Trail Walker Winter 2014
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Our Annual Awards Looking Back, A round-up of the Looking Ahead volunteers honored in 2013. What TC people are doing READ MORE ON PAGE 8 for trails in our region. READ MORE ON PAGE 7 Winter 2014 New York-New Jersey Trail Conference — Connecting People with Nature since 1920 www.nynjtc.org Construction Begins on New PEOPLE FOR TRAILS HQ as Final Funds are Sought quipped with little red plastic spoons, symbolic stand-ins for shov - Eels, more than 75 exuberant Trail Conference supporters gathered at the Dar - lington Schoolhouse in Mahwah, NJ on Thursday, November 21, and together Fred Stern broke ground for the final stage of restora - Cortlandt Manor, NY tion and expansion of the building as our new and permanent headquarters. Volunteers as Appalachian Trail “This isn’t about me or my board or elect - Corridor Manager for ed and agency officials being helpful,” Dutchess/Putnam. explained Executive Director Ed Goodell as attendees readied their spoons for the cue to What does an AT Corridor break ground while three actual shovels Manager do? Fred supervises the stood witness. “This is about everybody get - work of volunteer corridor ting involved to make this project happen.” monitors who regularly walk As of the groundbreaking, $2.5 million assigned boundary sections of R A of the estimated $2.8 to $3 million total G Appalachian Trail corridor lands. P A project cost had been raised. In the seven Y They ensure the boundary M E months of the Bolger Challenge, nearly R markers are maintained and E J 700 individuals, civic organizations, and 75 supporters shared in the groundbreaking at the Darlington Schoolhouse by moving dirt the public land, owned by the local businesses made donations that with red plastic spoons (many contributions add up to big achievements). National Park Service, is respected. ranged from $10 to $150,000. Additional contributions to meet the full move-in tractor who has been selected to manage ed structural stabilization, exterior renova - What’s special about corridor budget continue to be sought. the construction phase of the project, Mah - tion, HVAC and utilities—was completed monitoring? Unlike most of our The groundbreaking was made possible wah-based Vinnie LaBarbiera of in 2012. Phase 2 of the project will include volunteers, corridor monitors hike by the success in raising $1million by LaBarbiera Custom Homes, a Division of interior renovation of the original 4,400- off-trail, using map & compass November 1 in order to earn an additional VHI Builders. LaBarbiera helped the Trail square-foot schoolhouse and construction skills and survey maps to locate $500,000 from the Bolger Foundation of Conference finish the first phase of con - of a 3,700-square-foot, two-story addition. official boundary markers. Ridgewood, NJ. JT Bolger represented the struction. His work includes custom All gifts to the Trail Conference Darling - Fred says: “I feel like I’m Foundation at the ceremony and presented homes and the recent restoration of the ton campaign are tax deductible. To accomplishing something by the challenge-ending gift to Goodell, along 50,000-square-foot Crocker Mansion, a contribute to the campaign or help raise helping to steward the land. It’s not with his thanks for all the Trail Conference prominent historic building in Mahwah. the final funds needed, contact Don Weise for everyone, but I’d like to find a does for public access to nature. Construction is expected to begin in at 201.512.9348 x13. few people to fill some positions in Before the ceremonial groundbreaking, January with a target completion date of my section.” Goodell also introduced the general con - November 2014. Phase 1—which includ - Wait, there’s more. Fred also volunteers as • Trail Supervisor, Hudson A New Guide for a Year of Hiking Start Your Hiking Highlands State Park (north) Year with Our • Publications Field Checker Hike of the Week (Walkable Westchester , Newest Maps for 2nd edition) By Daniel Chazin the Shawangunks • Maintainer, Camp Smith Trail, 1st edition, 2013 since 2010 and North Jersey! • Crew member, Westchester Trail In this brand-new book from the Trail Conference, Tramps and Ward Pound Ridge well known hike writer and editor Daniel Chazin is Please turn to page 11 Crew, since 2009 your guide for a year of hiking in the New York to learn more. • AT Corridor Monitor, metro area. Dutchess South Hike of the Week is a collection of 52 hikes in the • Certified chain sawyer New York metropolitan area—one for each week of the year. The hikes are selected, adapted, and How he got involved: His wife updated by Chazin from hundreds published in spotted a How to Volunteer with his popular Hike of the Week column in The the Trail Conference orientation; Record (Bergen County, NJ). They are organized they attended. The rest is history by season and level of difficulty. Each hike is in the making. accompanied by a map and a sidebar that focuses on some interesting aspect of the hike, such as history, geology, and Background: Life-long hiker; wildlife. 