PATC Maintenance Hacks
By Jim Dwyer
I’d like to share a couple hacks that I learned during my first few years maintaining a rocky section of ridge on the Tuscarora Trail. The first deals with the Echo Weed Trimmer, which I purchased for the trail. It comes with an ingenious line feeder, i.e. “Speed Feed 400 Head.” It works great, but it has two operational flaws. I’ll explain my hacks for each.
1. To dispense more weed-whacking line, one has to tap the head on the ground. This works great on a lawn; however, the thick plastic head will eventually be worn down along a rocky trail. This is mitigated by installing a fender washer (or large round metal plate) on the head as shown on the left and center photos above.
2. The cap can accidently come off the head at the most inopportune time, such as when attacking a large briar or blackberry patch. This seldom happens, but it is a show-stopper if it (or the spring) can’t be found. The black cap seems to disappear in the underbrush and if the spring becomes dislodged, then you are out of luck if you didn’t bring a spare even if the cap is found. This problem is mitigated somewhat by spray painting the inside of the cap white so it’ll be more obvious and melting a small hole to attach a wire to the spring, as shown in the above right photo.
My trail maintenance partners,
Rick Bacastow and
Steve Sharpe, and I replaced bow saws with aggressively-toothed folding saws. These saws are lighter, easy to carry and are nearly as effective as the larger bow saws. We made holsters to make the folding saws even more convenient. It may seem like a small thing to have to remove your pack to get your saw out, but our saws are often used and quick access is truly wonderful.
The holster is made from a 10” roll of vinyl flashing (10”x50’ for $30 at Lowes), duct tape, staples, and a large wire tie for a belt loop. Very few tools are needed for this DIY project. I can supply the vinyl and a wire tie to those that request them while supplies last. My email is: jimdwyer74@gmail.com.
Bonus: We need hikers that want a full day ridge hike to consider the Tuscarora Trail from PA Route 16 (just west of Cove Gap, PA, 39.893193, -77.966803) south to the State Game Lands parking lot on Fort Davis Road (39.747655, -78.045515). The additional boots will help create a better treadway on our section of trail. Two cars are needed, and it’s about 14 miles. (This route is not recommended if icy or snowy due to the rocky ridge.) Two miles can be cut off by starting at the Alice Trail (north end of Little Cove Road 39.866904, -77.966080). However, this shortcut requires about 600’ of additional elevation gain.
