Volunteer Patrol To Hit The Trail At Jacobsburg State Park
Mountain bikers will provide assistance to park users, help maintain paths.
From The Morning Call
By Sara J. Jurasits
Special to The Morning Call
05-03-02
The first official Mountain Bike Patrol in the area will begin riding the trails of Jacobsburg State Park Sunday to aid park users and administrators.
The 16-member volunteer group, part of Valley Mountain Bikers, is only the second of its kind in the state sanctioned by the International Mountain Bike Association.
"The purpose of the volunteer program is to provide a service for all trail users - horseback riders, bikers and hikers," Jacobsburg Park Manager Dale Prinkey said. "It is not a law enforcement or regulatory group but a group of peer trail users."
Mountain biking has been permitted at the park in Bushkill Township for 10 years, Prinkey said, and has become one of the most popular activities there. He was approached about the idea of a bike patrol at the end of last year.
He said the bike patrol is considered a pilot program and was approved by the Bureau of State Parks. The York Area Mountain Bike Association in York has the only other official bike patrol in the state.
Joe Transue, president of Valley Mountain Bikers and a patrol volunteer, hopes the program will show there are concerned and responsible mountain bikers in this area.
"Assist, educate, inform. That's really what our mission is," he said.
Patrollers, who will wear yellow shirts with green patrol logos, have been trained in trail and environmental concerns, interpersonal skills, interagency relations, map reading and bike repair.
Patrollers can assist park users in many ways, such as giving directions or providing cyclists with tire tubes and patch kits for repairs. Members are all certified by the Red Cross in basic first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The patrol also will provide trail maintenance at the park.
"We have a relatively small maintenance staff so to have a volunteer group come out to do trail work or maintenance is a big boost to us," Prinkey said.
Transue said the Bike Patrol is a good way to educate people about the park and to promote mountain biking. Members will hand out materials about the park and mountain biking, and remind visitors of rules and regulations of the park. They will also promote trail etiquette.
There are 181/2 miles of trails at Jacobsburg, Prinkey said, with 161/2 of those being multiuse trails for bikers, equestrians and pedestrians.
The International Mountain Bike Association has an accepted trail etiquette that Prinkey says they would like to see everyone observe.
"Because of the size of horses and the potential for injury, bikes and hikers should yield to horses and let them pass by safely. Bikers should also yield to pedestrians," Prinkey said.
The bike patrol will also inform park personnel of environmental conditions, such as downed trees, that need to be fixed.
"The bikers will be eyes on the trail to report hazards or conditions our staff does not have time to detect," Prinkey said.
"I can't emphasize enough how important it is this group has decided to give its services here," he said. "We just do not have the staff to cover the area they can. They can interact with visitors more than we are able to."
Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center is at 835 Jacobsburg Road, and can be reached from Route 33 at the Belfast exit.
Sara Jurasits is a free-lance writer. Copyright © 2002, The Morning Call
