Progress Reports from the Field

TTOC works to promote all the Farmers' Markets along the Passage. Here is a link describing the markets:
http://yumpittsburgh.com/?p=708

TTOC is working in partnership with Buy Local - FayPenn Economic Development Council, Connellsville Cultural Trust, and the City of Connellsville to coordinate the Connellsville Farmer and Artisan Market to be held every Saturday from July 3 - September 4. The market is held in Yough River Park in Connellsville from 8:00am to 1:00pm. TTOC will be selling produce from the Connellsville Community Gardens to raise money to go back in the market and gardens.

In 2009 TTOC and the Connellsville Cultural Trust hosted a small market on Sunday nights in conjunction with the Lions Summer Concert series. The market was started at this event because the concert series was a known event that had drew people into town on Sunday night. The decision was made to move the market in 2010 to a more traditional time of Saturday morning and in the River Park due to a location that is accessible by community residents and trail users.

TTOC is excited to work with the market because southwestern Pennsylvania is a rich agriculture area and there is an unfulfilled niche for more direct agriculture sales. TTOC looks forward to developing plans for CSA's for individuals, bed and breakfasts, and restaurants.

Progress Report:

Program Name: Finger Lakes National Forest
Dates: 7/13/10- 7/20/10

Carried lumber to privy site
Stained Plywood- 17 4x8 sheets
Backfilled Interloken Trail with soil removed from privy foundation- 150 feet
Constructed Privy
Carried 6x6’s up Gorge Trail- 11 8 foot 6x6’s

The majority of hitch 4 was spent working on the moldering privy at Dunham Shelter on the Finger Lakes trail. The Finger Lakes trail is part of the North Country trail system, and the new privy will be a dramatic improvement for through hikers as well as casual day hikers and picnickers.
We started off the hitch by carrying the lumber we stained last hitch to the privy site. It was a big challenge and took Kevin, Ellen, and Marc the better part of the day, but would have been a lot harder if it wasn’t for Marv (a US Forest Service Employee) and his ATV. While Kevin, Ellen, and Marc carried in the lumber, Scott and Holly carried out the soil excavated from the foundation and put it to use building up some particularly muddy sections of the Interloken trail. On day two we focused on staining the remainder of the plywood for the privy. We sure were glad to finally finish staining this day. After letting the plywood dry overnight we hauled the plywood to the privy site. Again, thanks to Marv and his ATV. We then spent the afternoon constructing the framing for the floor of the privy.
On day four we took a break from constructing the privy. We could not go any further until the circular saw the USFS was nice enough to buy us came in. We spent the day carrying the remainder of the 6x6’s we will be using for turnpiking up the Gorge trail. Way back in hitch 1 we hauled 9 6x6’s up the trail, but still had 11 left over. While carrying in the 6x6’s it was obvious to us how much stronger we have gotten in the past 6 weeks. Back in hitch 1 it was incredibly difficult to get the 6x6’s up the trail. During hitch 4 we carried them in without even having to take rest breaks!
On day five our circular saw had arrived and we got back to work on our top priority, the moldering privy. By the end of the day we had the floor finished and all the walls framed off. The following day we hung the plywood walls up. Hanging the walls turned out to be harder than we anticipated; plywood is not light. Nevertheless, all four walls were complete by the end of the day.
On day seven we constructed the privy door. Afterwards we realized that there was not enough 2x4s to frame the roof. We spent the afternoon tracking down 2x4s and staining them. On the final day of hitch 4 we finished framing the roof. The privy is now 90% complete. We are just waiting for the roofing materials and the toilet accessories to come in and we will have it finished in no time.

Hitch Leader: David Nestor
After spending their time off in San Fran, the Wild Corps continued their work in the King Range. The first task was to get everyone to the bottom of the Cooskie Spur trail. After a windy night sleepiing in an old light house we were there. Unfortunatly we only had a little time to work with our fearless Leader, Megan, who would be leaving for some well earned time with her family and loved ones.
We completed in four days, a full quarter mile of trail reroute. The new trail now leads hikers across a beautiful hill side instead of along the beach. Hikers on The Lost Coast Trail will still have plenty of sand to cross and the hill offers a great view of the ocean.
After finishing the trail the crew moved up Cooskie Spur Trail and along the ridge to a new camp at Cooskie Creek. Along the way we replanted about 20 trail markers knocked over by cows who use them as scratching posts.
Once at the creek we split in two teams. One team building a stair case out of rock leading down to tthe creek. The other team headed up from the creek to lopper out Cooskie Creek trail. The stairs that were built are not only beautiful but, bomb proof. Now a lovely set of six steps take you down to the crystal clear water for a crossing. After our ten days we packed up and made the short climb up to Windy Point to our truck. We got a lot done, missed Megan, got soaked from the mist, and helped reroute The Lost Coast Trail. It was time for chocolate MILK!

