Grandson, Grandfather Get Updated Map Pair Up to Volunteer for Harriman-Bear Field-checking trails brings Mountain Trails generations together. Features 100+ changes READ MORE ON PAGE 10 READ MORE ON PAGE 11

Spring 2012 New York-New Jersey Trail Conference — Connecting People with Nature since 1920 www.nynjtc.org A Record Year 71 Miles of Long Path to Move This Year for Maps ajor changes are in store for the this time, as well as overseeing trail progress. In what could be a historic “Year of Long Path this year, the happy The complete rerouting in this area Maps’’ for the Trail Conference— Mand long-awaited result of sever - involves 7.0 miles of current LP. planned publication of a record al big trail proposals long in the pipeline. From Schunemunk to the Shawangunks seven revised map sets in 2012— Taken together, some 71 miles of the trail—about 20% of the existing end-to- In Orange County, the original LP route staff cartographer Jeremy Apgar end length—is to be relocated in three went west from Schunemunk to the will certainly keep busy. But these separate projects in three counties: Ulster, Wurtsboro Ridge northeast of Wurtsboro won’t be the only maps on Apgar’s Sullivan, and Orange. Several long road and included about 30 miles of roadwalk - plate. He also has the satisfaction walks will be eliminated or much reduced, ing with no real prospect of improvement. of creating maps for many other and a long desired trail connection between Until now. the Shawangunks and Catskills will be LP South Co-chairs Andy Garrison and purposes that directly or indirectly established (almost). Jakob Franke have identified a new route serve the organization and hikers that cuts the road walk almost in half and throughout the region. Shawangunks to Catskills: offers the prospect of getting additional New Trail Link to Open June 2 miles off of roads in the future. On Just this past January, the Bergen Coun - On National Trails Day, the Trail Confer - Schunemunk Mountain, the new route ty (NJ) Police Department requested ence will join with Minnewaska State Park will turn south at its intersection with the potentially life-saving trails data to aid in Preserve to celebrate the opening of the new Jessup Trail instead of north. It will be co- their emergency operations. In addition Mine Hole Trail in the northernmost part Work will begin on one long-sought aligned with the Jessup and Highlands to helping countless thousands of hikers of the park. This 3.5-mile trail links the relocation of the LP in the Catskills. Trails, and then follow the Heritage Trail safely traverse over 1,800 miles of trails Berrypicker Trail to Berme Road and pro - (rail trail) to just east of Middletown. From in the region, Apgar said it’s always vides most of the long-sought green link to agency has approved a specific route that there it will be mostly road walking to the “great to hear’’ that his maps may have connect the Shawangunks to the Catskills. complies with its guidelines of a slope of Shawangunk Ridge in Mount Hope. The helped a lost hiker get home. The LP will follow its current course not more than 10% (very tough to meet in LP will then follow the current Shawan - through Sam’s Point Preserve to, heading the Catskills!) and we plan to begin trail gunk Ridge Trail north, along the Bashakill A Map Year for the Books northbound, the Verkeerder Kill Falls area construction late this spring. and to the Wurtsboro Ridge. 2012 is shaping up to be the most pro - (private land). There, instead of continuing The general route, from south to north, This reroute has all approvals in place. It lific calendar year for map publication on along the Scenic Trail past Mud Pond, has the LP leaving the Wittenberg-Cornell- requires only new blazing (and removal of since the Trail Conference began print - Lake Awosting and along the Rainbow Falls Slide Trail at the junction with the Terrace LP blazes on the old route), which will ing them in 1974. North Jersey and Trail, Jenny Lane, and Old Minnewaska Mountain Trail, follow the Terrace Moun - begin when Orange County has completed Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails are Trail to Rt. 44/55, the LP will turn north to tain Trail to the Terrace Mountain Shelter, construction of a new ball park in Gonzaga available now. Hudson Palisades, East co-align with the High Point Trail, contin - and continue over Cross Mountain, Park at the southern end of Schunemunk, Hudson, Kittatinny, West Hudson, and ue on the Berrypicker Trail in Minnewaska, Mount Pleasant and Romer Mountain through which the trail will pass. The possibly Sterling Forest Trails will follow then turn onto the new Mine Hole Trail to before descending to a new parking area at timing of this is uncertain as of press time, later this year. Berme Road in Wawarsing. (See map 104, the end of Lane Street in Phoenicia. (See but the park is expected to be completed Shawangunk Trails, 2011 edition.) maps 143 and 141, Catskill Trails.) before summer. From Berme Road, it is a 2-mile road As part of the layout and construction The complete rerouting in this area walk as the route follows Port Ben Road, process, the Trail Conference will be offering involves 39.5 miles of LP. crosses Rt. 209 and continues on Lundy Road to to Vernooy State Forest. One last regulatory hurdle remains to be crossed in order to blaze a route for the LP through that forest and the adjacent Sundown Wild Forest. Once the Dept. of Environmental Conservation (DEC) completes the Unit Management Plans for the these two state Publications Committee Chair Daniel forests, the trail will follow the west bank of Chazin (front) and Cartographer Jeremy the Vernooy Kill to Vernooy Falls, to rejoin Apgar check a press proof of the new the current route. (See map 146, Catskills

Harriman map. E K

Trails, 2010 edition.) N A R F The revised map sets, available at Until that time, the trail will follow B O more than 70 retail outlets in the Rogue Harbor Road to Upper Cherrytown K A J region and from the Trail Conference Road, part of the current route from the Andy Garrison flags a new trail route in the Catskills. website (nynjtc.org/catalog/maps), offer Shawangunks to the Catskills. improvements such as refined contour The complete rerouting in this area a number of Trail University workshops as Collateral Changes lines, added scenic views and points of involves 25.0 miles of LP. part of the project. Courses will include Trail Trail users can expect additional changes to interest, new parklands, and corrections Layout and Design and the Tread and blaze colors and names of several of the trails to previously published maps. As an Into the Woods in Southern Catskills Drainage Workshops. Students will be able that are due to become “former” Long Path example, more than 20 viewpoints were The LP route through the Slide Mountain to work on the trail during the workshop and routes. In particular, trails on Schunemunk added to the Harriman-Bear Mountain Wilderness area currently includes a 5-mile then join up with a trail crew that will be Mountain and in Minnewaska State Park Trails maps at the suggestion of volun - walk on Woodland Valley Road. Fourteen working on the construction of this trail for Preserve will get new colors in the months teers, including Bob Fuller and Daniel years ago, thanks to the hard work of vol - the entire season. ahead. Decided as of the deadline for this Chazin. unteers including Howie Dash, Dale Long Path Co-chairs Andy Garrison and issue: in Minnewaska: Scenic Trail-Violet; The Harriman maps, which took Hughes, and Pete Senterman, DEC gave Jakob Franke, in partnership with our Rainbow Falls-Orange; Jenny Lane-Light continued on page 6 conceptual approval for a plan to relocate Southern Catskills Trails Chair Joe Herrod, Blue; Old Minnewaska Trail-Pink. this stretch of LP into the forest. At last, the will be organizing the work. If you The Shawangunk Ridge Trail is to be are interested in helping take part in this extended from its current end point at VOLUME XXXIX, N UMBER 2 ISSN 0749-1352 trail construction project, please check Sam’s Point, along much of the former out the Catskill Trail Crew schedule at route of the Long Path through Minnewas - nynjtc.org/content/catskill-trail-crews. For ka. It will be co-aligned with the workshop information, check out the Trail abovementioned trails and continue into University schedule at nynjtc.org/trailu the Mohonk Preserve where it will end, at With enough volunteers, we hope to least for now, at Old Clove Road. Stay have the trail finished and open to hikers by tuned. Changes will be announced on our the fall of 2012. DEC is expected to be website as they happen. working on the Lane St. parking lot during Page 2 Spring 2012

Our Future HQ: New Faces on Staff Phase 1 Restoration Mark Hutchison VOLUME XXXIX, NO.2 SPRING 2012 Nears Completion Operations Director GEORGETTE WEIR EDITOR Mark Hutchison joined the LOUIS LEONARDIS GRAPHIC DESIGNER In March 2011, the Trail Conference cele - staff in January as opera - TRAIL WALKER (USPS Permit #970-100) brated with a groundbreaking ceremony at tions director. A Trail (ISSN 0749-1352) is published quarterly by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference as a its future headquarters, the Darlington Conference member and benefit of membership. Subscriptions are Schoolhouse in Mahwah. One year later, volunteer since 2006, Mark available to libraries only at $15.00 a year. Phase I rehabilitation and restoration work maintains a section of the Periodical postage paid at Mahwah, N.J., and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address is nearly done, and planning has turned to Appalachian Trail from changes to the address below. Opinions expressed Phase II construction, most likely to begin Jacob’s Ladder Trail to Route 206 in New

by authors do not necessarily represent the policy D in 2013. R Jersey. He resides in Sparta, NJ. A

or position of the Conference. Contributions of W Some of the restoration work is apparent O H typed manuscripts, photos, and drawings are H Jonathan Martin to motorists as they pass the Schoolhouse S

welcome. Manuscripts may be edited for style O J and length. Send SASE for writers’ guidelines. on Ramapo Valley Road, between Ramapo Progress is made on our future offices. New Jersey Program Coordinator Submission deadlines for the TRAIL WALKER Valley County Reservation and Ramapo Jonathan comes to the Trail are January 15 (Spring issue), May 15 (Summer College of New Jersey. Most obvious is the Less visible repairs inside the School - Conference by way of issue), August 15 (Fall issue), November 15 (Winter issue). Unsolicited contributions cannot new paint. The white wood shingles have house include structural bracing, Washington state. He is be acknowledged unless accompanied by SASE. been transformed to a warm chocolate woodwork and door repairs, and upgrades originally from North For information on advertising rates, please write brown, accented with orange and cream to heating, plumbing, and electrical servic - Arlington, NJ, and has or call. Copyright 2012 by: window trim. Architect Winston Perry, of es. Phase I construction is expected to be spent the past two years New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Inc. Colgan Perry Lawler Aurell Architects in completed this spring, when electrical and leading AmeriCorps trail 156 Ramapo Valley Road (Rt. 202) Tappan, NY, matched these colors to chips natural gas services are connected. crews in the Gifford Pinchot National Mahwah, NJ 07430 of original paint he found beneath layers of The Darlington Schoolhouse was built Forest. Prior to his time out west he was a 201-512-9348 later paint choices. in 1891 and donated to the community by maintainer for us in Stokes and a Bear e-mail: [email protected] editorial e-mail: [email protected] For repairs to the exterior stone walls, Per - Alfred B. Darling and Theodore Havemey - Mountain volunteer. World Wide Web: www.nynjtc.org ry also took pains to match new mortar to er. It now is owned by the Trail Conference the color of the original weathered mortar. and Township of Mahwah. To preserve the Jennis Watson He found that the best match included sand building’s historical integrity during Membership and Development Associate from nearby Darlington Brook, a likely construction, the Trail Conference is col - Jennis, of Suffern, NY, source of sand for the original mortar recipe. laborating with the Mahwah Historic brings experience in Preservation Commission, New Jersey His - fundraising and event man - toric Trust, and Bergen County Historic agement, grant-writing, Preservation Trust. and donor cultivation. She This project is supported by donations earned a Master of Science to the Trail Conference and by matching in Nonprofit Management

D grants, including $428,000 from the with a Leadership Specialization from

Mission Statement R A

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a W Bergen County Open Space, Recreation, Northeastern University in 2011, and her O H federation of member clubs and individuals

H Farmland, and Historic Preservation Trust B.A. in English from the University of S

