Finger Lakes & Green Mountain National Forest 231 North Main Street Rutland, VT 05701 Project Leader: Bobby Woelz Project Dates: May 23 - Aug 17, 2011 Email address: RWoelz@thesca.org [1] Phone: 208.608.6324
The Final Countdown [6]
And so, after nearly three months, our crew season is drawing to an end. Of course it feels as though it has barely just began, but that is the way of things I guess. We were all looking forward to our final hitch, it would be nice to bring a close to the season and get all our ends tied off. We spent one day working on Corridor 7 snowmobile trail, but then were able to work on the AT/LT for the remainder of the hitch. Kate Walker, our Forest Service contact, decided to bump us ahead of where we were to a section further north. She wanted us to cover a section of the trail that was part of an integrated resource project, from Route 11/30 to Griffith Lake. It was not a very long section of trail, and only took us a few days to cover. James and Sam worked solo on the section for the most part, as Bobby had a number of administrative matters to take care of. Working as a pair was challenging, but we have had experience with it and were able to make those days go smoothly. After finishing up the portion of trail for the integrated resource project we returned to where we had left off the last hitch and continued to survey north for the remainder of the hitch. We were able to survey around three more miles of trail before the hitch came to an end. On our final day of hitch we traveled to Manchester, NH to participate in the South West bus tour’s volunteer day there. It was nice to meet up with people from training and to do a little bit of trail work again.
Statistics:
1. Corridor 7: 4 miles
2. AT/LT: 13.7 miles
Total: 17.7 miles
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AT/LT Part II [15]
After and long, and much enjoyed, break, we hit the trail again, picking up from where we left off on the Appalachian/Long Trail. We were able to use our same spike camp from the end of last hitch, the beautiful Little Pond just to the north of Route 9. Getting in to site and set up went a smooth as one could wish, and once we were back on the trail, wheel in hand, we immediately fell back into routine, almost as if we had never left off. James and Sam once again ran trail, whilst Bobby ran shuttle, allowing us to advance camp up to a dead end road near the Kid Gore shelter on the AT/LT. We managed to survey a good portion of trail, especially considering that after only five days of surveying we left the trail to partake in a two-day crosscut saw training course offered by the Green Mountain National Forest. The course was very informative and enjoyable. We had spent some time learning about the saws and their use during the SCA work-skills training, but nothing as in-depth as the training we received during those two days. We spent a morning learning about the history of the saws, the different teeth patterns, how to clean and care for them, and other pertinent information. The education was followed by an afternoon of saw practice. The information we received gave us a great appreciation for the saws as a general entity, and the practice gave us great respect for their ability and power. The next day the class headed out into the field and actually got to try out the saws on some real-life sawyer problems. We met with everything from spring poles, to hanging cuts, to swamping and enjoyed every moment of it. The class was a mix of novices, intermediate, and expert saw users, but we all learned much and advanced our knowledge of, and ability with, these beautiful tools. We spent our final day of hitch surveying a section of Corridor Seven, one of the major snowmobile trails in the Green Mountain National Forest, before getting ready for another break.
Miles Surveyed:
1. Appalachian/Long Trail: 15.5mi
2. Corridor 7: 2mi
Total: 17.5mi
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A Journey of 102-Miles Begins with a Single Wheel [22]
After finishing off the Finger Lakes, we were ready for our next big project, the 102-mile Appalachian/Long Trail from the Massachusetts border to Maine Junction (the point where the two paths divide). First, however, we had some preparation and, god forbid, office work to take care of. We met with our Forest Service contact, Kate Walker, and were able to spend a day and a half surveying trail with her. After that short little warm up, we headed down to the border to get started on our main project, the southern half of the Long Trail. James and Sam hiked in from a point just south of the state line and met Bobby (who had taken the truck ahead to run shuttle), at the border itself. Everyone waited with bated breath while the self-timer on the camera counted down to zero and snapped a shot of us standing at the sign that marked the beginning of this infamous route through the wilderness. We proceeded northward for the next five days, surveying as we went and moving our spike camp three times in that short period. All members were stoked to be out there, and there was not a thought given to lethargy or disinterest the whole time. Our hitch finished off with a site visit from Chris Sparks, who we had not seen since training. It was a happy note to finish such a pleasant hitch on.
Miles Surveyed:
1. Johnson Hill Access: .3mi
2. East Deerfield Loop: 3.5mi
3. Appalachian/Long Trail: 15.88mi
Total: 19.68mi
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Not one... but two National Scenic Trails! [31]
The Green Mountain TrACS Team is off to a great start surveying over 30 miles of trail in the Finger Lakes and the Green Mountains over the course of their first two hitches. Some of the most common features encountered on the trail include many: drain dips, water bars, puncheons, culverts, retaining walls, bridges, and signs.
