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Trail News

...and then the bear ate our lunch... Thunder Swamp Trail Crew Week

6/23/2017

2 Comments

 
by Ed Lawrence, Trail Care Chair
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In Delaware State Forest, the main loop of the Thunder Swamp Trail System, bisected by Pennsylvania Route 402 in Pike County, has a lollipop offshoot at its northeast corner that passes by Nebo Swamp, Painter Swamp, Coon Swamp, and Creek Swamp before crossing over Little Bushkill Creek on its way to the main miniature loop around Big Bear Swamp. This was the area that the KTA Trail Crew, in coordination with Recreational Forester Rich Rutan, focused its energy on the week of June 6-11. 
 
Despite early predictions of the week being one long rain shower, the weather turned out to be excellent, with cool temperatures that made for pleasant working conditions by day and necessitated zipped-up sleeping bags at night. The weather allowed the indefatigable tag-team paint crew of Wanda Shirk, Roxanne McMillian, and Mary Ladish to reblaze the entire 8 miles of the orange main trail. While the women were lopping and plying their brushes throughout the week, Tony Robbins, Rick Stibgen, Tom Bastian and Ed Lawrence were trading off duties of clearing blowdowns and running brushcutters. By week’s end, KTA’s premier sawyer had walked through and cleared deadfalls from all the trail sections east of Route 402, and the trail corridor for the newly blazed lollipop was completely cleared of sapling, blueberry bush and laurel overgrowth. The men also defied expectations by clearing the adjoining (soon-to-be) yellow-blazed Coon Swamp Loop in the Stillwater Natural Area that hadn’t seen much upkeep since Carl Windle hung his handmade signs. 
 
Thanks to these KTA volunteers’ 218 hours of hard work, this entire part of the Thunder Swamp Trail System is now in excellent condition and eminently hikable. Rich Rutan is also in the process of revamping the signage throughout the system, with new posts already in the ground and waiting for signboards to be completed and bolted on. The crew was again based out of the well-appointed Resica Falls Boy Scout camp, with the kitchen pavilion, menu planning, and food preparation overseen by the multitalented Wanda Shirk. Everyone ate well—including the bear that slipped into camp Saturday night and made off with the last loaf of bread that was meant for bookending Sunday’s sandwiches, as well as the snake that ate the frog, as documented by Mary Ladish (see accompanying photos). 
2 Comments
David O'Leary
7/1/2017 06:09:06 pm

Thanks for your work on improving this wonderful trail system! I'm glad to see that you were able to use Resica Falls scout camp as a base of operations.

Reply
Paul Kahres
7/9/2017 12:09:16 pm

My friend and I are experienced hikers who, now that we are in our mid sixties, concentrate on day hiking.

We set ourselves a goal of doing the Thunder Swamp Trail and all of the other trails on the TST map. The main trail was quite a challenge at times with missing markers and sections that felt as if we were trail blazing ourselves.

We greatly thank these wonderful volunteers who have begun maintaining a treasure of a trail system.

Two of our goals were not met however. We tried four times to do the TST Spur four times, but lost the markers every time. We did the same with the Pennel Run Trail. Also four attempts and four failures to complete the loop. Are there any plans to restore these two trails?

Again, many thanks trail workers!!!

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  • About
    • News >
      • Newfoundland 2024 Trip Report
      • Newsletter Archive
      • Meet PA Hikers
      • Trail Care Stories
    • Contact
    • About KTA
    • Work For KTA
    • Strategic Plan
    • Volunteer with KTA
    • Our People
    • Our Story
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Press
    • Multimedia
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Advocacy >
      • Kids Trail Ambassador Program
    • Donate >
      • Monthly Giving: Keep Trails Alive
      • Planned Giving: The Heritage Society
      • Giving for the Future: Endowment Fund
      • Hike to Give: 100-Mile Trail Challenge
    • Membership
    • Events >
      • Philadelphia Hiking Weekend 2025
      • 2025 MST Everett SP Survey
      • KTA Leave No Trace Level One Training
      • Wales 2025 >
        • Wales Interest Form
      • Keystone Hiking & Outdoor Weekend 2025
      • Backpacking for Beginners 2025
      • LHHT Slackpack 2025
  • GET OUTDOORS
    • KTA Gear Loaner Program
    • Trails
    • Pennsylvania Hiking Trail Trailers
  • Trail Care Program
    • FAQs Trail Care
    • Report a Trail Issue
    • 2025 Weekday Trail Care
    • #02 WMRT/RGST
    • #03 Donut Hole
    • #04 BFT
    • #05 A.T. section
    • #6 MST-Everett
    • #11 CKT CO
    • Trail Love Events
    • KTA’s A.T. Section
  • Hiking Awards
  • Store
  • CLUBS
    • Hiking Clubs
    • KTA Grants-to-Clubs
    • Report Club Hours