dedicated to providing recreational hiking O J Fund and $750,000 from the New Jersey Georgia in 2003. opportunities in the region, and representing the Windows have been upgraded with energy- Historic Trust/Garden State Historic interests and concerns of the hiking community. saving panes and trimmed with paint of Award Nominations The Conference is a volunteer-directed public Preservation Trust. During Phase II con - service organization committed to: original color. struction, the Schoolhouse interior will be Members may nominate individuals for Trail • Developing, building, and maintaining hiking trails. All windows were removed, carefully adapted for offices and workspace in prepa - Conference awards. Award winners are hon - • Protecting hiking trail lands through packaged, and shipped to Winchester ration for the Trail Conference to move in. ored and recognized at our Annual Meeting. support and advocacy. Woodworking in Virginia. There, the exist - —Alice Luddington-Cantor Cut-off date for recommendations is • Educating the public in the responsible ing single glass panes were replaced with July 1, 2012. Please send nominations (with use of trails and the natural environment. insulating glass and weather stripping was Alice Luddington-Cantor is a volunteer supporting statements) to the Volunteer Board of Directors added to the window sashes. These assisting with the Trail Conference on the Committee at [email protected]. View Chris Connolly Chair Gaylord Holmes Vice Chair improvements to the reinstalled windows Schoolhouse restoration project. awards and their descriptions as well as James Gregoire Treasurer are expected to save the Trail Conference at links to past winners at nynjtc.org/ Daniel Chazin Secretary least $5,000 per year in energy costs. content/awards Directors Robert Boysen Richard Levine Skip Card Anne Todd Osborn We can be grateful to both the American Doug Weiss: Walter Daniels Edward Saiff Geographical Society and the Trail Confer - Well you could have explained that to me Charlotte Fahn Dave Stuhr Daniel Hoberman Daniel Van Engel ence for this precious volume—a treasure sooner, haha. I will just have to pay better Richard Katsive to delve into off as well as on the trail. attention. Once I got back on track, my Staff — Charlotte Fahn New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Edward Goodell Executive Director The writer is a Life Member and Trail Con - Jersey Highlands map led me straight and Joshua Howard Deputy Executive Feedback Director ference Board Member. She worked in the true right to the summit I was looking for. Mark Hutchison Operations Director Dept. of Exploration and Field Research at Don Weise Development A Short History of the Walk Book AGS 1959-1962 and 1966-1968. Thanks 1 Manager Trail Walker readers may be interested in Dec. 23, 2011: Stephen Harris wrote: Joanne Reinhardt Membership knowing the early history of the New York Facebook Comments I’ve been hiking many, many trails in the Program Manager Trail Blazes Q&A Jennis Watson Membership & Walk Book , following up George Petty’s NJ/NY area and appreciate the volunteers Development thoughtful essay in the Nov./Dec. 2011 January 25, 2012: Doug Weiss wrote: who keep the trails clear and clean. So Associate issue about the future direction of the Trail My first complaint: there should be a rule much so...I am a new volunteer myself Jeremy Apgar Cartographer Conference’s publications program. about colors on trails. Like certain colors (with two trails under my watch). Giving Leigh Draper East Hudson Program The first edition of the Walk Book was should not be duplicated. For instance, the something back! Thanks to the volunteers Coordinator published and copyrighted in 1923 by the teal color [should be] saved only for the of NYNJTC. Jonathan Martin New Jersey venerable American Geographical Society, Highlands Trail. Mahlon Dickenson uses Program Coordinator or AGS (not to be confused with the teal on its rail trail. You probably already Thanks 2 Larry Wheelock West Hudson National Geographic Society, publisher of know where this is headed. Yup, 2 hours Dec. 30, 2011: Monmouth County Under Program the popular magazine). In his history of wasted hiking a dead end trail that was not ’dogs wrote: Coordinator Jeff Senterman Catskill Program the AGS ( Geography in the Making: The the Highlands Trail. We’re a local NJ group who stumbled Coordinator American Geographical Society 1851-1951 , upon your organization while looking for Gary Willick Fulfillment AGS 1952), geographer John Kirtland Trail Conference response: additional trails in the NJ Shore area to Coordinator Wright referred to the book as “a tramper’s Here’s the low-down on blaze colors: There walk our dogs. What a great group! Thank Georgette Weir Communications Manager guide to the vicinity of New York City,” are only so many colors that show up well you for sharing your trails and providing Melissa Bean Program Assistant and to Dr. Robert L. Dickinson as “the in all four seasons, and when a long-dis - such a great service. The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a inspirer” of the first edition, which was tance trail like the Highlands Trails comes volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It is edited by Raye Roberts Platt of the AGS through a park that already has established From Local Trails to Kilimanjaro a federation of 103 hiking and outdoor groups, staff and authored by Raymond H. Torrey, blaze colors, sometimes the colors get January 26, 2012: Vishal Shah: and 10,000 individuals. Frank Place, Jr., and Dr. Dickinson. The duplicated or come very close to being I have been a member of NY-NJ Trail marvelous illustrations—“pen sketches”— identical. This is why long distance trails Conference and I have done almost all the printed on recycled content paper were also Robert Dickinson’s work. like the HT, Long Path and Appalachian trails that you have beautifully main - Dodd, Mead & Co. published the sec - Trail have different blaze shapes . The High - tained. With all the local hike practice, our PLEASE RECYCLE TRAIL WALKER ond edition in 1934, during the lands Trail, while teal in color, is a group was able to reach Uhuru Peak at Depression. Nonprofit publication, again diamond, not a rectangle; it’s also larger Kilimanjaro. Thank you NY-NJ Trail by the AGS, resumed with the third, 1951 than the standard rectangular blaze; this Conference Team. Local hikes are so well edition, in which the Trail Conference was way, no matter what parks the Highlands maintained, they certainly helped us to Follow NYNJTC! named as “co-sponsor.” The Trail Confer - Trail goes through, even if they have teal- reach the summit. Mount Everest next. ence role then evolved, from sharing colored blazes on one of the pre-existing co-sponsorship with the AGS in the trails there, it can be differentiated. fourth, 1971 edition (they held the copy - Send Us a Letter facebook.com/nynjtc right jointly), to the fifth, 1984 edition, attributed to the Trail Conference as sole Email it to [email protected]; in the subject line, put “letter to TW editor”; or send it to twitter.com/NYNJTrailConf sponsor and copyright holder. Trail Walker Letters, NY-NJ Trail Conference, 156 Ramapo Valley Rd., Mahwah, NJ 07430. Spring 2012 Page 3

From the Executive Director This issue of Trail Walker is filled with • completion of the first phase of our Perhaps the greatest value of the Trail news of a vastly more positive nature: project to restore an historic schoolhouse as Conference is not that it attracts this effort The • major reroutes of Long Path sections our future headquarters in Mahwah, NJ; in any given year but that it does so year will move long stretches off roads and into • completion of the Universal Signage after year, decade after decade, providing a Renewable the woods; Project in West Milford, NJ, which is continuity of trail development and stew - • a long-sought trail connection between designed to provide better information for ardship over time. The hiking just gets Energy the Shawangunk and Catskill mountains is hikers and to promote the communities better and better. to be opened on National Trails Day; that host open space and trails; Of course, we welcome new renewable That Powers • the Shawangunk Ridge Trail is to be • substantial completion of the energy sources—people like you! We are Our Work extended through the Mohonk Preserve; Appalachian Trail relocation at Bear working hard to provide the training and • another piece of the Shawangunk Mountain and beginning work on an volunteer opportunities that will make Three years ago, it seemed that optimism Ridge greenway puzzle is preserved thanks interpretive gateway and trail education your Trail Conference experiences satisfy - was a scarce commodity. I reported in our to a cooperative effort between conserva - experience for millions of the park’s annu - ing and fun. Visit nynjtc.org/trailu to see Annual Report for fiscal year 2009 about tion groups and Orange County al visitors. the ambitious list of workshops we are how the broad economic crisis had hit the government; offering this spring from New Jersey Trail Conference hard. “We had to let staff • new trail crews and new, improved How is so much possible in times though the Catskills. Check out members go, not fill other positions when Trail U courses are being launched for that continue to present such big nynjtc.org/volunteers to see current oppor - they became vacant, and impose tempo - trail maintainers and crew members at challenges? tunities we have for volunteers. Or see rary furloughs on staff.” Hard choices and locations from New Jersey to the Catskills; The secret lies in our power source—the nynjtc.org/calendar to find a crew outing hard work were the watchwords, I cau - • celebrating the dedication on June 30 renewable energy of volunteers, regular peo - or event to join. We’ll be marking the suc - tioned, even while noting that our of Warwick, NY as an official Appalachian ple like you and me who love the outdoors cessful conclusion of several big trail volunteers and staff already had “rolled up Trail Community and the July 1 opening and are eager to help protect it and make it projects this spring with hikes and other their sleeves and rolled with the punches.” of the Appalachian Trail bridge and board - available to others now and in the future. activities. walk over the Swamp River in Pawling, NY The fact that the Trail Conference is in Join us! (you can get there via Metro-North, which its 92nd year with no signs of aging is a tes - The greatest value of the has a stop at the site); tament to the passionate commitment to • publication of seven revised editions trails by the people who use and love them. Trail Conference is that it of our popular map sets (North Jersey and This commitment can be measured in the attracts volunteers year after Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails already 1,300 active volunteers and the 69,000 available); hours contributed last year, or the 1,800 — Edward Goodell year, decade after decade. • publication of one, perhaps two, new miles of trails maintained and the Executive Director books and a complete revision of Walkable $1,500,000 donated. [email protected] Westchester ;

Groups Partner to Protect Gunks Ridge Parcel

The Orange County Legislature, voting property to be added to the Huckleberry February 2, unanimously approved the sale Ridge State Forest. of an 87-acre parcel in the Town of The Trail Conference was instrumental Greenville to several conservation groups— in creating the now 1,500-acre Huckleber - Open Space Institute (OSI), New York-New ry Ridge State Forest, also in the Town of Jersey Trail Conference, Orange County Greenville, transferring 389 acres to the Land Trust, and The Nature Conservancy. State of New York last June. The organiza - Four New Courses The parcel had been up for tax sale. The tion worked closely with the Trust for Four completely new courses include: Trail conservation groups will acquire the Public Land and the NYS DEC on the first Evaluation; Tread and Drainage Construc - Greenville property for $40,000, a price 527 acres nearly ten years ago, then pur - tion; Trail Structures Construction; and Trail higher than taxes owed the county, with chased and transferred an additional 980 Design and Layout. Along with our existing Open Space Conservancy, the land acquisi - acres to the state. The Trail Conference New Classes, More courses, these new courses will provide a tion affiliate of Open Space Institute, focus is to protect a green corridor for the robust education to volunteers who want to taking title. Shawangunk Ridge Trail. Campuses, Great Training develop new skills to use on trails, either as Located near Huckleberry Ridge State The most recent acquisition in Greenville The Trail Conference is launching an maintainers or as members of trail crews. Park and along the southern portion of the appeared on the 2011 Orange County Tax expanded and revamped Trail University Our popular Trail Maintenance 101, Shawangunk Ridge, the Greenville proper - Sale auction roll for nonpayment of proper - this spring. New intermediate level courses taught by Trail Conference members for ty will be preserved as open space, ty taxes but did not receive any bid offers. It have been added, familiar introductory over 20 years, are being updated and accessible to the public for passive recre - was then pulled from the auction roll by courses are being improved, and a sequence renamed Introduction to Trail Mainte - ation. It comprises relatively undisturbed Orange County Executive Ed Diana, in of core courses will be offered to volunteers nance. It will continue to be one of our forest that will become part of a 25-mile, keeping with legislation enacted in 2010 at in each of our four program regions. premier training and outreach programs 10,000-acre greenway the Trail Conference the request of Orange County Land Trust. Advanced courses in such skills areas as rock for recruiting volunteers and introducing envisages the ridge. This green corridor of Under this legislation, properties with high shaping, rock moving, and stone crib build - the Trail Conference to the public. open space and interconnecting trails— conservation, recreational or scenic value ing continue to be part of the curriculum. Most if not all of these new or improved including the long-distance Shawangunk that appear on the county auction list can In addition, we are creating a leadership courses will debut this spring, be evaluated Ridge Trail—when complete, will stretch be pulled by the county executive and training course in Trail U. This will provide and fine-tuned over the summer, then be from the Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz to offered for sale, with legislative approval, to educational opportunities to our existing offered in greater numbers in the fall and High Point State Park in New Jersey, and local, regional and/or national conservation leaders and will help develop new leaders early 2013. If you want a head start on the connect to the Appalachian Trail. organizations. for our trail crews, trail management posi - new trainings, sign up early on our website! Ed Goodell, Trail Conference Executive “This is an innovative way for the coun - tions and for all of the leadership positions Director, notes the planned greenway along ty to help protect the recreational open that are available in the Trail Conference. Eligibility and Fee Schedule the Shawangunk Ridge “will link to the space needed to complete the Shawangunk Introductory and orientation courses are two largest tracts of protected lands in the Greenway,” said Melissa Bonacic, Orange open to anyone and are free of any registra - region—the 330,000-acre Catskill Park County legislative leader and district 2 tion fees. and the 140,000-acre Delaware Water Gap representative, which includes the Our more advanced courses will require National Recreation Area. “We are delight - Shawangunk Ridge. Trail Conference membership and a refer - ed to be able to add this 87-acre property ral from a trail leader (trail chair, supervisor, towards our goal of creating this green cor - crew chief, committee chair, or similar ridor for public recreation and enjoyment,” active member) or a staff member. Any Goodell says. The ultimate goal is for the Trail Conference member can register without a referral (space and prerequisites permitting) upon payment of the listed registration fee. Your Gift Makes New Trails Happen The review and development of our Trail U program is a collaborative project involving Trails Council, the Volunteer The Trail Conference is responsible for Committee, trails chairs, trail supervisors, • Leveraging 69,000 volunteer hours/year crew chiefs, individual volunteers and staff. Staff member Jeff Senterman is coordinat - • Maintaining 1,800 miles of trails ing the project and trails professional (and • Public access to the backcountry Trail Conference member) Eddie Walsh, principal of Tahawus Trails, is consolidat - • Advocating for trails and open space ing input and developing course materials. • Area’s best hiking books and maps See the workshop schedule on page 5 or, for the most up-to-date schedule and to When you give to the Trail Conference, register for a workshop, go to you see real results on the ground. nynjtc.org/trailu. Page 4 Spring 2012

• Little Pond Trail Relocation: Sections of includes the Shandaken Brook and Bis - Regional Field Notes this popular trail behind the Little Pond cuit Brook Lean-tos. We plan to put a State Campground suffer from serious new roof and floor in the Devil’s Acre erosion. The Trail Conference has helped Lean-to on Hunter Mountain. Catskills Delaware Railroad between the Mountain the DEC flag a half-mile relocation and, Jeff Senterman, Top Historical Society property in Haines following final approval, we hope to con - Training, Outreach Catskills Program Coordinator Falls and Forest Preserve land at the end of struct it this year. The relocation will offer and Coordination [email protected] Laurel House Road. Easements and a more pleasant climb to the extraordinary Trail University courses to be offered in approvals are being finalized and trail work fields near the top of the trail that provide the Catskills this year include Intro to will begin this spring. We anticipate open - views of the entire Beaverkill Valley. Trail Maintenance, Intro to Shelter Care - This spring brings a lot of ing the trail for public use by summer. taking, and several trail layout and very cool trail improve - • Woodland Valley/Romer Mountain Long Lean-to Rehabilitation construction courses. Check the work - ments and opportunities Path Relocation: This year, we plan to and Reconstruction shop schedule on the Trail Conference’s for volunteers to improve remove the final, long road walk from the We hope to work on a number of lean-tos website for all the details and to sign up. trails in the Catskill region. Long Path’s route through the Catskills this season. We are working with DEC Finally, plan to meet us at Kenco Out - (see article, page 1) by building a new trail staff to identify a new location for the fitter’s Second Annual Trails Fest, on Trail Projects over Cross Mountain, Mount Pleasant, German Hollow Lean-to, which was Saturday, May 19. And watch the Trail • Kaaterskill Rail Trail: Work has continued and Romer Mountain. We hope to open destroyed a few years ago by falling trees, Conference’s website for more outreach on this joint effort to open the 1.5-mile the trail for hikers by the end of the 2012 and to agree on shelters that need to be events throughout the season! section of the abandoned Ulster & work season. replaced. The Trail Conference list

