Fall 2006: A Look Back

Well, here we are into winter and we must apologize for the delay in updating this webpage. Fall was a busy season for us. We completed the Coldspring Branch Bridge. Come check it out.

This fiberglass design will likely be used again for our spring Jones Gap land slide reroute project. We intend to have all Saturdays this coming spring open for volunteers. Feel free to contact us with inquiries into such opportunities.

Without the wonderful help of our volunteers, we'd be unable to maintain a sustainable trail system. These steps were put in along the steep Tom Miller Trail with the help Dr. Thompson's Clemson class early in December.

Here's a shot of our latest endeavor. Park employees have begun to ease the climb up Pinnacle Pass Trail from Jones Gap with log steps. What's a better way to spend a Saturday than to build some beautiful steps like these? Contact us to join in the fun! Happy New Year!

Coldspring Bridge

Here's an overdue update on our Coldspring Bridge project: volunteers and staff have made great progress in hauling most of the materials by foot 2.5 miles to the remote river crossing. We are gearing up for the construction phase, and the 38 ft. bridge should be open sometime in October. If you are missing out on all the fun, let us know! Here are some recent photos of staff and volunteers in action:

Dirt = Fun

Thanks to local volunteers from Erwin-Penland in Greenville, our trails are getting better and better here in the wilderness. This past weekend, we built some much needed steps on the Frank Coggins trail. Volunteering can be lots of fun. We'd love to have you up here!


Removing roots, outsloping, collecting backfill


Prepping locust steps


The finished product!

Volunteers Welcome!

Thanks for your interest in volunteering to help us maintain the trails in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area! Here's a little more info for you:

Volunteers help us year-round with erosion control, pruning, trail rehabilitation, stair building, and many other projects. Primarily we work along the most heavily used and easily accessible trails. However, there are many opportunities for those interested in working in more remote areas, or on more intensive projects.

Many weekdays and weekends are open to volunteer assistance. What would help us immensely is to contact us at least ten days in advance to when you would like to help out. This gives us time to prepare work tools and materials and select appropriate trail projects. Also, check back for updates on upcoming projects.

Five to seven hours is the standard duration of projects. A typical volunteer day is set up like this: we meet at Caesars Head or Jones Gap State Park at 9AM, go over safety procedures and instruction, then hike out to the work site with tools (usually within one to two miles). We work until lunch, then break at the site. Afterwards we work for a couple more hours before calling it a day.

What we provide:

-On-site training with tools and safety
-Trail tools
-Some work gloves (please bring a pair if you have them)
-Standard first-aid (we also will have a radio on hand for emergencies)

What each volunteer needs to bring:

-Comfortable work clothes: long pants with boots/shoes (no sandals please!)
-Backpack with water bottles or hydration packs with at least 2 liters of water
-Lunch and snacks (enough to stay energized for 6 hours on the trail)
-Necessary medicines (for allergies etc.)