358 pages. retired IT manager for US Order your copy now on our website, by phone, or in our office. Learn more about Probation Office in NYC this great new book at nynjtc.org/panel/hike-week. Interested? Contact Volunteer VOLUME XLI, N UMBER 1 ISSN 0749-1352 Coordinator John Leigh, [email protected]. Follow NYNJTC! facebook.com/nynjtc twitter.com/NYNJTrailConf Page 2 Winter 2014 Feedback VOLUME XLI, NO.1 WINTER 2014 Hikers Give Thanks GEORGETTE WEIR EDITOR Oct. 22 on Facebook LOU LEONARDIS GRAPHIC DESIGNER We were hiking the Popolopen Gorge TRAIL WALKER (USPS Permit #970-100) Trail for our 30th wedding anniversary (ISSN 0749-1352) is published quarterly by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference as a last week, and in the midst of the his - benefit of membership. Subscriptions are toric and stunning trail siting, available to libraries only at $15.00 a year. SAVE THE DATE: stonework and maintenance, said our Periodical postage paid at Mahwah, N.J., and little prayer of thanks for the wonderful additional offices. Postmaster: Send address Trail Conference changes to the address below. Opinions expressed work of the Trail Conference and part - by authors do not necessarily represent the policy ners in our region over the past 90+ or position of the Conference. Contributions of Winter Meeting years. Much gratitude! typed manuscripts, photos, and drawings are welcome. Manuscripts may be edited for style and length. Send SASE for writers’ guidelines. —Dyna Moh Submission deadlines for the TRAIL WALKER are January 15 (Spring issue), May 15 (Summer Thanks for all your hard work. It does issue), August 15 (Fall issue), November 15 (Winter issue). Unsolicited contributions cannot get to be a drag climbing over or going be acknowledged unless accompanied by SASE. FEBRUARY 8, 2014 around fallen trees. It ruins the “Flow” For information on advertising rates, please write MANHATTAN COLLEGE, of the hike. Every time I see the fallen or call. trees have been cut out of the way I give Copyright 2014 by: SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Inc. a silent thanks to all you good people. 156 Ramapo Valley Road (Rt. 202) Mahwah, NJ 07430 —Peter Johnson 201-512-9348 email: [email protected] Thank You for the Honor editorial email: [email protected] World Wide Web: www.nynjtc.org Thanks to all for the honor bestowed on me at October 5th’s Annual Meet - ing. It’s nice to be appreciated. And it’s been wonderful to be associated with a fine group of people who are dedicated to providing recreational hiking oppor - tunities in our region. Starting with my first Trail Crew, working on the Shawangunk Ridge Trail with Gary Haugland as our leader, was a fun intro - Mission Statement duction to the world of trail building The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a and trail maintaining. federation of member clubs and individuals Over the years, with adoption of my dedicated to providing recreational hiking own trail sections and working with oth - opportunities in the region, and representing the interests and concerns of the hiking community. er area Trail Crews, and most recently The Conference is a volunteer-directed public joining in helping to replace hikers’ service organization committed to: bridges that have been demolished by • Developing, building, and maintaining New Jersey Program Linda Rohleder Joins hiking trails. recent storms, starting with Irene, Lee • Protecting hiking trail lands through Coordinator Named Staff; Focus Is Invasives and Sandy, I have met a number of inter - support and advocacy. esting and industrious people and • Educating the public in the responsible Peter Dolan, a 2010 graduate of Bucknell Linda Rohleder, formerly volunteer coor - learned many useful techniques of trail use of trails and the natural environment. University and a resident of Greenwood dinator of the Trail Conference Invasives building and bridge building. It has been Board of Directors Lake, NY, has joined the staff of the New Strike Force (ISF), is now on staff as Direc - a super experience and I thank the New Chris Connolly Chair Gaylord Holmes Vice Chair York-New Jersey Trail Conference as coor - tor of Land Stewardship and continues to York-New Jersey Trail Conference for its James Gregoire Treasurer dinator of our New Jersey programs. Peter manage the ISF. Additionally, she has been many gifts to New York and New Jersey. Daniel Chazin Secretary holds a degree in biology from Bucknell named Project Coordinator for the Lower Directors and brings a variety of training and skills Hudson Partners for Regional Invasive —Joan James Robert Boysen Richard Levine Walter Daniels Edward Saiff related to outdoor recreation and educa - Species Management (LHPRISM), a pro - Salisbury Mills, NY Charlotte Fahn Dave Stuhr tion to the position.