One of the many highlights was surveying the 4.91 miles of the Finger Lakes Trail which is a section of The North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT). The NCT stretches over 4,600 miles (7,400 km) from Crown Point in eastern New York to Lake Sakakawea in western North Dakota and is the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails. National Scenic Trails (and National Historic Trails) may only be designated by an act of Congress.
The TrACS Team is currently back in the Green Mountains of Vermont preparing for their next hitch which includes yet another National Scenic Trail, the Appalachian Trail / Long Trail (The AT-LT)! The Long Trail was built by the Green Mountain Club between 1910 and 1930 and is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States. The Long Trail runs from the Massachusetts-Vermont line to the Canadian border, spanning over 273 miles, crossing Vermont's highest peaks. The Long Trail also provided the inspiration for the construction of the 2,181 mile long Appalachian Trail, which coincides with it for over a hundred miles in the southern third of Vermont.
Stay tuned to our updates to see if we can reach our goal of completing the 102 miles of survey along the AT-LT!
Here is a list of trails we have surveyed so far:
Burnt Hill: 2.34 mi.
Horse Trail: 0.38 mi.
Potomac Ponds Access: 0.12 mi.
Potomac – Foster Pond: 0.12 mi.
Potomac Interpretive: 0.17 mi.
Potomac Connector: 0.16 mi.
Potomac Campground Cutoff: 0.08 mi.
Potomac Campground Access: 0.03 mi.
Potomac: 0.93 mi.
Potomac Ponds: 2.05 mi.
Back Bone: 7.19 mi.
Ballard Pond: 0.08 mi.
Finger Lakes: 4.91 mi.
Gorge: 1.08 mi.
No-Tan-Takto: 4.92 mi.
Ravine Loop: 0.19 mi.
Ravine: 1.08 mi.
South Slope: 0.76 mi.
Catamount: 0.39 mi.
Green Mtn. Connector: 0.70 mi.
Mad Tom: 3.03 mi.
TOTAL: 30.72 mi.
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TrACSing State of Mind (to the tune of Billy Joel's 'New York State of Mind') [37]
Some folks like to sit all day
In a cubicle somewhere
Writing out long emails
And breathing recycled air
But we’re lacing up our boots
And getting out our maps
We’re in a TrACsing state of mind
We’ve seen the people working nine to five
Just hoping for the end of the day
Staring out the window, daydreaming away
But that’s not how we live
And we’re feeling just fine
We’re in a TrACsing state of mind
It was so easy living in a house
Somewhere with a roof and a floor
But now it’s time to get back out
And find some place to explore
It was our first hitch
And we’re in the Finger Lakes
For dinner, the boys bought steaks
We surveyed the Potomac Trails
They were super hard to find
We’re in a TrACsing state of mind
It was so easy living in a house
Somewhere with a roof and a floor
But now it’s time to get back out
And find some place to explore
The trails were pretty
And the bugs were pretty bad
The campfires, they were rad
We met some cows
Who were very kind
We’re in a TrACsing state of mind
We’re just taking our wheel out on the trail
We’re in a TrACsing state of mind
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TrA(ining)Cs [47]
So, we emerge from the wet, wild woods of the northwest and are flown to the opposite side of the nation. After almost ten hours of travel time (composed mostly of hanging around in the Chicago airport) we land in our promised land, the northeast. The next few days were ours to enjoy and explore the area we were to be working in. The White Mountains crew went there and we headed down to Mt. Tabor, VT, a forest service bunkhouse/garage on the northwest corner of the southern section of Green Mountain National Forest. We tromped through the woods and went riding on the backstreets of west-central Vermont. The White team showed up the next day and they joined us in our summertime revelry, well at least until agency training began.
Our peaceful serenity was broken one morning by the materialization of a number of Forest Service employees, ranging in hierarchy from local rangers to region coordinators, who had come to teach, and in some cases to learn, TrACS. The training was, for the most part, enjoyable; it was very little lecture and much more dialogue. Almost every ten minutes the flow was halted by some question or challenge, which was followed by a ten to twenty minute debate until a consensus, or ultimatum, had been reached at which point we jumped right back into the teaching.
We learned much in those few days, from the overall scheme of the TrACS process, to its creation, to such minute details as the code for a puncheon bridge with decking that needs to be replaced (TS-PUN-DCK-03a). The time was split between passive and active learning. Spending some time listening to lecture and some time actually TrACing a trail. The ‘hands on’ was by far the most educational part. Trails are varied and undefined by definition, so trying to ask hypothetical questions about their nature makes things all the more confusing. We soon learned that the key to efficiency was organization and memorization. If a TrACSer knew the location of everything s/he needed to TrACS the trail and was able to rattle off basic codes without hunting through the manual, then s/he could TrACS much more quickly and efficiently. We noticeably improved in these aspects as the week progressed. In the beginning it seemed like a juggling act of Trimbles (fancy GPS units), wheels (what we use to measure the trail), clinometers, and TrACS manuals, but by the end things were starting to fall into place and we were beginning to understand and use the system much more effectively.
