A safe walk in the woods, thanks to aspiring Eagle Scout

By George Leroy Hunter
SHOHOLA — New steps and handrails built at Shohola Falls will keep hikers safe as they enjoy their treks through the woods in autumn, and all year-'round.
You can thank Life Scout Sean Rinkel of Shohola's Boy Scout Troop 76, who came up with the idea for his Eagle service project. Local businesses supplied construction equipment and materials, and band of hardy volunteers supplied the sweat.
Rinkel and his fellow Scouts worked for hours on weekends, sawing, hammering, and drilling to get the job done right. They worked slowly and carefully along a steep incline beneath an observation deck leading to the falls area. They removed the old deteriorating steps and replaced them with fresh six-by sixes. They broke up the sharp shale rock and smoothed out the surface with fill rock.
The newly finished steps and rails will hold up for years to come, even under heavy foot traffic and Pike County's long snowy winters.
Sean, 16, has been involved with the Boy Scouts for ten years now. He is a student-athlete at Delaware Valley High School in Milford, where he participates in cross country and track and field. After college, he plans to become a mechanical engineer.
"An Eagle project is the biggest requirement to reach the rank of Eagle Scout," he said.
Eagle Scout is the highest rank that can be achieved in the Boy Scouts.
"For my Eagle project we are replacing the steps at Shohola Falls that are rotting away," he said. "A lot of the gravel has eroded away and will be replaced also. Local businesses have helped us with supplies."
He extends thanks to Ray Willis, VFW Mountain Laurel Post 8612, and Springbrook Quarry, among other helpers and benefactors who helped him achieve his goal (see sidebar).
The Eagle Scout Service Project gives Scouts an opportunity to demonstrate leadership while benefiting his community.