Past Events
Past Events are listed below.
Annual Meeting - November 15th, 2016
Click here to view photos by Matt Donachie
Members In Attendance: Laura Susmann, Jack Kondos, Matt Edson, Jim Schofield, Kim Nilsen, John Herrick, Beth Phippard, Matt Donachie, Abrahm Howe, John Hudachek, Jack Kondos, John Summers, Jon Knickerbocker
President Matt Edson called tonight’s meeting to order at 7:03 pm
Pisgah Ridge Trail Reblazed
The long eastern leg of the Pisgah Ridge Trail from the Pisgah
connector junction all the way to Reservoir Road was reblazed today,
through both vistas and down to the backwaters of the reservoir. Get
lost out there now and you'll have to renounce your citizenship.
In a week or so, the western leg will be blazed from the junction all the way to the Baker Pond area.
All blazes are white. About half of them have the words PISGAH RIDGE TRAIL emblazoned on them.
Get out there. Hike long. Get skinny.
South Woods Trail Viewing Platform Completed
A crew of four completed a new viewing platform at the heron marsh just off the South Woods Trail (below where the new trail bypass cuts southeast towards the new bridge) on Sunday, August 15, 2016. The photo was taken into the sun with Matt Edson's (center) cellphone by Art Sussman. John Hudachek (right) and Kim Nilsen (left) stand with Matt. The color is quite a bit off because of the glare, but the nature of the design of the new platform should be evident.
New South Woods Bridge Completed - June 18, 2016
A whole host of volunteers turned out for the Friends of Pisgah work day on Saturday to build the new South Woods Trail bridge, open the new bypass pathway, and dismantle three old spans nearby.
Thanks to a concerted effort over six hours, the work was completed. Now the new bypass is open to the public. Temporary signs are in place directing trekkers through the new route.
This new bridge and the bypass adds to the restoration effort on the South Woods Trail that has been underway now since last summer, when a longer span was completed well to the east. There is more work to be done on the path, including the installation of a viewing platform at the edge of a heron marsh where the old bridges were located. But now the South Woods Trail is in the best condition it has been in for many years.
Kim Nilsen
Pisgah Trail Maintenance - April 16, 2016
John Herrick, Jon Knickerbocker, Sherisa Sterling, Gary Montgomery, Matt Edson and his ATV, Jack Kondos, Abe and Gabe Howe, Tom Haynes and John Hudachek met at the Horseshoe trail head in Chesterfield Saturday, April 16th to work on the trails for the upcoming May 14th Friends of Pisgah Run in the Park.Pisgah Trail Maintenance - February 20, 2016
November 2015 Trail Maintenance at FOP Dort Property
On Saturday, November 14th at 10:00 am the Friends of Pisgah met to install a 20 foot 18" diameter culvert near the lean-to they constructed two years ago on the Friends of Pisgah Dort property in Chesterfield.
John Herrick used his tractor to lower the culvert into the ditch he had dug the previous week. Iva Wood, Art Susmann, Kim Nilson, Jon Knickerbocker, David Weisel and John Hudachek moved stones around the ends of the culvert to hold it place while John covered the culvert. We envision this will dry the wet area on the trail to the lean-to that was always soggy to walk through.
After the culvert was installed we hiked to a new vista John has opened that looks north toward Chesterfield Village. After a lunch behind some rocks to escape the wind we clear a trail from this vista to the trail connecting the lean-to to the Davis Hill trail.
John Hudachek
Click here to view photos by John Herrick
Pisgah Trail Maintenance - December 12, 2015
10 volunteers, Kim Nilson, Jon Knickerbocker, David Weisel, Matt Edson and his ATV, John Herrick and his tractor, Abe and Gabe Howe, Krister Raasoch and dogs Art and Harry, Doug Favreau and dog Hermes and John Hudachek and Pisgah State Park Manager Whip Newell met on a warm Saturday, December 12th at 10 am at the Kilburn trailhead in Hinsdale. The goal of the day was to clear as many culverts and trails as possible.
We split into four groups.
David, John Hudachek, Doug and Hermes hiked the Kilburn loop opening all culverts. We also removed all branches and trees from the trail including three 8"-12" diameter trees that we cut with handsaws. Lunch break was taken on a sunny rock overlooking a pond on the southeast side of the loop. We returned to the parking lot at 2:20 pm.
John Herrick, his tractor and Whip drove down to the Kilburn loop where they were last seem ditching a pond in the trail.
Matt, Abe and Gabe drove the ATV up the Davis Hill and Hubbard Hill trails returning via Reservoir Trail and Baker Pond trails.
Kim, Jon Knickerbocker, Krister, Art and Harry drove up to the Horseshoe trailhead where they cleaned culverts and trails.
Thanks to all for a very productive work day!
John Hudachek
FOP Annual Meeting November 10, 2015 Minutes and Pictures
The FOP met at the Community House in Hinsdale on Nov 10 for its Annual Meeting. About 2-dozen members and guests attended. President Matt Edson called the meeting to order at 7:03 pm. Matt gave about a 10-minute summary of the activities of the FOP, particularly in trail work, this year.
October 2015 Trail Maintenance
New Bridges Grace the Pisgah Ridge Trail
Over the course of the last few weeks, volunteer crews have disassembled and rebuilt several new spans on the Pisgah Mountain Trail, added a long board walk alongside a wetland along that same pathway, and raised and firmed up a bridge on the Dogwood Swamp Trail, a span whose northwestern footing had been undermined by the stream beneath causing the deck to pitch and fall Several weeks ago, volunteers hauled a good deal of new pressure treated material, sufficient for two separate spans, from the Kilburn parking lot and up to the Pisgah Mountain Trail worksite, using pickups, and an ATV machine and cart. Sometimes utilizing the winch on the ATV, the crew was able to get all the materials and tools up to the lower construction site without too much additional hand-carrying.
