ALKERNEW YORK-NEW JERSEY TRAIL CONFERENCE...MAINTAINING OVER 1500 MILES OF FOOT TRAILS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004

RAILWT

Counting Hawks from a TCSite on the Shawangunk Ridge

continued on page 6 continued on page 10

When you climb the fire tower stairs atthe 151-acre Stutzman property atop theShawangunk Ridge, acquired in 2003 bythe Trail Conference, you leave behind thewarmth and security of familiar terrafirma and enter the realm of birds. Evenon relatively mild fall days, the slightestbreeze at the bottom of the tower trans-lates into steady bone-chilling windsabove.

Why then would a crew of volunteersmake 20 visits to the tower in Octoberand November and spend 87 visitor hoursunder such conditions? Aside from thebreathtaking view, the answer is raptors(hawks, eagles, falcons)—more specifi-cally, 321 of them representing 13 spe-cies. These included 150 red-tailed hawks,71 sharp-shinned hawks, 27 Cooper’shawks, 15 northern harriers, 9 ospreys, 6peregrine falcons, 6 merlins, 5 kestrels, 3bald eagles, 3 red-shouldered hawks, 2rough-legged hawks, 2 northern goshawks,2 golden eagles, and 20 unidentified rap-tors. One hundred and ninety-one turkeyvultures and 27 ravens round out thesightings.

Each fall, North American raptors mi-grate southward ahead of winter follow-ing age-old migration routes. North-south

oriented ridge systems, such as the Gunks,are favored flyways because they offerenergy saving updrafts. The forests anddiverse natural habitats of the ridge pro-vide foraging and roosting opportunitiesfor raptors as well. Trail Conference ef-forts to protect the Shawangunk RidgeTrail corridor are preserving this impor-tant migration route for raptors and otherspecies.

At the urging of the Trail Conference,volunteers from Sullivan County Audubonran a pilot study at the fire tower this pastfall, to assess its potential as an annualhawk watch site. The tower is ideally situ-ated along a narrow stretch of the Gunks,offering views of birds moving along bothsides of the ridge, but was unproven as ahawk watch site.

Although the project started midwaythrough the migration and after the ex-tremely abundant broad-winged hawk hadalready passed, the diversity (13 species)and sighting rate (7.1 per/hour) of raptorspromises for good hawk watching in thefuture. Trail Conference members inter-ested in visiting the fire tower hawk watchshould mark their calendars for next Sep-tember and remember to pack a wind-breaker.

By Ed Walsh

The construction of a stone staircaseover an eroded or unstable section of trailis usually quite simple. Trail workers walkoff the trail—ideally uphill—and quarryrocks from the surrounding forest. Pickmattocks are used to uncover the rocksand then steel bars are used to pry themout. The rocks are then transported to thetrail by rolling, sliding, or flipping themfrom their previous home by hand and/orwith the help of the steel bars.

The September/October issue of TrailWalker reported on the ambitious TrailConference rock-work project then under-way on the Twin Forts Trail, which con-nects Forts Clinton and Montgomery, pass-ing under the Bear Mountain Bridge. With

Editing + Hiking:Nancy TollefsonBy Anne De Sutter

Living in New York City and hiking inits environs is, according to NancyTollefson, a good balance between cityand country. Another good balance, andone that benefits the Trail Conference, in-volves combining her love of the outdoorswith her love for writing and editing. AnOhio na-tive whostudied En-glish at Mi-ami Uni-versity ofO h i o ,Nancy hasbecome anindispens-able assetof the Trail Conference, and other organi-zations, as an editor.

Nancy is a good example of why TrailConference volunteers are so valuable. Shestarted volunteering in the TC office whenit was still located on Madison Avenue inManhattan. Next, she began to do trailmaintenance, and received training inbuilding waterbars and steps and movinglarge stones. She recounted an instance ofher painstaking efforts helping to constructa waterbar. For hours her team carefullyconstructed the bar to exact specifications.When completed and put to the test, thebar functioned perfectly in diverting wa-ter from the trail, for a few feet, that is,until the water took a sharp turn and ranback across the trail just below where ithad been diverted by the bar. Not one tobe disheartened, however, Nancy contin-ued to assume new tasks for the Trail Con-ference.