New Jersey Mountain Pinks is a new all-woman Goodbye, Hello Jonathan Martin, light maintenance trail crew initiated by Chris Ingui, our New Jersey Program New Jersey Program Coordinator North Jersey Trails Co-chair Karen Coordinator since 2009, bid the Trail [email protected] Schoof. The crew is open to members and Conference both goodbye and hello in non-members and will take on light trail March. He has taken a job with the local Two New work throughout the North Jersey region. trail building company Tahawus Trails, Crews Launch Training will happen on the job. Outings which will make him a Trail Conference E K

The North Jersey Chain will be scheduled one or two weeks in N partner on large trail construction proj - A R F Gang, a roving chainsaw advance. To get on Karen’s email list, con - ects such as those at Bear Mountain State B O K

crew, plans to schedule tact her at [email protected]. A Park. He also plans to continue as volun - J work trips several times a Hikers enjoy new trails at Franklin Lakes teer crew chief for the Jolly Rovers stone month during the spring Franklin Lakes Trails Adopted Nature Preserve. work crew. “The Trail Conference has and fall seasons. The crew has been recruit - The Trail Conference is proud to been very good to me over the past four ing members throughout the winter and announce its adoption of the trails at the Loop and Island Bridges Trails to be open years, and without this organization I has already led several trips in northern Franklin Lakes Nature Preserve (formerly and accessible to the public. Both trails would never have been introduced to this New Jersey. The crew will be led by sea - known as the Haledon Reservoir). Special offer excellent loop opportunities that work in the first place. I especially want to soned sawyers Pete Zuroff and Tom Carr. thanks to North Jersey Trails Chair John tour through lakeside vistas and easy ter - thank all the volunteers who have spent While only certified chain sawyers are Moran for all his hard work over the past rain for an excellent early morning or their time over the years working with me allowed to operate a saw on this crew, those couple of months to reroute portions of after work hike. The parking lot for this and sharing their knowledge of our trails interested in helping out or apprenticing as the existing trail network, tack up blazes, preserve is located off of High Mountain so freely.” Chris’s replacement, Jonathan a “swamper” to eventually get certified may and help broker the adoption between the Road in Franklin Lakes, NJ. Martin, joined the staff in March. do so by contacting the crew leaders at Trail Conference and the Borough of [email protected]. Franklin Lakes, allowing for the Preserve

East Hudson Recruiting Trail Volunteers on Staten Island Leigh Draper, More than a dozen people interested in East Hudson Program Coordinator maintaining trails on Staten Island [email protected] attended an open house at the High Rock Visitor’s Center. Greenbelt Volunteer AT Boardwalk in Coordinator Jeanne Paliswiat and Trail Pawling Nears Conference Supervisor Mark Kusick Completion answered questions about the park and The almost-finished trail work. Many people signed up to Appalachian Trail board - attend the March 24 Intro to Trail Main - walk and bridge across the tenance course we are offering. Swamp River and wetland in Pawling, NY was the destination for Eagle Fest members of the Oblong Land Conser - The 8th Annual EagleFest sponsored in vancy in January. Noland Hisey, a February by Teatown Lake Reservation, R E P

member of the Putnam County-based A our East Hudson Community Trails R D

conservancy and a volunteer on the H partner, attracted more than 4,000 people G I E

boardwalk project with more than 1,000 L to two Hudson River locations in hours on the crew, led the tour. The The Oblong Conservancy of Putnam County enjoyed a preview of the new AT boardwalk in Westchester. The Trail Conference was 1800-foot boardwalk, which extends Pawling. The boardwalk will open with ceremony on July 1. represented at both, selling maps and across the wetland just west (south- books, recruiting new volunteers, and bound) of Metro-North railroad’s AT EH Community move around the area to different parks in letting people know about our work. stop, still needs a few finishing touches Trail Maintenance Crew the East Hudson Community Trails Mark your calendar for EagleFest 2013: but it is almost ready for a grand opening A new trail maintenance crew has formed region to tackle larger maintenance Saturday, February 2. this spring. The project has been a major in the East Hudson region based around projects. The crew will meet every focus for our Dutchess-Putnam AT Teatown Lake Reservation. Similar to the Wednesday and one Saturday a month. Management Committee, under the Ward Pound Ridge Preserve Crew, which To confirm the next date and location, leadership of Jim Haggett of Poughkeep - meets every Friday, the Teatown group contact East Hudson Program Coordina - sie, for three years. will hold weekly work trips. What is dif - tor Leigh Draper. ferent is about the crew is that it will

West Hudson other workshops on our web site at Hessian Lake. The area around the stone bers can enhance their skills building nynjtc.org/view/workshops. building will start to take shape as a trail timber and stone structures, and design - Larry Wheelock, The Bear Mountain Appalachian Trail educational plaza, affording visitors an ing and assessing trails. Keep an eye out West Hudson Program Coordinator project is moving into its last stages with introduction to why, how, and when this for upcoming workshops in Minnewaska [email protected] this season’s work focused on completing region became a focus for some of the State Park, Harriman/Bear Mountain the new route of the AT on the upper east country’s most important public trails State Park and elsewhere. Check the Key words for this region face of the mountain. This spectacular and outdoor recreational facilities. The workshops list at the web page men - in the coming season will section is, to me, the jewel in the crown, building itself is destined to become part tioned above. be volunteer opportunities affording one magnificent view after of this trail education center in the near One of the most important events in and training! We’ve another with a lightly forested, open future. If you have attended a Bear our region will be the June 2 National planned two Intro to Trail understory. We hope to complete this sec - Mountain Project Orientation and at Trails Day grand opening of the Long Path Maintenance workshops— tion all the way to Perkins Tower by early least two of the required workshops and connection from the Shawangunk Ridge one on May 12 in Port next year. you’d like to put some time in on this to the Catskills when the final bit of the Jervis and another on May 19 to be held We also will continue work on what is project, please get in touch with me at: Mine Hole Trail is completed to Berme at Hil-Mar Lodge in Salisbury Mills and to be an interpretive demonstration trail, [email protected]. Road in Warwarsing. (See page 1 article.) on trails on Schunemunk Mountain. behind the Inn and near the unused stone In other activity, we will be offering a You can sign up for these and many building (formerly rest rooms) next to series of workshops so trail crew mem - Spring 2012 Page 5

Selections from the Trail Conference Calendar

See complete calendar at nynjtc.org/calendar

TRAIL UNIVERSITY Sunday, June 10 TRAIL CREW TRAIL EVENTS nynjtc.org/view/workshops Intro to Invasive Strike Force Training: SERVICE PROJECTS nynjtc.org/calendar Register for Trail U workshops online or Workshop #570 nynjtc.org/view/trail-crew-outings call 201-512-9348. Location: Teatown Lake Reservation, Saturday, May 5 Ossining, NY West Jersey Crew I Love My Park Day at Minnewaska 9am-4pm Contact: [email protected] State Park Preserve We thank REI See June 9 description. or 732-937-9098 Join the Trail Conference and park staff on for its support of Saturday, April 21 several trail projects; for all levels and ages. Trail University! Saturday, June 16 Saturday, April 28 “I love My Park Day” is an initiative of Intro to Invasive Strike Force Training: AT relocation at Delaware Water Gap Parks & Trails NY. INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOPS Workshop #577 Saturday, May 12 10am-2pm Open to all; membership not Location: Mahwah, NJ Swartswood S.P. required. No prerequisites. No fee. 9am-4pm Saturday, May 19 I Love My Park Day Events See June 9 description. Saturday, June 2 at Yorktown Trails Saturday, April 14 Worthington S.F Find details at ilovemyparksyorktown.org Intro to Trail Building: Workshop #563 Saturday, June 23 Saturday, June 9 Location: Ramapo Valley County Intro to Invasive Strike Force Training: High Point State Park Tuesday, May 15 Reservation, Mahwah, NJ Workshop #578 Saturday, June 23 We Make the Maps 9am-5pm Location: Mahwah, NJ Pochuck Boardwalk Trail Conference presentation 9am-4pm Saturday, June 30 REI Yonkers Sunday, April 15 See June 9 description. TBD Trail Repair: Workshop #571 Saturday, May 19 Location: Ward Pound Ridge Preserve, Sunday, June 30 North Jersey Bear Claw Crew Trails Fest in Kingston Cross River, NY Intro to Invasive Strike Force Training: Contact: [email protected] Join the Trail Conference at Kenco 9:30am-4pm Workshop #569 Dates set as needed. Outfitters’ 2nd Annual Trail Fest Location: Teatown Lake Reservation, 11am-4pm Saturday, May 5 Ossining, NY North Jersey Mountain Pinks Crew Intro to Trail Maintenance: 9am-4pm Contact: [email protected] Saturday, June 2 Workshop #572 See June 9 description. Light maintenance as needed. NATIONAL TRAILS DAY Location: Mountain Top Historical Trail Opening: Mine Hole Trail Society Campus, Haines Falls, NY INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED Orange-Rockland Long Distance at Minnewaska State Park (Catskills) WORKSHOPS Trails Crew This new trail will lead to a connection 10am-4pm Membership in the Trail Conference Contact: [email protected] or between the Shawangunks and Catskills. is required. Some may have 914-428-9878 Hike+; details TBA. Saturday, May 12 prerequisites. Participation requires Projects will be on AT, Long Path, Intro to Trail Maintenance: recommendation by trails chair, and Highlands Trail. Wednesday, June 6 Workshop #558 supervisor or staff member or Sunday, April 1 We Make the Maps Location: Port Jervis Library, payment of a fee. Sunday, April 8 Trail Conference presentation Port Jervis, NY Sunday, April 22 REI Paramus 9:30am-4pm Saturday and Sunday, April 7 and 8 Sunday, May 13 Trail Layout and Design NEW Sunday, May 20 Saturday, June 9 Sunday, May 20 COURSE: Workshop #573 Meeting of Delegates and Members Intro to Trail Maintenance: Location: Bear Mountain, NY West Hudson South Crew 9:30am-3:00pm Workshop #559 9am to 4pm both days Harriman-Bear Mountain State Park Camp Glen Gray in Mahwah, NJ Location: Schunemunk Mountain/ Thursdays, April 19 & May 3 Hikes, meeting, tour of our future Hil-Mar Lodge, Salisbury Mills, NY Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15 Contact: [email protected] or headquarters, more. 10am-4pm Trail Layout and Design 914-737-4792 (Note: This meeting was previously NEW COURSE: Workshop #574 Saturday, April 21 scheduled for June 2.) Sunday, May 20 Location: Phoenicia, NY Contact: [email protected] or Intro to Trail Maintenance: 9am to 4pm both days 718-599-0061 Thursday, June 21 Workshop #545 Sunday, April 29 We Make the Maps Location: Stamford, NY (Catskills) Contact: [email protected] Trail Conference presentation 10am-3pm Saturday, May 19 REI SoHo Contact: [email protected] or Saturday, June 9 212-633-1324 Saturday, June 30 Trail Repair: Workshop #568 Saturday, June 16 AT Community Celebration Location: Teatown Lake Reservation, Contact: [email protected] Warwick, NY Ossining, NY or 732-937-909 Join our AT volunteers as we mark 9:30am-3:30pm Warwick’s designation as an Appalachian West Hudson North Crew Trail Community. Hikes and more. Find Saturday, June 9 Contact: [email protected] details at nynjtc.org/calendar Intro to Invasive Strike Force Training: Sunday, April 22 Workshop #576 Saturday, May 12 Sunday, July 1 Location: Oxford, NJ Sunday, June 10 AT Boardwalk & Bridge Opening 9am-4pm Projects will be at Minnewaska State Park Swamp River, Pawling, NY Learn how to identify 14 common Preserve. Details will be posted at nynjtc.org/calendar invasive plants, collect data for the ISF, and use a GPS unit. Jolly Rovers Stone Work Crew For information about this crew and how to join, see nynjtc.org/content/roving- trail-crew-jolly-rovers Page 6 Spring 2012 Trails to Great Photography: Unexpected pleasures Springtime Waterfalls and Cascades A Workshop for Trail while maintaining a trail Conference Members Wild Flowers on the Batavia Kill Trail Destination: Van Campens Glen, Delaware Water Gap By Martha and Lon Maletta, Trail Maintenance Volunteers When: May 12, 6am-12pm Experience level: all levels Group size will be limited to 6 Cost: $100; Trail Conference members only Join professional photographer Larry Zink on this very special photo workshop in the field. The Delaware Water Gap is one of the prime outdoor destinations in New Jersey. Within the Gap are quiet small photo - graphic treasures waiting to be explored. Workshop Leader: Larry Zink Off the beaten path and away from the Larry Zink has been a professional photog - crowds is Van Campens Glen. The group rapher for the past 30 years. He graduated will hike into the glen and shoot the beau - from Mason Gross School of the Arts at tiful forest, cascades, and waterfalls. During Rutgers University with a BFA in photogra - R I E W

the workshop various compositional tech - phy and graphic design. Having E T T

E niques will be taught in order to create photographed for various clients through - G R

