VERMONT—From somewhere up ahead on the trail, you hear the distinctive sound of metal ringing. Finally, after getting over the top of a small hill and through the green vegetation, you see a Vermont Youth Conservation Corps trail crew working with rock bars, shovels and picks, revealing the source of the sound you heard from a distance.

During the past two summers, this has been a common scenario for hikers and backpackers traversing a section of the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail located north of Governor Clement Shelter on the Green Mountain National Forest. The over 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail, which runs from Maine to Georgia, coincides for about 100 miles with the Long Trail, which stretches from Vermont’s northern to southern border.

These hikers are seeing—and hearing—the impact of the Great American Outdoors Act, signed into law in August 2020 to help address deferred maintenance backlog and enhance access on federal lands including national forests. GAOA is funding 86 projects in the Eastern Region between 2021 and 2025, including this one to improve trail structures and support visitor use.

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps crews are implementing this GAOA-funded project. These crews have cleaned out water bars and drainage ditches and strategically moved and placed rocks—not an easy task, especially with hand tools—after receiving trails training at their headquarters and daily guidance from their crew leader.

During the project, the VYCC trail crew group discussed water, soil, erosion and hiker effects on the trail, as well as how their work will improve hiker experience and trail water shedding functions. Frequently used terms included water bars, side hill benching, rock steps, stepping stones, drainage ditches, rock retaining walls and rock turnpike.

One way the VYCC crew improved their efficiency was by camping out near the work site instead of traveling frequently to and from their headquarters located several hours north. This allowed them to work a consolidated schedule of 10-hour days while camping out eight days in a row.

Many hikers on the trail, including some headed from Georgia to Maine, gave the trail crew fist bumps, thumbs ups and sincere thanks for their excellent work. Next year, if you hear metal ringing on the Appalachian Trail and Long Trail, follow it to the area north of Governor Clement Shelter, where you can thank the trail crew and enjoy the benefits made possible by the Great American Outdoors Act!