CORBIN —
By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor
“You want to blaze sparingly,” Steve Barbour warns his troop of 30 volunteers. “...You don’t want it to look like I-75 out there.”
Barbour, executive director of the Sheltowee Trace Association, is helping lead an effort to “re-blaze,” or re-mark, the 280 miles of the Sheltowee Trace trail system.
On a drizzling Sunday morning, 30 such volunteers gathered at Sheltowee Trace Outfitters in Whitley County, armed with handfuls of white plastic diamonds to be nailed on trees along the trail.
The Forest Services provides the blazes and the nails.
Barbour provides the manpower.
He also tutors his volunteers on the proper way to nail in a blaze — at eye level, and with nails only half-way into a live, healthy tree.
“If the tree’s still growing, it will grow out and eventually push the blaze right off the tree, believe it or not,” he said.
Volunteers also clear fallen trees and trash from the trails. Barbour said proper blazing helps promote use of the Sheltowee Trace by novice hikers — if a first-time hiker has a bad experience by losing the trail, he’s less likely to return to the outdoors.
“There hasn’t been an organized blazing activity like this since the trail was actually built, which is over 30 years ago,” Barbour said. “We’ve had individuals and teams out since the first of March walking the trace and putting blazes up, so we’ve done somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 miles of the Trace that needed to be done.”
The reblazing is the first major activity undertaken by the Sheltowee Trace Association, which was incorporated last year to “protect, preserve and promote” the Sheltowee Trace National Recreational Trail. The trail runs 280 miles, the entire length of the Daniel Boone National Forest throughout Kentucky. It was completed in 1976 and takes its name from the Shawnee word for “Big Turtle,” the nickname given to Daniel Boone by the Native American tribe.
“Our goal by the end of March was to make sure the whole trace was blazed, and we knew of any blockages on the trace that we might have to get teams out to clear, so we’re confident at the end of the month we’re going to be where we want to be,” Barbour said.
Sunday’s event was the largest single reblazing event the STA has hosted since beginning the project. Sheltowee Trace Outfitters — a company that hosts rafting, canoeing and camping excursions — provided free overnight camping to volunteers and drove shuttles to drop off and pick up hikers along trail routes.
“We wouldn’t be able to do anything this big if it wasn’t for Sheltowee Trace Outfitters,” Barbour said. “Every time we’ve done something like this it’s been one or two people, or three or four.”
Armed with gloves, trash bags and hand saws, Sunday’s group blazed a total of 14 miles of local trails from Bark Camp Spur to Ky. Route 192.
In future years, volunteers will be called upon to maintain the trails. More on future Sheltowee Trace Assocation events, or how to become a member of the organization, can be found online at sheltoweetrace.org.
Homepage
Related Photos
-
On a drizzling Sunday morning, 30 volunteers gathered at Sheltowee Trace Outfitters in Whitley County, armed with handfuls of white plastic diamonds to be nailed on trees along the trail. Pictured, Roger Cox picks up trash along one of the trails. Photo by Samantha Swindler
Discussion
Trail Blazers
30 volunteers nail in blazes along Sheltowee Trace
- Homepage
-
Eleven-year-old Will Fields, of Corbin, reads "The Jellybeans and the Big Art Adventure" to his 4-year-old sister, Taylor, at the Corbin Public Library on Wednesday.
-
Summertime . . . and the reading's easy
Of all the events offered by the Corbin Public Library, the Summer Reading Program is by far the biggest.
-
Summertime . . . and the reading's easy
- Local News
-
-
Police search for suspect in highway beating
It was called by some as “road rage,” but Barbourville Police say last Saturday evening’s fight at a city intersection was definitely an assault. And they are still looking for the man who police say threw the first punch.
-
Woman gets five years for drugs
In U.S. Federal Court Wednesday, Heather A. Collins, who was called by Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove as a “kind of leader for the group,” was sentenced to five years after using prescription forms to acquire various drugs.
-
Father, son rearraigned for meth charges
A son and father were rearraigned Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in London.
-
Hounds hold on
Corbin Coach Rob Ledington rolled the dice after his Redhounds took a 6-0 lead, but it paid off with an 8-7 win over Whitley County as Corbin advanced to the 50th District Championship tonight with an ace up their sleeve.
-
Police search for suspect in highway beating
- Local Sports
-
The South Laurel Lady Cardinals celebrate after coming from behind to knock off Corbin, 4-3, in the finals of the 50th District championship.
-
South Laurel Sweeps
When it comes to a district championship game it doesn't get any better than a line drive down the third baseline with two outs to end the game, and that’s exactly what happened as the South Laurel Cardinals pulled off a 3-2 victory over Corbin in the 51st District Championship Wednesday.
-
Knox Three-Peats
Not many people expected the Knox Central Lady Panthers to three-peat as the 51st District champions after graduating seven seniors from last season’s squad. But Barb Gregory’s squad proved all of their naysayers wrong by jumping out to a 5-0 lead and holding on in the end to knock off rival Barbourville, 8-4, on Wednesday.
-
South Laurel Sweeps
- Letters
-
-
God’s Pantry needs your support
Today, very close to us, someone is hungry — a child, a senior citizen, a single parent, a worker juggling two jobs to make ends meet.
-
God’s Pantry needs your support
- Features
-
-
Corbin man tackles natural disasters, population in book
Ever wonder why humans populate the areas that they do, regardless of natural disasters and other forces of nature that affect those areas? Corbin resident Barry Vann answers some of these questions and many others in his recently published book, “The Forces of Nature: Our Quest to Conquer The Planet.”
-
Corbin man tackles natural disasters, population in book
- Entertainment
-
-
Archery tourney begins June 1
Professional and amateur archers will come to London beginning Friday, June 1 through Sunday, for the Archery Shooters Association tournament.
-
Archery tourney begins June 1
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
Raw Video: Fight Erupts in Ukrainian Parliament
Texan Ranchers Remain Wary of Drought
Raw Video: Soldiers Plant Flags at Arlington
Police: Man Arrested in Etan Patz Disappearance
NYC Protests: the Revolution Will Be Scripted
Chicago U.S. Attorney Fitzgerald Resigns
Neighbors of Etan Patz's Suspect: It's Shocking
Gulf Fishermen Reel From Seafood Troubles
Stuntman Makes Skydive Without Parachute in UK
Raw Video: Bride Who Faked Cancer Released