O dynamic images. The instructor will also out his career, for the past 15 years and E G Red trillium (Trillium erectum) blooming in the Catskills. demonstrate how best to use the camera currently, he has served as vice president of and its technology to get well exposed files. creative services for Macy’s. His responsibil - May 23, 2011. Our tools are packed and tinctive whorl mirroring the flowers above. Personal instruction and guidance will lead ities include managing a large advertising we embark on our first-ever trail mainte - Toothwort or crinkleroot ( Dentaria diphyl - to beautiful and exciting images. photo studio, retouching, and pre-press nance effort for the Trail Conference, la , 8–15 inches) sports a cluster of small, department. Landscape photography has looking forward to putting to use what we four-petal white blossoms above a pair of Recommended Equipment become a passion for the past six years. This learned at a spring training session. What a three-leaflet leaves. Photo Equipment: DSLR, Tripod, Cable passion will culminate in a book about New satisfying day it turned out to be on our We encountered four species in the Release Jersey coming out in the Spring of 2012. assigned trail, the Batavia Kill Trail, a gen - diverse lily family. The greenish-yellow, Clothing: There will be a small amount His images have been featured on the front tle 0.95-mile climb between the Black downward facing flowers of yellow clinto - of hiking involved. It will be less than a mile cover and inside a monthly digital magazine Dome and Escarpment Trails in the north - nia or bluebead ( Clintonia boraelis , 6-12 and fairly easy. Please plan accordingly. distributed by Landscapephotography - ern Catskills. And the day’s unanticipated inches) rise in a small cluster above the lily- Shoots will be in and around water, so also magazine.com. See more of his work at bonus: the wildflowers along the way. of-the-valley-like leaves. Roseybells or rose consider waterproof sandals and clothing. www.larryzinkphotography.com. Most spectacular, in spite of the plant’s twisted stalk ( Stretopus amplexifolius , 1-3 small size, were the carpets of foamflower feet) reminded us of Solomon’s seal, the (Tiarella cordifolia , 6-12 inches), whose del - leaves arrayed along an arching stem. Small icate clusters of white flowers created a pink bell-like flowers hang below on a visual reminder of snow finally gone from twisted or bent stalk—rather unique. the forested slopes. There were violets, And there were the trilliums with their always a welcome sign of spring. Common distinctive three whorled leaves that show blue violet ( Viola papilionacea ) shared the off the single three-petal flower. The blos - trail-sides with northern white violet ( V. som of purple or red trillium ( Trillium pallens ). These two species are typical-look - erectum , 6-20 inches), also called wake- ing violet plants with heart-shaped basal robin, is deep burgundy or maroon. We leaves only. Canada violet ( V. canadensis ) were delighted to see painted trillium ( Tril - has white flowers, the center splashed with lium undulatum , 8-20 inches) – a rarity in yellow and the back of the petals usually our experience, its white flower “painted” tinted with violet. Smooth yellow violet ( V. with streaks of crimson. Both of these tril - pensylvanica ), as expected, has yellow blos - lium species are classified as “...exploitably soms, bright sparks in the greening forest vulnerable...likely to become threatened in floor. The heart-shaped leaves and flowers the near future....” in NYS environmental of these two species are arrayed along conservation law. upright stems. As we head out to begin maintenance

Starflower ( Trientalis borealis , 3-9 inches) work this spring, we will hope to see all of K N I Z

is a small gem. The 5-9 pointed petals of these native wild flowers. and more, along Y R R

the delicate white flowers earn the plant its “our trail,” the Batavia Kill. A name. The 5-9 pointed leaves form a dis - L Spring time along Van Campen’s Brook, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

RECORD YEAR FOR MAPS “Like” NYNJTC! From Hand-Drawn to Digital improved dramatically, the significant role continued from page 1 Trail Conference map making has come a of volunteers in producing accurate trail about 80 hours for Apgar to complete and long way since the first North Jersey Trails maps has remained constant. For any giv - countless volunteer hours by project man - map was hand drawn in 1974. GPS tech - en map set, anywhere from 5 to 50 ager John Mack and other field-checkers, nology was first used in the early 1990s, volunteers contribute their time and facebook.com/nynjtc include more than 100 changes from the when Dan Chazin GPSed all the trails for effort. Their contributions include man - 2010 edition. The alterations range from the Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails map aging the maps, collecting GPS data, added bus stops to major relocations of the set, and the transition from hand drawing field-checking and reviewing maps, and Appalachian Trail to information on to digital production was made over the writing and editing text for the map bridges washed out by Hurricane Irene past 15 years. Apgar now produces maps backs. Care is also taken to work with (see story on page 9). About 12,000 copies using the latest ArcView and Adobe park partners to ensure their parks are rep - of the map sets were printed for sale. Illustrator computer software. resented accurately. Apgar, a 29-year-old resident of “I’m very detail oriented,’’ Apgar says. Andover, NJ, has eight years of experience “Many people’s first contact “I like taking data and creating visually- making maps, including four with the appealing graphics that are also helpful. Trail Conference and an award for Best with the Trail Conference Piecing together the different components Camping without a car! Cartographic Design from the New Jersey is through our maps.” of a map is a very creative process, and I No Camping gear? Dept. of Environmental Protection. He enjoy being able to provide a useful tool to No Problem! previously did mapping work as a gradu - people who love to hike.’’ We are Malouf’s Mountain Sunset ate student at Lehigh University “When we started the digital cartogra - Cartography needs for the Trail Confer - Campground , a hike-in hike-out camping measuring snowmelt in the Yukon Terri - phy program eight years ago as part of our ence extend far beyond the published trail resort. Simply take Metro North to the Beacon train station. Once there our shuttle tory of Canada. campaign promise, we were mostly maps, though. From maps used to pro - will take you to one of three trailheads on Some of the larger Trail Conference focused on increasing the accuracy and mote conservation and advocacy efforts, the Fishkill Ridge used to reach the camp. mapping projects Apgar has worked on reducing the time it took to create a new to maps of scouted trails, to maps on the Hikes range from ½ hour to 5 hours. include the Kittatinny and Catskill map map edition,” Trail Conference Executive Trail Conference website showing trail While you are enjoying your hike, your gear is taken to your campsite for your sets, as well as the new Jersey Highlands Director Edward Goodell says. “What I relocations, accurate trail maps are an convenience. Our covered platform sites Trails: Central North Region map set. didn’t realize is how many people’s first important component of many Trail Con - come with a mini kitchen which has most of This first new Trail Conference map in 11 contact with the Trail Conference is ference activities. your camping necessities. Tents are also available. Or rough it on a primitive site. years required more than 500 hours of through our maps and how the good Ultimately, Apgar hopes that Trail Con - Either way, our flush toilets and hot showers cartography time, including the careful impression they give often translates into ference maps enhance the outdoor will put the finishing touch on your stay. placement of more than 2,700 individual a new supporting member.” experiences of hikers and their apprecia - Check us out at symbol and text items. While map-making technology has tion of the beauty of nature. www.maloufsmountain.com or call 845-831-6767 Spring 2012 Page 7 Jack—or is it Jack-in-the-pulpit flowers Science & Ecology Jack-in-the-pulpit blooms in late April or early May with an unusual flowering struc - Can They Get Here One of the most famous is the Yellowstone Jacqueline?— ture that gives it its name. It has a club-like to Yukon (Y2Y) initiative, which aims “to in the Pulpit spadix (“Jack”) that rises within and above from There? ensure that the world-renowned wilder - the opening of a leaf-like spathe (“the pul - Ecological corridors ness, wildlife, native plants, and natural The unique sex pit”). The upper part of the spathe curves processes of the Yellowstone to Yukon forward and downward, acting as an and connectivity region continue to function as an intercon - life of a common umbrella to prevent water from flooding nected web of life, capable of supporting all the 30 to 60 tiny flowers that are hidden at By Kate Pavlis of its natural and human communities, for forest plant the base of the spadix. Individual plants now and for future generations.” This mis - By Edna Greig have either male or female flowers— Black Rock Forest Consortium Research sion reflects the overall goal of human and botanists call this dioecy . Associate and Environmental Educator wildlife coexistence that we should also When you’re in the moister parts of the strive for here in the east. woods this spring, be on the lookout for Pollination and the fate of pollinators As nature enthusiasts, we enjoy walking trails In fact, there are many connectivity proj - Jack-in-the-pulpit ( Arisaema triphyllum ), a Jack-in-the-pulpit needs pollinators to and catching glimpses of the wildlife species ects like Y2Y currently happening in the common and easily identified understory transfer pollen from male plants to female our forests have to offer. If lucky, we may New York-New Jersey region. The Shawan - plant that’s native to eastern North America. plants, but its tiny, hidden flowers can’t stumble upon a bear, fox, or rattlesnake, and gunk Ridge Coalition (SRC)—founded by But this common plant has some not-so- attract bees or butterflies. Instead, the if luckier still, we may even see a bobcat or the Trail Conference and including Open common adaptations for reproduction. spadix emits a fungus-like odor which otter. But, if we don’t see these things, we can Space Institute, The Nature Conservancy, attracts the fungus gnats that are its pri - still take pleasure in the numerous plants and Basha Kill Area Association, Mohonk mary pollinators. Fungus gnats that other animals we encounter on our journey Preserve, Friends of the Shawangunks, and approach the spadix often tumble to the through the woods. others launched a series of meetings bottom of the spathe and cannot crawl upward because of its slippery sides. The gnats scurry about the tiny flowers seeking a way out of the spathe. Gnats that have fallen into male Jack-in- the-pulpits may be lucky enough to squeeze through a small “escape hatch” at the base of the male spathe—by the time it escapes, the gnat is usually loaded with pollen. Gnats that have fallen into female Jack-in-the-pulpits aren’t so lucky since the females don’t have an escape hatch. Gnats usually remain trapped and die within females, often along with valuable pollen that they’ve picked up from an earlier visit Otters on the move at night were photographed at Black Rock Forest. to a male. If pollen was successfully trans - ferred, the female will produce a cluster of To what extent, however, do our “trail focused on protecting and enhancing eco - berries that start out bright green and then corridors” also function as ecological corri - logical connectivity between the Catskill mature to a bright red in late summer. dors? In fact, this is an active area of and Shawangunk Mountains. The group This common spring flower has research. Some animals, such as bobcats, seeks to build on the decades-long effort by unusual adaptations. continued on page 11 tend to avoid trails with high levels of the Trail Conference and Open Space Insti - human activity, and avoidance increases if tute to create protected trail corridors from dogs are also allowed on trails. Yet, many the Catskills to the Delaware National other animals are hardly fazed by the Recreation Area via the Shawangunk Help Protect Our Native Plants! human presence. We often see tracks of Ridge. Invasives Strike Force Seeks Volunteers for 2012 wildlife following trails as humans do. So “The primary goal of the Trail Confer - what is the difference between an ecologi - ence in protecting these corridors is to By Linda Rohleder cal corridor and a trail corridor? preserve natural and safe connections to An ecological corridor is a swath of land nature for people and wildlife,” says Trail The Trail Conference’s Invasive Strike In western New Jersey, ISF monitoring used by wildlife to get from one piece of Conference Executive Director Ed Good - Force (ISF) is introducing an environmen - volunteers can attend training at the “prime habitat” to another. In general, ani - ell. “And we know that animals also use tal stewardship component to our trail Pequest Trout Hatchery in Oxford, and mals spend less time within a corridor and these corridors. Fishers ( Martes pinnanti ), maintenance services by monitoring and ISF trail crew work is planned in Wor - use it much like humans use a road. Corri - reintroduced into the Catskills by the New removing invasive plants along trails. After thington State Forest. dor design differs depending on the species York Department of Environmental Con - a very successful first year, we will be Please go to the web site (nynjtc.org/ of interest. However, “the wider the better” servation, have been documented along the expanding our program this year. Our goal invasives) to read more about the program, is often the approach taken because more Shawangunk and Kittatinny ridges, rein - is to double the number of miles of trail see details on the training workshops and species can be accommodated. troducing themselves to New Jersey!” surveyed, double our volunteer force, and trail crew workdays, view the list of parks in Ecological corridors help mitigate the The Nature Conservancy’s Shawangunk dramatically increase the number of ISF which you can survey a trail, and sign up for effects of habitat fragmentation, one of the Ridge Program Director Cara Lee, adds, trail crew workdays. the volunteer mailing list. major threats to biodiversity, and are espe - “Connectivity is important because it Volunteer ISF monitors learn to identify Come join us in making a difference! cially important here in the densely allows animals to maintain viable popula - 14 common invasive plants and survey a 2- populated east. Habitat fragmentation tions and move or adapt to climate change mile section of trail in the park of their —Linda Rohleder leads to isolated populations, thereby while often enhancing recreation and choice. Surveying the trails helps us gain ISF Program Coordinator decreasing genetic diversity and increasing strengthening communities.” an understanding of where invasions have the chance of local extinctions. The full In a somewhat more populated area, not yet gained a foothold and where they Invasives Strike Force Trail Crew effects of habitat fragmentation can take Black Rock Forest Consortium, the Open have overrun the native communities. The Invasives Strike Force trail crew will be decades or longer to appear and may not be Space Institute (OSI), Orange County Once we have this knowledge we can work busy in 2012. We have workdays planned readily observed. Some populations may Land Trust, and Hudson Highlands Land to prevent invasions from moving along throughout the region to remove targeted not be isolated now, but with development Trust have been working to preserve eco - the trails into the native communities. invasive plants along the trails that are could become isolated in the future. If we logical connectivity between the Highlands Over the next three to four years, we aim to encroaching on native communities. keep habitat connectivity in mind and and Schunemunk Mountain. Over the past map invasion along all the trails that the Lower Hudson Valley, NY: ISF trail maintain it through corridors and stepping two years OSI acquired 183 acres, which Trail Conference maintains. crew work is planned on Bear Mountain stones (small patches of suitable habitat), will be conserved and protected for wildlife Volunteer ISF trail crew members help Northeastern New Jersey: ISF trail crew our wildlife will have a greater chance of by the partners. us remove invasives along the trails at sev - will continue work in Norvin Green State surviving in perpetuity. Even the New York City Parks depart - eral locations across the NY-NJ region Forest The biggest threats to connectivity in ment is taking connectivity into account. where they are starting to move into intact Western New Jersey: ISF trail crew work our region are the numerous barriers which Bram Gunther, Chief of Forestry, Horticul - areas. Over time, by using our monitoring is planned in Worthington State Forest prevent animals from moving across the ture, and Natural Resources for NYC Parks data, we can track the success of our efforts landscape. These barriers include roads and & Recreation, says, “In our natural areas at protecting the native communities. Anyone can participate in this trail crew; highways, high density developments, and restoration work in New York City we are In the lower Hudson Valley area of New attendance at a training workshop is not man-made structures such as fences. If we focused on habitat corridors as a way to York we will be holding training sessions required and you do not need to know how identify trouble spots we can take measures increase biodiversity, increase green space, for ISF monitoring volunteers at Teatown to identify the plants. See the website at to mitigate barriers with crossing structures and stabilize our ecosystems. The connec - Lake Reservation in Ossining. We are also nynjtc.org/invasives for more details on the (overpasses and underpasses) designed for tivity we are trying to create in New York going to be partnering with Scenic Hudson workdays. animal movement or by using fences to re- City also applies regionally, in our relation - to survey trails on Fishkill Ridge Contact crew leader, Linda Rohleder, route animal paths to desired locations. ships with adjacent counties and states.” (scenichudson.org/parks/fishkillridge), a [email protected], to join the ISF Increasing human awareness of high colli - These collaborative projects are impor - beautiful area of the Hudson Highlands. In Trail Crew. sion areas via road signs can also be a tant to bolster community support and addition, ISF trail crew work is planned on simple and effective way to aid wildlife understanding of the environment, and to Bear Mountain. Trail Conference member Linda Rohleder is a crossings. Maintaining and enhancing maintain healthy ecosystems, and can also In northeastern New Jersey, the ISF trail PhD candidate at Rutgers University in the wildlife connectivity is complicated and ensure the hiking enjoyment of future crew will continue work in Norvin Green Dept. of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural time consuming work far beyond the reach generations. State Forest, and new ISF monitoring vol - Resources. of any single organization. Effective part - unteers can attend training at the Trail nerships are essential. Kate Pavlis earned a master’s degree in conser - Conference office in Mahwah. For the past 20 years, such partnerships vation biology from Columbia University for have been forming across the country to work researching habitat connectivity in an work on ecological connectivity projects. isolated population of Italian Brown Bears. Page 8 Spring 2012 HHII KERSKERS’’ ALMANACALMANAC A Sampling of Upcoming Hikes Sponsored by Member Clubs

Find many more hikes at www.nynjtc.org. Click on Scheduled Hikes under Go Hiking!