The end of training was a bittersweet time. It was sweet to be done with all that learning and finally get to hit the trails, but bitter to be waving goodbye to Mt. Tabor and to the White Team (we, by the way, are the Green Team). But all good things must come to an end, so we packed up and made TrACS to New York for our first hitch in the Finger Lakes National Forest.
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Gettin’ Edumacated [58]
This season’s SCA Trails (and Native Plant, Fire, Southwest Bus Team, and any others I forgot) kicked off with a two-week training session in Longview, WA. As to why the SCA chose one of the rainiest states to hold training in (for a number of years running that is) is still up for debate, although such answers as: ‘to toughen us up’, ‘to provide real world experience’, and ‘to make our own sites seem not so harsh’ were among my favorite proposed by participants. To be fair, however, I thoroughly enjoyed the wet, moist conditions. There is something about rain that is just revitalizing, invigorating, and refreshing. It certainly makes one appreciate a warm bed and dry place much more, not to mention food. And speaking of food, it was incredible! Raven (a contracted cook who has worked for the SCA for a number of years) was hired to provide food for the ravenous trainees and trainers. She brought with her a number of assistants, Emily, Kristy, Josh, and one man simply known as Blue, and between them they proceeded to whip out delicious meal after delicious meal on a thrice-daily basis. The training part was not too bad either. We had an introduction to the SCA on the first day, followed by some policy information, ‘Drive Safe, Drive Smart’, and other general topics. This was followed by a multi-day Wilderness First Aid course for some and a Leave No Trace Trainer course for others (those who already were WFA certified). After all that, mostly sitting around in cold damp places, we were finally allowed to get up and move! We had a five-day work-skills course, consisting of one day of tool/body mechanics education and base camp set up and four days of practical application of trail skills. The practical application consisted of cutting a section of new trail through the temporal rainforest that is the costal northwest. The trail included a number of structures, including a rock wall and rock steps, two timber bridges, and a +50 foot retaining wall. All members threw their hearts and souls into the project, allowing us to finish it in the mere four days time (although one crew was stuck working till 5:30 on the final day, in one final valiant push). The trail was a beauty and I bow my head to all who participate in the project. With the accomplishment of that trail still radiating from us, we gathered up for a final meeting and slide show, a testament to our hard work over the past few days. The next morning we said our (sad) farewells and set out to our various locations to get some work done. Happy trails to all!
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James Smith - Corps Member [64]
What's up everyone? Some have mistaken me as a ginger but they are incorrect, I am a day walker. This is the reason that I love spending my time in the outdoors so yes, this means I tan. Some have called me a river rat because I spend a lot of my time in canoes, kayaks and boats on the rivers, ponds and lakes of Missouri. When I am not on or in the water I enjoy hiking through the Ozarks with my favorite dog, Buddy, and I enjoy every thing else the outdoors has to offer. I am working on my first SCA crew this summer. I am working on a TrACS project in the NY Finger Lakes and the VT Green Mountain National Forests with two other awesome SCA members. So far I have enjoyed every thing the SCA has done for me and don't think I will be let down any time soon.
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Samuel Wright - Corps Member [68]
Hey ya’ll! Sam here, just checking in with yet another bio for the SCA webpage. I had thought, for some strange reason, that I would be taking a break this summer. I have just finished up a DRC crew, an eight-month program in southwest California, and assumed I would take a summer to myself, to go where I chose and do what I pleased. Turns out, I like to go to wherever the SCA sends me and do whatever they tell me to do. Come to think of it, had I not done SCA I probably would not have done much at all, so I am more than ecstatic to be here. This season ‘here’ is the northeast, specifically Finger Lakes in New York and Green Mountain in Vermont (both national forests). I will be assisting two fellow SCAers on a TrACS crew (a Trails Assessment and Condition Survey crew) and we will be hiking around the beautiful north woods and surveying trail. What more could one ask from a summer than an all expenses paid hiking trip? So, super stoked to be back on a crew and so excited for a few months in a nice, lush, green, and rainy environment after eight months of drying out in the desert!
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Bobby Woelz - Project Leader [71]
Bobby received his start in conservation by volunteering on an ecological reserve in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve of Guatemala with the non-profit organization, Volunteer Petén. While receiving his degree in Anthropology from Metropolitan State College of Denver he interned with Fifth Sun Development Fund as an Environmental Anthropologist in the rural villages of Northern Mexico. This is Bobby’s fourth season with the SCA, previously serving one season as an Individual Placement and two seasons as a Project Leader. He is a passionate outdoor enthusiast, conservationist, and is a certified Wildland Firefighter, Wilderness First Responder, and a Leave No Trace Master Educator. When he’s not surveying trails throughout the forest, you might find him canyoneering in Utah.
