July/August 2005
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RAILWALKER TNEW YORK-NEW JERSEY TRAIL CONFERENCE — MAINTAINING OVER 1,600 MILES OF FOOT TRAILS JULY/AUGUST 2005 In this issue: TC Seeks Land Transfer to NYS...pg 3 • Wildflowers Gone Missing...pg 7 • End-to-End LP Run...pg 9 • Gear Check...pg 8 • Favorite Hike...pg 10 Next Great Leaders Who among us can take on one project at time and By Josh Erdsneker see it through to the end? Most of us! Volunteer Projects Director State-wide budget problems and limited resources are challenging recre- ational land managers and conservationists alike in New York and New Jersey. Consequently, the Trail Conference is being asked to do more than ever before. Is the Trail Conference prepared to accept these new challenges and will we still be able to provide the hiking community with the same services that we have offered for the last 85 years? S U My first reaction is, yes, our volunteers them considers him- or herself extraordi- K A M can do anything they put their minds to. nary or special, but I beg to differ. Whether L U Last year we built a 63' bridge over the I’m out with a trail crew, on the phone with A P Popolopen Creek. The mileage of trails we a member of the board of directors, email- Commitment, passion, stamina: TC volunteers have leadership qualities in spades. maintain has grown steadily over the past ing a publication volunteer, or even five years to more than 1,600 miles. We are bumping into a maintainer while s/he is ate, extraordinary people. Right now, we lands. Our advocacy committee needs the leading publisher of hiking guidebooks out on a work trip, I have noticed they all need more people who are passionate and leaders to spearhead the effort to address and maps in the region. We successfully share a deep sense of pride and commit- committed to trails to become our volun- illegal ORV usage. We need volunteers to advocated for the reopening of Storm King ment when they contribute to the Trail teer leaders. To state the obvious, without take on one project at time and see it State Park. Just pick up a copy of the Trail Conference. Some can’t say no: one is volunteer leaders, we would be hamstrung. through to the end. Walker and you’ll be able to read about our currently a map project manager, map field Each of our maps and guidebooks needs With new project management tools to successes. With the support of 1,200 checker and GPSer, office volunteer, trail a dedicated project manager to oversee its be developed, an increased number of recorded volunteers in 2004, the Trail maintainer, trail crew member, NJ production. Our trail committees need workshops, specialized training for hi-tech Conference accomplished more than ever Highlands advocate, member of the supervisors to manage specific areas of work, and advanced trail building and before. Individuals, couples, families, and Sterling Forest Working Group, trail layout trails. Volunteers are needed to coordinate design workshops, a wide range of support- our member clubs have all made contribu- and designer, and delegate-at-large. And our training efforts. The hiking communi- ed, volunteer opportunities is available; it’s tions to our success. others won’t say quit, such as the volunteer ty needs to organize its efforts to tell never been easier to get involved. In the past three years, I have met who has maintained a trail for 26 years. developers and elected officials how we feel hundreds of these volunteers. None of Trail Conference volunteers are passion- about proposals that threaten our trail continued on page 8 Order Updated North Jersey TrailTrail ConferenceConference Sends CrewsCrews into the WoodsWoods forfor 1313 NationalNational TrailsTrails DayDay EventsEvents And Kittatinny Maps Today Please turnturn to page 5 for photo gallerygallery of the day.day. he Trail Conference Publications Although the previous edition of the TCommittee has just concluded its North Jersey map set was published only busiest map-making season ever. Four three years ago, many changes have taken updated maps sets have been published so place to the trails in the area, and the 2002 far this year: the brand-new digital edition edition of Map #22 had become obsolete. of the Shawangunks, the updated digital The new edition includes the expanded Sterling Forest map (both announced in network of trails in the area of Camp Glen the May/April Trail Walker), and now Gray, which has been acquired by Bergen updated analog versions of the North Jersey County. It also shows the new Hasenclever and Kittatinny maps. Iron Trail and Will Monroe Loop, as well as the new trail designations in the Wyanokies. The new edition of the Kittatinny Trails