Alanna Gillis

Opinions Editor

amg7393@psu.edu

Restoration attempts are currently underway in Wintergreen Gorge. The restoration is now entering phase two, which picks up where Trout Run meets Four Mile Creek. It is estimated that the project overall will take about ten years. 

“Really, this is about grating the trail to make it ADA accessible, the way that phase one is,” Dr. Sherri Mason said. The ADA is the American Disability Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability. In the case of this project, the ADA is trying to make sure the trail can be accessed by those with disabilities. “Phase one is a crushed, compressed limestone. It’s at a certain slope that allows it to be ADA accessible. Where phase two starts, it’s got dirt, it’s got ruts in it. With phase one done, we’ve kind of learned from it, and we have some other minor issues that will be corrected in phase two,” says Dr. Mason. The goal of phase two is to further the accessibility of the trail by putting down limestone, fixing the angles, and smoothing out the ruts. “We want it to be as accessible to the public as it can be,” stated Dr. Mason. 

Phase one focused mainly on the parking lot at the Cooper Road trailhead. Prior to the phase, there was no parking lot. However, “we now have 16 spaces and two ADA accessible spaces at the Cooper Road trailhead,” explains Dr. Mason. “Then we have the main trail and the Creekside loop that is all ADA accessible and has been regraded to reduced erosion issues. We also added in some rain gardens, among other things.” 

“The most pressing issue facing the Gorge is erosion. You see it all over the place. There’s just a huge amount of erosion happening,” Dr. Mason says. She believes the reason for this is how the trails have been created. “People, when it’s not raining, tend to follow the path of water on the trails because it clears the topsoil. Then when it rains, people can’t walk on those places and that leads to a lot of erosion.” This is one of the main reasons why the restoration effort is focusing on trail maintenance, aside from making them more accessible.

“Phase three is going to be in the Devil’s Backbone area of the Gorge, so we’re going to end up doing either end of the Gorge, and then we’ll connect them,” explained Dr. Mason about the next step in the restoration process. “There’s a section in Devil’s Backbone where the trail nears the edge of the Gorge, so we’re going to turn the main trail away from the edge because of the erosion issues.” 

When it comes to what students and hikers can do to help with these issues, Dr. Mason said, “staying on the trails is the most important thing, as we’re doing the restoration.” As an example, Mason cited the Cooper Road trailhead. “A lot of students and hikers are cutting through this wetland in order to make their way to the creek, and they’re disrupting the wetland in the process of that. We really want people to stay on the trail so the other areas of the region can be maintained and restored naturally.” 

A few other things Dr. Mason mentioned that students and hikers can do to help include picking up their trash. “It’s really about Pack It In, Pack It Out. If you come in carrying a water bottle, you should leave carrying a water bottle. If you come in with a granola bar, you should leave with the wrapper. There’s no reason to leave your trash in the Gorge just because you finish the product you walked into the Gorge with.” 

Students in Sustainability 200, taught by Dr. Mason herself, have actually helped create signage that is being put in as part of the restoration project. “If students want to help out, they can take Sustainability 200 next fall!” says Mason. “We also do a lot of Creekside cleanups, at least one in the fall and one in the spring, so students can help with that.” 

“I think the biggest thing is to let the students know the restoration is happening, and the intent of it is really to preserve that space so that students in the future can enjoy it just as students now do. I just ask that students treat that space with that kind of respect. It’s always heartbreaking when I go into the Gorge and see trees that have been spray-painted with some not-so-nice language and images, and all the trash that gets left behind. I think a lot of it is unintentional, but just remember to ‘Pack It In, Pack It Out,’”says Mason.