Tried to Move Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week, Dispersed Camping, Timeline, Failure

Three years ago, I was asked to request that the BTA move it's Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week back from July annually to June.  I explained that this could be difficult because Buckeye only has one crew to spare for this region.  We do it at the height of the growing season and that moving it back to June could entail the Buckeye Trail Association having to field a second crew. 

Well, I did it.  And all of those were concerns at the BTA, there was another.  The BTA expanded to include more work weeks elsewhere.  As a result, it was impossible to move Road Fork and Whipple's back.  I'm not sure if the outside understands just how big the BT is?  I'm certain that National Forest Service's view is deficient with it, however, that's not really their fault because this sort of data only resides currently on my computers. 

They think that the forest has truly dispersed camping when it comes to distance hikers, but they're missing a number of factors.  They have to do with the balance between Buckeye's very fixed amenities, the terrain in the Marietta Unit and the intent of the hikers, which influences where they disperse camp.  And I think that there are these unauthorized campsites on wonderful terrain because the hikers over the decades independently reached the same conclusion and that's what cased them to be well impacted?

The Hiker Hurricane was about 2 years ago (I think).  The three year plan for this region entailed stabilizing the Whipple Section.  That was done.  The second year was supposed to be for maintenance and using my section supervisor credentials to improve the trail adoption numbers for it.  But Year 2 was a dud.  I'm a Disabled Vet.  When my housing situation hit the fan in Year 1, I withdrew back to Painesville.  In May of Year 2, I purchased a 29 year old motorhome.  But it's expenses and mechanical needs exceeded my abilities.  The hiker hurricane hit that year.  In Year 3, I can't remember what happened then?  But in the winter, my family has a mechanic friend and we spent 4 months working on the motorhome and got me in Far SE Ohio on May 7th.  I've been here ever since.

While I was having difficulties, there are certain people who I don't entirely trust around both within and without.  And sometimes, some in the BTA can be impressionable to failure.  With exceptions, I kept my whereabouts a secret for the most part.

The Difficulty With 8am Event Start Times

Considering the lack of freeways in Far SE Ohio, Adventurer's Project's 14 county coverage is too big and vast for 8am start times.  Right now, I'm thinking that if the project is to promote events like this, it will need to come up with both the options to camp and have a second shift on a Saturday from 11am to 6pm to support local volunteers who only want to help on one day?

This is in reference of the Road Fork Work Week between October 13th - 17th at Caldwell Lake in Noble County.  But I also had this difficulty with the previous Work Week back in July.  The addition of the second shift might also help those wishing to commute in for a day from other places in the state.

I'm Diverted

I've been plenty diverted here. Trail promotion for Adventurer's Project is a whole other animal.  There needs to me two of me here.

I advertised the Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week on Adventurer's Project's Facebook page and the Buckeye Trail Association's group today. So far, we have four RSVP's and possibly 4 others.  I'd really like to get some of the trail photographed and geotagged this year. Adventurer's Project's internet media really needs them.  And we also need a photo for the new Road Fork and Whipple maps.

Hiking and Adventurer's Project

I was gaining weight and my doctor told me to make a list of things to do. One of those things was hiking. In 2009, I started hiking in the Cleveland Metroparks. It was there that I noticed blue paint Mark's on the trees.  I looked it up later and found it to be the navigational marker for the Buckeye Trail.

Back then, it was 1,444 miles long. I purposely skipped those parts in case I wanted to commit to it. In 2010, I did. 

On December 14th, 2014, I stepped up and became the volunteer supervisor for the Whipple Section - Buckeye Trail. Now, I've covered about 1,200 miles, but the demands on these usually keep section supervisors glued to their areas. So, I've been stalled on my progress.

But that's ok, I love what I'm doing.  Now, I'm on to Adventurer's Project. Being a section supervisor consists of mostly trail maintenance tasks.  Beyond most maintenance, the project also covers the Road Fork Section. 

Adventurer's Project currently is just that.  It's a project. But it's on it's way to becoming something that is more formalized. It doesn't have members, but supporters.

In an average year, the Buckeye Trail only has about 1 to 2 thru hikers. But last September, an unusual event took place and Whipple and Road Fork were forecasted to get five.

