Log 2015082401

The maintenance for the Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country Trail is starting to wind down now. So I put the first two hours in on the Ohio Transit Hiker's Resource. Last year, I couldn't finish the 2015 Edition, so I'm taking where I left off and hopefully, I'll have a 2015 Edition in February. With today's work, I went through all 51 Ohio counties to check the status of their dial-a-ride, shared ride, or curb-to-curb type services. So far, the only change is that Pike County is now for residents only, instead of the general public like they were before. Things like this happen, but it's disappointing because the GO bus stops in Piketon of Pike County. The two nearest regional bus stops in that area now in Lancaster of Fairfield County by way of the New Straitsville, Old Man's Cave and Scioto Trail Sections - Buckeye/ North Country/ American Discovery Trail in the east and Batavia of Clermont County by way of the Williamsburg Section - BT/NCT/ ADT in the west.

Log 2015082301

The barn for the Buckeye Trail Association (BTA Barn) on Tappan Lake in Harrison County is at 39.420722, -81.470985

Log 2015082001

To be resourceful, you must first know your resources. I'm designing a "war chest" of data and today I finished collecting geotagged photos of local library communuty announcement coark boards.

Log 2015081901

German Cemetery Road/ T623 and one skid road that connects it to the Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country National Scenic Trail was tracked with the GPS today.  While the personal 4WD pick-up trucks of Buckeye Trail (BT) maintainers don't have permission to access these gated and skid roads, we might be able to get permission.  BT's Trail Management Team requested that I track and catalog these and with the Whipple Work Week coming up in September, I thought it was prudent to start this project now.

As for trail promotion, we need some place to put a flier up on.  So, I'm also in the process of photographing cork boards and displays starting with public libraries that are local to the section, as well as those in the remainder of the metropolitan area first.  Then I'll move to the local post offices and mail facilities in the area.  Local coffee shops often have community relations boards, too.

Log 2015081801

At this time, with the BTA's Whipple Work Week about a month away, I am switching the section's priorities from being "maintenance" to more "promotion & recruitment" oriented.  Since I am a "transplant" in to this area, I must confess that I don't know the Parkersburg - Marietta - Vienna metropolitan area very well yet.  A couple of days from now, I'll be seeking to find ways to get myself "plugged-in."  What I'd like to do is learn the people and their going sub-culture in different places.

The Whipple Work Week will bring in volunteers from all around the state to work on the 57.6 mile, on and off-road, Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country Trail in the New Matamoras, Marietta and Beverly of Washington County areas.

The BTA is getting ready to send me materials to promote and recruit with.  As a section supervisor, this is not in my list of duties.  But because I'm local, it's now something to where I should make it my business to learn the "lay of the land" because it concerns the growth and sustainability of the section.

Log 2015081501

I met the adopter for the Whipple Section - Buckeye Trail/ North Country Temporary Connector today.  And I helped him paint navigational blazes between Pts. 18 - 23 of the section's 10/ 2010 map and guide with my car.  It was a great experience.

Also on this day, The Wilderness Loop became camping/ lodging deficiency free with the addition of a new campsite that's near the Whipple Section's Northern Tier (on-road).  It makes the loop "thru hike compliant."  That's a measurement that's based on the days and mileages it would take to hike the 1,440 mile Buckeye Trail circuit in 90 - 110 days.  Whipple and The Wilderness Loop, for the first time in their 33 year existence now conforms to these demands as far as camping/ lodging is concerned.

Whipple Section's on-road is designed to route hikers from the Marietta Unit of the Wayne National Forest to the AEP ReCreation Land.  This part of the section doesn't get much regard, but I believe that it's importance is about to increase.  Both of these areas are quite remote and for a certain audience, that's what they're really into.  The on-road was designed to carry these enthusiast hikers, but because of the lack of support in previous years, many were probably hesitant to make the journey.  As of today, that is not the case.  I think the on-road now is going to finally live up to what it's designed to do.

2015081301

After completing the re-inspection for Whipple Section - Buckeye/ North Country National Scenic Trail off-road, I downloaded the track that I made for Pts. 04 - 01.  I have concluded that the BTA's GIS/ GPS Depository merged Whipple track measurement is accurate and that the guide on the Whipple Section, October 2010 is off by 0.4 miles between these points.  The actual measurement of Pts. 01 - 06 is 14.72 miles, for which the depository is 0.28 miles high and the guide is 0.42 miles too low.

The section crosses 35 stream beds in its off-road areas.  It has 77 deficiencies at present.  The entire 57.2mi section has 106 intersections.  18 of those are between roads on the off-road trail, 2 are for the Greenwood Trail, 2 are for the gated German Cemetery Rd/ T623 and the remainder are skid roads.  I still have yet to compare the forest map to my data and see if I missed any former roads.  The next step on those 18 are to explore and track them with my GPS.

The elevation profile on Google Maps' bicycling directions stated that it would be easier if I parked the car at Pt. 04 and cycled back from Pt. 01.  But I just found out today how much my road bike despises gravel roads.  It was rough.  I now know that I need a mountain bike to loop with on the BT.