New Trail Openings Hiking Is a Hike a path recently built State of Mind by Trail Conference Corps Not all great adventures take members and volunteers. place in the backcountry. READ MORE ON PAGE 5 READ MORE ON PAGE 9

Fall 2015 New York-New Jersey Trail Conference — Connecting People with Nature since 1920 www.nynjtc.org Trail Conference Kicks Off 95th Year of Service with Grand Opening at New Headquarters

New beginnings and nearly a century of in this rapidly changing environment and service were celebrated at the New feel lucky to pursue our mission where so York-New Jersey Trail Conference’s many children learned to pursue their own calling.” grand opening event on Saturday, Attendees enjoyed hikes, workshops, and September 12. Along with members, tours of the 124-year-old schoolhouse and local officials, and the community, the new addition. Local children attended classes in the original building from 1891 Trail Conference marked its first trail until the 1940s. It had been vacant for 40 season at the historic Darlington years and badly needed repair when the Schoolhouse headquarters while kicking Trail Conference and Township of Mah - wah jointly purchased the schoolhouse in off the organization’s 95th year of 2007. Following an eight-year effort to creating, protecting, and promoting trails. meticulously restore and repurpose the building, the Trail Conference received a he headquarters in Mahwah, N.J., is 2015 Bergen County Historic Preservation located at 600 Ramapo Valley Road Award for adaptive use and one of 10 between Ramapo Valley County prestigious 2015 New Jersey Historic G

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Reservation and Ramapo College of New Preservation Trust awards. O W

Jersey. A brief program and commemora - “Caring for this building is a significant E K I tive tree-planting opened the event. responsibility that’s been made possible M Executive Director Edward Goodell plants a swamp white oak—a native species that supports “We have been striving for 95 years to through the donations of Trail Conference the riparian habitat adjacent to Darlington Schoolhouse—during the grand opening. involve the public in protecting and pro - members, local residents and foundations, moting public lands,” said Trail and public support from Mahwah, Bergen Ramapo Valley Reservation was the per - compass land navigation, how trail maps Conference Executive Director Edward County, and the State of New Jersey. We fect setting for a kid-friendly nature hike, a are made, and an introduction to the Inva - Goodell. “It is fitting that the Trail Confer - are proud to be part of an effort that has yoga hike, a history hike, and a more chal - sives Strike Force—allowed hikers to brush ence is inhabiting a schoolhouse—and an revitalized this community landmark,” lenging 4.5-mile hike. Workshops— up on their outdoor skills. old one at that. We still have much to learn Goodell said. including an introduction to map and continued on page 2

Trail Conference Shares in Successful Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center Settlement to Protect the Palisades Now Open On June 23, LG Electronics USA sands of private citizens opposed to the to persuade LG to build below the tree line. announced a redesign of its proposed new high-rise development in its proposed In confidential negotiations, attorneys headquarters overlooking the Palisades in form. The lawsuit was filed by the New Jer - for LG and the plaintiffs, engineers, and Englewood Cliffs, N.J., reducing the sey State Federation of Women’s Clubs, architects worked diligently for 10 months height of the tallest building from 143 feet Scenic Hudson, and Trail Conference to reach the win-win settlement agreement. to the tree line, at 70 feet. members Margo Moss and Jakob Franke in The Trail Conference applauds LG for the D R

The settlement is an amicable ending to response to the Borough of Englewood final design which is sensitive to the his - A W O H a three-year battle in which the New York- Cliffs providing LG with a variance in ear - toric and environmentally sensitive H S O

New Jersey Trail Conference played an ly 2012 to build nearly four times higher Palisades and in keeping with the compa - J early and leading role within a coalition of than the long-standing 35-feet limit. This ny’s reputation as a good neighbor and One of the most anticipated moments for environmental and civic groups and thou - began a series of grassroots advocacy efforts corporate citizen. the outdoor community in New York State finally arrived on July 1, when the Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Interpretive Center officially Permanent Protection opened its doors. Decades in the making, the On the heels of this win, action must be Center now serves as a gateway for visitors to the Catskill Park and Catskills Forest taken to permanently protect the S

E Preserve who are eager to learn more about T A I Palisades. New Jersey Senate Bill 2025 C the region’s recreation opportunities, O S S would forever protect the scenic qualities ecology, and history. The Center is located A

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G on Route 28 in Mount Tremper, Ulster O of the Palisades by prohibiting tall T A

T County, and is staffed seven days a week A S

buildings adjacent to the cliffs along the F from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Read a full recap of the O

Y Hudson River from Fort Lee, N.J., north to S ribbon-cutting ceremony and find more E T R

U the New York State line. It is currently information about the Center at O C

S before the Senate’s Community and nynjtc.org/catskill-interpretive-center- N O I

T opening.

A Urban Affairs Committee, according to L U M I

S one of its primary sponsors, State These before and after images show the original and revised proposals for the Senator Bob Smith, D-Piscataway. An LG Electronics USA headquarters in Englewood Cliffs. Assembly version of the bill has also VOLUME XLII, N UMBER 4 ISSN 0749-1352 been introduced by John McKeon, D-Madison. Please be ready to respond when the Trail Conference reaches out to you regarding the passage of these bills. In the meantime, please thank everyone who contributed to the most recent settlement, including LG Electronics USA. Page 2 Fall 2015 REI Donates Over $76K to the

VOLUME XLII, NO.4 FALL 2015 AMBER RAY EDITOR LOU LEONARDIS GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bear Mountain Trails Project TRAIL WALKER (USPS Permit #970-100) (ISSN 0749-1352) is published quarterly by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference as a Thanks to the overwhelming support of benefit of membership. Subscriptions are our members, volunteers, partners, and available to libraries only at $15.00 a year. friends, the Trail Conference’s restoration Periodical postage paid at Mahwah, N.J., and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address of the Appalachian Trail at Bear Mountain changes to the address below. Opinions State Park has received a huge boost: expressed by authors do not necessarily represent Because you voted for our trail project on the policy or position of the Conference. the A.T., REI will donate over $76,000 to Contributions of typed manuscripts, photos, and drawings are welcome. Manuscripts may be help complete our work. edited for style and length. Send SASE for This generous donation is part of the writers’ guidelines. Submission deadlines for the national retailer’s Every Trail Connects cam - TRAIL WALKER are January 15 (Spring issue), paign, which aims to inspire stewardship of May 15 (Summer issue), August 15 (Fall issue), November 15 (Winter issue). Unsolicited the outdoors. REI earmarked $500,000 to contributions cannot be acknowledged unless invest in 10 trails around the country, with accompanied by SASE. For information on votes tallied at rei.com/trails deciding where advertising rates, please write or call. Copyright 2015 by: the funds would go. Every vote for the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Inc. Appalachian Trail gave the Trail Conference 600 Ramapo Valley Road (Rt. 202) $5 for the Bear Mountain Trails Project. R

Mahwah, NJ 07430 Voting kicked off at 3:01 a.m. EST on A G

201-512-9348 P A August 14 and lasted a mere 37 hours email: [email protected] Y M before all $500K had been allocated. The E R

editorial email: [email protected] E campaign was such a success that REI then J World Wide Web: www.nynjtc.org The Appalachian Trail at Bear Mountain pledged an additional $10,000 to each trail. In total, the A.T. received 13,229 votes and Volunteers on this project have spent over important. It serves as an unofficial gate - $76,145. We thank each and every one of 60,000 hours building 17,131 linear feet of way to more than 50,000 acres of you for backing us. trail, including 1,805 stairs and 11,631 backcountry habitat. The money donated will go toward square feet of crib wall to ensure the trail With just 1,145 feet of trail remaining building a safer, more enjoyable Appalachi - will endure for generations to come. until we reach the Perkins Memorial Tower an Trail through Bear Mountain State The crew working on the Bear Moun - at the top, the Bear Mountain Trails Project Mission Statement Park—the most heavily used section of the tain Trails Project hit the 60 percent is expected to be completed in 2017. To get The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a A.T. Three million annual visitors to Bear completion point on the Upper East Face the job done in that timeframe, we’re look - federation of member clubs and individuals dedicated to providing recreational hiking Mountain create an unusual amount of portion of the Appalachian Trail relocation ing for enthusiastic volunteers who are opportunities in the region, and representing the wear on the park’s trail system, necessitating this summer. They are on schedule to fin - interested in helping us rebuild this historic interests and concerns of the hiking community. an upgrade to the hiking paths originally ish the Trails for People Exhibit at the foot trail and donations to fund our $250,000 The Conference is a volunteer-directed public built in the 1920s. Since 2006, the Bear of Bear Mountain this fall. This interpre - budget. Find out how you can get involved service organization committed to: • Developing, building, and maintaining Mountain Trails Project has seen 1,745 vol - tive exhibit, built directly along the at nynjtc.org/bearmtntrails, or contact Trail hiking trails. unteers working alongside professional trail Appalachian Trail, explains the history of Builder Ama Koenigshof at 616-337-2481 • Protecting hiking trail lands through builders and our Conservation Corps mem - the park, trail-building techniques, and or [email protected]. support and advocacy. • Educating the public in the responsible bers to make these trails more sustainable. why constructing sustainable trails is so use of trails and the natural environment.

Board of Directors GRAND OPENING The grand opening was made possible by Chris Connolly Chair Explore the Edward Saiff Vice Chair continued from page 1 the generosity of lead sponsor United Richard Levine Treasurer Water New Jersey, and through sponsor - Patricia Wooters Secretary Catskills During “We look forward to hosting many more ships and donations from Inserra Directors Daniel Chazin Gaylord Holmes activities at the new headquarters in the year Supermarkets, Inc./ShopRite, Northwest - Lark in the Park Walter Daniels Richard Katzive ahead, including volunteer recognition ern Mutual, L.L. Bean, and Secor Farms of Charlotte Fahn John Magerlein Andrew Garrison Elizabeth Ravit events, delegates meetings, corporate Mahwah. Special thanks to our Volunteer The 2015 Catskills Lark in the Park will be Suzan Gordon David Stuhr events, educational workshops, and fun Committee and all of the volunteers who held Saturday, October 3, through Mon - Daniel Hoberman Edward Whitney gatherings, to engage people of all ages with made this special day a great success. day, October 12. Celebrating the Catskill Staff the Trail Conference,” said Don Weise, Trail Mountains region of New York State and Edward Goodell Executive Director Joshua Howard Deputy Executive Conference membership and development the Catskill Park, the Lark includes organ - Director director. “It’s exciting to see how quickly the ized hikes, bicycle trips, paddles, service, Don Weise Development new headquarters has attracted public inter - and cultural and educational events. For a Director est in our work and our mission.” full schedule of this year’s events, visit Mary Perro Operations & Finance Manager www.catskillslark.org. Linda Rohleder Land Stewardship Director For a full list of staff visit Design Our Next www.nynjtc.org/content/staff Volunteer T-Shirt! The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It is Join Us in Celebrating Our Volunteers Calling all artists: The New York-New a federation of 103 hiking and outdoor groups, and 10,000 individuals. Help us honor our outstanding volunteers and trail partners on Jersey Trail Conference wants your creative designs for our 2016 volunteer T-shirts! printed on recycled content paper Saturday, November 7, from 1 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. at the new Trail Each year, the Trail Conference hands out these shirts to the dedicated people who PLEASE RECYCLE Conference headquarters (600 Ramapo Valley Rd., Mahwah, N.J.). TRAIL WALKER donate their time to our organization. Your The afternoon will include workshops on trail design, responding to T-shirt design would help promote the trail emergencies, introduction to the Invasives Strike Force, how to Trail Conference and say thank you to all of our hard-working volunteers. run an outreach table, reading the woods, intro to cartography, and From now through March 1, we are using GPS/map and compass. Appetizers will be served before the looking for one-color designs that celebrate the great work of our volunteers. Entries awards ceremony at 5:30. For more information and to register, will be voted on by the Volunteer Commit - visit http://bit.ly/tc-vol-15. tee. The winner will receive their design in a frame and their choice of a new Trail Conference map!

