York Town News
Eagle Scout projects reaching new heights on Mount Agamenticus
By Melissa Wood
Gene Jones, 17, stands on the bridge he constructed for his Eagle Scout community service project. The bridge, spanning 50 feet, is 60 inches wide and is located on the Chicks Brook trail, which winds around and up the back of Mount Agamenticus. Last spring, this section of the trail was under a foot and a half of water.
Photo by Melissa Wood
YORK - Hikers, horseback riders, bird watchers, mountain bike riders and others who love Mount Agamenticus will notice some changes the next time they visit the mountain.
In fact, it would be hard to miss two new major improvements on the mountain: a 28-foot octagonal deck in front of the lodge on the summit and a bridge spanning 50 feet across and 60 inches wide on the Chicks Brook trail.
However, what visitors might not know is that twin 17-year-old York boys built the deck and bridge.
Brothers Tim and Gene Jones, seniors at York High School, undertook the construction projects in order to earn the rank of Eagle Scout - the highest distinction a Boy Scout can earn.
"This is a huge project for an Eagle Scout," said Peter Jones, father of the boys and assistant scoutmaster, as he worked on the deck on a sunny January afternoon earlier this month.
One of the last steps a Boy Scout takes before becoming an Eagle Scout is the completion of a community service project where the scout is responsible for "planning, directing, and following through to its successful completion," according to the National Eagle Scout Association's website, www.nesa.org.
Only about 5 percent of Boy Scouts achieve the Eagle Scout distinction, according to NESA.
"It's been pretty rough," said Tim, who chose to build the deck as his project. The deck, which is almost complete, will be large enough to be used for activities as diverse as bird watching and weddings.
The deadline for the projects is Feb. 11- the boys' 18th birthday - because once a Boy Scout become an adult, he is no longer eligible to achieve the Eagle Scout distinction.
Tim said he expects to finish before the project's deadline "as long as we don't run out of funding."
Peter Jones said the boys have been lucky to have good weather that has allowed them to work on their projects throughout the winter.
"We keep hoping for one more weekend and we keep getting it," he said.
Gene Jones completed building his bridge on the Friday before the New Year. He said he originally thought the project would take a couple of days' work, but instead he ended up working on the bridge "every weekend for months."
Gene said he had been out on the trail last spring when seasonal flooding caused that part of it to be a foot and a half underwater. As part of the bridge project, he also dug drainage ditches to direct the water flow, which, along with the bridge, will help slow down erosion that can affect the natural habitat of wildlife and plants in the area.
One thing Gene said he learned to appreciate was the amount of effort it takes to bring materials out to remote trail locations, since the bridge is more than half a mile away from the road on Chicks Brook trail - a trail that runs around and up the back of the mountain.
For instance, on the first day of working on the bridge, Gene said they thought they would be zipping back and forth on the four-wheeler they used to carry supplies such as gravel and boards. Instead, it took hours to make a single trip.
Constructing the bridge as his project was a natural choice, Gene explained, because his father took the brothers on many hikes on Mount Agamenticus and other places in New England, such as Mount Katahdin and Mount Washington.
"I've always kind of been interested in trail work because I use so many of them," he said. "I thought I'd give back by helping out."
The brothers have been scouts since they were in third grade. Gene said he had always thought about becoming an Eagle Scout but made up his mind to do it when his older brother Robby reached the goal by making improvements to the warming hut at the Robert Mackey Skate Park on Bog Road.
Tim and Gene were able to obtain the support of people in the community, the York Parks and Recreation Department and local businesses such as True Value Hardware and Eldredge Lumber, for volunteer help and much-needed supplies. Some days, they said, as many as 10 people would help out on their projects.
Boy Scout Brandon Lyon, 15, a freshman at York High School, was one of those helpers, seeing firsthand the amount of work that goes into a community project.
He said he also hopes to earn the Eagle Scout distinction and plans to begin on his project next summer.
