Hot off the heels of a hugely successful Rockfest, MAC volunteers were back at it; this time at Sugarloaf Mountain in Dickerson, Maryland.
For many who have climbed or hiked there, it’s pretty obvious that the Green Trail leading to the summit is in desperate need of some love. Sections have eroded so badly that the “U”-shaped dip in the trail just traps water, resulting in further erosion. And the trail is growing wider as people try to step around the problem spots. We decided to start working to change this.
Despite a rainy afternoon forecast, more than a dozen local climbers came together to tackle a problem area on the Green Trail. In one day, volunteers installed a massive water bar, a check dam, and five stone steps on a steep sections of the trail. Volunteers also helped to brush-in and camouflage the sides of the trail and a large social-trail/short cut, this will help confine human impact to the trail and prevent further erosion.
We were fortunate to have the expert guidance of Mike and Amanda from the Access Fund’s Conservation Team. These two trail gurus are on the road the entire year, helping climbers care for their crags all across the country. You can see and read more about their past projects and find out where they’ll be next by following them on Facebook.
A big thanks to the land owner Stronghold Inc, our volunteers, the Access Fund’s Conservation Team, and our generous sponsors, including REI for the free shirts!
