Trail Pittsburgh: Frick

Thanks to our volunteers for chopping back some fast growing vegetation last weekend! We are working on planning out some larger projects with trail days that we will post on this page. In the meantime if you would like to get involved, sign up for our email list by using the form here: https://www.trailpittsburgh.org/volunteer/

After three work sessions and over 80 hours of volunteer time we have finished removing and restoring the wide gravel entrance to Upper Concrete Block (also referred to as Homeless Camp) trail and created a new singletrack trail to replace it. The park staff had widened and put gravel on the old trail in order to remove the large junk pile that had accumulated over the years. However, as this trail entrance leads into some of the most technically difficult trails in the park ...that are narrow, steep, and rocky, it was unsafe to have such a misleading wide entrance. We removed as much gravel as we could from the old path, then covered it with a layer of organic soil and plenty of debris to keep people and animals off of it. We planted native grass and wildflower seeds so here's to hoping we get some rain this week so the seeds can germinate and eventually make this scar heal. Thanks again to all of the volunteers who helped with this project!

It took two of us three hours this morning but we were able to cut a path through this large (~30 inch diameter) fallen Maple tree on Bradema trail. An unfortunate loss for the forest but we estimated from the growth rings this tree was around 100 years old, and half of the trunk was already dead.

New trail alert! We've finished building a new section of trail on Cowboy Hill that replaces two very old and very eroded fall line (straight downhill) sections of trail. This new trail section provides a much more sustainable and scenic route from the bottom to the top of Cowboy Hill. Many thanks to all of the volunteers who helped with this project. Check it out next time you're at the north end of the park! https://www.trailforks.com/trails/solstice-trail/

While the pandemic impacted our ability to host larger volunteer days last year, we still accomplished 616 hours of volunteer work over 90 days in 2020. Many thanks to those that helped! We hope to return to public workdays sometime in 2021. We kicked off 2021 with a short reroute on Bradema Trail due to a fallen tree too large to remove. We only had to realign the trail about 10 feet away so it's likely not very noticeable.

We were honored to host YouTuber BKXC for a ride in Frick Park this summer as part of his 50 state tour. Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/FVoGRn2ird0

We finally fixed the Dinky Bridge! We had plans to work on this just as the pandemic hit so we had to postpone the project. After evaluating all of the options several times we decided to repair the existing bridge as it was still in good shape other than the angle. The bridge was not built to current Trail Pittsburgh standards and was not sitting on proper footings so we completely removed it, straightened it out, and attached new footings. Then we added a vertical support so it cannot sag again. The wet area was dug out and filled with rock that should allow the seep to drain without making the trail muddy. Many thanks to the six volunteers who spent their morning with us on this project. Check out the comment below for a time lapse video.

Hey everyone, We've received several reports of mountain bikers passing hikers and walkers on the trails in an unsafe manner, often accompanied by foul language. This behavior is unacceptable, and sets a bad precedent for all mountain bikers. Additionally, behaving this way goes against one of the core values of Trail Pittsburgh, which is to "provide the residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania with sustainable multi-use trail experiences. By facilitating safe and fun recreatio...n, Trail Pittsburgh connects citizens with the region’s expansive outdoor assets to encourage an active, healthy lifestyle". Previously, we posted that Trail Pittsburgh follows the tri-yield sign, which indicates that mountain bikers yield to horses and walkers/runners, and descending riders yield to climbing riders. This Tri-Yield triangle was formally adopted by land managers in the late 1970s, and adhering to these rules is a significant reason why mountain bikers have the access we do. If you're on a bike on the trails and see walkers, hikers, runners, or equestrian riders, yield to them. Passing them at speed without calling out is not only unsafe, it is unkind. Here are some suggestions for passing on the trail: * If you have a bell, use it to indicate your presence to others on the trail. * If you don't have a bell, call out in a friendly manner such as "Passing on your left". * Let everyone know that you're approaching them before you are on top of them. If someone on the trail moves out of the way for you to pass on your bike, please thank them. What you should not do is yell at people and tell them to get out of your way. In every interaction, you have the choice to be kind or to be a jerk. Choose kindness. Everyone on the trails deserves to be there, and you have no more right than they do. In a time of extreme uncertainty and societal challenges, the trails are a refuge for *everyone*. Be kind, be friendly, and help to create a positive atmosphere. Best, Trail Pittsburgh

Public work days will continue soon! In the meantime you can support our work by donating to the Trail Pittsburgh Spring Trail Fund. $25 gets you 5 entries and a $20 Trek credit $50 gets you 10 entries, a $20 Trek credit, and our new fender that's about to drop... $100 gets you 25 entries, a $20 Trek credit, and the new Trail Pittsburgh t-shirt that's also about to drop

Spring is upon us and while we are all enjoying the lovely weather and practicing safe distancing to our fellow trail users remember nature wants us to practice social distancing as well. This time of year its common to see young wildlife and while this is super interesting its best to leave it be and stay away. We ask if you see anything cool to keep its location private, stay far away, do not touch or move it and please keep your dog away! If you are concerned for the animals safety please contact the Park Rangers or us and leave a message so they can check it out. As always stay safe and have fun!

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With all of the rain, freezing, and thawing, and the coming spring season we are currently experience very muddy trail conditions in the Allegheny County Parks.... Please help us keep our trails in great shape by following these Muddy Trail Etiquette Guidelines: - If you leave tracks turn back! - If you do encounter the occasional mud puddle even when the trails are dry go through the center and not around it. Going around causes trail widening and braiding which causes erosion and damages plant life. - We all like to be out in the woods, but if conditions are poor please consider using paved or gravel paths until the trails dry up. - We all use the trails and the best way to keep them in great shape is to volunteer. You can find a variety of volunteer opportunities by searching "volunteer" here: http://bit.ly/parksvolunteers - Pass this message along and make sure everyone knows the best practices to keep our trails in great shape. Thanks for helping keep our trails in good condition!