WEST MILFORD n The Pumphouse Trail in Wawayanda State Park starts at high ground on the road to Highland Lakes but before long it descends steeply to a valley. There it crosses a brook that drains into a large swamp. Until this year there were some planks and logs that nimble hikers could use to get across the brook. But this crude crossing became unusable with the heavy spring rains. When Brian Battersby, an Eagle Scout candidate in Boy Scout Troop 44 of West Milford, approached Park Maintenance Supervisor Dennis Webster about a possible service project, he suggested a new bridge on Pummphouse Trail. The distance from the nearest road posed a tactical challenge, so Battersby not only had to design a suitable span over the brook, he had to figure out how to get his materials to the site. The plan passed through several versions as various experts added their advice. When Battersby got final approval and was successful his search for materials, the physical work began. Since Wawayanda Park officials required the bridge to support a small four-wheeled emergency vehicle, heavier underpinnings were needed than would otherwise serve for foot traffic. Although such a vehicle brought the heavy timbers and other lumber partway in from the road, everything had to be carried by hand down the steep slope. Battersby recruited a large work force from the membership of Troop 44, parents, and friends. Luckily, the cool weather of late spring cooperated with the strenuous effort. Careful planning paid off. Two 16-foot structures were completed in about six hours of non-stop work. Maintenance Supervisor Webster gratefully acknowledged the significant contribution to the park’s trail system by Scout Battersby. Boy Scout Troop 44 is chartered to the West Milford Presbyterian Church. In the troop’s more than 50 year history, hundreds of boys have benefited from the character development, leadership training, and physical fitness that comes from the scouting program. Some of them still reside in West Milford and take an active part in community affairs. Over the years, 61 of the troop’s members have earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Troop 44 presently has openings for boys in the sixth grade and above who would enjoy a program based on camping and other outdoor activities. For a sampling of what scouts do, interested boys and their parents are invited to an open house on Wednesday October 3, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. There will be demonstrations of scout skills, games, and refreshments. The troop meets at the Lawrence E. Terhune Scout House located on the property of the West Milford Presbyterian Church on Union Valley Road (next to Town Cycle).