The Joy of Giving Back to the Trail - by Jerry Haimowitz

Guest post by Jerry Haimowitz

I am a retired Civil Engineer who through-hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2014.  In 2017 my wife and I moved to Berks County, PA, and in 2020, she passed away.  I then joined the Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club and became an Appalachian Trail Maintainer.  I am now paying forward to all those who have maintained all the trails I have enjoyed these many years.  I am also surprised just how much knowledge goes into maintaining a trail; which is why I am grateful for the opportunity to attend 3 trail maintenance workshops sponsored by Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC).
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There are books on trail maintenance like “Appalachian Trail Design, Construction and Maintenance” which I have read.  However, there is nothing like the hands-on experience of spending a day doing trail work with a professional.  Doing is the best teaching method and I learned something new at each of the three sessions I attended.

David Bailey, our BMECC Trails Maintenance Committee Chair arranged for and coordinated the class attendance.  Greg Riston, the ATC field trainer, came in a van filled with all the tools and safety equipment we could possibly need.  Greg started with an introduction to the tools, including three that most of us were not familiar with, the Palaski, fire rake and McLeod hoe.  Then on to tool safety and finally general safety.  Perhaps the least known safety issue was the need to be Crosscut Saw Safety trained in order to use a hand saw on any log 6” or over.  Personal protective equipment (PPE) was passed out and we were ready to go.  

We walked the Trail and discussed many issues. Blazing is more complicated than it looks, from how to paint a blaze to over-blazing and blaze placement (especially in difficult situations like trail junctions and rock fields with no trees).  Then there is keeping the hikers on the treadway, how to properly trim brush from the usual 4’ X 8’ green tunnel and the occasional need for exceptions to this; like leaving the down slope vegetation a little longer to force the hikers to the up slope side of the trail.  The most important topic was erosion and drainage control.  We learned when and how to build water bars, and when and how to build cross drainage swales.  While it's nice to have your trail work recognized, one of the neatest tricks we learned was “naturalizing”.  After a few minutes of redistributing leaf litter, a brand new water bar looked like it had been there for years!  

Trail maintenance ranges from the simple like carrying a bag to pick up litter and a pair of pruning shears to cut back intruding vegetation, or it can be complicated and demanding like building water bars.  You can do it alone or with friends.  There is more fun to be had on trails than just hiking!  One can learn, enjoy friends and gain a sense of accomplishment by maintaining the trails we love so much!

Find a KTA trail care event near you!