Rules: 1) All entries must be sent via email to Volunteer Coordinator John Leigh ([email protected]) by February 1. Shop AmazonSmile and Support the Trail Conference 2) All entries must be single color Want to know how to support the Trail Conference at no cost to you? When you shop at (a one-color design to be printed on AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of the purchase price on eligible orders to a color T-shirt). the Trail Conference. Bookmark http://smile.amazon.com/ch/22-6042838 and support 3) All entries become property of the New us every time you shop. Thank you to our supporters for raising $287.86 in the second York-New Jersey Trail Conference. quarter in 2015! 4) The decision of the Volunteer Com - mittee is final. Department of Clarifications: In the Summer 2015 Trail Walker article “Volunteers Break Trail Conference Record for Service Hours Donated,” the Long Distance Trails Crew (LDTC) was said to have rerouted the Long Path in the 5) All designs may be modified to meet Catskills. The Long Path Crew, under the guidance of Jakob Franke and Andy Garrison, is responsible for the reloca - Trail Conference branding guidelines. tion. They designed the route, worked with all the necessary agencies for the required permits, and scheduled a 6) Winner will be announced in Trail multitude of work trips. Their crew provided the bulk of the labor over the 9.5-mile relocation; the LDTC and the Jolly Rovers did very specific technical work as assigned by Jakob and Andy. Jakob, his wife Gely, and Andy were Walker and E-Walker, and on Facebook nominated by the LDTC and received volunteer recognition awards from the Trail Conference last fall for their work. and Twitter. Fall 2015 Page 3 From the Executive Director While the Trail Conference was under - ence’s Chairman at the time, Major PEOPLE FOR TRAILS going this physical transformation, we were William Welch, was elected to serve as the also in the process of an equally necessary ATC’s first Chairman, too. Seeing the and even trickier structural reorganization. ATC’s reorganized structure working and Restoration, On the plus side, our internal problems steadily improving over the past 12 years were of the good variety: We had grown so was encouraging. Reorganization fast in both scale and complexity that our & Revitalization old decision-making procedures could no longer keep up. Until June 2015, the Trail While the Trail Conference Conference had still been fundamentally was undergoing a physical organized as it was in the 1930s—so it’s not It has been a year of dramatic change at the surprising that the organization might transformation, we were Trail Conference. Not only have we moved struggle to keep up with the vastly enlarged also in the process of Ron Brantner into our new and permanent headquarters scope of work taking place in the 21st cen - Fort Lee, N.J. at Darlington Schoolhouse, we’ve also tury. A Board of Directors was adopted in an equally necessary completed an internal reorganization. In 1970 and staff incrementally added there - both of these efforts, our primary objective after, support that helped the Trail structural reorganization. By Jerrica Lavooy, AmeriCorps has been to build a stronger, more effective Conference accomplish more work but Member of the Megalithic Crew Trail Conference that can advance our mis - made decision-making authority even sion into our 95th year and beyond. more tangled. Silos of expertise were inad - Ultimately, the Trail Conference Board Ron has been a loyal volunteer Our new headquarters allows the organi - vertently created. We needed to be able to approved an internal structure similar to with the Trail Conference for about zation to welcome and embrace visitors like make decisions more quickly while involv - those adopted by the ATC in 2003. The key three years now. Almost every never before. Our prior offices sorely lacked ing key stakeholders and experts. attributes are: 1. A Policy Council preparing week he makes the two-hour ample meeting space for volunteer leaders, In response to these structural impedi - policy recommendations to the Board based roundtrip drive from Fort Lee, N.J., efficient work space for staff, and hospitali - ments, the Board started a process in early on feedback from affected stakeholders; and on Saturdays and Sundays to ty for our members and the public. We 2014 to assess the issues at hand and work 2. Splitting the previous Trail Council into donate his time to building and never had a physical home that evoked our with key stakeholders on a better solution. four Regional Trail Councils, where all improving trails at Bear Mountain mission and values… until now. What they found was a broadly decentralized programs are integrated into a single collab - State Park. When he’s not hard at The overwhelming approval from visi - organization whose work was accomplished orative plan for each region. work with the Megalithic Crew, tors regarding the look and feel of the by a large body of semi-autonomous volun - Ron’s hard at work as a consultant building and grounds is most gratifying. To teers assisted by a small but highly skilled The new headquarters is a physical man - for a software firm. accommodate the increase in visitors we’ve staff reporting to the Board. Several conclu - ifestation of the growth and change at the already seen since opening in March, a sions were reached, including: Trail Conference. The internal reorganiza - How did your relationship with small group of volunteers will be experi - 1. The most effective working groups tion will help us manage our more complex the Trail Conference start? There menting with keeping the building open are the smallest that can bring all programs and higher ambitions. The plan - was a stone-cutting class on weekends this fall. relevant facts to bear. ning of our next five years—which will advertised at REI and it sparked But our work isn’t finished just yet. We 2. Stakeholders should have the oppor - include the Trail Conference’s centennial— my interest. I thought it sounded have an active group of volunteers who are tunity to provide input on decisions will follow. By making these significant like a pretty good way to spend the helping to maintain and improve HQ that affect them. changes now, we are helping to ensure that weekend. After that, I was hooked, operations—and we welcome more to join 3. The Board is ultimately responsible the organization’s stewardship of the trail and continued to want to be us! Still “under construction” is the all- for making decisions. experience remains strong and innovative involved. Plus, it was fun building native plant and wood turtle habitat that is 4. The staff is responsible for working for another hundred years. stuff with rocks like when we were part of our restoration of the riparian areas with volunteers to implement the kids—except now it’s the real deal! on both sides of the Darlington Brook, Board’s decisions. What is it about trail building that adjacent to the schoolhouse. This area will has kept you hooked all this time? serve as an outdoor classroom for groups Fortunately, another non-profit with the My favorite aspect has really been seeking to restore other landscapes. Future same DNA as the Trail Conference went just being able to be outside. I’m in improvements include an elegant foot - through a similar reorganization more than — Edward Goodell these beautiful places and get to bridge and pathways designed by a decade ago. The Appalachian Trail Con - Executive Director be hands-on. It is way better than environmental artist George Trakas on the servancy (formerly the Appalachian Trail [email protected] any gym! Plus, the work is always wetland side of the brook, features for Conference) was structured almost exactly new and different, so I get to learn which we are fundraising and hope to like the Trail Conference when it was at the same time. install with interpretive kiosks in 2016. formed in 1925. In fact, the Trail Confer - What does your family think about all the time you spend out on the trails? They think it’s great, but only one of my three sons has Kaaterskill Falls taken any interest in it. Doug loves to volunteer with me whenever he Access Restricted can. I think the other two are a little intimidated by the level of As DEC Works to work that we do! Improve Safety Everyone has a favorite trail snack… what’s yours? I’d have on Trails to say something juicy. Grapes are always a favorite, but usually I’ll have almost anything from Though Kaaterskill Falls is one of the most Trader Joe’s. popular destinations in the Catskills, it’s also one of the most dangerous. Too many visi - tors ignore posted warnings to hike only on marked trails, leading to significant injuries on unofficial footpaths that are steep and eroded. In 2014, two women lost their lives in separate incidents when they slipped and fell from unsafe areas of the falls. These accidents prompted the New York State Department of Environmental Con - servation (DEC), which oversees public lands for recreation in the Catskills, to take action to prevent further incidents. Starting July 6, hiking paths at Kaaterskill Falls and in the surrounding area were restricted as the DEC began construction on a new trail and other safety improvements. Closures included the Laurel House Road Trail and parking area. The DEC ticketed anyone found beyond the fence marking the end of the official trail or on the Laurel House Road side of the falls. Construction is expected to be complet - ed this autumn; closures will remain in effect until further notice. For updates on the project, visit the Trail Conference’s Catskills Trail Alerts page at nynjtc.org/content/catskill-trails-updates N

A or the DEC’s Kaaterskill Wild Forest page M R E

T at www.dec.ny.gov/lands/50755.html. N E S

F F E J Page 4 Fall 2015 Harriman, Sterling TRAIL CONFERENCE SUPPORTERS Forest Trail Towns Work to Embrace DONORS TO THE ANNUAL FUND Hiking Community May 8 – August 10, 2015 By Sona Mason, West Hudson Aaron Schneider, Adele Metrakos & Brian Cahill, Alfred M. Wanamaker Jr., Ann Guarino, Anthony DeSantis, Anthony V. Paterno, Barry Unger & Linda Wayne, Bill & Linda Dator, Charles W. Ulrich, Constance Duhamel, Daniel R. & Lynne H. Van Engel, David & Barbara Dykhouse, David & Debbie Livingstone, David B. & Adrienne K. Wiese, Deb MacLeod, Dennis & David Program Coordinator Burszan, Dennis & Heidi Loh, Dennis Spriet, Derek D. & Barbara Cocovinis, Diane Winslow, Donal F. McCarthy, Dorothy A. Lourdou, Douglas Jay, Dr. Tom & Carol Rakowski, Edele Hovnanian, Edward K. Goodell & Lynne S. Katzmann, Edward Rumain, Eileen P. Hanna, Eleanor B. Carren, Elizabeth G. Mindlin, Elizabeth Heald, Frank Genna & Deborah Padula- Genna, Fred C. & Marion Shaw, Frederic Mauhs, Gary W. Szelc, Gaylord C & Anne J Holmes, George A. Kalosieh, George H. Buttler III, George M. Cimis, George P. Perkinson, Gerard L. Santora, Giacomo Servetti & Kim Waldhauer, Glenn W. Oleksak, Gordon & Janet Willcox, Gregory & Kimberly Zdenek, Gregory Frux & Janet Morgan, H. Max Lopp II & Irene H. Reichert, Hans Khimm, Hong & James Bong Pyo, Ian Blundell, Ian N. & Westa Hopkins, James & Jane Gregoire, James Dalgleish & Heather Dilbeck, James F. Kenny & Viola Ortiz, James H. Robbins, James Martocci, Jane & Walter Daniels, Jay Francis & Elizabeth Bradford, Jeanne Levan, Jeff Levitt & Ann Kistler, Jeffrey Choi, Jerome Trupin, Jill Welter, Jim Brunn, John & Anne Grob, John & Bradford Keith, John & Pat Mintzer, John B. Blenninger, John Brotherton, John C. Mahle Jr., John P. Turrell, John Slechta, John Todaro, Jongsoo Kim, Joseph A. & Marion Costa, Joseph Duffy, Judith A. Powell, Karl Schmidt, Katherine T. Miller & Sandra Caravella, Kathryn Beisser, Katia Lutz, Kenneth Posner, Kevin Andreano, Kevin P. Kilgallen, Larry A. Wehr, Larry Iannotti, Lawrence & Doris Merson, Lawrence Minkoff, Les & Nancy Weiss, Lori Hershenhart & Chris Wegrzyn, Louis W. Rissland, Lynne Livingstone, Malcolm Spector, Marcus P Porcelli, Margery Josephson, Maria & Tom Pollard, Marianna Lantsman, Marilyn Van Houten, Mark & Mindy Sotsky, Mark J. Dallara, Martin F. Zumsteg, Martin J. N