Any other region of the Buckeye Trail would have been handle it. But aside from low volunteer numbers, this region has some uniquenesses.

I know that some of you reading this are going to say that drinking from some of the surface streams is fine. Based on the location of past and present mining, my own unprofessional, amateur data might concur? But the National Forest Service (NFS) on one of its documents disagrees.  There are a few water systems that can filter heavy metals, but we've got to get the hikers weaned off the natural sources for the most part.

Adventurer's Project's chapter like functions were activated.  During that time, a hiker was concluding his journey at the end of the Whipple Section. Because his thru hike was "high profile," it included two events here...  a speaking engagement and membership drive.

Our support numbers in this region are very low. And I voiced my reservations to the BTA on both, but they were content to give them a try. I printed about 300 fliers and started posting them like crazy for the first one. But when I was resupplying water for two thru hikers at once, posting fliers for the second event became more than I could handle.

What we need is a local following. And since the hiking program hasn't really been cultivated here, we will be looking for supporters from the ground up. Literately straight off of the streets.

When it comes to BTA support, the majority of the hikers and volunteers live in either western, or Northern Ohio. For most of them, the trail in Far SE Ohio is the furthest place on the Buckeye Trail.

We do receive some support like the upcoming Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week, which will be from July 21 - 25, 2018 and its basecamp will be at the Little Muskingum Watershed Association in Ludlow Township of Washington County, Ohio (post office city is New Matamoras). Volunteers do not need to stay for the entire event and locals can just help on a day or two?  This is the event where we perform heavy maintenance with DR Mowers, weed whacking, and leveling the roll of the trail on a hillside.

It can also include pruning.

Also, we may receive some material support from the North Country Trail Association?

Otherwise, I have a lot of ideas and I'd rather discuss them with supporters in person.

If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer, please contact me at the following:

MD Edmonds
info@adventurersohwv.info
C: (740) 885-9644

Omnibus Log 08/02/2017

I've been spouting off ideas for the last 7 years on the Buckeye Trail's Facebook group.  But I'm starting to see that this isn't the time for them anymore.  Whipple Section, maybe even the whole circuit needs actions to be taken.  I might have one after I get the cost analysis done.

The Wilderness Loops resupply strategy is set to be come a part of a protochapter known as "Adventurer's Project."  Well... my current trail promotion strategy is being reduced, we no longer have full control of The Wilderness Loop.  And that's bothering me at the moment.  I wasn't consulted regarding the change.  I had a 15 county area going up through Zanesville.  I'm just about about to execute an evolutionary process, the plan has to be changed.

A reduction in territory is good.  Changing the plan that already in motion is not.  I'm like this with just about anything.

A hiking program is required for Buckeye Trail chapters by the bi-laws. But in building a chapter in SE Ohio, I want it to be a lesser priority and focus more on the volunteer experience. I think that BT chapters haven't been established the right balance yet between what we want to do and what we need to do. What chapters and maintainers need to start doing is separate the maintainers from the rest of the active chapter's membership. That way, the promoters promote and the maintainers maintain. The main chapter keeps the manpower supply going and fills vacancies, while the maintainers ensure that the promoters have a trail worth promoting. Neither side can fail for long before the system breaks down.

Things came through today.  Money that was fraudulently taken from me has been restored.  But I'm going to have to sort through 29 Internet accounts and determine which ones need new financial information?  I have to doggy sit on the 9th.  About a dozen campgrounds and motels need to be called to get rates for my cost analysis.  Once I have those, I can put it down until September.  I have a chainsaw cover coming on the 5th.  The cover has the chain tensioner built into it.

Some kind of new backpack needs to be purchased.  I'd like it to be about 30L, but be able to carry a 4L water bladder.  It's going to become the maintenance bag.  I need to be able to jettison metal tools and gear quickly while being able to wait out a lightning storm.

Whipple/ Road Fork Work Week 2017 - 06/13/2017

The following is copied from http://www.buckeyetrail.org/events.php on 06/13/2017. The event's area is concurrent with the North Country National Scenic Trail in the Marietta Unit of the Wayne National Forest.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 8-12, 2017

Whipple/Road Fork

Description: Trail maintenance of the Road Fork and Whipple Sections' off road areas. This will include chainsawing of downed trees, mowing, weed whacking, pruning, and possible freshening of blazes for a little over 30 miles in the heat of July. We will need all the help we can get. We will leave for work at 8:00am and quit at 3:00pm.

