, as not only the marathoners, including the half-marathon runners, come by, but this is also a relay-race checkpoint. So this spot draws quite a crowd before the day is over.
Be sure to wave the flag, salute or however you wish to honor the vets as they roll through with their motorcycle escort from Shinglehouse, on their way to Moore’s Run for the annual Trout Unlimited days of fly fishing. I believe the day is Tuesday, May 24h, but check to make sure.
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