After completing phase 1 of our West Mt. Appalachian Trail rehabilitation project this Spring, we left to work on the Seely Brook bridge. That project is complete (see album # 66) and on October 7th. we returned to West Mt. We are back on the upper section of West Mt. working to improve the Appalachian Trail hiking experience. We will continue to rehabilitate existing trail, adding steps where needed and constructing a switch back. The section we worked on in the Spring was mostly steps and water bars, this section will require some steps and we will be building large crib-walls to take the trail across the hillside instead of up the current dangerous accent.
We ended our crew outings on December 7th. By then we had completed most of this project and reached our goal for this season. We are not finished on West Mt. yet. It took our crew a total of 14 days, over five weekends to get this section rehabilitated. Considering 100% to be the total amount of trail in need of rehabilitation for this entire West Mt. project. We estimate completing about 50% in the Spring and 40% this Fall leaving about 10% left to finish in the Spring of 2018.
The Appalachian Trail is always changing and evolving. All along the A.T., work crews, like LDTC, constantly relocate and rehabilitate portions of the trail to protect nature, make trails safer, more enjoyable and to enhance the Appalachian Trail hiking experience.
This project has taken a lot of effort and as always, it was all done by volunteers. Our experience crew and crew leaders are eager to teach volunteers of all abilities the skills needed to build hiking trails.
Speaking of volunteers, not everyone could make it everyday and that’s OK with us. Some volunteers came every day while others could only make it to 1 or 2. Don’t feel that you have to commit to an entire project or even a weekend, any help is appreciated and being a volunteer you can come and go as you see fit.
If this looks like the kind of activity you want to be part of, please come on out and join in, we're a community of volunteers who build, protect and maintain hiking trails. We invite you to join us. You’ll be glad you did.
One final Thank You shout out to Lieutenant Micky Cahill, New York State Park Forest Ranger, Ranger Bombinoand their associates for help in taking our tools up and bringing all our tools (about 500 lb.) down from the top of the mountain to an easily accessible parking lot. Yes a big thank you gentlemen from the LDTC.
