Sunday afternoon under the direction of Wildlife Conservation Officer Kevin Halbfoerster, more than 30 volunteers gathered at the Bake Oven Road parking lot on the border of East Penn and Germansville armed with garbage bags and nearly two dozen camouflage-colored paint cans to restore the beauty of the beloved trail.

Hikers and nature enthusiasts have walked the trail up to the Bake Oven Knob lookout to enjoy the more than 100-mile views. The area has served as a bird-of-prey watch long before the establishment of the Appalachian Trail along the Blue Mountain Ridge."We are trying to clean up this place," Halbfoerster told the crew. "You guys coming out on a hot day tells me a lot about this area. It's great to see all of you."Halbfoerster instructed the group to cover graffiti on the way up the trail with a heavy focus on the lookout area and to grab as much trash on the way down the mountain as possible."There's a lot of paint on the rocks," he said. "During last year's cleanup I went through four or five cans of paint."The Bake Oven Knob is the highest point in Lehigh County at 1,700 feet above sea level. It is a mass of Tuscarora Conglomerate rocks that date back to about 400 million years ago, ascending 100 feet above the ridgeline.James Gabovitz, program chairman of the Allentown Hiking Club, partnered with Halbfoerster to bring attention to the overlook and national trail."He gave a presentation to the club and we have been working together since last year. This is a popular place. In the fall it's packed," he said."It's a shame to see it like this. It's such a beautiful place," he said.Volunteer and avid hiker Laura Smith of Easton first hiked the Bake Oven in January. After she caught sight of all the graffiti, Smith began to coordinate with the conservation officer on cleanup efforts for the trail."I was so disgusted when I saw all the graffiti. I was shocked at how people vandalized such a beautiful place," she said.Germansville resident Steve Saganowich pitched in during the afternoon after hiking the trail that's located five minutes from his home."I live close by and had the time. When you come up and see what's on the rocks it's awful. This stuff is what makes people not want to come back," he said.When Lehigh County juvenile corrections officer Jackie Seidman heard about the volunteer opportunity she thought it would be a perfect chance to implement her new program.Seidman and fellow officer Bethany Murtha gathered four young men and joined the 1 p.m. community effort. Seidman's program is about "pro-social skills," she said."I created it to get them out and do something in the community. We will do our service and then go on organized hikes," she said.According to the officer, the next project may take the Lehigh County crew into Carbon to work on the train roundtable at the Lehigh Valley Gorge in August."I'm extremely happy with the turnout," Halbfoerster said. "There's a new sign hanging up on the board that states possession of paint is unlawful. I can cite people for having paint now," he said.According to the officer a fine of $400 plus damages will be applied to anyone caught in the act of vandalism or in possession of aerosol cans."It seems spray paint is on the rise and we're trying to crack down," he said.In 2014 Halbfoerster said he issued 165 violations, 87 in 2015, and for the first half of 2016 he has issued 25 citations and 22 warnings at the site."I don't like writing tickets. Honestly it's more work for me. I'd rather people just comply, it'd be easier for everyone."Dan Kunkle of the Lehigh Gap Nature Conservation applauded Halbfoerster's efforts."He has been doing an outstanding job trying to enforce laws up there," he said.According to Kunkle, a Hawk Migration Research Program has been conducted at Bake Oven Knob since 1961 along with school field trips for local districts."It's a wonderful place to go for walk," he said. "It's a shame how people abuse the place."