April Sunday, April 15 the Catskills and Hudson Valley. meeting time and place. Moderately strenuous 6-7 miles. Head AFW. Bare Rock, Sterling Forest State Park, NY. Leader: call north over mountains, enjoy fire tower views, learn history of the Sunday, April 1 IHC. Split Rock Reservoir, Morris County, NJ. Leader: Pete 973-644-3592 for information or go to www.adventuresfor - Beck, 201-274-4471, [email protected]. Meet: 9:30am at Orak Ruins. Shuttle required; bad weather cancels. WTA. Colonial Greenway of Westchester County, NY. Leaders: women.org. Meet: 9:30am; register for meeting place. Moderate parking area, 100 Timberbrook Rd., Rockaway, NJ. See ruins of an UCHC. South Mountain Reservation, Essex County, NJ. Jane and Walt Daniels, 914-245-1250, [email protected]. Meet: hike; out by 2pm. early 19th-century forge on this moderate hike to Indian Cliff and Leader: Gail Waimon, 973-467-4761. Meet: 10am at Locust Grove 9:30am at North White Plains RR station for shuttle, or 9:45am Durham Pond, pausing for trail maintenance if needed. parking, Glen Ave., across from Millburn RR station. Brisk 4-5 at Weinberg Nature Center, Scarsdale, NY. Easy to moderate AMC-NYNJ. Search for Dater Mine, Harriman State Park, NY. miles with some rocky sections, possibly one steep up at the start. 8.5 miles. Leader: Tom Parliment, 845-634-4116, [email protected]. Sunday, May 6 Rain cancels. Meet: contact leader for meeting place and time. Moderate 9 PM. Butler Reservoir, Morris County, NJ. Leader: for more OC. Jamaica Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, NY. Leader: Bob Ward. miles. Visit one of the more interesting mines in Harriman and Meet: call 718-471-7036 one week in advance for meeting time. information and to register call 973-334-3130. Meet: 9am at Pyra - June learn about its history. We’ll also learn about Claudius Smith’s den mid Mountain Natural Historic Area visitor center, 472A Boonton Meet outside Broad Channel subway station (take Far Rockaway- and enjoy fine views of the Catskills. Rain cancels. Saturday, June 2 (National Trails Day) bound A train). Easy 2 miles in the only national park completely Ave., Boonton, NJ. Strenuous 10-mile hike for experienced hikers NYNJTC & MH-ADK. New Mine Hole Trail, Minnewaska State within New York City. UCHC. Hartshorne Woods Park, Monmouth County, NJ. ages 16 & up. Spectacular views of the reservoir; out by 2:30pm. Park Preserve, NY. Leader: Jean-Claude Fouere, Leader: Jay Dibble, 908-289-8813. Meet: 10am; call for location. UCHC. Watchung Reservation, Mountainside, NJ. Leader: IHC. Silvermine Circular, Harriman State Park, NY. Leader: Roy Moderate 5 miles with hilly terrain. [email protected]. Join us as we hike on the new Mine Hole Williams, 570-828-6207, [email protected]. Meet: 9am at Marcia Sheldon, 732-574-1144. Meet: 10am at Trailside Nature Trail at Minnewaska. In addition to providing a new route to the Silvermine Parking, Seven Lakes Dr. Moderately strenuous hike Saturday, April 21 Center parking, Coles Ave. Walk on woods roads in the shade; Shawangunk Ridge, the trail will provide a new route for the Long on Menomine, Stockbridge Mountain trails to Lake Tiorati; out on PM. Spring Wildflower Hike, Morris County, NJ. Leader: for pace dependent on weather. Steady rain cancels. Path connection to the Catskills. RD and Menomine. Bad weather cancels. more information and to register call 973-334-3130. Meet: 10am Saturday, May 12 CMC. Slide Mountain, Catskills, NY. Leader: register at at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area visitor center, 472A Saturday, April 7 FPB. Trail Maintenance at Hunter Island, Pelham Bay Park, [email protected]; group size limited. Meet: 9am; Boonton Ave., Boonton, NJ. Moderate hike for ages 12 & up. Hike NY. Leader: Clinton Robinson, [email protected]; register for meeting place. Moderate to difficult 8 miles. We’ll be PM. Valhalla Falls, Morris County, NJ. Leader: for more informa - to view the lovely short-lived spring wildflowers. tion and to register call 973-334-3130. Meet: 10am at Pyramid www.pelhambaypark.org. Meet: 10 am at northeast corner of the joined by a biologist as we ascend the highest peak in the Mountain Natural Historic Area visitor center, 472A Boonton Ave., WTA. Moneyhole Mountain View, Fahnestock State Park, NY. Orchard Beach Parking Lot. Pine Grove branch and invasive Catskills, one of the few breeding locations of the rare Bicknell’s Boonton, NJ. Moderate hike for ages 7 & up. Enjoy a hike out to Leader: Margaret Douglas. Contact Eileen West at removal; till 2pm. Thrush. Learn about threats to this elusive bird and research Valhalla Brook Falls to see the roaring results of the stormy spring. [email protected] for information. Meet: 9:30am at Sunk WTA. Pawling Nature Reserve, Putnam County, NY. Leader: being done to help prevent their decline. Mine Rd. lot off Dennytown Rd. Easy 4-5 miles. 3-4 hour hike to a Barbro Thelemarck, 914-277-4026. Meet: contact leader for meet - OC. Hike the Heights, NY. Leader: Bob Ward, call 718-471-7036 AMC-NYNJ. Rockefeller Preserve, Westchester County, NY. wonderful vista. Bad weather cancels. Leader: Dorothy Lourdou, 212-685-6443. Meet: Contact leader ing place and time. Easy to moderate 4-5 miles. Morning hike in to register and select walk. Meet: 10:30am at 110 St.& CPW for for meeting place and time. Public transit available. Easy 8 miles. Sunday, April 22 Nature Conservancy property, partly on the Appalachian Trail. moderate 2 mile walk; or 11am at 190 St. & Overlook Terrace for AMC-NYNJ. Rockefeller Preserve with Camera or Sketchpad, easy 2 miles. In collaboration with C.L.I.M.B. (City Living Is Moving SW. Appalachian Trail, Bellvale, NY. Leader: Nick DiNapoli, SW. Walk Across NJ, Part III: Princeton to Kendall Park, NJ. Westchester County, NY. Leaders: Barry and Kathy Skura, Bodies) in their “Hike the Heights,” a service of Columbia 201-406-4549, [email protected]. Call to confirm Leader: Craig Nunn, 551-206-6823, [email protected]. Meet: 914-779-0936, [email protected]. Meet: email leaders for University, School of Public Health. Joint with other clubs. hike is still on. Meet: take 7:30 NJ Transit Bus from Port Authori - contact leader week before for information. 10-14 basically flat meeting place and time. Moderate 7 miles. Visit Eagle Hill, ty to Bellvale, where leader will meet the bus. 10 miles, with some miles, on trails and streets, D&R Canal, towpath, and grassland FOCA. Old Croton Aqueduct Walk, NY. Leader: call 914-693- Overlook Trail, a giant glacial erratic, and Spook Rock. Pointers on rock scrambling and walking on rock ledges at dizzying heights. preserves. Bad weather cancels. 0529 for further information. Meet: 10am at north parking lot of photo composition and sketching. Sleepy Hollow High School, 200 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY. IHC. The Palisades and Giant Stairs, NJ. Leader: Chris Davis, Sunday, May 13 IHC. Raymondskill Falls, PA. Leader: Ursula & Patrick Davis, 5 mile ramble through an area rich in history. From Sleepy Hollow [email protected]. Meet: 9am at Alpine Boat Basin, CMC. Mother’s Day Wildflower Hike at Kelly Hollow, Mar - 973-786-7087. Meet: 9am at Chatterbox restaurant, Rt. 206 & 15, north on the Aqueduct into Rockefeller State Park. Alpine, NJ. Moderately strenuous 8 miles. Hike north along Shore garetville, NY. Leader: Howard Raab, [email protected]. Augusta, NJ. Shuttle required. Moderately strenuous 7 miles. Spec - Path, scramble over Giant Stairs, then ascend cliff to Long Path Meet: 11am; contact leader to register and for meeting place. Saturday, June 9 tacular waterfall (highest in PA) and Milford Cliff Trail above the for return. Bad weather cancels. Limited to 12 people; dogs welcome. Easy to moderate 4-mile loop GS. Birds and Blooms Walk, Morris County, NJ. Leader: for Delaware River to Milford Knob Overlook. Bad weather cancels. on one of the most beautiful short trails in the Catskills. Sunday, April 8 more information and to register call 973-635-6629. Meet: 9am Saturday, April 28 at Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center, 247 Southern Blvd., AMC-NYNJ. Holiday Hike in Central Harriman State Park, NY. GS. Mom’s Day Out, Morris County, NJ. Leader: for more informa - AMC-NYNJ. East Hudson Highlands, NY. Leader: Minu Chatham, NJ. Morning stroll for ages 8 & up to look for colorful Leader: Jane Levenson, 212-534-7806; call before 9pm. Meet: tion and to register call 973-635-6629. Meet: 2pm at Great Swamp Chaudhuri, 914-941-6408, [email protected]. Meet: contact migrating birds and spring wildflowers; fee $3. Out by 10:30am. Contact leader for meeting place and time. Moderate 8 miles with Outdoor Education Center, 247 Southern Blvd., Chatham, NJ. Cele - leader for meeting place and time. Hilly 7 miles at a moderate great views on the RD trail. Bring holiday spirit and celebrate brate with mom on this easy guided nature walk for all ages. UCHC. Sunfish Pond, Delaware Water Gap, NJ. Leader: Pat pace. Garrison to Anthony’s Nose via Sugarloaf South, Osborn Easter and Passover in the woods. Leader will bring treats to OC. Bayard Cutting Arboretum, Long Island, NY. Leader: Bob Horsch, 908-693-8331. Meet: 10am at Dunnfield Creek/AT Loop, and along the AT to a spectacular view. share, and hopes others will too. Steady rain cancels. Ward, 718-471-7036. Meet: call leader one week in advance after parking. Up to Sunfish Pond along scenic Dunnfield Creek, return WTA. Pine Mountain, Ridgefield, CT. Leader: Barbro Thelemarck, on AT. About 4 hours, some rugged areas and several stream WTA. Catfish Pond, Fahnestock State Park, NY. Leader: Howard 8pm for meeting time and place. Easy 3 miles. Visit this lovely 914-277-4026. Meet: contact leader for meeting place and time. crossings but only one steep hill. Steady rain cancels. Millman, [email protected]. Meet: 10am at Bird and Bottle tree park on Long Island’s south shore. Travel on the LIRR, return Easy to moderate 4-5 miles. About 4 hours with two fairly steep Restaurant parking lot, off Rt. 9W in Garrison for shuttle. late afternoon. Sunday, June 10 hills, lunch with a breathtaking view. Pleasant 3-4 hours with gentle hills. Hike through variety of WEC. Mother’s Day Family Hike, Norvin Green State Forest, IHC. Appalachian Trail, High Point, NJ to Unionville, NY. landscapes: forested, meadow, occasionally rocky. RVW. Shaupeneak Ridge, Ulster County, NY. Leader: call NJ. Leader: for more information and to register, call 973-835- Leaders: Carolyn & Jim Canfield, 973-728-9774. Meet: 9am at AT 845-246-4590 for more information. Meet: 9am, call for location. NYHC. South Ferry to Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY. 2160. Meet: 11am; register for location. Easy 3 miles. A Weis crossing on Rt. 284, Sussex, NJ. Moderately strenuous 9 miles; Easy to moderate 4.5 mile hike, about 5 hours. Leader: Ray Krant, 718-435-4994. Meet: 10:30am in front of naturalist will lead the group to the top of Wyanokie High Point shuttle required. Staten Island Ferry Terminal, Manhattan side. Moderate 6-7 mile Sunday, April 29 for a 365-degree view of spring’s return to Norvin Green. Saturday, June 16 Recommended for families with elementary-school aged kids and walk on path along the East River with scenic views of bridges, AFW. Norvin Green State Forest, NJ. Leader: call 973-644-3592 UCHC. Watchung Reservation, Mountainside, NJ. Leader: John older. Limited to 20; $8 fee, mothers hike free. Out by 2pm. Brooklyn, and Queens; frequent drop-off points. for information or go to www.adventuresforwomen.org. Meet: Jurasek, 845-519-4247. Meet: 10am at Trailside Nature Center, Saturday, April 14 10am; register for meeting place. Strenuous hike at a moderate Saturday, May 19 Coles Ave. Walk on woods roads in the shade at a moderate pace. pace; out by 4pm. FPB. Trail Maintenance at Hunter Island, Pelham Bay Park, NYR. Brooklyn Old & New, NY. Leader: Anna Marynowska, Steady rain cancels. NY. Leader: Clinton Robinson, [email protected]; UCHC. Stokes State Forest, Branchville, NJ. Leader: Gregg 718-384-2908, [email protected]; co-leader Camille Sunday, June 17 Cooper. Meet: 9:45am in front of Wendy’s, intersection of Empire www.pelhambaypark.org. Meet: 10 am at northeast corner of the Hudis, 551-404-5461, [email protected]. Meet: 10am at AT WEC. Father’s Day Family Hike, Norvin Green State Forest, NJ. Blvd., Flatbush and Ocean Aves. (B or Q to Prospect Park subway Orchard Beach Parking Lot. Catwalk re-enforcement and parking on Sunrise Mountain Rd.; call for directions. Moderate Leader: more information and to register, call 973-835-2160. station). Explore the paths of Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and shoreline clean up; till 2pm. 6 miles, about 4 hours. AT to Stony Brook Trail to the lake. Meet: 11am; register for location. Easy 3 miles led by a Weis natu - Heavy rain cancels. Botanic Garden. WEC. Weis Women’s Hike, Passaic County, NJ. Leader: for ralist and recommended for families with elementary-school information and to register, call 973-835-2160. Meet: 8am; regis - May RVW. Franny Reese Park and Walkway Over the Hudson, NY. aged kids and older. Limited to 25; $8 fee, fathers hike free. Out ter for location. Moderately paced 3 miles; out by 10am. Join the Leader: for more information call 845-246-2945. Meet: 9am, call by 2pm. Saturday, May 5 for meeting place. Easy to moderate 5 mile hike, about 5 hours. ladies of Weis on their early morning hike; carpool possible. AFW. Sunfish Pond, Delaware Water Gap, NJ. Leader: call SW. The Great Saunter, Manhattan, NY. Leader: register in $5 fee. Event repeats on May 19 and June 16. WTA. Garrison and East Hudson Highlands, NY. Leader: Marvin 973-644-3592 for information or go to advance at www.shorewalkers.org and avoid registration lines. WTA. Teatown-Kitchawan Trail, Westchester County, NY. Malater, 718-376-3608. Meet: 10am at Garrison RR station www.adventuresforwomen.org. Meet: 10am; register for meeting Meet: Various points in Manhattan. Join us on our annual 32-mile Leader: Jane Smalley, 914-276-0413, [email protected]. Meet: (8:47am train from Grand Central Terminal). Moderate 11 miles place. Moderately strenuous hike at a moderate pace; out by 4pm. walk around Manhattan’s rim. with climbs. Climb Sugarloaf South, take Appalachian Trail to Cur - Contact leader to register for meeting place and time. Easy to Saturday, June 23 moderate 6.5 miles. Hike this new trail from Kitchawan Preserve AFW. Baldpate Mountain, Mercer County, NJ. Leader: call ry Pond traverse, return from West Point lookout at Arden Point. UCHC. Copperas Ridge, Rockaway Township, NJ. Leader: Jean to Teatown Lake Reservation. Climb Bald Mountain for a stunning 973-644-3592 for information or go to Sunday, May 20 www.adventuresforwomen.org. Meet: 11am; register for meeting Fletcher, 973-285-5263. Meet: 10am at Split Rock Reservoir Fish view of Croton Reservoir. Short shuttle. AFW. Buttermilk Falls, Rockland County, NY. Leader: call 973- place. Easy hike at a leisurely pace; out by 2pm. & Game parking. 5 miles at moderate pace with some rocky spots. SW. Cherry Blossoms and Five Bridges, Newark, NJ. Leader: 644-3592 for information or go to www.adventuresforwomen.org. Gradual ascent to top of the ridge, then down to Timberbrook Craig Nunn, 551-206-6823, [email protected]. Meet: contact WTA. North Peak of Crows Nest, Storm King State Park, NY. Meet: 9:30am; register for meeting place. Moderate hike at a Pond, with views of reservoir; mountain laurel could be in bloom. leader starting Tuesday before for information. 10-14 flat miles on Leader: Kathie Laug, 203-238-3993, [email protected]. moderate pace; out by 2pm. Out by 3pm. Rain cancels. Meet: contact leader for meeting place and time. Moderate to paths and streets. Bad weather cancels. FOCA. Old Croton Aqueduct Walk, NY. Leader: call 914-478-3961 strenuous 8 miles. Multiple views with unsurpassed panoramas of Sunday, June 24 for further information. Meet: 9:45am at back of parking lot of AFW. Storm King Mountain, NY. Leader: call 973-644-3592 for The activities listed are sponsored by member clubs of the NY-NJ Trail Conference. All hikers are welcome subject to club regula - the Eldorado West Diner, 460 S. Broadway, Tarrytown (can take information or go to www.adventuresforwomen.org. Meet: tions and rules of the trail. You are responsible for your own safety. Wear hiking boots or strong, low-heeled shoes. Bring food, water, taxi from Metro North Tarrytown RR station). 3-4 miles, mostly 9:30am; register for meeting place. Strenuous hike at a moderate rain gear, first aid kit, and a flashlight in a backpack. Leaders have the right and responsibility to refuse anyone whom they believe level on and off the Aqueduct. Riverwalk-Lyndhurst/South pace; out by 2pm. cannot complete the hike or is not adequately equipped. Easy, moderate, or strenuous hikes are relative terms; call leader if in doubt. Tarrytown-Gracemere loop, with sweeping views of the Hudson River and New York City. IHC. Clinton Reservoir, Pequannock Watershed, NJ. Leader: More than 100 clubs belong to the Trail Conference, and many of our affiliate groups sponsor hikes not listed in the Hikers’ Almanac. Jim McKay, 973-538-0756, [email protected]. Meet: 9:30am For a descriptive list of Conference clubs, consult our website or send a SASE with your request to NY-NJ Trail Conference. Saturday, May 26 at lot #P7, 1373 Clinton Rd., West Milford, NJ. Moderate 6-7 miles; Club Codes PM. Birding Hike, Morris County, NJ. Leader: for more informa - shuttle required. Old Coal Trail, Bearfort Waters-Clinton Trail tion and to register call 973-334-3130. Meet: 8am at Pyramid Only those clubs with hikes offered in this issue are listed below. Please call numbers listed to confirm. (newly relocated around Buckabear Pond), and Clinton West Trail. Mountain Natural Historic Area visitor center, 472A Boonton Ave., Saturday, June 30 AFW Adventures for Women NYR New York Ramblers Boonton, NJ. Moderate hike for ages 12 & up; $2 fee. Bring your AMC-NYNJ Appalachian Mountain Club, OC Outdoors Club binoculars or borrow ours on this morning stroll for the birds. Out FOCA. Old Croton Aqueduct Walk, NY. Leader: call 914-693- by 10am. 0529 for further information. Meet: 10am at top of driveway of New York-North Jersey Chapter PM Pyramid Mountain Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, NY (short CMC Catskill Mountain Club Natural Historic Area IHC. Sam’s Point Preserve to Minnewaska State Park, NY. walk from Metro North Glenwood RR station). 4-5 miles. Walk FOCA Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct RVW Rip Van Winkle Hiking Club Leader: Chris Davis, [email protected]. Meet: 7:30am north for scenic Hudson River views and into Untermyer Park’s at Harriman RR station, Rt. 17, Arden, NY. Strenuous 12 miles; elegant gardens. FPB Friends of Pelham Bay SW Shorewalkers shuttle required. Long Path, Ice Caves, Verkeerderkill Falls, and GS Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center UCHC Union County Hiking Club Lake Awosting with possible swim, Jenny Lane to return. Late UCHC. Tourne Park, Boonton, NJ. Leader: Susan Jacobs, IHC Interstate Hiking Club WEC Weis Ecology Center return probable; optional dinner in New Paltz. 973-402-2555. Meet: 10am; call for directions. Moderate hike NYHC New York Hiking Club WTA Westchester Trails Association through lovely park with wildflowers. 2 hours, some hills. Steady Sunday, May 27 rain cancels. Clubs wishing to have hikes listed in Hikers’ Almanac should send their schedules to [email protected] or to the Trail Conference Office. WTA. SBM Trail, Harriman State Park, NY. Leader: Carol Ann The deadline for the Summer issue is May 15. Benton, [email protected]. Meet: contact leader for Spring 2012 Page 9 Harriman-Bear Mountain State Parks: West Jersey Crew Bridge Capers Eight of the 12 stream crossings that were washed out or damaged last fall are expect - West Jersey Crew members call it their Boxing Day Bridge Caper. On December 26 ed to be out for an extended time, several (Boxing Day), 2011, eight members of the crew undertook to repair and replace the Trail News perhaps permanently. These problem cross - Appalachian Trail bridge over the old alignment of Wawayanda Creek in northern ings are indicated on the newest edition of New Jersey. Hurricane Irene and her sibling storm Lee had generated extraordinary the Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails maps flooding in the area that caused all three sections of the bridge to float up and off their (see story on page 11). Park managers are pilings. Fortunately, though scattered and battered, they remained relatively intact. But reviewing options for replacing the bridges the crew faced additional challenges: the channel left by receding water was surprising - Wonder Lake State Park, NY and/or rerouting some trails. ly deep and surrounded by an area of very problematic mud flats. Crew members The Trail Conference volunteers at Wonder Esthetic requirements for the bridges— combined brains, winches, skylines, and muscles to successfully reassemble the bridge Lake State Park in Putnam County, led by that they be built of trees in the area and not by day’s end. Huge thanks to Lee Mott, James Mott, Steve Reiss, Bill Taggart, Linda Trail Supervisor Andrew Seirup, completed of water resistant commercial planks—are Taggart, Pete Zuroff and crew leaders Monica and David Day. The project is docu - the new Orchard Hill Trail this winter. This proving difficult if not impossible to meet, mented in a slide show at trailstobuild.com/gallerys/boxingdaybridgecaper. new one-mile trail links to existing trails in given the increasing scarcity of durable, the park and makes possible a 5.1-mile cir - appropriately sized trees in the forest. cuit that follows the shore of scenic • Popolopen Gorge: Replacing this bridge Wonder Lake and pristine Laurel Pond and will be a major project and is not likely to passes an interesting hemlock grove. (See occur for more than a year. The bridge car - Featured Hike, page 12.) This new trail ries the Timp-Torne, 1777E & 1779 Trails. brings the total number of miles of trail in (Closely related, the aqueduct work which the park to 8.7 miles. has closed the Popolopen Gorge Trail on the south side of the gorge is on schedule Trail Changes Coming on for completion in May. The trail will be Schunemunk and at Minnewaska closed until the work is finished.) In connection with major relocations of • Bridges that we understand are to be