Camping: Camping will be at the Little Muskingum Watershed Association building, located at SR26 and Thomas Ridge Rd (T 88) Hot showers and flush toilets are available in the building. Donations to the LMWA for use of the facilities are appreciated. Camping GPS coordinates 39.54184, -81.22484

Meals: This is a chuck wagon event. Meals will be provided free (donations accepted) for the first 20 volunteers to sign up with Jay Holwick at holwick@columbus.rr.com by July 2, 2017. Please note: if you are arriving Friday, the Friday night meal is NOT included - please bring your own.

Mapping: See the location for this event in Google Maps

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For those wishing to attend the event itself, an RSVP is requested at https://www.meetup.com/BuckeyeTrailFriends/events/240768281/ (this link may be time sensitive).

This event was submitted today to the Marietta - Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau's calendar.  It is currently undergoing review.

Log 2016072401

With the Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week still in session, other BTA volunteers helped clear the Little Muskingum River Flats. Thanks to a family on the N bank, we were able to ford the mower across the river from their property and I helped secure access to that. What happened was that the crew was able to get it down the west descent.  We ended up needing the ford to get it out of the forest.

Other than that, I started reinforcing the clockwise blazing in that area and getting it ready for others to navigate when the trail's surface isn't so apparent.

Log 2016072002

In advance of the Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week, I've determined that the best stratedgy is to weed whack in various locations between the Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country Trail, Pts. 01 - 02 (10/2010 map & guide).  This area has the C9 Trailhead, the section's high point and the intersection with the Greenview Trail that connects to the Scenic River Trail in the Marietta Unit of the Wayne National Forest in Independence Township of Washington County, closest to the Village of New Matamoras.

On the 22nd, I want to weed whack both apertures at Pt. 04.  Once done, that will leave the Little Muskingum River Flats between Pts. 05 - 06 for the BTA's crew and myself.  That area is over a mile of practically nothing but weeds and grass.

Log 2016072002

In advance of the Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week, I've determined that the best stratedgy is to weed whack in various locations between the Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country Trail, Pts. 01 - 02 (10/2010 map & guide).  This area has the C9 Trailhead, the section's high point and the intersection with the Greenview Trail that connects to the Scenic River Trail in the Marietta Unit of the Wayne National Forest in Independence Township of Washington County, closest to the Village of New Matamoras.

On the 22nd, I want to weed whack both apertures at Pt. 04.  Once done, that will leave the Little Muskingum River Flats between Pts. 05 - 06 for the BTA's crew and myself.  That area is over a mile of practically nothing but weeds and grass.

Log 2016072002

In advance of the Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week, I've determined that the best stratedgy is to weed whack in various locations between the Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country Trail, Pts. 01 - 02 (10/2010 map & guide).  This area has the C9 Trailhead, the section's high point and the intersection with the Greenview Trail that connects to the Scenic River Trail in the Marietta Unit of the Wayne National Forest in Independence Township of Washington County, closest to the Village of New Matamoras.

On the 22nd, I want to weed whack both apertures at Pt. 04.  Once done, that will leave the Little Muskingum River Flats between Pts. 05 - 06 for the BTA's crew and myself.  That area is over a mile of practically nothing but weeds and grass.

Log 2016072001

I just noticed that my pageviews surpassed 7,000 today and that the views per page have picked up.  One thing that I can say is that when I don't post for days, or even a week, the pageviews definitely go down.  And when I get back to posting, it usually takes some time to recover.

I'm getting ready for the 2016 Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week in Southeast Ohio starting on the 23rd.  Today, I purchased a dolly to help get 6 gallon Aquatainers into the Little Muskingum River Flats for water resupply.  I'm going to arrive a couple days early, so, I plan to trim the Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country National Scenic Trail, Pts. 01 - 02 first, maybe even the apertures at Pt. 04 (10/2010 map)?  That way, the weed eaters from the BTA can concentrate on the flats between Pts. 05 & 06.