Hitch 3
Hitch Leader: Emily

Day 1
We began our day by going over responsibilities and expectaions for our hitch. We then got our personal items in order and packed up as much as we could. Some of us then cleaned the SCA rig and some of us prepared a menu for the next ten days. After all that, we went into town to grocery shop, prepare an ERP (Emergency Response Plan) and JHA (Job Hazard Analysis) and finish up any last minute tasks. Upon returning back to the BLM, we cleaned up the bunkhouse, organized food and tools and drove about an hour to Northslide Peak Trail Head. We then hiked 3.9 miles into the Bear Hollow Camp where we slept out for the night.
Day 2
Our crew woke up after sleeping out under the stars and had a quick breakfast and sretch before hiking out again. We hiked 2.9 miles down Rattlesnake Ridge while clearing blowdown. We crosscut 13 fallen logs, bow sawed 3 trees, and moved 9 trees with some team work and muscles! We set up basecamp and then scoped out our work for the next 8 days. We looked at previous cribbing work as examples and learned the basics so we would be ready to start out strong on our 3rd day.
Day 3
We began the morning with another cribbing review and then go to work measuring for the first crib. After we made all the measurements we scouted for and found rustic timber (wind fallen trees) to be used for our 8.5ft sill and our three 4ft deadmen. For the afternoon we dug out and set our deadmen and sized up with our sill to make it perfect. We then split up into groups; one group finished up with the deadmen while others scouted for more timber.
Day 4
The beginning of the morning was dedicated to notching. Oup Project Leader, Megan, gave us a small lesson. We all got a chance to practice and become familiar with the process. We finished up our first crib and did some retread and started measuring for the next few cribs and prepared our timber by debarking. After lunch we got to crosscutting and more debarking two 11ft sills and our three 4ft deadmen. The fallen tree we found was definetely a tricky tree to crosscut. At one point it began spewing water and next thing you know it simply would not let us cut all the way through; binding up taking 2hr to cut! But, with all that hard work we were ready to begin another crib for Day 5.
Day 5
We bucked up a few fallen trees and made 3 deadmen and a sill. We rigged our own timber carriers out of p-cord and 2 hazel hoe handles to transport our timber. We set two deadmen notched up our sill, and set our 2nd crib in place.
Day 6
We split up into two groups again; this time one group hiked out about a mile clearing blowdown while the other stayed and finished up the 2nd part of our second crib. The blowdown group cleared a 16" diameter tree out of the trail which took almost all morning! The cribbing group debarked the rest of the sill and set our deadmen in place! We all joined up during the late afternoon to set the sill in place. Some of us began notching and some of us collected rocks to set the crib. Our 2nd half of our second crib is almost done!
Day 7
Today some of us finished up the 2nd half of our 2nd crib while the rest of us started cutting, debarking, and measuring for the 3rd crib. We met up with two Backcountry Rangers of the King Range for lunch and then kept on working! For the second half of the day we retreaded around our 2nd crib and were able to set our 1st half of our 3rd crib! We had groups getting huch rocks to set the sill, some acquiring and debarking timber and some notching up the sill. Lots of excitement!
Day 8
Today we scouted for more timber for the next two cribs. We cut a 4ft and 6ft sill and another six 4ft deadmen. We also hauled a ton of rocks so we could set all this timber! The second half of the day was dedicated to debarking, notching, and setting timber. Our last cribs are almost complete!
Day 9
Today we finally finished all of our cribs; making atotal of 6 cribs! We then packed up camp and set out to camp at Bear Hollow. It was a grueling 2.9 mile 88 switchbacks climb uphill but, we made it just in time for dinner.
Day 10
After sleeping out under some madrone forest at Bear Hollow, we packed up and set out to finish our hike out. We hiked 3.9miles up the rest of Rattlesnake Ridge and along King Crest trail to Northslide Peak trail head. After we got back to the BLM we had a quick bite to eat before cleaning and sharpening tools and organizing bear bins. We finished our day with a nice and rewarding dinner!

Hitch 1 (June 7th – 17th)

Day 1,2: Lost Coast Trail – Southern Segment / Chinquapin Trail / Nedalos Trail (9 miles cleared)

The first two days of Hitch 1 we worked on the Lost Coast Trail – Southern Segment clearing blow down with crosscut and handsaws, as well as clearing brush and opening the trail corridor with loppers. We set off on Day 1 from the Hidden Valley Trail Head southward on the Lost Coast Trail working our way towards the Chinquapin Trail loop, which we completed before returning to the trail head. On Day 2, after spending the night back at our BLM head quarters, we worked from Nadelos Trail Head west towards the Lost Coast Trail, once we connected back to the Lost Coast Trail we worked south clearing trail until hitting the southernmost point of the King Range National Conservation Area just south of Red Hill where the Sinkyone Wilderness State Park Begins.

Day 3,4: Buck Creek Trail / Lost Coast Trail – North Segment (9.7 miles cleared)

After spending the night again at BLM head quarters, we started the seconded installment of Hitch 1. Day 3 we worked our way south from Saddle Mountain Trail Head clearing blow down and widening the trail corridor along Buck Creek Trail. After a long day we camped at a beautiful site at the mouth of Buck Creek, where the creek collides with the Pacific Ocean. Day 4 we hiked south along the beach on the Northern Segment of the Lost Coast Trail. Hiking with full packs and tools in loose sand is a challenge, but the incredible view of California’s Pacific coast made up for the sore feet. We made our way to Black Sands Beach, where the SCA truck had been shuttled.

Day 5,6,7,8,9,10: Lightning Trail / King Crest Trail (8 miles cleared)

After a nice warm meal and restful sleep at BLM head quarters we headed out for the final installment of Hitch 1. Day 5 started at Lightning Trail Head, from there we cleared blow down south towards Maple Camp, where we would set up base camp and spend the remainder of our hitch. Days 6 and 7 were spent opening the trail corridor of King Crest Trail using primarily loppers and hand saws, we also had the opportunity to get some crosscuts singing near Saddle Mountain. Day 8 we worked up to King Peak, notching a large tree that had fallen over the trail along the way. We got creative with the crosscuts and made a foot hold and a notch to get a comfortable grip with your hand, this obstacle should now be manageable by hikers with heavy packs. King Peak was windy, but we ate lunch at the peak and admired the view from the highest point in the King Range. On Day 9 we completed two re-tread areas on the ridge and worked our way down King Crest Trail touching up the brushing we started on days 5 and 6. Day 10 started early with a fast and efficient breakdown of base camp. After camp was packed we made the trek out down the mountain back to the truck, the downhill hike was a nice finish to a successful first hitch.