Trailwork, Tree-planting,Trail Bridge Inventory and Tent Pad Construction — the Coopers Rock Foundation’s 2021 Service Work at Coopers Rock State Forest — by Adam Polinski
[All daily hours totals *with volunteer groups* include not only my hours volunteered during the work session, but also my prep time and clean up, for CRF]
2021 is my 40th year spending time at Coopers Rock, so I had a goal of 400 Hours of Community Service at the State Forest for the Coopers Rock Foundation’s annual Trailwork & More program. At 401.5 Hours, we made it, by a hair! We would have easily surpassed 400 Hours except for the last-second cancellation of the first day of the annual Coopers Rock Halloween Candy Trailwork Weekend, November 13 and 14 for this year— we got snowed out! If the sun had shown instead, it might have been the single biggest volunteer day of the year.
Trailwork — We focused on Roadside Trail, which we constructed in 2004-2007, and which CRF has officially adopted, the uppermost segment of Rhododendron Trail, and segments of a few other trails.
Tree-planting — CRF began planting trees in the Overlook Picnic Area in April 2012, and we plan to continue that effort into a second decade. Those efforts will be helped by the generous donation by First Energy of two portable 250-gallon water containers and some hoses that will enable CRF to water all planted saplings in the Overlook Picnic Area.
Trail Bridge Inventory — We are making a map and compiling information on all trail bridges on the South Side of the State Forest. This will enable the WVDNR and CRF to track the status of all the bridges and focus efforts on repairing or replacing those in need of attention.
Tent Pad Construction — In order to assure campers of flat tent sites at every campsite in Rhododendron Campground, CRF undertook the purchase of materials and construction of 15 tent pads at sites without flat ground, in close cooperation with Assistant Superintendent Brad Atkins, WVDNR. All 15 have been built, and the last three that only need to filled with limestone sand will be completed in early Spring ‘22.
In 2022, we will continue with these ongoing efforts, but now that the tent pads are virtually complete in Rhododendron Campground, we will switch efforts to adding lantern posts at every site, in a cooperative effort with a local Eagle Scout candidate and his Troop.
A special thanks to the following people who helped by bringing large groups of volunteers to the Forest to help improve Coopers Rock facilities:
Dr. Kevin Barry, WVU Biology Department; Kenneth Parsons, Aaron Rostic, and Victoria Kilkenny, First Energy Corporation; Servando Arredondo, United Way; Zack Arnold, Infiniti Resources; the perennially helpful and much appreciated WVU iServe volunteer clearinghouse; and various members, former Board Members, and friends of the Coopers Rock Foundation who reached out and made arrangements with me to do service work.
Extra special thanks to the Staff of the DNR working at Coopers Rock State Forest — your cooperation is always appreciated and never forgotten.
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*April 8th, CRF Board member Jaime Toro, nailing shingles onto deck of slippery bridge, Nature Trails near McCollum Campground. 1 Hour
*Dr. Kevin Barry’s WVU Biology students — April, 3-hour work session on Roadside Trail between Crop Tree Demonstration Area gate, and kiosk where Advanced Ski Trail and Roadside Trail diverge. 28 Hours.
*First Energy / Maidsville Power Plant section, May, 3-hour session with 12 volunteers. Tree-planting, 11 trees, Overlook Picnic Area; drainage maintenance and upgrades, Roadside Trail from Overlook Picnic Area to Tilted Tree Parking Lot. 40 Hours.
*United Way Day Of Caring — May, 4 hours, 12 volunteers, Roadside Trail from Overlook end to Raven Rock parking lot. 54 Hours.
*Infiniti Resources, May, 15 volunteers, 4 hours, ½ hour lunch break taken, Roadside Trail and Advanced Ski Trail near kiosk, and Headwaters Trail near its low point, just south of bridge. 58 Hours.
*September 21, 3 Hours, 12 volunteers, First Energy volunteer group— Advanced Ski Trail from Day Use Parking Lot to intersection with Roadside Trail. 42 Hours.
*October 6th, 3 hours, 12 volunteers from Women And Leadership group from First Energy. Top section of Rhododendron Trail. 41 Hours.
*October 13th, educational hike for Dr. Kevin Barry’s Biology class, including planting 1 oak sapling in Overlook Picnic Area.: 1 Hour.
*October 20th, 9-noon. Volunteers from First Energy helped build two tent pads in Rhododendron Campground. Sites #5 and #7. 9 volunteers and me. 31 Hours.
*Sunday, November 7th, Derek Glover, daughter and friend, Jamie Oulette, and I fixed two mud holes on heavily-used trails. One was on Roadside Trail just north of the water tank, very close to the Water Plant Parking Lot, and the other was 150’ behind the Reservoir Dam, close to a trail bridge and to two trail intersections. 16 Hours including my prep time.
*Wednesday, November 10th, 9-noon. 7 Volunteers from First Energy and I worked on the final tent pad — Site #9 — and also on upper Rhododendron Trail. 25 Hours.
*Friday, November 12th— 6 hours of prep work
**Saturday, November 13th — 0 Hours, canceled due to snow**
*Sunday, November 14th — 43 Hours plus those of a few unrecorded volunteers.
We worked on Roadside Trail between Water Plant Parking Lot and County Line Parking Lot, and used a pile of ¾” crusher run gravel that I left for future use alongside the trail back in 2007. Mud spots eliminated, drainage improved, surface improved.
*Various Autumn dates — CRF friend Scott Ridenour cleared and trimmed along trails; 2 Hours.
*December 15th, Wednesday— trail clearing before cross-country skiing season, Blackberry Trail, part of Headwaters Trail. CRF Board Members Toro and Polinski. 4 Hours.
*December 22nd, Trail Bridge Inventory — CRF Board member Jaime Toro and volunteers. Various trails, 4.5 Hours.
*December 24th, Trail Bridge Inventory — CRF Board J. Toro, 2 Hours.
*December 25th, Trail Bridge Inventory— CRF Board member J. Toro and volunteers, 3 Hours
401.5 Hours, as of 12/27/31.