Currently, those tasks are taking a moreliterary turn, as reflects her background.Nancy edits the Hikers’ Almanac, whichinvolves selecting and preparing submis-sions for inclusion in the schedule of hik-ing events listed in the Trail Walker. Manyhikers, from novice to expert, regularlyrely on the Hikers’ Almanac for its accu-rate and informative entries.

Nancy also volunteers on the TrailConference’s publications committee andhas recently become the project managerof a revised edition of Day Walker, a guideto hikes close to New York City. She in-

Rock Clinic Volunteers Build33-Ton Staircase at Twin Forts

funding provided by the Fort Montgom-ery Battlesite Association, I worked witha TC crew of 16 volunteers to move andmaneuver one-ton rocks into position ona steeply graded slope.

Several aspects made this project un-usual: the semi-industrial location and thelack of sufficient rock supplies near thesite—36 pieces of stone, each weighing aton, were purchased from a quarry inKerhonkson and delivered to a locationabove the trail.

In the Twin Forts case, the rocks wereabove the trail, but the slope was so in-credibly steep that rolling the rocks wouldhave meant many runaway rocks. In thiscase there was too much at stake to riskletting a one-ton rock careen down themountainside: the steel railing below the

maintenance garage, the concrete bridgepiers, the railroad bed and trains, and fi-nally boaters and fishermen along and inthe river. A system had to be devised thatcould be used to transport the rocks with-out losing any of them.

Occasionally, trail workers need to getrocks to the trail from a “quarry” that isdownhill from the trail or an excessivelylong distance from the trail. In these casescrews often opt to use a rigging systemadapted from logging and sailing prac-tices called a “highline.”

In this system, a wire rope is connectedvia a nylon sling to the base of a tree calledan anchor. The wire rope then runs up toa steel pulley—called a block—high in adifferent tree—called the spar tree. Next,the wire rope runs horizontally, passingboth the woods “quarry” site and the trailbefore going back up to a block in an-other spar tree, then down to be anchoredto a final tree through a hand-operatedwinch.

Operation of the highline is as follows:rocks are wrapped in chain, the chain isattached to the wire rope via a third block,then the hand-operated winch tightens thewire rope thereby actually making therock airborne. Without the friction of theground to contend with, the rocks are eas-ily transported along the wire rope to thetrail where the winch can then slacken the

Elegant stairs built of one-ton rocks.

2 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 TRAIL WALKER

TRAIL WALKERVolume XXXI, No. 1 Jan./Feb. 2004

Georgette Weir EditorNora Porter Managing Editor

The TRAIL WALKER (USPS Permit #970-100) (ISSN 0749-1352) is published bi-monthlyby the New York-New Jersey Trail Confer-ence as a benefit of membership. Subscriptionsare available to libraries only at $15.00 a year.Periodical postage paid at Mahwah, N.J., andadditional offices. Postmaster: Send addresschanges to the address below. Opinions ex-pressed by authors do not necessarily repre-sent the policy or position of the Conference.Contributions of typed manuscripts, photos,and drawings are welcome. Manuscripts maybe edited for style and length. Send SASE forwriters’ guidelines. Submission deadlines forthe TRAIL WALKER are January 15 (Mar./Apr. issue), March 15 (May/June issue), May15 (July/Aug. issue), July 15 (Sept./Oct. issue),September 15 (Nov./Dec. issue), November 15(Jan./Feb. issue). Unsolicited contributions can-not be acknowledged unless accompanied bySASE. For information on advertising rates,please write or call.Copyright 2003 by:

New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, Inc.156 Ramapo Valley Road (Rt. 202)Mahwah, NJ 07430201-512-9348

e-mail: info@nynjtc.orgeditorial e-mail: tw@nynjtc.orgWorld Wide Web: http://www.nynjtc.org/

NEW YORK - NEW JERSEYTRAIL CONFERENCE

Mission StatementThe New York-New Jersey Trail Conference,founded in 1920, is a federation of memberclubs and individuals dedicated to providingrecreational hiking opportunities in the region,and representing the interests and concerns ofthe hiking community. The Conference is a vol-unteer-directed public service organizationcommitted to:

• Developing, building, and maintaininghiking trails.

• Protecting hiking trail lands through sup-port and advocacy.

• Educating the public in the responsibleuse of trails and the natural environment.