map set includes several new trails and relocations of existing trails. Thanks go to the many hard working and diligent volunteers who helped see VOLUME XXXII, NUMBER 4 ISSN 0749-1352 PERMIT #970-100 these projects through to their successful completion by taking on the jobs of map manager, map back editor, layout artist, field coordinator, field checker, and cartographer. New volunteers are welcome for upcoming projects; support and guidance are provided. Please contact Josh Erdsneker at 201-512-9348, ext. 25 or [email protected] for information. RAIL ALKER T W FROM THE CHAIR VOLUME XXXII, NO. 4 JULY/AUGUST 2005 GEORGETTE WEIR EDITOR LOUIS LEONARDIS GRAPHIC DESIGNER The TRAIL WALKER (USPS Permit #970- 100) (ISSN 0749-1352) is published bi-monthly by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference as Trails to Friendship a benefit of membership. Subscriptions are available to libraries only at $15.00 a year. bout 10 years ago I would listen in AT as an agent of change. During these the changes are the friendships I have Periodical postage paid at Mahwah, N.J., and Aawe to then president of the Trail conversations, many told me that their formed. I cannot truly say that all of my additional offices. Postmaster: Send address Conference Neil Zimmerman and his tales families and friends could not understand friends hike. But I can say that my closest changes to the address below. Opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily represent the policy of hiking adventures with friends. Think- why they were spending time hiking. friendships have formed as a result of vol- or position of the Conference. Contributions of ing he was quite fortunate, I asked if he had Some of them expressed the wish to know unteering for the Trail Conference. typed manuscripts, photos, and drawings are any friends who did not hike. His reply others who hiked. So think about joining a trail crew or vol- welcome. Manuscripts may be edited for style and length. Send SASE for writers’ guidelines. that all his friends hiked surprised me. But Finding others who have similar interests unteering to help on a Trail Conference Submission deadlines for the TRAIL WALKER then he went on to say that because he is possible and not too hard. In fact, these project, whether long or short term. There are January 15 (Mar./Apr. issue), March 15 hiked so much, in time his non-hiking walkers were already making friends with are ways to discover others with the same (May/June issue), May 15 (July/Aug. issue), friends gradually drifted away. I had not their fellow hikers. What they did not interests and join what I consider to be a July 15 (Sept./Oct. issue), September 15 (Nov./Dec. issue), November 15 (Jan./Feb. really thought much about his remark know was that meeting people who volun- wonderful community. The volunteer ads issue). Unsolicited contributions cannot be until recently. teer to make hiking possible and in the Trail Walker are a great place to start. acknowledged unless accompanied by SASE. While out hiking the Appalachian Trail volunteering themselves are even better You’ll quickly learn that hikers don’t care For information on advertising rates, please write or call. in southwest Virginia, I had opportunities ways to make friends. And you don’t have what you do at a day job, just that you Copyright 2005 by: to talk to a variety of hikers, primarily the to thru-hike the AT to find either. In this enjoy the outdoors on your feet! New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Inc. thru hikers as they headed north. In many area, the Trail Conference and its member 156 Ramapo Valley Road (Rt. 202) cases, they were people who had decided clubs offer ample opportunities for both. – Jane Daniels, Chair, Board of Directors Mahwah, NJ 07430 201-512-9348 to make a life change and were using the Hiking changed my life, and the best of e-mail: [email protected] editorial e-mail: [email protected] World Wide Web: http://www.nynjtc.org missing. Two ladies got lost in the fog without Oton noticing. They got a lift Support NY ATV Plan from the police to a diner, where one of Letters them called her husband to pick them up. The DEC must stand by its ATV plan (see Oton’s passenger was his neighbor, who story on page 3) and emphasize that $25 gave him an earful or two when he got ATV fees must be used primarily for NEW YORK - NEW JERSEY That Reminds Me... home! enforcement and education. There must TRAIL CONFERENCE –Richard H. Tourin be qualified hard trails only and no soft Mission Statement The article by Faith W. Eckler (May/June Flushing, NY ATV trails in any public forest. Also any The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Trail Walker, p.