Trail Work Archives - Appalachian Mountain Club Delaware Valley Chapter

AT Ridge Runner program completes its 31st year

Posted on August 26, 2023August 26, 2023 by Raun

Our ridge runner this year was Piljo Yae (she/her), a native of South Korea, Piljo relocated to the states with her family in her late teens. Most recently she worked as a project manager in steel construction before retiring. After hiking many sections of the AT in the Mid Atlantic region, she completed an AT thru hike post-retirement last year. Her trail name was WIC for women in construction.

Piljo is also a member of our chapter and who has taken leadership training and has attended AMC August Camp. She lives locally in Blue Bell with her husband. As such, you may see her in the future on a hike with the chapter or other chapter outing or event.

Piljo is a very personable and warm individual with a strong work ethic. She enjoyed inviting others to work with her on the trail, and they seemed to enjoy working together with her also. Together, much was accomplished in removing some very built-up fire rings, removing trash from campsites and trail heads, clipping and cutting blowdowns, and removing greenbrier and invasive crimson barberry from the trail. They also worked to identify and protect the endangered American Chestnut tree.

To briefly summarize the program, a ridge runner is a seasonal paid five day a week position to help educate users of the Appalachian Trail about Leave No Trace while helping to care for and protect the trail in partnership with the local maintaining clubs including our chapter. The program runs from late May to Labor Day.

Ridge runners have been deployed along many sections of the AT from Maine to Georgia in areas of higher impact and usage. A 42-mile section of trail above the Lehigh Valley included in this program may have increased usage due to its proximity to the population centers in Lehigh Valley, easy access from the New York and New Jersey areas, along with many road access points including the Delaware Water Gap.

This program has continued since 1992 with continuing grants from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, plus our chapter and trails volunteers working in partnership with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the trails staff of AMC.

The DV Chapter has been proud to continue supporting this program along with other trail clubs with volunteer time, work and with financial support.

Bear Safety

Posted on July 5, 2023July 6, 2023 by Raun

You may be aware that bears are coming back into their natural habitats, including the A.T. corridor, after being removed by humans over the last hundred years or more. The current hot spot seems to be around Lehigh Gap, where there have been several bear sighting on or near the A.T. over the past several weeks. But, they’ve been reported in other parts of the state as well.

These flyers were produced by the PA Game Commission in conjunction with bearwise.org. The one flier is a general Bear Wise flier giving tips for home, outdoors and on vacation.

The second flier covers the dangers of letting dogs confront or agitate bears. Too many hikers are letting their dogs run loose on trails, thereby putting their dogs, bears and themselves at risk.

Special thanks to Emily Carollo of our partner the PGC for providing these excellent materials.

Download Bulletin

Download Flyer

Visit BearWise Website

Inspiring a New Generation of Trail Maintainers

Posted on February 19, 2023February 19, 2023 by Raun

Along the wind-swept ridgeline overlooking Palmerton, Pennsylvania, a group of six volunteers spent eight weeks this past autumn building a new section of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). The Trail, snaking along the Appalachian Mountains for nearly 2,200 miles, is surprisingly not a static entity — its location shifts slightly year-to-year as new land is conserved and opportunities to move the Trail to a more sustainable location arise.

Source: Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Read Full Story

Pitch in and Help! DV Chapter takes over maintenance on additional 7 miles of AT

Posted on September 28, 2022September 26, 2022 by Raun

Chapter trail work also includes building new trails at Nockamixon and Ringing Rocks parks

AMC’s Delaware Valley Chapter has taken over maintenance responsibilities for a seven mile section of the Appalachian Trail from Fox Gap (PA route 191) to the western end of the I-80 bridge across the Delaware River. This section was formerly maintained by the Wilmington Trail Club, that could no longer get sufficient volunteers to do the work.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), that oversees maintenance of the trail, may try to get another club to take on this section, but for the foreseeable future this us our chapter’s responsibility.

photo credit: Lennie Steinmetz

Trails Chair Greg Bernet noted that some of this section goes through the village of Delaware Water Gap, PA, and some is on a dirt road, so that actual trail maintenance is less than six miles.

He also noted that the Kirkridge Shelter and privy are located on this section and will be our responsibility to maintain. The shelter is in good condition, but the privy needs repair or replacement

The DV Chapter’s Appalachian Trail Crew, headed by Dan Schwartz, has long done regular maintenance on our adopted 15-mile section of the famed hiking trail from Wind Gap south to Little Gap on the Northampton-Monroe county line. We also maintain and watch the Leroy Smith Shelter and privy on that section.

DV chapter is also involved in building a new trail at Nockamixon State Park, and in the spring will begin work on a new trail section at Ringing Rocks County Park, both in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. We also do regular trail work at French Creek State Park.

photo credit: Lennie Steinmetz

Trail Volunteers: many kinds, many skill levels. What is right for you?

Trail work involves manual labor from easy to strenuous, from pruning bushes and painting blazes to moving rocks and building steps. Tools and training are provided.
AT corridor monitors hike the edge of the AT’s designated land and report any intrusions such as illegal structures or tree cutting. They blaze the boundary and locate surveyor monuments.
Shelter watchers hike a few miles and periodically visit the shelters and privies to check on them. Several watchers take turns on a schedule.

Don‘t just hike the trails! Help! Volunteer for a day or for more

Contact trails@amcdv.org or check the activities calendar.

The First DCNR Director of Outdoor Recreation

Posted on March 27, 2022March 27, 2022 by Raun

Pennsylvania appoints its first director of outdoor recreation, Nathan Reigner, who will be part of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).

Come Join the Planning!

Posted on May 18, 2021May 18, 2021 by Raun

Phase 3 starts on June 12, 2021! More activities, more people.

Leaders, let’s connect with each other and have some fun. Discussions and planning for our in-person leader social and much more. Expect prizes and raffles during the Zoom event. Save the Date – June 8 (Tue) 7:30 PM

Vaccinate, if you can!

Next EC Meeting on Zoom: June 1 (Tue) 7:00 PM Discussion Topic: Reopening All the members are welcome.

Reminder: National Trails Day 2021: June 5 (Sat).

–News from AMCDV Executive Committee (May 2021)

Greg Bernet presented with Pychowska trails award for third time

Posted on February 13, 2021May 17, 2021 by Raun

Chapter Trails Chair Greg Bernet was the recipient of the Marian Pychowska Award for the third time by doing 158 hours of trail work during 2020, presented at AMC’s Annual Summit on January 23, There are 96 hours minimum required for award.

He is the leader of the Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Stewards who have built new trails around Ringing Rocks County Park, in Veterans’ Park near Quakertown, and are currently scouting a new trail to be built in Nockamixon State Park. He also leads the New Jersey Highlands Trail Crew which does maintenance in Jenny Jump State Forest and the western section of The Highlands Trail.

Greg is AMC-DV’s Coordinator of the Appalachian Trail Boundary Monitors program for the Appalachian Trail Conference and National Park Service, as well as a monitor himself. He is also a member of our club’s AT maintenance crew and a certified sawyer, does solo maintenance on a section of the AT in N.J. at Culvers Gap in Stokes State Forest as well as on the Pahaquarry Trail on the backside of Mt. Tammany at Delaware Water Gap, and he is AMC-DV’s representative to the New York New Jersey Trail Conference.