Long Path segments set to happen this replaced and repaired by the park in the T R A G

summer, a number of trails on Schune - months ahead (no timetable as of this G A T

munk Mountain and at Minnewaska State deadline) include two of the several bridges M A I L

Park Preserve will get new blaze colors. See reached from the Reeves Meadow Visitor L I W page 1 story and stay tuned for updates on Center on Seven Lakes Drive: the bridge The Appalachian Trail bridge over Wawayanda Creek after flood damage last fall. our website. carrying the Hillburn-Torne Sebago Trail just upstream of the Cascade of Slid and UPDATES ON FALL STORM- the bridge that carries only the Kakiat Trail RELATED CLOSINGS over Stony Brook. New Jersey • Replacement of the bridge further • Black Creek Bridge on AT near Canal upstream that formerly carried the Pine Road has been reset and is now open. Meadow, Kakiat, and Seven Hills Trails is • Long House Creek Bridge on AT near under review. Bearfort Mountain/Greenwood Lake was • The Nurian Trail bridge over the Ramapo still out as of the deadline for this issue. River west of the NYS Thruway, is expect - • Green Brook Bridge near Warwick Turn - ed to be repaired by the park as soon as pike on Terrace Pond North Trail was still their sawmill can provide the materials. out as of the deadline for this issue. • The bridge over Stahahe Brook on the T

• Long Pond Bridge over the Wanaque Old Arden Road south of the Elk Pen may R A G

River at Hasenclever/Sterling Ridge/High - never be replaced. G A T

lands Trails is washed out. The Trail Some good news: the park has approved M A I L L

Conference has applied for funding from rebuilding the bridge that carries the Long I W the Recreational Trails Program to replace Path over Horse Chock Brook near Call West Jersey Crew members move a bridge segment back into place. this bridge. Hollow Road, and the bridge carrying the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail south of the West Hudson Anthony Wayne Recreation area. We hope Minnewaska State Park Preserve: All four to recruit volunteers to rebuild these trail bridges at Minnewaska State Park Pre - bridges during the spring season. serve—Mossy Glen, Blueberry Run, and two over the Peterskill—are yet to be East Hudson replaced as of this deadline. Trail Confer - Bridges on School Mountain Road in ence representatives met with Park staff in Fahnestock State Park have not been February to begin planning for their replaced, however crossings can generally replacement. The goal is to have all four be made by careful footing. crossings back in place this year, but the timetable is indefinite. Watch our website Catskills T

for updates (nynjtc.org/park/minnewaska- A number of trail bridges that were lost R A G

state-park) during Hurricane Irene have been rebuilt G A T

by the NYS DEC Trail Crews in Ulster and M A I L L

Greene County. The crews (volunteers are I W not permitted to build bridges in the After one hard day’s work by eight crew members, the bridge was ready for hikers. Catskill Park) worked through the winter and will continue through the spring. Lenape Trail Update

