There are five bridges in my section, one is just is just to get over a part with poor drainage. They are all in pretty good shape, seem to pretty safe and not in need of any repair.
Bridge 1
Bridge 2
Bridge 3
Bridge 4
Bridge 5
Mostly I trimmed back the brush and branches that encroach on the trail pathway. Having carried my Kelty 65 fully loaded I can appreciate the need for a 4 foot wide and 8 foot high path. I did not see any litter or any signs of illegal trail use. There are some field areas that will need the weed wacker this month. The Thru Hikers from Georgia start showing up in Northern Jersey around May so I will try and keep it clear for their use.
There are 4 areas that need some work this summer.
One is the condition of the blazes. Many are faded and a lot were done rather sloppily. I guess it is better to have a sloppy blaze than to get lost but I think I can clean up a lot of them.
One is the condition of the blazes. Many are faded and a lot were done rather sloppily. I guess it is better to have a sloppy blaze than to get lost but I think I can clean up a lot of them.
Another area has some pretty poor drainage. I think digging a ditch and lining it large rocks and then putting a crossing like bridge 2 above should help things out. The biggest problem is that the hikers go around the muddy spot and widen the trail. This is something I can handle myself, just need to get the time to do it.
Another issue is a fallen tree. This trail can be navigated over the tree but the hikers are taking a detour around it and again are widening the trail. This tree is too large for me to cut with a handsaw. Although I have a chainsaw, the AT maintenance rules require certified sawyers to come an take care of it. I will see how important it is on their list.
And the last is a washed out bridge. Again, I will look for second opinions on how to handle and see if I can get a trail crew to come out and help.