A Moskowitz, Mary Anne Massey, Michael B. Crowley, Mike & Peggy Sormani, Natalie DeSouza, Nina Charnoff, Nina Forrest, Norma Cohen, Norman Blumenstein, Patricia A. Piermatti, M

L Patricia O'Malley, Patrick J. Applegate, Paul Doxey, Peter Biging, Peter Buffington, Peter Coy, Peter W. Preston, Philip Burris, Raymond G. De Vine, Raymond M. Bulley, Rev. Hans L A

Y Haspel-Schoenfeld, Richard I. Ulman, Richard Smith, Robert A. & Muriel E. Went, Robert C. Ross, Robert Horton, Robert J. Glynn, Robert P. & Josephine Conger, Robert W. Cresko, Z U

S Roger Roloff & Barbara Petersen, Ron Brantner, Ronald H. & Cathy A. Roberts, Rowland F. Bennett, Samuel Tatnall, Sara & Christian Sonne, Scott Goldthwaite, Scott Michenfelder, The Harriman and Sterling Forest trail Sergio Fernandez, Sigrid & Edward Brooks, Steve Bertolino, Steve Siegard, Steven L. Holley, Susan Chiaravalle, Thomas Brennan, Thomas Wilson, Timothy A. Gregg, Tom A. Sullivan, Tracy Garner, Tricia & Douglas Auriemma, Weiland A. Ross, Werner & Jane Rausch, William & Georgann Pettenger, William C. Ward Jr., William Chiappane, William F. & Mary H. towns are welcoming hikers. Penny, William G. & Betty Ann Lott & William R. Jones The towns of Suffern, Hillburn, Sloats - burg, and Tuxedo, surrounded by the great TRIBUTES In honor of Robert Ross for Father’s Day CORPORATE, FOUNDATION & OTHER DONORS Thank you Rick Levine & Franz Rucker David Ross AmazonSmile Foundation, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, AT&T Foundation, BD green havens of Harriman and Sterling for a spectacular hike on June 7th In memory of Margaret Freifeld C/O Cybergrants, Boy Scout Troop 210, Brandeis University, Catskill 3500 Club, Forest state parks, are recognizing an eco - From all of us David & Naomi Sutter Church of the Immaculate Conception, Companion Animal Advocates, Earthshare nomic opportunity at their doorstep. Mass In honor of Clifford Gerenz, organ player Chapters, EarthShare New Jersey, Entergy, Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, Ford In memory of Rita Heckler Foundation Matching Gift Program, Goldman, Sachs & Co Matching Gift transit is bringing in visitors from New at Ridgewood Emmanuel Baptist Church David & Naomi Sutter C. B. & Marguerite Young Program, Hudson River Foundation, IBM Corporation Matching Grants Program, York City and beyond, and the towns need In memory of Nicholas Viggiano Johnson & Johnson Matching Gifts Program, JPMorgan Chase Foundation only to help connect visitors with the In honor of my wonderful 1974 summer George W. Sheedy Matching Gifts Program, Land Trust Alliance, LL Bean, Louis and Anne Abrons as assistant waterfront director at Boy Foundation, Inc., Marsh Sanctuary, Mary W. Harriman Foundation, Merck restaurants, shops, and other amenities Scout Camp Mohican, now AMC Mohican In memory of Dr. Richard A. Kirsch Richard & Marion Katzive Partnership For Giving, Morgan Stanley, Network For Good, North Haledon Free these burgs have to offer. Now, it’s becom - Outdoor Center Public Library, Palisades Interstate Park Commission, Peter and Carmen Lucia ing easier than ever to linger in these trail Ellen B. Stern In memory of Charles E. Klabunde of Buck Foundation, Ralph E. Ogden Foundation, Inc., REI, Sidney Stern Memorial Oak Ridge, TN towns before heading into the woods. In honor of Robert Ross Trust, TD Bank, TerraCycle US, LLC., The EASTER Foundation, The Jay Heritage Betsy Stannard, Dennis Stannard Richard Cantor & Alice Luddington-Cantor Center, The New York Community Trust, Truist, United Water New Jersey, Verizon Events like the first annual Explore Harri - Foundation, West Milford 13ers & Whole Foods man: Adventure in the Trail Town Corridor, Tributes are only printed for donations of $25 or more. promoting cultural and outdoor activities along the west side of the park, are making that clear. Sponsored by the Suffern Cham - Mary Perro Joins Trail IN MEMORIAM ber of Commerce, Explore Harriman took place on September 19 and encouraged vis - Conference as Finance Ed Fuller itors and residents alike to tour these & Operations Manager Dad was the most wonderful father anyone communities and partake in all of the great could ever have. He devoted his life to his food, music, art, and happenings they offer. Please welcome family and was a friend to all. He was Buses conveniently shuttled visitors from Mary Perro, the Trail known, loved, and respected for his hon - town to town for a full day of celebration. Conference’s new esty, hard work, common sense, generosity, Finance & Opera - and friendship, along with his great sense of It’s becoming easier tions Manager, who humor and love of life. joined our staff in He was active in volunteer work his than ever to linger in these July. Mary majored in Accounting and entire life and served the Trail Conference Economics at Manhattan College and is as a trail maintainer and builder for over 20 trail towns before heading a CPA. After graduating college, Mary years before retiring to North Carolina. He into the woods. was an AmeriCorps member through was a hike leader for over 35 years with the Colorado Vincentian Volunteers, work - Sierra Club and AMC, leading trips for ing at homeless shelters in Denver. It both adults and inner city youth, and will Speaking of buses, the Harriman Shuttle, was there that she fell in love with the be forever known for carrying an umbrella sponsored by MyHarriman.com, the Tux- outdoors. Mary returned to New Jersey while hiking in the rain. edo Chamber of Commerce, and A Better as an auditor in New York City and then I will miss him greatly but know that he Tuxedo, is affordably increasing access to as an accountant in the pharmaceutical has left me a special gift in my love of life the parks. The big yellow bus is bringing industry. She enjoys hiking, camping, and the outdoors. visitors to camps, trailheads, and beaches traveling, being a Big Sister mentor, and —Robert Fuller that used to require a car to reach for just being an aunt to her 11 nieces and $5 per trip, which helps offset the cost of nephews. She and her husband live in Margaret C. Freifeld the service. Town-to-town hikes and stay - Morristown, N.J. Margaret C. Freifeld, who accomplished overs can now be more easily planned, much in her hiking career and who allowing visitors to take in new views and Jeff Senterman brought so many into the wonderful out - experiences en route. named Catskill Center door world and the joy of hiking, passed away on June 29, 2015. She was 72. She is Executive Director survived by her son, Gabriel, and her life Jeff Senterman, for - partner, Steve Klepner, as well as siblings mer Trail Conference and nieces and nephews. Senior Program Margaret was a past chair of the Adiron - Coordinator, has dack Mountain Club Mohican Chapter N A been named Execu - and was very active in the Catskill 3500 M L L A

tive Director of the Club. She led an enormous number of hik - Y Z

U Catskill Center. ers on Catskill hikes; there were many who S The Harriman Shuttle provides improved Jeff has been a lifelong Trail Confer - did not want to tackle the unmarked trails access to the park. ence volunteer under the guidance of his without their favorite woodswoman. father, longtime Catskills Trails Chair Margaret completed all of the Adirondack “The shuttle has been a blast, and enthu - Pete Senterman. He became Catskills 46ers twice, as well as the Northeast 115, siasm from hikers for the new service is Program Coordinator in 2011 and but she seemed most pleased to have com - over the top,” said Suzy Allman, founder of served as manager of the regional trails pleted the entire Appalachian Trail, a task MyHarriman.com. “While our ridership is program for two years, greatly expand - she managed to finish while her multiple myeloma was in remission. She returned to the almost exclusively young ‘urbaneers’ from ing the Trail Conference’s work in the trails this year after difficult treatment and even joined us on a winter Catskill hike. Manhattan and Brooklyn, we’re also pick - region during his tenure. Those of us who were privileged to travel the world with Margaret, hiking and sightsee - ing up groups who are looking for a The mission of the Catskill Center is to ing, will remember that she was always ready for any adventure and did not know the four-to-seven-hour hike for the day.” protect and foster the environmental, cul - meaning of the word “quit.” She took pleasure in exploring nature and loved her birds, Local citizens, too, have risen to the chal - tural, and economic wellbeing of the and she was just plain interested in whatever was around the next corner or bend in the lenge of creating a “trail town” feel for Catskill region. We wish Jeff the best and trail. A singular person will be singularly missed. Farewell, Margaret. visitors, volunteering their time to promote look forward to working with him in his —Carol Harting hiking and outdoor recreation. A group of new role! Trail Conference volunteers are helping people obtain maps at the Suffern and Tuxedo Farmers’ Markets every Saturday, the towns’ historic and scenic attractions. in that regard, literally—blazes have been ence West Hudson Program Coordinator while others hop aboard the Harriman Kiosks are being planned at strategic loca - painted from the Suffern train station to the Sona Mason: [email protected] or Shuttle and lend their experience and tions to provide information on the Suffern-Bear Mountain Trail, and a kiosk is 201.512.9348 x16. The Harriman Shuttle knowledge of the park to riders. recreational opportunities in the area, while scheduled to be placed at the SBM trailhead. is also in need of volunteers and sponsors; Still others have led town tours and meet - there are plans to install maps and traffic sig - If you’re interested in getting involved in find more info at myharriman.com/ ings to brainstorm with local residents and nage to direct hikers on safe routes through the trail town movement happening in ride-harriman-shuttle. businesses on how best to attract visitors to the towns. Suffern is already making its mark these communities, contact Trail Confer - Fall 2015 Page 5

NEW TRAIL OPENINGS Doris Duke Loop Becomes the First of Many New Trails to Make Sterling Forest Rebirth and Reroutes Along More Accessible the Shawangunk Ridge Trail By Sona Mason, West Hudson Program Coordinator Crew, pictured below, tackled the most ambitious project on the SRT this year. Under the guidance of Franke and Garri - son, four AmeriCorps members and several volunteers built over 2.5 miles of trail in Huckleberry Ridge State Forest, E

K including a connection from the new N A R

F parking lot on Raymond Drive and a new

B O

K SRT segment from the Lenape Ridge Trail A N J segment fork. O S L E

The Shawangunk Ridge Trail took a hit The primary goals of these trail connec - K C I M this spring, when a massive wildfire tions were to: 1. Give locals, visitors, and K I R sparked in Summitville, N.Y., ended up hikers arriving at the Port Jervis train sta - E burning 2,600 acres across the ridge. No tion access to the southernmost part of the The four-mile Doris Duke Trail loop at struction, stepping stone crossings, rock injuries or structural damage were report - Long Path and SRT, and 2. Move the SRT Sterling Forest State Park in Orange stairs, and other structures to harden the ed, and the fire—which was ignited on off private property and provide a loop near County, N.Y., is officially open! It is the tread. For much of its length–where sus - May 3 by a homeowner who ignored a Hawthorne Lake. After extensive corridor first of many new trails and improvements tainable–little work beyond brush removal burn ban—was under control within a clearing, side-hilling, and stone work, hik - planned for Sterling Forest, which intends was necessary at all: There are simply week. Still, the SRT from Roosa Gap to ers can now enjoy a woodland walk that to provide up to 70 miles of trails under a blazes on trees to keep hikers on track. Shawangunk State Forest was scorched. overlooks the local rural area surrounding plan that aims to create “an integrated, The opening of the Doris Duke Trail For a long-distance trail that already had a Port Jervis. The trail itself is moderate to year-round trail system for a diversity of Loop was celebrated with a ribbon cutting full slate of improvement projects lined up strenuous, and at its highest point offers trail users.” The new Doris Duke loop, on September 20 as part of the Hudson this season, summer was shaping up to be panoramic views of the Catskills. which includes a section of the Allis Trail, River Valley Ramble. It was followed by busier than usual. Here’s a glimpse at the For a detailed account of the crew’s two was completed as part of the Sterling For - an interpretive hike—and trail run, for the work accomplished along the Shawan - months living and working in the field— est Back Country Trails program, a speedy-types—of the entire loop, which gunk Ridge Trail so far this year. including the trials of working building a partnership between the Trail Conference encompasses flats and hills, ridgetop trail in severe weather and the morale and the New York State Office of Parks, views, enormous erratics, and plentiful boost of an old-fashioned camp sing- Recreation & Historic Preservation. wildlife viewing opportunities through along—check out their weekly reports at Work on the creation of this loop began the Doris Duke Wildlife Sanctuary. Hik - nynjtc.org/content/long-pathshawan - shortly after New York State acquired the ers enjoyed the first of fall's leaves, walked gunk-ridge-trail-crew. property in 1998. The first draft of a trails by a vernal pool, stopped at a beaver lodge plan came early in 2000, and a final draft overlook, spied birdlife from the cover of E K