The Lenape Trail Committee is developing bollards and signage inserts to Appalachian Trail Ambassador “brand” the trail as it travels through roughly 20 heavily used suburban Will Promote Community Ties parks in Essex County, NJ. The project is a joint effort between the Trail Con - ference and the Essex County Department of Parks and Recreation. The The Appalachian Trail tourism and outdoor recreation, while pre - bollards were designed by Steve Marano and Ed Goodell with graphics by Conservancy has serving and protecting the AT. The Town of Lou Leonardis. Ron Luna fabricated named Mike Fraatz of Warwick in Orange County plans to mark these lightweight (hollow) full-size Poughkeepsie, NY, as its designation as an AT Community in a AT Ambassador to trail day of celebration Saturday, June 30. prototypes. The prototypes will be communities in our Mike’s particular focus will be on nurtur - used in the upcoming months to region. In this one-year, ing the AT Community Program in New help plan locations for installation. stipend-supported vol - York. He will help with plans for Warwick The bollards will be used in situa - unteer position, Mike to celebrate and take advantage the pro - will work with local Trail Conference vol - gram and will also cultivate interest in the tions where there isn’t an unteers to promote volunteerism and program among other communities. appropriate tree or pole to put a stewardship of the Appalachian Trail. Mike earned his degree in wildlife con - blaze on. They also will draw atten - Towns, counties, and communities along servation in 2010 from the University of tion to the trail and educate people the AT’s corridor are considered assets by Delaware and is currently pursuing a grad - about the trail and trail blazes. The hikers, and many of these towns act as good uate degree at Pace University. He has most friends and neighbors to the Trail. Some are recently worked with the New York Ameri - large 6-foot bollard is designed for designated by ATC as official AT Commu - corps’ Student Conservation Association in locations where the trail enters/exits nities. The program serves to assist Poughkeepsie. a park; the shorter version is to be communities with local initiatives such as Steve Marano (left) and Ron Luna with used within a park. sustainable economic development through prototypes of new Lenape Trail bollards. Page 10 Spring 2012 Volunteering Unites Generations DONORS TO THE ANNUAL FUND Zachary Gold & Ken Bitz November 29, 2011 – February 9, 2012 GIFTS Robin Abrett & Bernard Baron, Marilyn Adair, John & Bonnie Anlian, Janice & Robert Apgar, Patrick J. Applegate, Harold Bachmann, Carlos M. Baez & Maria Hernandez, Sanford E. Balick, Peter Barnett, Stephen Barre, April Barth, Christopher K. Bastedo, Robert Baum, Peter M. Beck, Robert Bender & Loretta Nash, Hanna & Andy Benesch, James & Laurie Benson, Eileen Berch & Barbara Drake, Rachel Bernstein & Alan Milton, George F. Bevans, Vartika Bhandari, Robert & Terry Biaggi, Charles E. Binder, Sherri Biscan, John B. Blenninger, Ian Blundell, Brian & Jody Boland, Robert W. Boyajian, Robert Boyle, Todd Bradbury, John Bradley, Jonathan L. Brandt, Philip W. & Helene Brandt, Charles B. Brock, John & Patricia Brotherton, James R. & Gail Brown, Howard Brown & Nancy A. Houghton- Brown, Peter Buffington, Michael J. Burns, Ferdinand Caiocca, Russ & Diane Cannizzaro, Brian N. & Jody F. Carlson, Sharon Carlton, Lynne R. Cashman, Laurence M. Cassar, Daniel D. Chazin, Jonathan L. & Jeanmarie Chenette, William Chiappane, Michelle Christie, Richard Chung Lee, Arthur L. Clayton, Paul G. E Clemens, Roger Cocchi, Kevin J. & Helen Collins, Robert P. & Josephine Conger, James A. Conklin, Adrienne Cook, Matthew & Jennifer Coulter, Peter Coy, Peter Cruikshank, Adele W. Dahlberg, Kathleen Davies, James E. Davis, Jeanmarie Davis & Larry Littlefield, Christopher B. Davis, Monica & David H. Day, Lois N. De Conca, Denis R. & Dan DeBernadi, Bill & Jan Deegan, Michael L. DeLuca, Rosanne T. Dobbin, Allyn Dodd, Michael E. Doehring, Frank E. Dogil, Paul T. & Diane Donoghue, Joan Doris, John & Shelley Dougherty, Miriam L. Douglass, Patricia B. Dufort, Peter J & Kathleen T. Dugan, Kenneth Dutcher, David & Barbara Dykhouse, Vincent Ellison Jr., David Emero, Michael Engel, Jacqueline B. Engelhart, Jeanne B. Epstein, Fran L. Erlitz & Harry Sotomayor, Christopher Ezzo, Lou Feeney, Martha Feldheim, Chris N. Flocatoulas, Bill D. Foelsch, Ronald R. Fontana, Joanne Foster & John Macalla, Bob Foster, Christopher Franks, Michael & June Franzese, James & Laura Frasier, Margaret C. Freifeld & Stephen Klepner, Ronald Furia, Henry & Samira Galler, William Gannett, Claudia L. Ganz, Matthew Garamone & Adrienne Booth, Marilyn G. Gelber & Robert Jacobson, William H. Gelles, Frank Genna & Deborah Padula-Genna, Clifford Norman Gerenz, Michael Gershenson, Dan & Ann Gladding, Daniel Gold, Patricia A. Goldsborough, Richard W. Goldsmith, Toby Golick, Frederick M. Golomb, Ronald Good, James C. & Susan P.R. Goodfellow, Lisa L. Gordon, Peter Tilgner & Suzan Gordon, Coralyn & Abraham Gorlicki, John K. & Catherine E. Grant, Judith Green, John & Anne Grob, Ann Guarino, Robert Hagedorn, Doug & Nancy Haitch, Eileen P. Hanna, Wilhelmina A. Haruk, Sidney B. Heimbach MD, Ed & Chris Heinen, Ludwig Hendel, Charles Heuer & Monique Bouhours, Frederick Hodde, Michael Holober & Melissa Hall, Mary H. & Arthur C. Horst, Leonard J. & Dorothea Houston, Richard Howland, Paul R. & Rosemary Hundt, Mark & Lucy Hutchison, Hiro Ichikawa, Walter E. Ilchuk Jr., Samuel W. Ingram Jr., Joan D. James, Linn E. Johnson, Joyce C. & Morris R. Judson Jr., Lilo R. Kassel, Jodie H. Katz, Richard & Marion Katzive, Larisa Kavalerchik, Catherine Kelleher, Peter L. Kennard, Albert Kent Jr., John Keys, Jung Sup Kim, Philip L. & Melinda Kerstein, Mark Klingenstein, David & Anita Knechel, Peter M. & Barbara Kohlberger, Glen Konstantin, Richard Kopsco, Richard Kosmala, Matthew & Kristin Kress, Michael Kuslansky, Gari K. & Lori H. Ledyard, Youngick Lee, Soo Hak Lee, Nancy Lentner, Richard R. Levine & Diane Levine, John P. Linderman, Emmanuel Loizides, Carl Loutzenheiser, David Mack, John H. & Karen A. Magerlein, John C. Mahle Jr., Linley Mahon, Paul Makus, Lon & Martha Maletta, John Mallon, Ajaz Mapkar, Stephen Marano, Peter R I

E & Karen F. Marcalus, Mary Anne & Charlie Massey, Anders & Carlene Maxwell, Mary & Gay Mayer, George W

E Mayerhauser, Douglas F. McBride, Gwynne & Michael McConkey, Joel B. & Elsie T. McKenzie, Dale Mead, Billy & Lisa T T

E A. Meltzer, Richard J. Menfi, Daniel R. & Peggy E. Miller, Philip & Iliana Mindlin, William D. Mishler, Bruce Modick, G

R Keith Mogerley, James Moore, John & Claudia Moran, Dennis R. Morgan, Martin J. Moskowitz, Martina Moss, Lee Mott O E

G & Barbara Simmons, Cynthia Mruczek, Tom & Helen Murphy, Andrea Natalie, Robert F. Neff, Robert L. & Alma Zachary Gold and his grandfather, Ken Bitz, are field-checking trails for Walkable Westchester. Newton, Elke & Gregg Noll, Thomas O'Hara, Frances Oleksak, Patricia O'Malley, Donald C. Pachner, John Palczynski & Pat Laverty, Moohyun Park, Joseph L. Passetti, Mary Ann Pendleton, Mark & Karen Perreault, Hank Perrine, Winston C. & Betty P. Perry, George R. Petty Jr. & Marilyn Katz, Jesse Phillips, Patricia A. Piermatti, Richard Pine & Zachary Gold, of Scarsdale, NY, was in ther are an important part of my team of Cheryl Agris, Gale & Louis Pisha, Marlene Potts, James Prommel, Earl J. Pursell, Maria Puszkar, Dale L. Ramsey & need of a mitzvah project. Age 12 and field checkers. Zach’s reports are accurate Sarah N. Schindler, Janice Reid, Laurence Reilly, Chris Reyling & Andrea Minoff, Neil B. & Kathryn M. Rindlaub, William L. Roach Jr., William Robbins, Allen Rochkind, Larry Rockefeller, Audry Roco, Linda Rohleder, David Rojer preparing for his September 1, 2012 bar and returned quickly. Then they are off on & Jennifer Lublin, Roger Roloff & Barbara Petersen, Ron S. & Marilyn Rosen, Lynn Rosencrans-Morgan & Timothy mitzvah, Zachary sought to satisfy the their next assignment, exploring a place to Morgan, Weiland A. Ross, Mike Rossi, Walter & Stephanie Rothaug, John Rowan, John Rudder, Marc P. Ryan, Phyllis community service requirement by taking hike together.” S. Safer, Agnes Sakho, Howard & Suzanne Samelson, Marianne Santangelo, Maria & Anthony J. Sarro, Philip Savoie on a project with an environmental focus. The experience, says Ken, has given him & Lisa Tracy-Savoie, Charles & Xiomara Scheidt, Joshua Schickman, Brett Schildkraut, Heiko Schoder, Darrel Schoeling & Jeff Corbin, Edward R. Schreiber, Sarah E. Scott & Thomas F. Houghton, George Blair Scribner, Brenda Finding the right project proved more dif - a great opportunity to bond with his grand - Shahinian, Mary P. Shaw, Linda & Peter J. Shea, John W. & Patricia Sheppard, Deborah Shields & Robert Feldman, ficult than he expected; for most, he was son. “We really enjoy the peacefulness of Herbert Shulman, Robert Sickley, Jim Sligar & Diana Sattelberger, Norman J. Smith, Gerson Smith, Mark I. & Mindy considered too young. being out on the trail,” he says. “We talk Sotsky, Ken L. Stahl & Shirley Ripullone, Jonathan Stanton, Vicki Steinhardt, Susan Sterngold, Robert Sternhell, John Stewart & Bonnie Brown, Kent Stivers, David P. Stuhr, David G. Swenson, Dean B. Talcott, Anthony & Maureen Then his grandmother saw a note in about many things and have found some - Thoman, Carl E. & Victoria A.D. Thune, Peter Tilgner & Suzan Gordon, Nancy & Art Tollefson, Deirdre Tourin, Trail Walker about volunteer opportunities thing meaningful to share. There are many Barbara J. Traver, Diana Trebbi, Donald Tripp, Peter J. Ulrich, Marilyn Van Houten, Dave R. Vars, Richard E. & to field check trails in Westchester County grandfathers out there,” he adds. “I really Elizabeth Voigt, Hagen von Burchard, Jonathan Wagman, Loren Wasserman, Larry A. Wehr, Judith M. Weiner, Lewis for the planned revision of the Trail Con - urge them to consider an activity like this.” Weinfeld, Georgette Weir & Jean-Claude Fouere, William I. & Joan Weisberg, Mr. Wolfgang Weisbrod-Weber & Jutta Weber, Robert & Virginia Weismantel, Patrick G. & Winifred J. Welsh, Janice M. Whipple, Jerry R. & Carol-Bea White, ference book Walkable Westchester . It For his part, Zachary says the experience Suzanne Wilder, Robert Willemann & Catherine Ray, Ida Wong & Let Lee, Hanson Wong, Patsy & Roy Wooters, proved to be the perfect project for not has reinforced his interest in nature. “I def - Michael Wootten, Ziheng Xu, David & Ann Yaspan, Ann Yasuhara, Jon Yenor, Gene & Muja Yoon, Carol E. Yorke, Carol only Zachary, but also for his grandfather, initely want to get out and hike, and to Zamcheck, Bernard Zeller, Martin F. Zumsteg, Pete Zuroff, Madeleine Van Engel Ken Bitz, of Kinnelon, NJ. Beginning in share the beauty and to improve it.” He September 2011, Zachary and Ken have looks forward to graduating to trail work TRIBUTES Helen R. Early), Rosemary Coslit, Victoria Guarnieri & been hiking, collecting, and reporting trails one day. “I enjoy it for myself and I want to For the Goodbye Irene Restoration Fund Anne Baumann David Hoekstra (in memory of his father), Royal Jay Holly, data to authors Jane and Walt Daniels, with help other people do the same.” In Memory of Doug Williams Theresa A. Lahr, Andrew Y. Wong Larry S. Spinner Ken making the two-hour round-trip drive The project has had the unexpected ben - For Hiking Trails in Putnam & Dutchess In Memory of Dr. Joan Ehrenfeld from his New Jersey home for each excur - efit of introducing the whole Gold family Jack & Susan P. Bolnick Allison Brown, Jane Ehrenfeld (in honor of Dr. Ehrenfeld sion. As of the deadline for this issue, they to previously unfamiliar natural areas close For the Gunzler Legacy Fund on her birthday), Irv & Karen Mendelssohn had covered more than 21 miles of trails in to home. “I love that it’s so local,” Zachary Leonard & Sue Lyon In Memory of Franz Alt four parks together. says. “Just a 10-minute drive and you’re at For the Storm King Mountain Trails in Memory of Ferdinand Caiocca Says Jane Daniels: “My reaction when nature’s door.” David Bennett Through a Grant from the Green Glasses Fund via Zach first expressed interest in helping was, Patricia Bennett Schwab Charitable Fund For Trail Work Michelle D. Smith Wow, an intergenerational team—what a Find Volunteer Opportunities Estelle Anderson great idea. Then Zach told me he is the one That Are Right For You at From the New York Ramblers Hiking Club CORPORATE, FOUNDATION in charge of reporting back, and that was nynjtc.org/Volunteer Chris & Walter Zeller & OTHER DONORS even more impressive. He and his grandfa - In Admiration of the Trails Cleared by Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Google, Hudson City Savings Mose for all to Enjoy! Bank, IBM Corporation Matching Grants Program, Johnson & Johnson Matching Gifts Program, Tent & Trails, Nominations for Board, Delegates-at-Large Elizabeth Rainoff German-American Hiking Club, Interstate Hiking Club, In Honor of a Great Trail Manager, Glenn Oleksak Thendara Mountain Club, GE Foundation, Geraldine R. The Trail Conference Nominating Committee is seeking nominations for Barry Oleksak Dodge Foundation, Golden Family Foundation, Pfizer membership on the Board of Directors and Delegates-at-Large. The In Honor of Debbie Bell & Donna Nye Foundation Matching Gifts Program, Prudential Andrew D. & Carol E. Schmidt Foundation Matching Gifts Program, Smart Family qualifications for Board of Directors are current membership in the Trail Foundation, Inc., The Mosaic Fund, The New York Conference and service participation in trails maintenance or on a Trail In Honor of Debbie, Elaine & Kim Aaron & Kathy Schoenberg Community Trust, Truist, Zadeck Family Foundation, Conference committee. The qualification for Delegate-at-Large is current EarthShare New Jersey, Meadowlark Foundation, TD In Honor of Kate S. Ahmadi Wealth Management, American Express – JustGive, membership in the Trail Conference. Self-nominations for Delegate-at-Large Anonymous Campmor Environmental Team, Club Fit Jefferson Valley, and Board of Directors are appropriate and welcome. In Honor of Linda Malkin's 65th Birthday COACH Matching Gift Program, EarthShare, Fidelity Kenneth Mayer Charitable Gift Fund, Network For Good, Open Space Please email your nomination to [email protected]. The deadline for In Honor of the wedding of Debbie Bell & Donna Nye Institute receipt of nominations is Wednesday, April 25, 2012. Anonymous, Donna Nye & Deborah Bell (acknowledging Tributes are only printed for donations of $25 or more.

