www.nynjtc.org Connecting People with Nature since 1920 May/June 2007 New York-New Jersey Trail Conference — Maintaining 1,666 Miles of Foot Trails In this issue: Annual Report...Insert • Grobs Get TC Honors...pg 2 • About Butterflies...pg 7 • Saving Sterling Forest...pg 11 TC Publishes Trail Conference Opens New New Guide to Hiking the Trails in the Shawangunks Jersey Highlands even miles of new trails in the south- State Forest and a connection with the George Petty’s exciting new book, Hiking ern Shawangunks, constructed and Shawangunk Ridge Trail. The Trail Confer- the Jersey Highlands, will be available about Sblazed by Trail Conference volunteers ence also is working to transfer the lands it the middle of May, just in time for your on land acquired for preservation by the owns along the Ridge in Orange County spring hiking in the Highlands! Under the Trail Conference, are now open for hiking. to the state for addition to Huckleberry leadership of Ruth Rosenthal, project man- The new trail routes are divided between State Forest. ager, the Trail Conference Publications two Ridge areas in Orange County: a five- Detailed maps of the new hiking areas Committee has produced this informative mile loop that connects the City of Port are not available. For more information 450-page guidebook to 35 hikes in the Jer- Jervis to the “bony and scenic Lenape about the new trails, please read the sey Highlands, organized by length and Ridge” (as described by TC board and crew Favorite Hike feature on page 12. difficulty, with maps member Malcolm Spector), and a two-mile Thanks to the following volunteers for and detailed descrip- Br loop in the Town of Mount Hope that their work on building the new trails: tions to guide your and-ne gu w ide inc links the Shawangunk Ridge Trail to an old Judith Adams, Ken Flessner, Gely and hiking experience. ludes color p (now closed) fire tower. Jakob Franke, Doug Furman, Andy Each hike is hotos of re The longer loop—comprising the new Garrison, Toby Golick, Gary Haugland, accompanied by a gion’s wild Lenape Ridge and Minisink Trails—is Ryo Kiyan, Mike Knutson, Nikolay full-page map, as flowers accessible via Metro North to Port Jervis Kravchuk, Paul “Patagonius” Labounty, well as pictures illus- and a connecting walk along the Delaware Eric and Sue Meyer, John Moran, and trating the terrain and Volunteers have built two miles of new trail River Heritage Trail in Port Jervis. It is also Malcolm Spector. habitats covered by the hike. that link to the SRT in Mt. Hope. accessible by car (see description on page The book also includes a 30-page detailed 12). The two-mile loop in Mount Hope is description of the New Jersey section of the accessible only from the Shawangunk Highlands Trail itself—89.3 blazed miles, Ridge Trail. extending from Big Beech Mountain to Jakob Franke leads the Long Path/ Black Brook Road. Shawangunk Ridge Trail crew, which built Another added bonus is a 16-page color the new trails and plans additional insert with photographs of more than 100 trail-building in the area this spring. (The wildflowers. This will assist even novices in Lenape Ridge Trail is to be extended two identifying the flora that may be seen along miles this year.) He describes both trails as the hikes. The hike descriptions indicate scenic with “great views.” The trails are gen- where and when these wildflowers (as well erally wooded, with some rock ledges, and as birds, other wildlife, and interesting geo- offer opportunities for easy- to moderate- logic formations) may be encountered. The level hiking. The Ravine Trail in the Mount book also includes sections on the history, Hope section follows along a small stream. geology, habitats, wildlife, and flora of the These new trails are part of an ambitious Highlands. Trail Conference plan to protect the Our thanks to the many members of the 35-mile long Shawangunk Ridge Trail Trail Conference community, including corridor and link it to communities and the Publications Committee, trail supervi- other protected open spaces. sors, maintainers, office staff, and parks The Trail Conference is negotiating with people who have contributed to making the state for permission to extend the this publication possible. Lenape Ridge Trail through Huckleberry Five miles of new trail are phase one in a project that will link Port Jervis with the SRT. Member-Get-A-Member Campaign Ends May 31 You received the email. You read the let- Remember, you are our best source for ter. You photocopied your personalized new members who could benefit from all Grand Prize new membership referral form. But have the Trail Conference has to offer. For more Two-night stay at the