N was implemented in 2009. Trail building trees over the wetland, and stepped over A R F

on the Doris Duke Trail began in 2013. young amphibians dispersing into their B O

K This September, four AmeriCorps mem - habitat. A J bers leading the Trail Conference’s If you’d like to get involved in building Rehabbing the SRT After the Fire Palisades Trail Crew, pictured above, fin - and improving trails in Sterling Forest, First on the agenda: Assessing the fire dam - ished the trail with the help of many contact West Hudson Program Coordina - age. Once the area was safe, the Trail volunteers. The new hiking path is a mod - tor Sona Mason: [email protected] or Conference’s Long Path co-chairs Jakob el of modern sustainable trail-building 201.512.9348 x16. Franke and Andy Garrison took notes on techniques, showcasing bench-cut con - melted trail markers and blazing needs. By the end of May, they had reblazed the trail—and the forest had already begun Five-Mile South Taconic Trail Extension healing itself, as small ferns could be seen Officially Open By Andrew Seirup, East Hudson Trail Chair popping up across the charred land. Fast-forward to August, when that Ongoing Projects Two years in the making, the five-mile en miles and a 1,500-foot elevation gain, regrowth along the hiking path had actu - In Roosa Gap State Forest, a 0.5-mile relo - South Taconic Trail extension in the north - ending with the very steep descent to the ally gotten somewhat out of hand. cation of the coaligned Long Path/SRT to east corner of Dutchess County was Quarry Hill Road trailhead. It’s a reward - “Blueberry is taking off, ferns are every - the fire tower is 50 percent complete. And completed the first weekend in August. ing hike with many open views, hemlock where, sassafras is everywhere, and scrub in Shawangunk State Forest, work has This new trail connects the south end of groves, and small stream crossings. oak and other trees are sprouting like begun on two new trails that will connect the South Taconic Trail to the existing I’d like to thank everyone who’s been crazy,” Franke reported. To combat the a new DEC parking area on Cox Road Rudd Pond trail system in Millerton, N.Y., involved in this project. Many people have vegetation overtaking the trail, the Long with the Long Path/SRT on the ridge. extending the South Taconic Trail a total of spent the last two years building, and the Path Crew set out on several clip ‘n’ clear Franke hopes to have those trails complet - 6.3 miles down to Iron Mine Pond and two years before that scouting, designing, dates throughout August and September ed by early next year. Shagroy Road. The entire section is now and approving the new trail. And before to open up the walkway. fully open and blazed, though there are still that, there were years of behind-the-scenes Work along the Shawangunk Ridge Trail a number of spots where volunteers will work to make the trail possible. From start New Trails in Huckleberry Ridge will continue through the fall. If you’re inter - continue working to improve the tread. to finish, this has been a very rewarding State Forest ested in helping to make improvements A grand opening hike of the new section project to be involved in, and I’m very The Trail Conference’s newest Conserva - along this spectacular, 71-mile hiking path, was held on Saturday, Sept. 19, as part of glad it came my way. I hope you all get a tion Corps trail crew, the Long contact Jakob Franke: [email protected]; the Hudson River Valley Ramble. The new chance to enjoy hiking all or part of the Path/Shawangunk Ridge Trail Spike 201.638.0582. trail is a fairly strenuous hike of about sev - new trail soon. Stroll Through History Over the High Bridge By Robert Ward, Trail Conference Volunteer Over 10 years ago, a grassroots initiative less steel ones before putting everything M O C called the High Bridge Coalition was back in place. On June 6, 2015, the High . R K C I

formed to try to persuade the New York Bridge footpath was officially reopened to L F / S

City Department of Parks to reopen the the public. For a more detailed history of E G A

walkway over the High Bridge, a magnifi - the Old Croton Aqueduct, visit: M I

E T cent section of the Old Croton http://blog-tw.nynjtc.org/old-croton- I N - L Aqueduct—New York City’s first water aqueduct-history/. The link includes L A

E

supply system—that connects Manhattan suggested walks through Old Croton H T and The Bronx. A report examining the Aqueduct State Historic Park, which runs The High Bridge was designed by James state of the High Bridge, which was origi - from the Croton Reservoir in Westchester Renwick, Jr., the architect of Saint Patrick’s nally opened in 1848, indicated that it was County to Manhattan along the route of Cathedral, and built by John B. Jervis, one structurally sound, but the “I” bars were the original aqueduct. of America’s foremost engineers at the rusting out and needed to be replaced. The map/guide The Old Croton Aque - time. It was constructed to resemble an The group succeeded in convincing sever - duct in New York City, published by old Roman aqueduct with five-foot-square al politicians to set aside funds for the Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct, stone granite columns marching across the project, and on January 13, 2013, work describes the route of the aqueduct, the broad valley of the Harlem River. During the M O C began on restoring the High Bridge. history, and sites along the way. It can be . construction of the Harlem River Ship Canal R K C Workers removed the walkway, saving purchased from the New York-New Jersey I in 1910, the stone pillars over the river were L F / .

T removed and replaced by a modern steel

each brick and even some of the dirt, and Trail Conference or from the Friends. . I . L . arch bridge.

replaced the old “I” bars with new, stain - H Page 6 Fall 2015 People for Trails. Trails for People. A quarterly look at some of what we have been doing to improve public access to nature.

Breakneck Ridge Sees Another Ramapo Earth Crew Beautiful New 25 Percent Jump in Number of Visitors Tackles Trail Work Bog Bridge Finished in Eight Parks in Minnewaska O V E M The Ramapo Earth Crew—a partnership The Mossy Glen Bog Bridge project in of the Trail Conference and MEVO Minnewaska State Park Preserve started on (Mahwah Environmental Volunteers May 2 with the I Love My Park Day event Our 2015 Breakneck Ridge Trail Stewards are, from left: Rich Zayas, Kali Bird, Organization)—closed another successful and continued through the summer, with Brian Tragno, Ben Egan, and Eli Fry. season in August. Working on everything the Nor’wester Trail Crew putting in many from trail maintenance to litter cleanup to hours to complete the carpentry work, Breakneck Ridge has been dubbed the was not an increase in emergency combating illegal ATV use, the crew ran a reported David Webber, Minnewaska trail “most popular trail in North America”— responses needed. total of 12 Trail Conference work trips supervisor and Nor’wester crew leader. and our Trail Stewards can attest to that. “Being able to give a business card with since April. During an estimated 800 hours There is now 48 feet of bog bridge, a small Over the past three years, the Trail Con - our info on it was extremely reassuring for of work on trails, the crew helped to 12-foot bridge, and a 20-foot bridge span - ference’s Breakneck Ridge Trail Stewards most hikers,” said Tragno. “They were improve hiking paths in Ramapo Valley ning a frequently wet, stream-ridden have recorded a 25 percent increase in happy to know that there was someone County Reservation, Flat Rock Brook section. The bridging will keep hikers on hikers annually. In 2013, the most hikers they could call if they were in trouble or Nature Center, Franklin Lakes, Norvin the trail and avoid creating social paths as they saw on any given day was around lost, and the fact that they had already Green State Forest, Ramapo Mountain they try to avoid wet areas. 500. Last year, the most popular days saw talked to us made it more likely that they State Forest, Long Pond Ironworks State about 700 hikers. This year, Breakneck would reach out for help before getting Park, Ringwood State Park, and Sterling Ridge hosted over 1,000 hikers on the super lost.” Forest State Park. Find out more about this busiest days. The Trail Stewards also provided sug - great group of young volunteers and how Stationed at Breakneck Ridge on week - gested trail routes—especially for visitors to get involved next year at nynjtc.org/ ends through Labor Day, the Trail unprepared for the strenuous scramble up content/ramapo-earth-crew. Stewards interacted with nearly every hik - Breakneck Ridge—and were trained to er that approached the trailhead, teach Leave No Trace Principles to make providing visitors with maps and infor - hikers aware of their impact on the Megalithic Crew Finishes Trails for People mation on safe hiking. According to State mountain. Park officials and the local EMS, there Interpretive Exhibit at Bear Mountain

Join the West Happy Trails to Jersey Trail Crew A.T. Supervisor By Monica and David Day, Rich Taylor West Jersey Trail Crew Leaders Rich Taylor, a longtime Trail Conference vol - unteer and supervisor of the Appalachian Trail from the New York State line to Route 17, resigned from his posi - tion this summer. Taylor stepped down after relocating to South Jersey. Taylor also volunteered as a trail main - Join the West Jersey Crew this fall. tainer, A.T. corridor monitor, and member of the Long Distance Trails Crew. Some of This fall, the West Jersey Trail Crew will his proudest accomplishments as an be working to complete a boardwalk in Appalachian Trail supervisor included sev - Wawayanda State Park’s Cedar Swamp, eral improvement projects around relocate a washed-away trail in Wor - Fitzgerald Falls, the reroute of the A.T. thington State Park, build a new 36-foot south of Route 17A, the removal of the Lit - bridge in Stokes State Forest (on last tle Dam bridge when it collapsed and the spring's stonework abutments), contin - emergency construction of stone steps ue construction of a new trail in Stokes, across the stream, and the construction of a In July, the volunteers and AmeriCorps members of the Megalithic Trail Crew began work and begin the restoration of the Stair - new side trail to the Wildcat Shelter. on the Trails for People Interpretive Exhibit at the foot of Bear Mountain. This interactive way to Heaven on the Appalachian Trail “I would like to thank you all for the vol - exhibit built directly along the Appalachian Trail provides hikers with the history of Bear just north of Vernon, N.J. There will be unteer efforts that you have donated to the Mountain State Park, the A.T., and sustainable trail-building practices. The Megalithics “something for everyone” on all of these A.T. and to the Trail Conference,” he wrote welcomed a number of groups that helped ensure the project was on schedule to be trips—so join us! to his maintainers before his departure. completed this fall, including the Student Conservation Association (pictured), Nature Bring your lunch, plenty of water, “Your contributions to make the A.T. a Place Day Camp, and the Jolly Rovers Trail Crew. For a detailed account of the crew’s busy gloves, and sturdy work shoes—and be great place for outdoor experiences is summer, check out their weekly reports logged at nynjtc.org/bearmtncrewupdates. prepared to get dirty. All tools, materials, appreciated. Maybe I will see you on the and training will be provided. Beginners trails still in the future.” are welcome on all work trips. We’ll be in Maintainers: the field the following Saturdays this fall: Get Ready to Share Your Trail Achievements Sept. 19, Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Oct. 24, Oct. Our trail maintainers have been checking and clipping their hiking paths to 31, Nov. 7, Nov. 14, Nov. 21. create an enjoyable experience for users. Now it’s time to compile your All events begin at 9 a.m. Please notes and detail all of the hard work you’ve put into keeping trails open and phone leaders Monica and David Day at 732.937.9098 (home) or 908.307.5049 safe. Your Trail Supervisor will be asking for your report of your donated (cell/text) for meeting location and time and efforts by November 30. Please help us provide our park partners driving directions. Check with an accurate accounting of the great contributions you and all Trail http://bit.ly/1htfgSI for full details Conference volunteers make to our public trails. about each outing. Fall 2015 Page 7

