Fall 2011 The somewhat regular publication of the Mid FALL 2011 State Trail Association. www.hike-mst.org Brushwhacker attention to the existing trails to the west and Jefferson National Forest carry the The Great Eastern of the AT and saying “Don’t look now, but GET hiker further south to a junction Trail and the MST parts are already in place." This article with West Virginia Scenic Trails Asso- and a follow-up letter to the editor by ciation’s yellow blazed Allegheny Trail, By Pete Fleszar Peter Fleszar inspired MST and Finger which meets the Appalachian Trail near For several years now MSTA has Lakes Trail conference to take up Tom the New River at Pearisburg, VA. West partnered with other like-minded groups Thwaites’s idea from the late 1980’s and from Pearisburg the GET route is under in nine Eastern states to create Ameri- establish the MST-FLT connection as one development to Matewan, WV and Elk- ca’s newest long-distance footpath. Great of these linkages horn City, KY where GET turns onto Pine Eastern Trail (GET) provides a premier The work on GET, as it has been for Mountain Trail. Continuing into Tennesee, hiking experience on a series of existing MST, is being led by volunteers. The or- GET is on the white blazed Cumberland trails that are linked or linking to each ganizational scheme will involve existing Trail for most of its length, departing for other, stretching volunteer trail clubs, augmented where an urban trek through Chattanooga, and from Alabama to necessary by new volunteer groups. Vol- crossing into GA on Lookout Mountain the Finger Lakes unteers work closely with governmental within the Chickamauga and Chattanoo- region of New York. entities, but the emphasis will be on vol- ga National Military Park. Trail workers This path will ul- unteer leadership. GET will be primarily are seeking connections to the Pinhoti timately be 2800 a hiking trail and its support comes from Trail in Georgia and Alabama, with turkey km long, crossing hiking trail clubs. MSTA provides one track blazes leading to Flagg Mountain, New York, Pennsyl- of the Board members (currently Peter the southernmost 300+ meter elevation vania, Maryland, Fleszar), and the 2011 Board meeting point in the Appalachian Mountain chain. West Virginia, was hosted by MSTA with the amazingly One person we know of has already Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, gracious assistance of Woolrich, Inc. in walked from the FL/AL border as far and Alabama. The north end is a junction Woolrich, PA. north as Woolrich on the GET. with Finger Lakes Trail at Moss Hill shel- Each of the trails retains its own blaz- The current MST color maps and ter near South Bradford, NY. Eventually, ing standards and its own relationships guides state that MST is “Part of Great GET will cross south Alabama to reach with landowners and public land manag- Eastern Trail in Pennsylvania,” and over the Florida border and a junction with ers. At the NY border, the northbound the last two years the GET logo has be- Florida National Scenic Trail. GET hiker changes from the orange gun to appear at MST trailheads and Planner Benton MacKaye’s original blazes of MST to the orange blazes of key points along our route. In 2012, you vision for an Appalachian Trail in the Crystal Hills Trail, a new branch of Finger might begin to hear more about GET as 1920's showed a network of braided Lakes Trail passing through the hills of a result of an enhanced partnership with trails running the length of the Appa- Steuben County around the “Crystal City” Woolrich, Inc. and Backpacker magazine. lachian Mountains. In 2000 Lloyd Ma- of Corning. In southern PA and MD, GET Watch this space for more specifics as cAskill of PATC published an article in bifurcates into co-equal routes – the west they are developed. the Appalachian Trailway News calling route uses sections 1-8 of MST along Tussey Mountain to reach a new white blazed Great Eastern Trail connection in Green Ridge State Forest near Flintstone, MD, and the east route uses the yellow, blue, and partially non-blazed Greenwood Spur of MST to reach Standing Stone Trail at Greenwood Furnace State Park, thence orange blazed SST to Cowans Gap State Park to follow blue-blazed (formerly orange) Tuscarora Trail south across the Potomac River to northern Virginia. Variously blazed and non-blazed routes in and near George Washington 2 BRUSHWHACKER Fall 2011 - The somewhat regular publication of the Mid State Trail Association. Please consider attending for the week- end or just for a day. No experience nec- In The Regions.... essary. Tools and instruction provided. Woolrich Region Keystone