Editorial Contributor: Bill Varner Trail Crew Chief: Steve Zubarik Harris, Wendy Kopec, Frank La TRAIL CONFERENCE Fountain, Russell Layne, Mitchell VOLUNTEERS Office Program Assistant: Trail Crew Leader: Stephen Banyacski, Lieberman, Mark Linehan, Bruce Velma Williams-Gates Jack Driller, Mark Liss, Pete Tilgner Lucas, Chris Manthey, Kevin [email protected] Photography: Larry Zink Trail Crew Member: Roland Breault, McGuinness, Arlys Mikolay, Natasha Adam Jacobs, John Mack, Mary Mack, Mottola, Paul Neuman, John Petersen, Nov. 22, 2011 – Feb. 10, 2012 Publications Book Field Checker: Joel Pinsker, States Sarles, Noel Schulz, Clarence Putman, John Reidy, Nate Brewster, Dan Chazin, Merilee Bruce Shriver, Isaac Siskind, Marek Heather Rolland, Joseph Rondeau, Croft, John Gallagher, Mark Linehan, Stycos, Kim Waldhauer, Therese Zubarik Dave Rozene, Larry Salvatore, Tom The Volunteer Committee Anne Rahikainen, Wesley Salis, Schmitt, Stephen Sherman, Carl acknowledges these new volunteers Bill Varner Trail Maintainer: Ed Benvenga, Smith, Allen Sterk, Neil Toomey, who took on or completed an Eric Besenfelder, Christopher Bruno, Mark Traver, James Uhlig, Frank Van assignment during the time period Publications Project Manager: Matthew Burd, Douglas Comeau, Ernie Zanten, Gerhard Werni, Andrew Wong noted above. The list also includes Bill Varner Delcher, Richard Deluca, Mary Dodds, existing volunteers who accepted Richard Erickson, Robert Farley, John Trail Shelter Caretaker: Trail Corridor Monitor: Brendan Jackson additional assignments. We thank all Richard Deluca Foster, Jeff Gamils, George Gates, Trail Conference volunteers! Heather Giunta, Rita Gollin, Stephen Spring 2012 Page 11 Book Review

The Ultimate Hiker’s Skurka presents the pros and cons of var - ious types of jackets, tents, tarps, sleeping Gear Guide bags and stoves based on their differing By Andrew Skurka material, properties, and weights—getting into details that separate the casual hiker from the gear geek. Much of this may be more than the day hiker wants to know, but understanding the advantages of fleece

over wool as an insulator could help keep a A N N

hiker warmer with less weight and at a low - E K C M

er cost. S A The author is not shy about stating his L O H C opinions and preferences. They appear in I N side-bars called “Skurka’s Picks” in which View from the top of Claudius Smith Rock, he outlines what type of gear he favors for Harriman State Park a particular scenario and his rationale based on tens of thousands of miles of use. National Geographic, 2012 The core of the book is about gear, but it AREAS COVERED IN THIS MAP SET Reviewed by Howard E. Friedman DPM covers more. Skurka begins with the case Newly Revised for his mantra, “lighter, faster, further.” He makes a cogent argument why even a day Maps for Andrew Skurka, 30 years old, has been hiker or occasional over-night short- Harriman-Bear backpacking across the United States and mileage backpacker should consider Canada as well as in South Africa and Ice - lightening their load. Lighter is more com - Mountain Show land, covering 30,000 miles in the past 10 fortable; comfort is conducive to longer years. He thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail hikes; longer hikes lead one to see more in Trail Changes, while a student in Duke University. He fol - the wilderness. lowed it up by hiking the Sea-to-Sea route, Skurka takes the reader through his More Viewpoints a 7,775-mile behemoth beginning in Cape method of trip preparation: study the Gaspe, Quebec and ending in Cape Alava, maps, gather historical weather informa - A new edition of our most popular WA, 11 months later. Then he hiked the tion for the time of year of the planned map set is now available. The two- 2,663-mile Pacific Crest Trail, averaging 38 trip, collect information on water availabil - map Harriman-Bear Mountain miles a day. ity on the trail—then prepare spreadsheets. Trails—the 14th edition—shows 235 His most acclaimed adventure was his These help the hiker manage the weight of Alaska-Yukon Expedition in 2011, funded their backpack by listing each item to be miles of trails throughout these state in part by National Geographic, a 4,700- carried or worn and tabulating the total parks, including the Appalachian mile circumnavigation of Alaska and part weight to be carried.He applies his method Trail and Long Path, as well as other of the Yukon Territory. He traveled on to five sample trips in the final chapter. surrounding parklands. It features an some existing trails, like the Iditarod dog- Reading through Skurka’s trip prepara - improved inset map of Bear Moun - sled race trail, and along rivers and off-trail tions should enable the reader to see how a routes he selected after careful study of more precise understanding of hiking gear tain that now shows all the trails on the summit, including an up-to-date topographic maps. can translate into a lighter, faster, and fur - configuration of the Appalachian Trail. A new relocation of the Appalachian If anyone is qualified to write a guide for ther next trip. Trail is now shown on West Mountain. hikers and backpackers, it is Skurka. The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide is Howard E. Friedman, DPM, is an avid Several other updates have also been incorporated, including new protected lands in Skurka’s first book, a 224-page reference, hiker, a podiatrist in Suffern, NY, and a southern Harriman State Park and northern Bear Mountain State Park, additional scenic with text supplemented by 150 color pho - frequent contributor to Trail Walker . Find viewpoints throughout the parks, and more accurate parking symbols that distinguish tos, graphs, tables, charts, and sidebars. many of his articles on our website at between parking lots and roadside parking areas. The maps also indicate areas where Skurka writes the way he hikes: efficiently nynjtc.org/news/health-news . stream crossings may be difficult due to bridges that were destroyed by storms in 2011. and with purpose. His compendium is 600 Price: $9.95 ($7.46 for Trail Conference members). Purchase it online at nynjtc.org, call pages shorter than the reigning bible of 201-512-9348, or stop in at the Trail Conference office. Visit trailpubs.nynjtc.org and hiking and backpacking, The Complete click on the Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails cover panel for additional resources, includ - Walker IV by Colin Fletcher and Chip ing suggested hikes, park contact information, and much more! Rawlins published in 2002. The map set was produced with support from Campmor, an outdoor store and retail partner of the Trail Conference. JACK—OR IS IT JACQUELINE? nonflowering plants. Corm size will be continued from page 7 reduced in females that produce a lot of The purchase of this map set supports trail maintenance in the region! berries, and those plants often will be male A multiple sex-changer in the following year. Jack-in-the-pulpit is unique because an Corm size also can be reduced if the individual plant can change sex each year leaves are eaten or otherwise damaged, Hikers’ from male to female or vice versa through - which reduces the leaves’ ability to photo - out its 20-year lifespan. Only a few species synthesize. Slugs and caterpillars feed on Marketplace of plants are known to change sex. Plants Jack-in-the-pulpit leaves and can cause will be female when they have reached a enough damage to reduce corm size. Deer sufficient size to provide stored resources to also will feed on Jack-in-the-pulpit, even Go Places with Trail Maps and support flower and berry production, but though the plants contain acrid, distasteful will revert to being male or nonflowering if substances called oxalate crystals. In areas Books from the Trail Conference. stored resources are depleted. Sex also may of high deer density, there may be few fluctuate with environmental resources like female Jack-in-the-pulpit plants. moisture and nutrients. If you see some Jack-in-the-pulpits this So how exactly does that Jack-in-the-pul - spring, take a closer look at the odd flower - pit in your local woodland decide if it ing structures and try to tell the “Jacks” should be male or female this year? from the “Jacquelines.” Jack-in-the-pulpit has been the most widely studied of the sex changing plants, Edna Greig is a Trail Conference member and these studies have shown that, basical - and regular contributor to Trail Walker . She ly, size matters. The sex of the current year’s now also writes the blog Eye on Nature: plant is determined by the size of the previ - eyeonnature.wordpress.com. ous year’s root storage structure, called a corm. Larger corms yield larger female plants, while smaller corms yield males or

We cover your favorite hiking areas in the New York- New Jersey region, including Harriman-Bear Mountain, the Catskills, North Jersey and Jersey Highlands, East and West Hudson Highlands, and more.

Find them all on our website, and get your 25% member discount ! Visit www.nynjtc.org/panel/goshopping! Or call 201-512-9348 Page 12 Spring 2012 Featured Hike

By Daniel Chazin New Loop at Wonder Lake

In February, Trail Conference trail begins on the north side of the dam, but volunteers took advantage of the you should bear left to continue along the unseasonably good weather to finish Highlands Trail. After crossing a woods road work on a new, one-mile trail at little- (the route of the Yellow Trail), the trail turns known Wonder Lake State Park in away from the lake. It climbs a little, then northeastern Putnam County. The begins a steady descent and follows along the edge of an escarpment, with a beautiful blue-blazed Orchard Hill Trail makes hemlock grove in the ravine below. possible a nice loop hike in the nearly With Laurel Pond visible through the 1200-acre park, which now features 8.7 trees ahead, the HT turns sharply right and miles of trails, including the first blazed continues to descend on a switchback. At section of the Highlands Trail east of the base of the descent, it crosses a woods the Hudson River. This loop hike road and proceeds to pristine Laurel Pond. The trail crosses a concrete spillway over a follows the shore of scenic Wonder secondary outlet and follows along the Lake and pristine Laurel Pond. pond. After crossing a stone dam and P U R

wooden footbridge over the pond’s main I E S Volunteers:

Andrew Seirup (Supervisor), outlet, the trail heads uphill, following a W E R

Tom Buckley, Dave Dvorsky, Gayle woods road. D N A Edgerton, Sally Lake, Barry Leibowitz, At a T-intersection at the crest of the rise, Trail Conference volunteers have finished a new trail at Wonder Lake State Park that make Ted Marzilli, Paul Waclawski, and Tad the Highlands Trail continues ahead onto a possible a nice loop hike to and around the lake. Waclawski. footpath, which loops around and soon Length: About 5.1 miles reaches another woods road. The trail turns Difficulty: Easy to moderate right and follows the road, which soon Time: 3.5 hours begins to climb. Be alert for a turn, just Map: Find a free, downloadable trail map before the start of a steeper climb, where at nynjtc.org/view/maps the Highlands Trail turns right and contin - Dogs: Permitted on leash ues on a footpath. Driving: Take I-84 East to Exit 17. Turn left After crossing an intermittent stream, R E

at the bottom of the ramp onto Luding - the trail continues along the side of a hill P A R D

tonville Road and continue for 1.6 miles to and soon begins to descend. In a short dis - H G I

the parking area for Wonder Lake State Park, tance, three blue blazes on the left mark the E L on the left. GPS address: 380 Ludingtonville start of the blue-blazed Orchard Hill Trail. Download a Wonder Lake trail map at Road, Holmes, NY 12531. Turn left and follow the Orchard Hill Trail, nynjtc.org/view/maps which climbs gradually to the crest of a rise, From the parking area, you’ll see a post then descends and continues across gentle, with a yellow blaze (for the Yellow Trail) rolling terrain. and a teal diamond blaze (for the High - After another gradual climb and descent, lands Trail). Follow these trails uphill, and the Orchard Hill Trail ends at a junction you’ll soon reach a junction. The Yellow with the white-blazed North Spillway Trail. Trail goes off to the left, but you should Follow this for about 150 feet to its termi -

bear right to continue on the (HT), which nus on the HT, then turn right and follow R I E W

you will follow for most of this hike. the teal diamond blazes, retracing your E T T

The HT will take you to and around steps back to the parking area. E G R

Wonder Lake. The route is moderately up- O E G and-down, includes minor stream The Highlands Trail also passes Laurel Pond crossings, passes numerous stone walls, and This description is adapted from Daniel at Wonder Lake State Park. intersects with several other trails. Chazin’s more detailed article, which can be At the southeast corner of Wonder Lake, found at nynjtc.org/hike/wonder-lake-laurel- the trail crosses a dam and wooden foot - pond-loop-hike bridge over the lake’s outlet. A white-blazed

Support Trails, Parks and Open Join/Renew NY-NJ Trail Conference Membership Space in the New York-New Jersey 1,800 miles of trails; your membership helps us expand our horizons. Included with membership, Trail Walker , 10% discount on purchases at many region by joining the New York- 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 Select one: Join Renew Membership # if available______The Trail Conference maintains more than 1,800 miles e of trails, advocates for parks, protects open space, and Individual Joint/Family

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