CRF Trailwork At Coopers Rock, 2022
—by Adam Polinski
Although this season fell short of my annual goal of at least 400 Hours of work performed by the CRF Volunteer Trailwork program, progress was still made and goals were still accomplished.
Roadside Trail was the focus of a lot of the nearly 250 Hours of work CRF did and oversaw— which is no surprise considering CRF built the trail, has officially adopted the trail, and has worked on maintaining it ever since it’s completion in 2007. Maintaining the status quo of this trail is important for Coopers Rock, as it provides 3.1 miles of “double-wide single-track“ at an Advanced Beginner difficulty level for hikers, runners, cross-country skiers and mountain bikers, and provides a non-motorized connection from I-68 to The Overlook. A cessation of its maintenance would lead to clogged drainage features, muddy trails, and wherever the trail is exposed to sun, uncontrolled overgrowth, including greenbrier. Further, the difficulty level would steadily increase due to erosion, mud, and increasingly exposed roots and rocks. Maintenance is mandatory in order to keep Roadside Trail as-is.
Rhododendron Trail received our attention a few times, with the highlight being the re-decking of two trail bridges by Eagle Scout candidate Quentin McBee and his scout troop. Important standard drainage maintenance was also conducted on parts of the upper .6 miles of the trail.
Rhododendron Campground benefited from volunteer work organized by CRF. The last of the 15 tent pads CRF and DNR built together was completed. 732’ of brand new trail was opened up, connecting the newly-opened Preacher’s Circle Large Group Campsite to the restrooms in the center of Rhododendron Campground, thanks to volunteers from United Way’s Day Of Caring. Six signposts were installed along that trail thanks to the welcome efforts of the Cheat Canyon Climbers Coalition.
The Overlook Picnic Area and the Day Use Parking Lot also received some attention.
Nature brought some drama to our efforts this year, when, in May, a trailwork outing was postponed due to a Tornado Watch, and in November, it snowed on a trailwork session.
Thank you volunteers from First Energy, the United Way Day Of Caring, the NICA Trailhawks, Cheat Canyon Climbers Coalition, Scout Troop 93, volunteers from WVU, and all the others.
Thank you Brian Hurley, for volunteering on Coopers trails three times this year, including leading a volunteer outing on Rhododendron Trail.
Thank you Superintendent Brad Atkins — your support, cooperation, and assistance make this all possible.
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*Early April, trimming and leaf-blowing segments of Roadside Trail. 1st session: 3 Hours. 2nd session: 2 ½ Hours. Combined: 5 ½ Hours.
*4/20, Preparation for Thursday’s volunteer session, flagging and inspection: 3 Hours
*4/21, I worked with 7 volunteers from First Energy for 3 hours for a total of 24 Hours on drainage maintenance on Roadside Trail. The trail has now been maintained from southern terminus/Overlook end, to within 200’ of the powerline crossing west of Raven Rock parking lot.
*4/21, I worked with 8 volunteers who are WVU students and 2 from US Cellular, for 2 ¼ hours for a total of 24.75 Hours. We planted trees and mended protective fencing throughout the Overlook Picnic Area, and we also cleaned off the CCC stone stairway between the Overflow Parking Lot and the Restroom. We also removed all tree tubes and fencing not currently in use for storage by CRF toolshed.
*5/3 — scheduled trailwork with 25 volunteers from NICA postponed until 5/10 on account of Tornado Watch. I had loaded the truck already so I proceeded to work and scout for 5/10. Root trimming and small amount of drainage maintenance, and unloading the truck. 2.5 Hours.
*5/10 — trailwork with NICA. 6-8 pm on trails near Day Use Parking Lot. 18 volunteers and me. 36 Hours NICA plus 4.5 Hours CRF = 40.5 Hours.
*5/11 — United Way Day Of Caring — 18 volunteers from 12:00 to 4:30. My own volunteer time was from 10:30 — 5:00. We cleared an entire brand new trail from Preacher’s Circle Large Group Campsite to the restrooms in the center of Rhododendron Campground. Also, we cleared the future Campground Host Campsite before Site #1, and transplanted approximately 20 Hemlock trees of 1’ to 4’ from there to the perimeters of Sites #11 and #14, to create privacy buffers. Then we raked Eagle Loop, including trail segments up near the abandoned restroom and CCC stone staircase. 87.5 Hours . Very productive day!