Trail University Damaged Bridge Brings Together a Ask a Reaches 1,000 Diverse Community of Hikers Trail Builder Courses Text by Bob Fuller/Marty Costello/David Booth, By Ama Koenigshof, members of the Long Distance Trails Crew Trail Builder and Educator If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does it make a sound? I didn’t realize Maybe. But if a tree falls on a small wooden footbridge, it will definitely break it. people actually The bridge crossing High Meadow Brook on the Blue Trail in Ramapo Mountain design trails. How State Forest is a prime example. Constructed in 2005 by Dan Loughrey as his Eagle do you figure out Scout Project with Scout Troop 96, the bridge weathered many storms until April of this the best place to year, when a falling tree crashed right through it. build them? The subsequent repair of this bridge is an While designing a new trail, I have a L L

O excellent model of the Trail Conference’s lot of things running through my R

N I collaborative method of operation. The mind: technical things, like running R E damage was first reported by a member of slope (the slope on the path of travel) For nine years, our award-winning Trail the public via nynjtc.org. The issue was for - or cross slope (the slope perpendicular University workshops have been giving vol - warded to New Jersey Program Coordinator to the path of travel), and more intan - unteers the skills and knowledge needed to Peter Dolan, who brought it to the atten - gible things, like “happy little trees.” O L L

build and maintain trails. On Saturday, tion of local Trail Chair Karen Schoof, E Yes, I’m referencing the painter Bob T S O

September 5, our Introduction to Trail Ringwood Volunteer Supervisor Gene C Ross. As children, my brother and I

Y T

Maintenance course in New Jersey’s Long Giordano, and Park Superintendent Eric R would watch the star of the PBS series A Pond Ironworks State Park was our Pain. They determined a course of action, M “The Joy of Painting” create calming 1,000th Trail U workshop. New Jersey Pro - which included contacting the all-volunteer Long Distance Trails Crew (LDTC), whose nature scenes from a blank white can - gram Coordinator Peter Dolan led the members are experienced in bridge repair. The LDTC agreed to scout the site and devel - vas while he soothingly narrated his course, teaching 11 volunteers everything op a materials list while Dolan worked to secure park assistance and funding for the process. Today, I see trails as having they need to know about keeping trails required materials. the ability to take us to those tranquil open and safe. Interested in boosting your Based on work needs, a second volunteer crew—the Ramapo Earth Crew of the Mah - vistas that Ross painted, bringing us own skills? Browse our online schedule for wah Environmental Volunteers Organization (MEVO)—was brought in to assist the to a place of serenity. While designing more upcoming Trail U workshops near LDTC. Local residents were informed about the upcoming work, and the community a new trail, the current landscape is you: nynjtc.org/view/workshops. beach agreed to allow volunteers to park in their lot to free up space by the work site. my blank canvas, and I get to paint in State park staff delivered materials to volunteers who carried everything to the site—and my own “happy” trails. Well- then the dirty work began. The goal: full bridge reconstruction in a single weekend. designed, sustainable trails can bring a The Long Distance Trails Crew arrived on the scene on Friday, August 7, to disman - trail builder to a state of giddy eupho - tle the damaged bridge section. Loughrey, a recipient of the Trail Conference’s Next ria and give the layperson a sense of Generation Award, also showed up to help with the reconstruction of the bridge he orig - joy, all due to the “invisible” work of inally built. All usable decking and hardware was salvaged and reused during the the trail’s designer. rebuild, which kicked into high gear on Saturday, when the Ramapo Earth Crew BEFORE arrived. They helped carry lumber and tools to the work site before dividing into teams to cut joists, size and prepare deck planks, improve treadway, and firmly reset the bridge’s F F O

N abutment. The crew also made crush, one of the most enjoyable aspects of trail build - I M

A ing. There is just something therapeutic about swinging a sledgehammer and crushing E R

D those rocks into smaller pieces. It’s tough, the hammer is heavy, but somehow, it just N A

R

brings a smile to your face. E I T

Trail Conference volunteer Carolyn E

Before the sun set we reached our goal and everyone took pride and satisfaction in a L L E P Hoffman helped spread the good job done well. High Mountain Brook will be passable for years to come. E I L L

word about getting outdoors at the If you’d like to join the Long Distance Trails Crew for an outing, they’re on the trails E Clearwater Revival Music Festival in many weekends throughout the season. Contact Crew Chief Chris Reyling at 914-953- The Appalachian Trail was recently 4900, [email protected], or Crew Leader Bob Fuller at 732-952-2162, rerouted on the upper east face of Croton-on-Hudson over the week - [email protected] for more information. For more info on joining the Ramapo Bear Mountain. end of June 20-21. “If you are a not Earth Crew, visit nynjtc.org/content/ramapo-earth-crew. AFTER a ‘boots on the ground’ kind of per - son, ie. someone who likes to go out Trail Tale: Hiking the Appalachian Trail on the trails and get dirty, this is a fun and casual way to give of your - Because It’s in My Blood By Ray Torrey, Trail Conference Member

self for the benefit of the R E I T

organization,” said fellow Trail Con - When I turned 60 years old and had to E L L E

retire from my job as a captain with Amer - P ference ambassador Andrea Minoff. E I L

ican Airlines, I decided to fulfill one of my L For a first-person account of man - E life’s ambitions and hike the length of the This new, sustainable section of the ning a Trail Conference booth at Appalachian Trail. In the early spring of A.T. will be enjoyed for generations. events all over the region, read 2000 I started out from Springer Moun - Minoff’s post on our blog at tain, Ga., with 65 pounds on my back. Lately, I’ve been getting asked a lot http://bit.ly/tc-tbl-vol. After descending Blood Mountain several of questions about the hard science of days later with knees that felt like they were trail building: things like the ratio of oozing blood, I hobbled into the Walasi-Yi batter and bench—the ratio of verti - Interpretive Center at Neels Gap, sent cal and horizontal lean—for any Catskill Conservation home about 15 pounds of useless weight, given crib wall. These facts and figures and purchased a pair of good hiking sticks. are the easiest way to ensure that ideas

Corps Hosts Y Georgia is tough, the mountains steep and E are communicated effectively. Tons of R R

rugged. I think that first segment took O scientific information and studies T

Trail-Marking Clinic Y A

about 16 days; being a section hiker, I went R have been compiled on soils and

F O home and returned the next spring. water flow and even what makes a Y S E

The second year took me through the T trail enjoyable to the human mind. R U

Great Smoky Mountains, two blizzards, O There are even computer systems and C and a lot of ice. The shelters had chain link Torrey is a Trail Conference member algorithms that create trail designs. fence across the front to keep out bears, but from Block Island, R.I. His grandfather, But following the “rules” and the it made it feel like doing time in prison. Raymond H. Torrey, was a founder of numbers may not always lead to the The third year I flew into Asheville, N.C., the Appalachian Trail. best end result—sometimes, there is and met up with my pre-arranged ride to no concrete answer for where the trail take me up to the trail at Sam’s Gap. He had thru-hiked the A.T. and gave me many should be. good pointers. He asked how many miles I did in a day and I said, “Twelve, maybe on New trail design requires unwaver - a good day 13 or 14.” He said, “When you get to New Hampshire, you’ll be making six ing vigilance to both science and Catskill Conservation Corps volunteers with to six-and-a-half.” I thought he must be kidding, but when I went home after a couple intuition. In some instances, you just connections to every major hiking club in the of weeks, I couldn’t forget what he said. I was on a 15-year plan, and that meant I would have to feel the flow, weigh the plusses Catskill region attended a trail-marking clinic find myself up in the Presidential Range when I was 72 or so. That same September I and minuses, and think how the most and trail work day on the scenic Ashokan went up to Maine and started south from Mt. Katahdin. How right that thru-hiker was! inexperienced hiker would enjoy this High Point Trail in Olivebridge, N.Y., on July Although I could do 10 or 11 miles a day through the 100 Mile Wilderness and central section of trail. You have to call on 23. Clipping, lopping, pruning, digging, and Maine, when I reached the Mahoosuc Range and then New Hampshire, I was lucky to your inner Bob Ross. blazing took place for approximately four knock off six-and-a-half. miles to allow comfortable passage through For the next 10 years I alternated northbound and southbound hikes—18 hikes over Well-designed trails can the Sundown Wild Forest. 13 years with only one mishap: 18 stitches in my head from a fall on Bellvale Mountain in New York. I finished my hike at Bear Mountain in New York on June 22, 2013, at offer a sense of joy, all the statue of Walt Whitman at the Trailside Zoo, amid the cheers of many family and friends. It was a fitting place to end up since my grandfather, Raymond H. Torrey, was due to the “invisible” work a founder of the A.T. and began clearing the first sections of the trail there in the 1920s. of the trail’s designer. His monument sits along the Long Path just a few miles from where I finished. Page 8 Fall 2015

Hikers’ Can’t find your club? This list represents all Trail Conference member clubs whose dues are up-to-date. If you have questions about your club’s status, please ask Directory your officers to contact the Membership & Development team at 201-512-9348.