you asked anyone to join? If not, it is information on the program, including Minnewaska Lodge time to turn your hiking friends on to membership forms, tips on recruitment, the Trail Conference! and rules, visit www.nynjtc.org/mgm. 2nd Prize The Member-Get-A-Member cam- So come on, ask your friends, family, One-night stay and dinner for paign is off to a great start. Many of our and fellow hikers to join the Trail Confer- two at Emerson Resort and Spa members have gone out and asked their ence. As members, they will receive all friends to join the Trail Conference fam- the great benefits that you enjoy as a 3rd Prize ily with great success. We are predicting a member: a free subscription to the Trail 25,000 frequent flyer miles on a close race for the three grand prizes to be Walker, members-only discounts at lead- domestic airline of your choice To order Hiking the Jersey Highlands, awarded at the annual meeting in June. ing outdoor retailers, a discount on Trail see Hikers’ Marketplace on page 9; The campaign will come to a close on Conference maps, books, and other call 201-512-9348, ext. 11; or visit May 31, 2007, so make sure you don’t merchandise, and the satisfaction of www.nynjtc.com. miss your chance at winning the moun- supporting the organization that keeps VOLUME XXXIV, NUMBER 3 ISSN 0749-1352 PERMIT #970-100 tain getaways! the trails open for you year after year. Thank you to our sponsors: Minnewaska Lodge, Emerson Resort and Spa, Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, Dover Sports Center, EMS, Jagger’s Camp and Trail, Rock and Snow, Tent and Trails Page 2 May/June 2007 From the Chair VOLUME XXXIV, NO.3MAY/JUNE 2007 The Long Tail: Finding and Promoting Our Niche GEORGETTE WEIR EDITOR LOUIS LEONARDIS GRAPHIC DESIGNER There are interesting new concepts in busi- ples of niche market products. Ours is a use of reviews and recommendations. For The TRAIL WALKER (USPS Permit #970- ness/economics that the Trail Conference small publishing account, offering books example, on Amazon.com people can sub- 100) (ISSN 0749-1352) is published bi-monthly may be wise to consider. One is described and maps of interest primarily to a special mit a review of a book or a list of books on by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference as in the book The Long Tail by Chris Ander- interest group within a defined region. a topic. Others can comment on those a benefit of membership. Subscriptions are available to libraries only at $15.00 a year. son. A related aspect is the topic in the Large book or outdoors stores want to min- reviews. All these reviewers and commenta- Periodical postage paid at Mahwah, N.J., and February 25, 2007 issue of Time magazine: imize the number of accounts they have to tors are working for free, and they help additional offices. Postmaster: Send address the gift economy. deal with. Thus they do business with dis- drive the economic engine. The donated changes to the address below. Opinions expressed To summarize Anderson’s message: Com- tributors, who, more often than not, are reviews on Amazon.com drive sales. Both by authors do not necessarily represent the policy or position of the Conference. Contributions of merce, particularly e-commerce, is no longer national companies with no interest in Anderson and Time magazine call this type typed manuscripts, photos, and drawings are so heavily driven by “hits” like the top best- regional products. Furthermore, the stores of donation the “gift economy.” welcome. Manuscripts may be edited for style sellers and the 80/20 rule (80% of your have limited shelf space and a regional The Trail Conference may not be able to and length. Send SASE for writers’ guidelines. business comes from 20% of your prod- compete with major publishers for shelf Submission deadlines for the TRAIL WALKER ucts). Instead, a significant part of the total space for our books, but we can make sure are January 15 (Mar./Apr. issue), March 15 (May/June issue), May 15 (July/Aug. issue), business is in the “long tail” of niche prod- our niche products are visible online in the July 15 (Sept./Oct. issue), September 15 ucts. Amazon and iTunes are examples of long tail. Visibility is driven by search (Nov./Dec. issue), November 15 (Jan./Feb. where an incredible choice of products— engines and by the reviews and recom- issue). Unsolicited contributions cannot be from best-sellers to niche items—is available mendations that draw attention to our acknowledged unless accompanied by SASE. to anyone via e-commerce. Physical book product might not fit in with what they products. So become part of the gift econ- For information on advertising rates, please write or call.