Trails Association. Everett Region by Deb Dunkle by Joe Healey State College The fall MSTA meeting was held in The MSTA, Bedford County Rails the new Tiadaghton State Forest head- Region to Trails, and Juniata Clean Water quarters office meeting room in Water- by Kevin Busko Partnership were awarded a generous grant by REI. This is going towards ville and all regions were represented. The KTA sponsored trailcare week- various activities for a joint effort of the A big thanks to Jeff Prowant, District end on the Reeds Gap Spur of the MST three clubs in the Everett Region. The Forester, for allowing use of the confer- was held the weekend of October 7-9. rails-to-trails is a first for Bedford County ence room. The work crews focused on the Reeds and this initial grant will be used towards A lot is happening in the Woolrich Gap end of the trail. Blow downs were matching Broad Top Township funds Region besides the Marcellus Shale cleared from Reeds Gap SP to Bear Gap, and to produce a personal adventure of controversy. Specifically, Woolrich which is about half way to the Poe Paddy Hike, Bike and Canoe in the three areas. Corp. sponsored end of the trail. Blazing and brush clear- This is scheduled to be produced in May a meeting on ing made it about halfway to Bear Gap 2012 along with the Bloody Run Canoe November 4 from the Reeds Gap SP end. We antici- Classic. in their Bryton pate another trail care weekend in 2012 Please mark your calendars with Lodge which is to continue with this project. these dates for the KTA trail crew: June tucked away in Boy Scout Erik Hoover from troop 19, 2012 through June 26, 2012. The the mountains 375 in Stormstown has finished his Eagle Everett church ladies have agreed once above Woolrich. project on the MST. Erik organized the again to cook – for those of you who The purpose construction and installation of six new have been missing this delicious food, of the meeting was to discuss ways to trail signs at Deer Path, Roman Tower, please consider packing on the pounds promote the Great Eastern Trail nation- Laurel Run Trail, Fleetfoot Trail, and both to put out the energy on the MSTA wide by generating publicity along its North Meadows Trail junctions. Erik trail! Your taste buds will thank you for path in Pennsylvania. Bent Hollowell, also repainted several signs on the MST coming! Take some vacation days and Vice-president of Media Relations for between Jo Hays Vista and Big Flat. The put your tent up at Tenley Park. There will Woolrich Corp. hosted the meeting along Hoover family donated a dozen locust be showers for men at Everett HS and with Backpacker Magazine representa- signposts to the MST for use as future ladies at the church. Jake the JRT mascot tives, Alison Kennedy and Carolyn Fan- signage. likes any working volunteer; the last crew ning. Although Woolrich Corp. focuses We are close to having an assigned only asked that he doesn't show up with on the MST, in a broader context, they trail maintainer for each section of the any more skunks or porcupines! are also in full support of the GET as it MST in the State College Region. Thanks The Yellow Creek Bridge project is travels along portions of the MST, which to all the dedicated maintainers, past seeing some daylight at the end of this includes the area of Woolrich. The Back- and present. Without you there would bridge! Hopefully the DEP papers will get packer Magazine staff was there to help be no trail. I encourage each of you to signed off, DCNR finds amended budget nail down the details of the magazine's take your job as a section maintainer monies and the MSTA can bid out before promotion of the GET through their ongo- seriously and to put forth an extra effort the end of the year. We are looking for ing "Get Out More" program which will in 2012 to get out there and have your donations to help complete this project. be held in Woolrich on National Trails section in tiptop condition for the hiking Suggested donation of $300.00 but any Day on June 2, 2012. The MSTA will be season. There is no better reward than size is quite welcomed and appreciated. the host club for this event and further receiving an e-mail or phone call from a Any volunteers interested in details will be forthcoming. Those at- hiker thanking the MSTA for providing an maintaining a Everett region section, tending the meeting in addition to Brent, excellent hiking or backpacking experi- please email Debra so that she can get Ali and Carolyn were Tom Johnson from ence. your name and numbers. DHDUNKLE@ the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, KTA will be holding a weekend trail- EMBARQMAIL.COM.