ADK Long Island East Coast Greenway Alliance Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Sierra Club Mid-Hudson Group www.adkli.org www.greenwaynj.org Organization www.newyork.sierraclub.org/midhudson www.mahwahevo.org ADK Mid-Hudson Chapter East Hampton Trails Preservation Society Southampton Trails Preservation Society www.midhudsonadk.org www.ehtps.org Mohonk Preserve http://southamptontrails.org www.mohonkpreserve.org ADK Mohican Chapter Flat Rock Brook Nature Association Storm King Adventure Tours www.adkmohican.org www.flatrockbrook.org Monmouth County Park System www.stormkingadventures.com www.monmouthcountyparks.com ADK New York Chapter Fox Hill School Sullivan County Audubon Society www.adkny.org www.bruderhof.com/en/international- Morris County Park Commission www.sullivanaudubon.org directory/united-states/fox-hill www.morrisparks.net ADK North Jersey Ramapo Chapter SUNY Oneonta Outing Club www.hudsonhikers.org Friends of Garret Mountain Mosaic Outdoor Mountain Club www.oneonta.edu/outdoors http://friendsofgarretmountain. www.mosaic-gny.org Adventures for Women blogspot.com Teatown Lake Reservation www.adventuresforwomen.org Musconetcong Mountain Conservancy www.teatown.org Friends of Pelham Bay Park http://mmc.nynjtc.org Alley Pond Environmental Center www.pelhambaypark.org Tenafly Nature Center Association www.alleypond.com Nassau Hiking and Outdoor Club www.tenaflynaturecenter.org Friends of the Hackensack River www.nassauhiking.org AMC Delaware Valley Chapter Greenway in Teaneck The Highlands Natural Pool www.amcdv.org www.teaneckgreenway.org Nelsonville Greenway Committee www.highlandsnaturalpool.org VillageofNelsonville.org AMC Mohawk Hudson Chapter Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct, Inc. The Nature Place Day Camp www.amcmohawkhudson.org http://aqueduct.org New Haven Hiking Club http://thenatureplace.com www.NHHC.info AMC New York North Jersey Chapter Friends of The Shawangunks The Outdoor Club, Inc. www.amc-ny.org http://shawangunks.org New Jersey Search & Rescue Inc. www.outdoorsclub.info www.njsar.org Bellvale School Friends of Van Cortlandt Park The Storm King School www.bruderhof.com/en/international- http://vancortlandt.org New York City Audubon Society, Inc. www.sks.org directory/united-states/bellvale www.nycaudobon.org German-American Hiking Club Thendara Mountain Club Black Rock Forest Consortium Inc. http://gah.nynjtc.org New York Ramblers www.thendaramountainclub.org www.blackrockforest.org www.nyramblers.org Greenburgh Nature Center Town of Lewisboro Boy Scout Troop 121, Hudson Valley Council www.greenburghnaturecenter.org NYC Outward Bound Center www.lewisborogov.com/parksrec www.nycoutwardbound.org Boy Scout Troop 50 Mahwah Hike for Mental Health Trail WhippAss MAHWAHtroop50.scoutlander.com www.hikeformentalhealth.org Protect Our Wetlands, Water & Woods www.trailwhippass.com (POWWW) Boy Scout Troop 8, Brooklyn Hilltop Conservancy, Inc. http://box292.bluehost.com/~powwworg Tri State Ramblers www.hilltopconservancy.org http://tsr.nynjtc.org Boy Scouts of America, Troop 21 Protectors of Pine Oak Woods Hudson Highlands Gateway Task Force www.siprotectors.org University Outing Club Boy Scouts of America- www.TownofCortlandt.com www.universityoutingclub.org Northern NJ Council Rip Van Winkle Hikers www.nnjbsa.org Hunterdon Hiking Club http://newyorkheritage.com/rvw Valley Stream Hiking Club www.hunterdonhikingclub.org www.meetup.com/vshclub Byram Township Environmental Rock Lodge Club Commission Interstate Hiking Club www.rocklodge.com Wappingers Greenway Trail Committee www.byramtwp.org www.interstatehikingclub.org RPH Cabin Volunteers West Milford 13ers Catskill 3500 Club Jolly Rovers www.rphcabin.org www.weishike.com www.catskill-3500-club.org http://jollyrovers.org SAJ - Society for the Advancement of Westchester Trails Association Catskill Mountain Club Little Stony Point Citizens Association Judaism www.westhike.org www.catskillmountainclub.org www.littlestonypoint.org http://www.thesaj.org Women About Chinese Mountain Club of New York Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference Salt Shakers Trail Running Club www.womenabout.org www.cmcny.org www.ligreenbelt.org www.saltshakersrun.com WWW Closter Nature Center Association Long Path North Hiking Club Shorewalkers Inc. www.weishike.com www.closternaturecenter.org www.schoharie-conservation.org www.shorewalkers.org

Helping Hungry Hikers How Split Interest Charitable Giving Can Along the Appalachian Trail Benefit You and the Trail Conference By Don Tripp, West Jersey Trails Chair If you have ever considered donat - On selected days, club members would ing to the New York–New Jersey arrive at 8 a.m., set up the grill, chill down Trail Conference but were unsure the perishables, and greet thru-hikers with of how to also provide for family a hearty meal. The Club set a record for beneficiaries or even other charities, number of meals served in a single day: there are three techniques donors During one hot day in July, 32 hungry hik - can utilize in order to provide gift - ers enjoyed Hunterdon Hikers’ hospitality. ing strategies with “split interests.” And what a feast it was! Summer is prime Charitable Remainder Trusts, time for Jersey produce. In addition to Charitable Lead Trusts, and Chari - burgers and hot dogs, hikers were treated to table Gift Annuities are excellent freshly picked corn, blueberries, tomatoes, ways to extend your charitable giv - and peaches–all from local fields and ing while also providing significant The Hunterdon Hiking Club has served more orchards in the Garden State. The take- tax advantages to the donor as well than 1,000 thru-hikers. away treats were also New Jersey products: as the charity. Mars candy bars and Nabisco cookies. Charitable Remainder Trusts are gifts to a specified charity that provide an income This past July, high up on the Kittatinny Hunterdon Hiking Club has been a stream to the donor or any other non-charitable beneficiary. After the termination of the Ridge along the Appalachian Trail in New longstanding member of the New York- trust, the remainder interest goes to the donor’s choice of nonprofit organizations. Jersey, 197 thru-hikers were greeted warm - New Jersey Trail Conference. More than Charitable Lead Trusts , meanwhile, give payment to the charity first. After trust ter - ly with grilled burgers, hot dogs, and great 1,000 A.T. thru-hikers have appreciated mination, the remainder of the gift goes to the beneficiaries. local produce, compliments of the Hunter - their support and generosity over the past Charitable Gift Annuities involve a contract that allows the donor to provide a gift to don Hiking Club. For the past several 10 years, and the club looks forward to wel - a charity in exchange for a partial tax deduction and a lifetime annual income from the years, quietly and without a lot of publici - coming many more. nonprofit organization. ty, club members have volunteered their For a more detailed overview on these split interest charitable giving techniques, visit time and donated food to help our long- http://bit.ly/nm-SIgiving. For additional information or inquiries, contact distance hiking friends. Financial Advisor James Cantela: [email protected] or 201.639.0642 or Wealth Manage - ment Advisor Paul F. Hoerrner Jr., CFP: [email protected] or 201.639.0636. Fall 2015 Page 9 Maintenance workshop and trail work day PEOPLE FOR TRAILS 50 Years of Recreation at Ramirez Solar House, teaching volun - teers how to open trails in historically in the Delaware Water Gap sensitive areas. The maintenance work exposed some of the house’s unique archi - Among the parks where the New York- In total, the Delaware Water Gap offers tectural features, which had been hidden New Jersey Trail Conference maintains more than 150 miles of maintained trails. from view under years of overgrowth. trails, the Delaware Water Gap National Fourteen Trail Conference volunteers, plus “The Delaware Water Gap area serves as Y O O

Recreation Area is unique: It’s the only the volunteers of the Hunterdon Hiking the northwestern gateway to hiking in New V A L

location the Trail Conference serves that is Club, maintain 31.3 of those miles in N.J., Jersey,” said West Jersey Trails Chair Don A C I R

a designated National Recreation Area, including all 13.8 miles of the A.T. Tripp. “From here, hikers can access hun - R E managed by the National Park Service. J Across the country there are only 18 Chris Carroll National Recreation Areas (NRAs), con - Haverstraw, N.Y. gressionally protected lands that prioritize recreation activities while safeguarding the environment and land from incompatible development. The Delaware Water Gap received its NRA status 50 years ago, on September 1, 1965. Encompassing 70,000 acres in New Jer - Y O

sey and Pennsylvania along the Delaware O V A L

River, the Delaware Water Gap National A C I

Recreation Area (DWGNRA) offers excel - R R E lent opportunities for all outdoor J M

enthusiasts. For hikers, the Appalachian O C . Travis Torgerson R

Trail through DWGNRA provides access K C I

L Haverstraw, N.Y. to the popular Mt. Tammany, Sunfish F / G N

Pond, and a connector to the spectacular A I H S

Buttermilk Falls (also easily accessed by A

I By Jerrica Lavooy, AmeriCorps J car). The Pennsylvania side is known for its The National Park Service held a series of public meetings in early September to get visitor Member of the Megalithic Crew bike-friendly Joseph M. McDade Recre - feedback on its management plan for the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. ational Trail and a selection of beautiful Find updates on the plan process at parkplanning.nps.gov/dewa. Chris Carroll and Travis Torgerson waterfalls, as well as popular launches and are grounds maintenance workers shuttles for kayaks and canoes. Over the summer, the National Park dreds of miles of trails that our volunteers for the New York State Office of Service asked the Trail Conference for assis - maintain in the Kittatinny Range. We’re Parks, Recreation and Historic tance with trail improvements around the proud to be stewards of the Delaware Preservation at Bear Mountain historic Ramirez Solar House, located Water Gap’s hiking paths.” State Park. As part of a new within the DWGNRA in Milford, Pa., If you’re interested in joining our ranks program started this year, the about 20 minutes west of High Point State of volunteers who keep these beautiful time of both men is donated by Park. This structure, which is being trails open and safe, contact the park one day a week to help restored as a center for environmental and [email protected] for more informa - with Trail Conference projects sustainable design, is one of the earliest tion. while they learn valuable trail- examples of passive solar residential An overview of the Delaware Water Gap building skills. design—it is known as the second solar National Recreation Area for hikers can be house built in the United States and is the found at: nynjtc.org/park/delaware-water- How did you get involved with

R earliest surviving example in this country. gap-national-recreation-area. For a full New York State Parks? A G P

A On September 26—National Public Lands visitors’ guide, visit: nps.gov/dewa/index.htm.

Y Chris: I went to school for M Day—Trail Conference volunteers and E R

E computer programming, but

J staff partnered with the National Park Buttermilk Falls Service to lead an Introduction to Trail happened upon an opening with Parks. I took a chance since it was so close to home, and I’m glad I did! putting one foot in front of the other. To Travis: I was going to school for When Is a Hike Really a “Hike”? put a slightly Zen spin on it, it’s about biology when I was recommended By Erin Roll, Trail Walker Contributor being in the moment, whether you’re hik - for a summer job here with the ing two miles from the city or 200. Park. After that, I never left! “If you can get a cell signal, it ain’t hiking.” at their greenest and leafiest. At one point If you’re a hiker who’s satisfied by noth - That was a meme that someone had my mother said something to the effect ing short of a week atop a Colorado 14er, What has been your favorite part posted on the wall of a hiking-related Face - that it was hard to believe we were right that’s fine. If you prefer a short walk in the of the trail building experience? book group that I belong to. across the river from the city. woods near your house or in your nearest Travis: Getting to work alongside It was definitely intended to be humor - So, then, what really makes a hike? state or county park, that’s fine, too. What the Megalithic Crew. I always have ous. I certainly got a grin out of it–and That’s a question, I think, that each of us matters is that it is fulfilling to you. a lot of fun out here, but I learn a come on, you don’t go hiking if you’re going can only answer for ourselves. We all have But back to that meme about the cell sig - ton, too. It’s really cool that I get to be talking on your cell all the time, right? different reasons for going hiking: exercise, nal. It still has a point: unless there’s an to work on the trails that I enjoy But the more I thought about that scenery and vistas, checking out the local emergency, or your phone doubles as your hiking. It would be awesome to meme, the more I found myself wondering flora and fauna, adventure, mental or spir - GPS unit, keep the phone stashed away thru-hike the A.T. knowing that about its other, hidden meaning. I was itual health, or getting that perfect selfie to and enjoy the hike. I got to be a part of its sensing this attitude–which I have seen post on Instagram. A Trail Conference member since 2009, construction and conservation. among certain other hikers and outdoors I think we can agree, though, that a hike Erin Roll is a reporter and editor with North people–that you’re not really hiking unless depends as much on someone’s mindset as Jersey Media Group, as well as a part-time Now that you’ve built trails, you’re out in the deepest, remotest back - on geography–perhaps even more so. A graduate student at Montclair State Univer - how has your view of trail work country, miles from “civilization.” hike is more than just walking from one sity. She also maintains a hiking/outdoors changed? Where this attitude comes from is sub - point to another; it should also be about blog on WordPress called Trail Heads and ject to debate. Maybe it’s the influence of using your senses–listening to bird songs or Wandering Minds. Chris: I never realized how much Thoreau, Emerson and the other Transcen - waterfalls, smelling pine trees and flow - work and patience and planning dentalists writing about a return to nature ers–and actually being aware that you’re goes into the process. It is great and the simple life in the 19th century. Per - problem-solving practice to work haps it’s because of the (idealized) image of the brain as well as the body. the free, independent individual that keeps It’s also been really cool to see showing up in the American mythos. Or how some of the techniques, maybe it’s a not-so-hidden desire to say, like high-lining and stone “Hey, look at me, I’m out here roughing splitting, are actually done. it–top that, slackers!” It’s awesome to give back, be There is obviously nothing wrong with a out in nature, and not only make long trek in the deeper woods; as with so a trail look awesome, but help many other hikers, my bucket list includes conserve it, too. at least one overnight on the Appalachian Trail. But I think the assumption that a hike If you’d like to give back to trails, has to be both long and remote in order to check out all of our volunteer be considered a hike is an erroneous one. opportunities at nynjtc.org/volunteer. Here in New Jersey and New York, we are very fortunate to have–both because of HISTORIC HUDSON RIVER COTTAGES Affordable studio, one and two bedroom homes available in geography and conservation efforts–a wide historic cottage cooperative in Westchester County, off the range of excellent parks and trails, includ - Hudson River, one hour from NYC. Dating back to 1929, ing many within a few miles of (or actually this three-season community offers swimming pool, tennis L court, organic community garden, social hall with internet L O

in) New York City. R and social activities. $25,000-$100,000+. 917-880-5419.

