Pending Projects

Master list of pending trail projects on the RCT

Ongoing

  • Review and revise the blazing over the entire trail to achieve greater consistency and to enhance the functionality. Work is ongoing from either end. Estimated completion - Spring '22.

Winter Scouting

  • Yutes Reroute - Route identified.
  • RCT/Baker Connection - 
  • Crawford Hill - Route identified.
  • Riddle to Football Field - Route identified.
  • Rich Hill - Next Year.
  • McKinney - Preliminary route scouted, consult with NP Rangers to develop final plan.

Spring 2022 (preChallenge)

  • Reroute off of Yutes Run Road. Reroute the trail between Tawney Run Road and the top of the Log Cabin/Yute's hill, eliminating the Yute's Run Road walk. Estimate 400 hours, 6+ work days.
  • Serenity Woods Reroute - Work is 90% complete between Murray Hill Road and St. Regis lane. Additional work is needed on the lower zig zags off Murray Hill Road, and at a few spots along the Shelf. 1 work day
  • Ridge Road Tuneup - Do additional benching in of the treadway and improve the 'zig zags'. Cut back the overgrowth.

Summer 2022

  • Western RCT - Eliminate the road walk on McKinney and instead go directly across McKinney and reconnect with the existing trail west of the soccer fields. Scouting done, talk with North Park stakeholders to develop a plan.
  • Gourdhead Run Scout Bridges - The two bridges through this area could use some love, the Eagle bridge has missing boards, and they both could us a good coat of stain/preservative, we should also do a major cut back of the vegetation around them. The second bridge also has missing boards. We've reached out to Hampton Twp and Scout troop 195 (Mark Slocum was a member of 195 when he built the bridge 20 years ago), the Scouts expressed interest in the project and we are still awaiting a reply from Hampton. 
  • Wall Park?

Fall 2022

  • Crawford Hill (East of Sheets) - The trail zig zags up the hill then comes out onto the powerline, that hill is extremely steep (possible the steepest on the trail) and dangerous, particularly going down hill, we need to do something to mitigate the danger. Reroute the trail to the right of the current trail. Route identified. Address drainage on the lower hill.
  • Upper LeFever Hill - Move the trail slightly on the upper part of the hill due to a small slide. Reroute the trail slightly uphill to avoid slide area, investigate reroute cutting out 'belly' in the trail. Talk to the landowner for approval, and discuss the 'pond' west of the pipeline.
  • Between Topnick and the Middle School - Major cutback of the vegetation, make it 'mower friendly'. Repair drainage issues.

Long Term Wish List

  • Eliminate Freeport Road - Reroute the trail between Freeport/Riddle intersection to the football field, - Route identified, await resolution of construction in the area.
  • Gourdhead Run East/Mt DiCio East - Both of these areas have deep gullies formed from years of foot traffic and erosion, I'd like to put logs or boards across these gullies and fill in behind them forming broad 'steps' and repairing the damage we have done through the years.
  • Bailey Run Road East - A route has been scouted, estimated 6 work days to complete. Minimal road walking eliminated so project is lower priority.
  • Bailey Run RoadWest - Scouting of two possible routes to the west side of Bailey Run is done and we need to secure permission or make an acquisition to proceed.
  • Bakerstown Road East - The trail traverses the slope down to the creek and then goes directly up the hill on the opposite side, that hill is really steep and the trail is ill defined as people scramble for a way up, I think we can do better. One option is to traverse the slope up somewhat mirror image to the opposite side, the other is to put in a zig zag up the slope. We need to do some scouting to decide which will make better trail.
  • Extend the Hartwood spur trail to Beechwood Farms and beyond. We are endeavoring to find a route for the trail, several options are being explored. Discussions with landowners are on going.
  • Reroute off of Rich Hill into the woods beside the current trail. We'd also like to explore eliminating the smaller up and down hill just west of this by going around it instead of up and over. Preliminary scouting on the south side of the current trail shows a viable route in deep woods, this utilizes the NRLNLP property (that we are currently using). Additional scouting on the northern side needed, this is the Henry property (friends of the trail).
  • Extend the eastern terminus to connect with the Baker Trail and the Butler/Freeport Trail. Property acquisitions continue with our partners in Allegheny County. The hillside leading down to Freeport has been scouted and while extremely challenging, options exist to make the connections. Further scouting is needed, as well as working with the other stakeholders to further this project.

Updated March 25, 2022