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Site Information [74]
The Student Conservation Association, in partnership with the Finger Lakes and Green Mountain National Forests, has deployed a Conservation Corps team to provide trail assessment and condition surveys on trails throughout the forests. This project was made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [75]. The intent of this partnership was to provide the Forest Service with an assessment of their recreational trails, a survey of what features are on those trails, what condition those trails are in and what needs to be worked on or installed to bring the trails up to standard.
The 16,212-acre Finger Lakes National Forest [76] lies on a ridge between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes in the Finger Lakes region of New York.
The Green Mountain National Forest [77] is over 400,000 acres that stretch across nearly two-thirds the length of Vermont creating the largest contiguous public land area in the State.
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What is TrACS? [79]
Trail Assessment and Condition Surveys (TrACS)
For most of its history the US Forest Service has depended on the first-hand experience of trail managers and technicians to catalog and maintain its extensive network of recreation trails. In recent times the pressure of reduced budgets, increased workloads, shifting priorities, and the departure of experienced personnel has had a significant impact on the agency’s ability to inventory trails. As a result there has been a dearth of up-to-date knowledge regarding the condition and maintenance priorities of the USFS trail system.
Congress and the Forest Service began addressing these issues in 1991 with the order to establish a systematized method for inventorying property, its condition, and associated costs. This would become Infra Trails, the Forest Service’s database for all relevant trails data.
In 1999 the agency established national standards for conducting these property and condition assessments. These standards included guidelines for appropriate quantity and detail of data collected, as well as relevance to management objectives given the Forest Service’s mission to balance recreational, ecological, and economic use of forest resources. Furthermore, requirements were established for surveying a minimum percentage of the agency’s trail system.
Thus TrACS was born with implementation beginning across the entirety of the Forest Service by skilled practitioners, such as the SCA TrACS Team. With the data recorded through TrACS surveys the Forest Service will be able to more accurately assess its property holdings, their condition, deferred and routine maintenance costs, and how best to make use of limited material and human resources. It is the goal of the agency to establish a trail inventory of the entire Forest Service system and continue updating trails data on a routine basis.
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TrACS Method [81]
TrACS Method
TrACS is made up of four (4) parts, which together provide all the relevant trails data: They are:
Survey Form
The TrACS Survey form is the heart of the survey process. The survey form records all the trail features encountered as well as the relevant measurements associated with each feature. For example, if surveyors encounter a water bar they will record the material used in the water bar, its length, and condition-appropriate task (e.g. routine maintenance, replace in-kind, install new, etc.). In addition the team marked all hazard trees—dead trees and branches with some probability of falling on the trail—with numbered tags. When using the cyclometer, as was done during these surveys, the mileage point is recorded for each feature. Furthermore every feature has an associated feature code and suggested-task code (codes part of the data dictionary) as per the recommendations of the survey crew.
Productivity Factors
In order to fully assess the costs associated with differed and routine trail maintenance it is necessary to know more than just the features present on a trail. The measurement of Productivity Factors is meant to account for the elements of a trail that will directly impact the “productivity” of any assigned maintenance tasks. These elements include:
The Productivity Factors are measured at an interval and accuracy determined by the trail class, a numerical scale from 1 to 5 indicating how developed the trail should be, and CASM (Condition Assessment Survey Matrix). More developed trails require more frequent assessment of their productivity factors, as well as more accurate measurement of those factors as determined by CASM. Productivity Factors are also assessed when significant changes occurred in one of the factors listed above. Most often this is a significant change in trail grade.
Sign Inventory
Special attention is paid to signs encountered along the trail. Each sign was photographed and had its dimensions measured. A sketch of the surrounding area indicating the location of the sign(s) was drawn on the Sign Inventory form. Additional information recorded includes a sketch of the sign or signs, material composition, post material and condition, letter size, and presence of reflectors.
Photo Log
Photographs constitute a vital portion of the TrACS survey. Each feature and sign was photographed at least once. Photos were documented in order on the Photo Log form, along with mileage point at which they were taken. A brief description of the feature photographed was also provided. Once the team had returned from the field, each photo and corresponding information from the Photo Log was transferred to the digital TrACS Photo Record. With all of the photos and information in one location, photos can be cross-referenced by mileage point to their entry in the Survey form.
You can download a copy of the TrACS Data Forms by following the link below:
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Map of Finger Lakes National Forest, NY [84]
Map of Finger Lakes National Forest, NY
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Map of Green Mountain National Forest, VT [87]
Map of Green Mountain National Forest, VT
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