David Bowen poses with a chainsaw

Volunteer Helps Ensure Happy Trails for Appalachian Hikers

Dave Bowen, MBA ’77, oversees maintenance on a 46-mile stretch of the famed footpath in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park

“Bear Hugs” celebrates heartwarming stories of Cornellians on the Hill and around the world. Have an idea? Email us at cornellians@cornell.edu!

By Beth Saulnier

A few years ago, CNN did a round-up of the world’s best hiking trails. Of the 23 featured—iconic byways like Spain’s Camino de Santiago de Compostela and a section of the Great Wall of China—only two are in the U.S. One of those—rated number three—is the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia’s Springer Mountain to Maine’s Mount Katahdin.

And as Dave Bowen, MBA ’77, takes particular pleasure in noting, the news site singled out just one section of the 2,200-mile-long route: the part that runs through Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, which it called “spectacular” and “home to some of the best scenery on the trail.”

Two men sitting on a large tree as they cut it down
In position to remove a fallen tree.

Why was Bowen so tickled by the shout-out? Because he’s one of the volunteers in charge of keeping that stretch of the AT—as it’s colloquially known—in such fine fettle.

For the past several years, as a district manager with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, Bowen has overseen maintenance of 46 miles of the AT in the southern portion of Shenandoah, as well as of other nearby trails in the park.

With his crew of some 50 “maintainers,” he clears the AT in the spring, and keeps it navigable and picturesque throughout the hiking season.

“Our goal is to ensure our hikers have a great experience, and we take a lot of pride in what we do,” says Bowen, a resident of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

David Bowen hiking with his dog in a backpack
Hiking with his Shiba Inu, Saki.

“Some of our maintainers come from as far away as the seacoast; they’ll drive four hours to get here, and sleep in their cars. We have some really dedicated people.”

The crews remove fallen trees; trim back encroaching vegetation; redirect waterflow to prevent erosion; and much more.

“Water is an enemy of the trail,” Bowen observes. “The park in general, and our section in particular, has a lot of ups and downs: we climb over ridges, go up mountains, come down to the Skyline Drive, and then go back up another mountain. So there’s lots of water control work to be done.”

In addition to myriad administrative tasks—like scheduling volunteers, keeping track of needed repairs, and making sure there’s enough gas for the weed whackers—Bowen still does a fair amount of hands-on work.

That includes cutting fallen trees as one of the park’s certified chainsaw users—a task that, he stresses, demands keen attention and stringent safety protocols, including working in a two-person team, wearing protective gear, and communicating with the park’s command center via radio.

Water is an enemy of the trail.

“Those trees can weigh up to 500 pounds per foot,” says Bowen, who has been volunteering at the park since the late 2010s.

“Great care must be taken to prevent them from doing something you don’t anticipate—and as a result, injuring yourself or other people. The trees can be bent and under a lot of pressure; they can snap back at you and knock you down. It’s pretty serious stuff.”

A fall view of Shenandoah National Park
national park service
Shenandoah National Park offers magnificent vistas in fall—and year ’round.

A certified public accountant on top of his Big Red MBA, Bowen spent much of his career in information technology for large healthcare organizations—including overseeing a major consolidation of disparate systems for the U.S. Department of Defense.

And while he’s now retired, he’s hardly idle.

On top of spending many hours a week on AT maintenance—and being extremely handy with a chainsaw—he’s a licensed commercial pilot and a level-two certified downhill skiing instructor who helps run a resort’s ski school.

Those trees can weigh up to 500 pounds per foot. Great care must be taken to prevent them from doing something you don’t anticipate.

And as if that doesn’t keep him busy enough, Bowen is also a “ranger” for a nearby golf course—“the guy who tells people to speed up play if they’re falling behind, or that they shouldn’t drive carts on the greens.”

Plus, he’s a world traveler, having visited every continent—a milestone he reached two years ago, when he and his now-wife got married on a National Geographic icebreaker 140 miles south of the Antarctic Circle.

David Bowen leading a tree-cutting crew
Leading a team to clear a footpath.

But has Bowen ever hiked the length of the Appalachian Trail, as some 3,000 people attempt each year, though only about a quarter succeed?

“I really don’t have a lot of interest,” admits Bowen, noting that he got involved with hiking, backpacking, and trail maintenance fairly late in life.

“While I greatly admire those whom I’ve met—young and old—who are working to conquer the trail, my best role is helping to make their journey as easy and memorable as possible.”

(All images provided, unless otherwise indicated.)

Published May 27, 2025

Leave a Comment

Once your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Other stories You may like