N

I www.reynoldshills.org. Contact melgarfi[email protected].

I remember leading my family on a hike R one morning on the Long Path in the Pal - A hike on the Carpenter’s Trail along the Palisades—with views of the George Washington E isades. It was summer, and the woods were Bridge and New York City—is still a hike. Page 10 Fall 2015 Trail Conference Map Updates from our Cartographer, Jeremy Apgar Plan Your Fall Hikes with New Editions of the New Maps Cover West Hudson and Catskills Trails Map Sets 15 Northern NJ

Mount Tremper is indicated. The DEC State Parks Catskill Trails Map Set: 11th Edition parkland classifications have been adjusted near Belleayre Mountain to reflect recent The Trail Conference, in partnership with Already one of the Trail Conference’s most more than 325,000 acres of protected land. changes, and additional New York City the New Jersey State Park Service, is cur - popular maps, a revised 11th edition of the This map set features more than 400 Department of Environmental Protection rently finishing up a project to produce Catskill Trails map set will provide hikers miles of marked trails in and around watershed lands have been added through - maps for 15 state parks and forests in north - with the most up-to-date and accurate trail Catskill Park, including over 100 miles of out the map coverage area. Many ern New Jersey. These maps aim to replace map of the Catskill Park available when it the Long Path. The approximately 9.5-mile additional minor corrections and changes outdated handouts previously provided by is printed this fall. This six-map set high - route of the Long Path through Slide have also been added, making this new edi - the parks, and we hope users find them to lights trails in and around Catskill Park in Mountain Wilderness is now shown in its tion of the Catskill Trails map set more be accurate, detailed, and user-friendly. Delaware, Greene, Schoharie, Sullivan and entirety, and the location of the newly accurate than ever before. Ulster counties of New York, covering opened Catskill Interpretive Center in Additional map features include 50-foot contour lines, detailed trail mileages, all 35 peaks in the Catskills over 3,500 feet, lean-tos, springs, and other points of interest. Detailed trail descriptions on the map backs include the latest trail changes. At only $16.95 ($12.71 for Trail Confer - ence members), this comprehensive map set will be a must-have for exploring the wild outdoors of the Catskills when it R I E becomes available. The map set is expected W

E T

T to be available sometime in October. This E G

R map set was produced with support from O E

G Campmor, an outdoor store and retail The 11th edition of the Catskill Trails map set features more than 400 miles of marked trails. partner of the Trail Conference.

West Hudson Trails Map Set: maps. Other corrections and adjustments to the trails and map features make this edi - Seventh Edition tion of West Hudson Trails the most Print copies of these maps are available accurate we have ever published. from most of the park’s offices and visitor Made by the people who build the trails, This revised edition, released in August, centers. The maps can also be obtained in the new seventh edition of the West Hud - includes trail mileage figures directly on the digital format, both as a regular PDF in son Trails map set by the New York-New map front, providing distances between 8.5”x11” format for viewing on a comput - Jersey Trail Conference features more than trail junctions and significant trail features. er and/or printing at home, and a 70 miles of marked trails in Storm King Additional map features include 20-foot GPS-enhanced version for use with the free State Park, Black Rock Forest, Schune - contour lines, UTM gridlines, green over - PDF Maps app by visiting our website at munk Mountain State Park, and other print for protected lands, parking areas, nynjtc.org/map/njstateparkmaps. nearby parklands. Nearly 25 miles of the and other points of interest. The Trail Conference has drawn upon its Highlands Trail, along with more than 10 At only $8.95 ($6.71 for Trail Confer - long history of producing high-quality trail miles of the Long Path, are shown on the ence members), this map set is a must-have maps to provide this service for park visitors maps. This revised edition has trail lines for exploring these parklands in Orange and hopefully encourage more people to that have been redrawn based on newer, County west of the Hudson River. This explore the miles of hiking paths that traverse more accurate GPS data and aerial photog - map set was produced with support from New Jersey. While these park maps are avail - raphy. A new trail has been added in Black Campmor, an outdoor store and retail able for free, we do ask that if you like them, Rock Forest, and several additional view - partner of the Trail Conference. please consider making a donation, becom - points have been added throughout the ing a volunteer, or becoming a member of the Trail Conference. You can also show your As always, both map sets are available in print format in vibrant color on waterproof, tear-resistant Tyvek. To obtain the newly revised print support by purchasing our full-featured map set, shop online at nynjtc.org, call 201-512-9348, or visit the Trail Conference office. The maps are also available in digital format on maps, which are available in print format on waterproof and tear-resistant Tyvek. Our Apple and Android devices through the PDF Maps app; learn more about our GPS-enhanced maps at nynjtc.org/pdfmaps. popular Kittatinny Trails, North Jersey Trails, and Jersey Highlands Trails map sets include many of these New Jersey state parks. Latest PDF Maps App Developments: Our Digital Maps The Trail Conference would like to acknowledge the contributions of the many We offer a large selection of both Map Bundles and New Maps! great people who made these maps possible. free and for-sale maps through Suse Bell served as volunteer coordinator for Avenza’s PDF Maps app, which is this project, keeping everything on track by available on Apple and Android facilitating communications among the car - mobile devices as a free download. tographer, Jeremy Apgar, and everyone else The app allows you to pinpoint involved. Volunteers Ed Burdzy and Paul your location on a map, even when Cashen helped provide GPS data for the in areas without any mobile cover - maps, and others—including Alan Abramowitz, Estelle Anderson, Daniel age, and includes features like Chazin, David Day, Monica Day, Gene route tracking, waypoint marking, Giordano, Bob Jonas, Howie Liebmann, photo geotagging, and the ability Paul Makus, Keith Scherer, Karen Schoof, to measure distances between Brian Sniatkowski, and Don Tripp— points on the map. Step-by-step offered valuable field-checking and review instructions for downloading the expertise. Thanks also to all of the park This summer, the Trail Conference surpassed map individually. We currently offer nine app and finding our maps are superintendents and everyone else at New 60,00 map downloads through Avenza’s map bundles, which can be found within available at nynjtc.org/pdfmaps. Jersey State Parks, including Steve Ellis and PDF Maps app—and these digital maps the app’s map store by searching for the Diane Lowrie, who helped us create the best only continue to increase in popularity as map titles. maps possible for park visitors. more and more people on the trails discover Another update: It is now possible to We are thankful to everyone who uses their enhanced capabilities. We are excited to access the app’s map store and download the app, recommends it to others, and Maps were funded in part with a national now offer new digital maps (see N.J. State free and for-sale maps using any browser takes the time to contact us with sugges - Recreational Trails Program grant in cooper - Parks article on this page) and provide on a desktop PC or mobile device. Avenza’s tions and feedback. The funds received ation with the New Jersey State Park Service. additional options for obtaining them— pdf-maps.com/maps website now allows from our app map sales, just like our print including map bundles and online purchases you to search for maps, view preview map sales, go right into the trail work we from a desktop PC—to help get these essen - images, and purchase maps without a do in the region, so we hope users will con - The 15 state parks and forests include: tial tools onto the devices of even more mobile device. You can check out using tinue to spread the word. It is great hearing Abram S. Hewitt State Forest, Allamuchy outdoors-loving people. PayPal or debit/credit cards. back from trail maintainers using the app Mountain State Park, High Point State In August, the app’s developer updated As always, these digital maps are not to report trail problems, invasive species Park, Hopatcong State Park, Jenny Jump the software and included the ability for meant to be a replacement for printed surveyors using the app to mark locations State Forest, Kittatinny Valley State Park, users to download collections of maps, maps that every trail user should have— of invasive plants, and hikers using the app Long Pond Ironworks State Park, Norvin called map bundles. This option makes it they are a supplement to help enhance your to report map changes or corrections. The Green State Forest, Ramapo Mountain State Forest, Ringwood State Park, even easier to download our most popular outdoor experience. Batteries can die, soft - popularity of these digital maps has certain - Stephens State Park, Stokes State Forest, map sets, like the two-map Harriman- ware can become buggy, and weather can ly shown us how we can further develop Swartswood State Park, Wawayanda State Bear Mountain set or six-map Catskill set, become problematic, so have a printed opportunities to help more people explore Park, and Worthington State Forest while saving money versus buying each map with you just in case. our region’s trails safely. Fall 2015 Page 11 Native Plant Habitat Taking Shape PEOPLE FOR TRAILS at Trail Conference Headquarters

By Linda Rohleder, Trail Conference wildflowers such as swamp milkweed, is being augmented to establish breeding Director of Land Stewardship and Lower which serves as a host plant to the dwin - areas for the native wood turtle. This

Hudson Partnership for Regional Inva - dling population of monarch butterflies, includes the introduction of sand beds for N I D

will further enhance the habitat. egg laying. W sive Species Management Coordinator A R

