PATC’s Shenandoah National Park North District “Hoodlums” are not an exclusive insiders club.  No secret handshakes, no bizarre hazing rituals.  Any PATC member able and willing to roll up their sleeves and work on trails can show up at our monthly work outings, get on the mailing list and be considered a “member.”  Once a year, however, the Hoodlums put on an event that reaches beyond its member list and is explicitly open to PATC members outside the group.  As in recent years, Dave Nebhut organized the North District Trail Maintainers Workshop, which spans portions of three days and is based out of the Mathews Arm group camping area.  Working with Dave to lead the workshop activities was Head Hoodlum Tom Troutman.

The purpose of the workshop is to offer trail maintainers at any level, from beginner to highly experienced, the opportunity to improve their skills as well as meet peers from around PATC’s domains.  This year’s event drew trail maintainers who work in such diverse areas as the South      and Central districts of SNP, the Tuscarora Trail, Prince William Forest Park, and South Mountain and the Appalachian Trail in Maryland.  There were also a handful of volunteers who had scant experience but were eager to learn and experience more, and perhaps find their own niche within PATC.  Of course, there are also more experienced maintainers looking to sharpen a skill or just enjoy a fine outdoor weekend in the collegial atmosphere!

Check-in for the workshop was the afternoon of Sept. 15, as attendees were able to pitch their tents, enjoy a campfire and mingle with fellow volunteers.  Saturday morning, following breakfast, Tom Troutman brought folks together for introductions, a safety discussion and crew assignments.  Saturday was to be a working day – hands-on skills learned by conducting real maintenance activities on trails adjacent to the group campground at Mathews Arm.

The Trail Work Basics Crew, which included sisters Tracey Heibel and Lisa Rader, Michele and Carter Morrow,  Kai and Kris Caraher, Chris Berkley, and Jennifer Schmid, worked on the Elkwallow Trail, just a short walk from the campground.  There, experienced Hoodlums Cindy Ardecki and Dave Nebhut showed them the myriad routine tasks of maintaining a trail.  The TWB crew cleaned and refurbished two lateral drains at the north end of the trail, installed a check dam, cleaned and improved a grade dip and a water bar, and rehabbed several steps on the staircase that was installed at the 2011 North District Workshop.     

The Novice crew was led by Head Hoodlum Tom Troutman and Mike Gergely, and included nine eager participants -- Julie Bauer, Molly Bolan, Paul Boynton, Tony Hedlesky, Garrett Herrman, David Seiler, and Heidi and Chris Hook. This crew focused on covering all aspects of trail maintenance. They headed down the Overall Run trail, where they went over the tools used, safety protocols and the work that needs to be done to the trails before applying the skills to a needy section of the trail. 

The Advanced crew headed down the Overall Run trail to a very steep section of trail with a long staircase, but in which the steps had been spaced so far apart that they were, in some cases, dangerously high from one to the next.  This is a VERY heavily used trail, as the Overall Run Falls is just a bit farther downhill and the proximity of the campground makes for a lot of hiker traffic.  Wayne Limberg is highly experienced at trail building and was an easy choice to lead a crew building additional stairs into the hillside.  This was applied effort – finding available rocks large enough to withstand the traffic and make solid steps meant the crew members had to travel farther and farther away from the trail to find the “right” rock, then carry or drag it back to the trailbed.  While Wayne doesn’t shy away from doing work, his real value here was as the puzzle master – advising his pupils on how to fit the pieces together and firm them up as quality stairs.  By the end of the working day, we had added 14 new stairs, but left with the realization that more were needed.  They would have to wait for another day.

This crew included Kent Bauer, Bruno Carlot, Dallas Cecil, Noel Freeman, Roger Friend, Dave Jordahl, Tom Moran, Elizabeth Moser, Marie Seymour, and Jim Fetig.

The workday ended around 3:30 for all the crew, and we hiked back up to the campground for a chance to sit down in a comfortable chair with a refreshing beverage and begin anticipating the dinner already being prepared.  While most Hoodlums outings are pot luck, this was a special event so the Hoodlums’ chef, Joe Wood, assisted by Cindy Ardecki, was creating a banquet for the full group.  He had a tired but hungry set of mouths to feed and the grilled Greek chicken, grilled veggies, Tuscan white bean chili, pasta and other sides really hit the spot!  Following dinner, we adjourned to the campfire for a while before turning in for the night.

Sunday morning brought light rain, but most of it fell overnight and the drizzle left was no real bother.  Joe and Cindy prepared coffee and a light continental breakfast, and we began the day’s program.  Two workshop sessions were presented Sunday morning.  Shenandoah National Park biologist Jake Hughes discussed invasive species of plants in the park, passing around samples he had collected that morning around the campground, and offered strategies on how they might be controlled or limited.  While most of us are familiar with some of these, most were not aware of all the species he had to show us and the potential to disrupt native flora.  Wayne Limberg then led a discussion about hand saws, their use and value relative to alternatives, and a bit of a dive into blade types and techniques for maximizing their cutting ability.  Some of the terms he employed made it clear most of us didn’t really know that much about saw blades!

Following these sessions we concluded with a large brunch, again prepared by Joe with Cindy’s help.  Scrambled eggs, sausage, potatoes, and amazing ham and cheese sliders on caramelized buns that were an overwhelming hit!  This concluded the event, folks headed off well fed and with that satisfied sort of tired feeling.