187.75 Hours Worked, as of May 12th.
*5/20 2.5 Hours, CRF. Raking, grading, tamping the last three tent pads in Rhododendron Campground, now that the topcoat of limestone fines has been delivered to each one. That project is now complete!✅.
Also, measurements taken regarding the trail opened up on 5/11:
Amount of new trail opened was 732’.
Old way of walking from center of Preacher’s Circle to Rhododendron Restroom = 2,150’.
NEW way of walking from center of Preacher’s Circle to Rhododendron Restroom = 1,276’.
The new shortcut saves campers 874’.
*6/9 A high school student volunteer, Canyon Levendorf, and I worked on annual Spring Cleaning trail maintenance on Roadside Trail, picking up where I left off with NICA on 5/10. We worked near the segment of trail close to the powerline corridor that’s now part of the disc golf course. 6 Hours.
*6/10
I worked with Canyon again, along with Brian Hurley from FODC. We completed work started by NICA on 5/10, on the short connector trail between the east side of the Day Use Parking Lot and the northern terminus of Roadside Trail. We also worked at a site 100’ back from the Reservoir dam, near a wooden bridge, at a three-way intersection. 9 Hours.
Total Hours as of 6/11: 205.25
From mid-June through mid-October I was not available to either work or recreate at Coopers Rock, due to working on a house in PA to get it sold.
However, during that time I was able to facilitate some progress. With CRF funds, I purchased and prepared 6 signposts for the Cheat Canyon Climber’s Coalition to install along the new 5/11/22 trail, which now connects the Preacher’s Circle Large Group Campsite to the Rhododendron Campground restroom. The Superintendent marked the spots, ordered the signs, and climber volunteers installed the posts.
July 16 or 17– Cheat Canyon Climber’s Coalition installs and paints 6 CRF-purchased sign posts on the new trail from Preacher’s Circle group campsite to Rhododendron Campground Restroom Trail. 11 volunteers totaling 35 Hours. Thanks, climbers!
I returned to the 2022 trailwork season by facilitating an Eagle Scout project that included using CRF funds to purchase wood for re-decking two trail bridges and cutting, painting and transporting all the wood.
*October 22nd— Quentin McBee Eagle Scout project. Quentin, his family, and several Scout Troop 93 members re-decked two bridges just downstream or north of the three-way intersection on Rhododendron Trail. Those bridges were ID’d in CRF Board Member Jaime Toro’s 2021 Trail Bridge Inventory as being among the poorest in condition of any of the three dozen on the South Side. Quentin and his troop carried in the new decking, removed the old decking, installed the new decking onto the original bridge beams, cleaned out all the drainage ditches in the immediate vicinity, and carried out the old decking. Just 200’ away from Quentin’s project are two other bridges that were installed in 2019 as older brother Joey McBee’s Eagle Scout project.
12 volunteers, 3 Hours each, 36 Hours
CRF Prep work 10 Hours (purchase, prep, transport of wood.)
*11/12,13–. Annual Coopers Rock Halloween Candy Trailwork Weekend.
For the second year in a row, I held this annual event on the second weekend of November instead of the first weekend, and for the second year in a row, snow and rain severely impacted volunteer turnout. November 4th and 5th, 2023, therefore, is the tentative date for next year.
Despite the weather, Brian Hurley, Jim Siekmeier, Scott Ridenour and Aaron Dillon joined Adam Polinski on Roadside Trail, working from the trail crossing at Lower Picnic Area road, towards the Reservoir Parking Lot. Jeff Ammons and sons simultaneously worked on sections of the trail in the middle and northern sections. The accumulated time spent working on trails over the weekend was 21.75 Hours, and when added to 4 Hours of prep time earlier in the week, the 2022 Coopers Rock Halloween Candy Trailwork Weekend amounted to 25.75 Hours and roughly ¾ of the desired amount of maintenance on Roadside Trail before winter.
*11/29 — 4.25 Hours on Roadside Trail with tools, trimmer and leaf blower, between Reservoir Parking Lot and Raven Rock Parking Lot.
*12/5 — 2 Hours trimming and leaf-blowing on Roadside Trail northernmost 500’, plus 350’ connecter trail and two picnic tables.
As of 12/12/22:
* CRF has worked 247.25 Hours on Roadside Trail, Rhododendron Trail, and the Overlook Picnic Area and the Day Use Parking Lot area.
* CRF also facilitated volunteer projects with a local Boy Scout Troop and the Cheat Canyon Climber’s Coalition, which were contributions to Coopers Rock State Forest of 36 Hours and 35 Hours respectively.