In addition to establishing appropriate Not only will the property provide habi - E K A It may be fall, but the grounds at the Trail vegetation, this habitat along the Ramapo tat to serve our native fauna, it will also be J Conference’s new headquarters are looking River adjacent to Darlington Schoolhouse used as a teaching and learning site. With a Gene Wiggins a lot greener. Landscaping appropriate to large variety of the native plants found in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. the riparian flood plain location of the Dar - our area collected together in one place, lington Schoolhouse is helping to restore a students, hikers, and members of the gen - native plant habitat, which will provide eral public can come to the Trail By Chris Bush, AmeriCorps Leader food and shelter for other native species. Conference to study and learn about these of the Taconic Trail Crew The first step in installing this native native species firsthand. When the habitat plant habitat took place in May, when vol - is fully established, the public will be invit - Volunteers are special people. unteers helped plant carefully selected trees ed to participate in seasonal programs to They give their free time, free of such as the swamp white oak, which sup - identify the various species as they leaf out, pay, free of necessity, in order to ports a large number of animal species. flower, fruit, and change color. help the cause of their choosing. Phase two took place on August 29, when The native landscape is being designed When it comes to trail work, loyal 49 incoming freshmen from Ramapo Col - by Richard Pillar, a New Jersey Licensed volunteers are hard to keep. To lege of New Jersey helped plant almost 400 Landscape Architect and former owner of put it plainly, trail work is tough. small shrubs such as silky dogwood, which Wild Earth Native Plant Nursery. But if we are lucky, a crew will produces flowers in the spring for us to If you’d like to volunteer to help with the gain one or a few loyal volunteers enjoy, and fruit attractive to birds in sum - native plant landscape, please contact who make it their calling to come mer. A future phase of the landscaping will Incoming freshmen from Ramapo College [email protected] out and get things done. For the introduce an herbaceous layer to the of New Jersey helped plant native Taconic Trail Crew, that volunteer grounds, which will include many wild - species around the Darlington is Gene Wiggins. flowers, grasses, and ferns. Native Schoolhouse grounds in August. Gene is a life member of the Trail Conference who began volunteering five years ago. Invasives Strike Force Citizen Science Program Somehow, in between running his own IT consulting business and raising a young family, Gene has Tops 1,000 Miles of Trail Surveyed graciously given the crew half a dozen consecutive Saturdays (and After only five years of service, the Trail Has Your Park Been Surveyed? some Mondays) to help further our Conference’s Invasives Strike Force volun - progress on the Appalachian Way teers have surveyed over 1,000 miles of Our volunteers have collected data at over 60 parks, many of Trail in Fahnestock Park. When trails in the region, creating the first-of-its- asked why he volunteers, he kind map of invasive plants along hiking which have had every trail simply said, “I love being outside.” paths from a broad landscape scale. When completely surveyed. the program first started in 2011, the goal Due to the geology of Fahnestock, was to collect baseline data on regional hik - Find out which ones have been the crew has seen our fair share of ing trails with the intention of monitoring completed at nynjtc.org/panel/ rockwork on this project, including

and halting the spread of invasive plants R invasive-strike-force-parks. a number of heavy-duty stepping A G P

within our parks. Originally we targeted A stone sections and more than a

Y M

about 1,300 miles of trail in both New E seen a pattern of more invasive species clos - few stone stairs. Regardless, Gene R E

York and New Jersey, aiming to complete J er to human impacts, such as parking areas has unwaveringly stood by us as the entire slate within five to six years. We have turned up some interesting results. and buildings. we have dug pits and set stone are currently on track and are very close to We've identified the top invaders in our Using the data collected by our volun - after stone. reaching our goal. parks: Japanese barberry, Japanese stiltgrass, teers, we are able to plan work days where Our survey strategy assigns a manageable multiflora rose, wineberry, and garlic mus - we remove pockets of invaders to protect “I really enjoy the stonework,” section of just two miles to each volunteer. tard. In fact, the top two—Japanese native habitats and also target new invaders Gene said. “It’s a mix of hard work Over the last five years, almost 300 volun - barberry and Japanese stiltgrass—have to help keep them from establishing and and artistry.” teers have been involved in our surveys. In been found in all of the parks surveyed so becoming the next Japanese barberry. We’re The Appalachian Way Trail project the process, they have collectively generat - far. also able to start predicting areas which are was completed in September, but ed over 50,000 observations of invasive We’ve also identified parks that have sub - more likely to be invaded. that hasn’t slowed Gene down. species–a substantial data set that will be stantial areas with fairly low invasive plant Our 2015 season has come to a close, but Aside from volunteering with the useful in analyzing invasive species distri - levels, such as Abram Hewitt State Forest we’re already planning for next year. To par - Taconic Crew, he also maintains bution and spread throughout the region. and the southern portion of Norvin Green ticipate in 2016, sign up for our mailing list a section of trail at the Hilltop Very little was known about the extent of State Forest in New Jersey, and Schune - by emailing Linda Rohleder, Director of Hanover Farm and Environmental invasive species in our parks when this citi - munk Mountain State Park and Storm Land Stewardship, at [email protected]. Center in Yorktown, N.Y. zen science program began, and the surveys King State Park in New York. We’ve also —Linda Rohleder The Taconic Crew would like to thank Gene for his hard work The exact cause of shin splints is still not Strengthening exercises and dedication. Without A Shin Splint wholly agreed upon by experts. Most do volunteers like him, the trails Primer for Hikers agree, however, that the source of pain can and stretches can help could not be as beautiful and occur either in the actual leg bone, in the decrease stress on your accessible as they are. By Howard E. Friedman, DPM tibia, or in the soft tissues attached to that bone. Furthermore, the shin splint may feet and legs while hiking. For more information on the “Shin splints” is a vernacular term describ - affect either the inside of the lower leg—that Taconic Crew and how you can ing any exercise-induced pain occurring is, the area of the leg that faces the other less likely but more serious condition can get involved, visit below the knee and above the ankle. It is leg—or the outer part of the leg. occur if the muscles in the lower leg start nynjtc.org/taconiccrew. usually used to describe pain along the swelling and the calf becomes steadily more “shin” bone or muscles in the lower leg. Where Is the Pain? painful. This condition is called a compart - The term itself is slowly being replaced If you can point with one finger to a specif - ment syndrome and requires urgent care. How to Prevent Shin Splints with “medial tibial stress syndrome.” ic area of the shin bone that is painful, the Fortunately, this scenario is less common. If your shoes are worn down significantly condition is likely caused by repetitive trau - on one side of the sole, replace the shoes. If ma of the tibia causing an inflammatory Treatment you have a flat foot or high arch foot, you response of the bone cells (osteocytes). This Whether it is “bone” pain or “soft tissue” may benefit from placing an arch support stress reaction of the bone can lead to a pain, treatment is similar. First, stop run - in your shoes or boots—even when at stress fracture if no precautions are taken. ning and hiking until the pain resolves. home. In addition, shorten your stride Stress fractures are incomplete breaks of the This typically requires about three to four when hiking or running, taking shorter but bone and are usually painful even with weeks for healing. In the case of a pre-stress more frequent steps; if running in an urban minimal activity. Most stress or pre-stress fracture of the tibia, ignoring the pain can setting, vary your running surface. Consult injuries to the tibia occur along the inside lead to a stress fracture and require four to with your physician to find out if you have of the leg bone, but they can occur on the six weeks or more of healing time to low bone density or are deficient in vitamin outside of the calf as well. resume even low impact activities, and a D. And don’t forget to incorporate a daily If your pain extends along several inches few months to resume hiking or trail run - regimen of calf stretching and strengthen - of the lower leg and not directly along the ning. Additional treatments include icing ing exercises to help decrease the stress on shin bone, the shin splint is most likely the the painful area, wrapping the leg with an your foot and leg during hiking or running result of either a micro tear of the muscle ace wrap or compression sleeve, taking oral activities. fiber attachments to the tibia or a tear of anti-inflammatories, or even using a cane the fascia tissue that covers the muscles. A or walking boot. Page 12 Fall 2015

piece of the Preserve. Large, metamorphic top of the ridge, which offers sweeping rocks form the Dover Stone Church’s views over the Harlem Valley. Many of the Featured Hike entrance in the shape of a gothic church’s habitats at the Preserve are sensitive to dis - cathedral window, hence the holy moniker. turbance, so please stay on the blazed trails. By Sona Mason Once inside, you’ll find a magnificent waterfall fed by Stone Church Brook, a Directions: tributary of the Tenmile River, which par - Take NYS Route 22 to Dover Plains. Explore More Than Ever Before allels the trail. The unique beauty of this Immediately south of the traffic light at site, which has historical ties to Native Mill Street (Metro-North Rail Station), Through Dover Stone Church Preserve American Pequot Chief Sassacus and his look for a blue and yellow historical marker warriors, is often likened to something out on the west side of the road for Dover Stone of a fairy tale. Church. The drive is private, but open for For a longer tour of the Preserve along pedestrians; do not take cars up it. Parking hiking paths of varied terrain, retrace your is permitted at Dover Elementary when steps back along the Stone Church Cave school is not in session, at the Tabor Wing Trail. In this direction, all three of the new House, and at Four Brothers Restaurant. trails are accessed from a trailhead on your Walk north toward the traffic light to the right as you near the clearing. The new yel - sign designating the entrance to the Pre - low-blazed and red-blazed trails each serve’s right-of-way. At the top of the gravel provide one-mile loop hike options. The driveway, you’ll enjoy a bird’s eye view of in-and-out blue trail is 1.5 miles roundtrip. the tree-lined lane. A quarter-mile walk

M You’ll encounter plenty of rocks and sever - from this viewpoint will lead you to an O C . R

K al forest types on these trails, from informational kiosk containing maps and C I L

F abandoned agriculture land now sprouting important information about the Preserve / ) N

E juniper trees, to oaks, hemlocks and hicko - and its history. D R

A ries, to chestnut oaks and pitch pines at the G T H G I R B (

Y R O G E R G

R Hikers’ E T E P The Stone Church Preserve was purchased in 2004 with private and public funds through Marketplace the collaborative efforts of the Dutchess Land Conservancy, the Town of Dover, the Friends of Dover Stone Church, and Dutchess County Government and the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Additional lands and improvements to the Go Places with Trail Maps and right-of-way access were added in 2009, with a grand opening celebration in 2010. Books from the Trail Conference. The stream-fed cavern known as Dover tection of its trails. The Town of Dover and Stone Church is one of the most spectacu - DLC added a key 53 acres in December lar natural sites in Dutchess County, New 2014, making it possible to build and open Get the complete set York. Thanks to the work of volunteers the three new trails this spring. from the New York-New Jersey Trail Con - The original Stone Church Cave Trail of trail maps at one ference, hikers can now explore more of the (0.3 mile round-trip) leads to the center - great, low price! protected lands surrounding this hidden Our map combo offers all of our natural wonder. high-quality Trail Conference maps Three new trails traversing the Dover Stone Church Preserve were officially at a 5% discount (members get an opened to the public in June. Built by Trail additional 25% discount). Save big Conference volunteers—including the on shipping charges! Harlem Valley Trails Crew led by Salley Decker, volunteer supervisor of the Pre - Find it on our online store under Combos. serve, town officials, and the staff of Dutchess Land Conservancy—the new We cover your favorite hiking areas in the New York-New Jersey region, hiking paths add four additional miles of including Harriman-Bear Mountain, the Catskills, North Jersey and Jersey trail to this historic green space in Dover Highlands, East and West Hudson Highlands, and more. Plains. Prior to their completion, only a Trail Conference Field Manager Erik Find all our publications, and select trail guides from others, on our website, fraction of the Preserve was accessible via Mickelson led a sidehilling workshop on the and get your 25% member discount ! just one marked trail. new trails at Dover Stone Church Preserve The Trail Conference adopted the Stone on June 14. A section of one of the new Visit www.nynjtc.org/panel/goshopping! Church Preserve in early 2014, sharing trails was sidehilled by 10 volunteer trail Or call 201-512-9348 responsibility for the maintenance and pro - workers, who received onsite training. Support Trails, Parks and Open Join/Renew NY-NJ Trail Conference Membership We maintain more than 2,100 miles of trails. Your membership helps us expand Space in the New York-New Jersey our horizons. region by joining the New York- Included with membership: Trail Walker , 10% discount on purchases at many outdoor stores, and 25% discount on all Trail Conference maps and books purchased directly from the Trail Conference. Save time and a tree by joining or New Jersey Trail Conference. renewing online at www.nynjtc.org. Just click on the Join/Renew Now button. MEMBERSHIP TYPE The Trail Conference maintains more than 2,100 miles Select one: Join Renew Membership # if available______e of trails, advocates for parks, protects open space, and Individual Joint/Family c provides volunteer service opportunities in the great outdoors.

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T Senior (65+) $35 $40

e 25% Discount on Trail Conference maps, books, f I and other products. Visit nynjtc.org/panel/goshopping A joint membership is for two adults residing at the same address. n Great Discounts at supporting outdoor retailers For my membership of $60 or more, send me a: o and other businesses. See our partners at Trail Conference Cap OR Harriman-Bear Mountain Map Set F

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