Board of DirectorsJane Daniels ChairTom Humbach Vice ChairDaniel Chazin SecretaryHerb Hochberg Treasurer

Directors

StaffEdward Goodell Executive DirectorMaureen Walsh Administrative

Director

Larry Wheelock Trails Director

Joshua Erdsneker Volunteer ProjectsDirector

Jim Davis DevelopmentDirector

Edwin McGowan Science Director

Nayarid Barahona Product ManagerRamon McMillan Administrative

Assistant

Part-time StaffAmy Little Coordinator,

Shawangunk RidgeCoalition

John Myers Land AcquisitionDirector

Neil Woodworth Counsel, TrailConference/ADKPartnership

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a volun-teer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It is a federa-tion of 85 hiking and outdoor groups, and 10,000individuals.

Catskills Preservation Celebrates 100 Years

FROM THE CHAIR

Art LebofskyRobert NewtonAnne OsbornMary SmartMalcolm Spector

Mary Vance DugganJohn GunzlerGary HauglandPeter HecklerRobert Jonas

Hikers know the Catskills to be a spe-cial place. Hiking trails and opportunitiesto bushwhack abound. There are greatsummit views, impenetrable fir forests, wil-derness havens, and old woods roads suit-able for snow-shoeing or cross countryskiing. It was 100 years ago this January,that the Catskill Park was established,eventually growing to preserve foreversome 1,100 square miles of land.

Geologically, the Catskill region is aneroded plateau, a once flat land that hasbeen worn into mountains. Historically,the Catskills have been the scene of greatactivity. In 1816, there were 75 tanneriesin the mountains, with more built untilthe industry collapsed when the supply ofhemlock bark was exhausted during theCivil War. Tannersville and the names ofthe local tanners remind us of an industrylong gone.

When the large hemlocks and oaks werecut down, the opened land allowed hard-woods to grow and gave way to anotherindustry—the manufacture of barrel

hoops. But that industry too was short livedas steel hoops soon replaced hand hewnones. Old farmsteads and woods roadsattest to attempts to farm the mountains,sometimes not too successfully.

Tourism arrived in the Catskills in 1824when the Catskill Mountain Houseopened. First steamships up the HudsonRiver and later trains, then cars broughtvacationers to the mountains. A formertanning town (Edwardsville) has becomea ski resort (Hunter Mountain). A hun-dred years after the demise of farming asan industry in the mountains, manymountaintop farms have become vacationhomes.

The Catskills continue to be a magnet,for hikers, skiers, enthusiasts of motorizedrecreation, and those building new vaca-tion homes. TC members know from read-ing these pages that the destiny of theCatskills continues to be a hot topic (seestory below).

Let us take the occasion of this 100thanniversary of the founding of the Catskill

Park to rededicate ourselves to getting toknow these mountains and to protectingthem.

Think imaginatively of a way to cel-ebrate this event. Join the ranks of Tho-mas Cole and the painters of the HudsonRiver School and preserve the scenerythrough photography or painting. Con-sider the Catskill tradition of inspiring andfunding the arts. Consider the possibilityof taking a long nap, after all Rip VanWinkle found the Catskills a suitable placefor a long sleep.

Or better yet join the ranks of Catskilltrail maintainers. Contact Josh Erdsneker,Volunteer Projects Director(josh@nynjtc.org or 201-512-9348) or PeteSenterman, Catskill Trails Chair, c/o theTrail Conference Office, and be assigneda special place to maintain. Although youcannot call it your own, it is pretty closeto heaven.

—Jane DanielsChair, Board of Directors

The New York–New Jersey Trail Con-ference—Adirondack Mountain Club(ADK) Partnership recently submitted itsfinal comments to the New York StateDepartment of Environmental Conserva-tion (DEC) on the revised Catskill ParkState Land Master Plan (CPSLMP). Aspreviously reported (November/DecemberTrail Walker), the partnership strongly sup-ports the creation of the 18,000-acreWindham-Blackhead Range Wildernessand the 27,000-acre Hunter-West Kill Wil-derness and continues to do so despite somelocal opposition.

The partnership also continues to sup-port the draft plan’s positive signage rulefor mountain bikes (biking prohibited ex-cept where signs say it is permitted). Themountain biking community is vigorouslyopposing this rule. The Trail Conferenceand ADK have met with representativesof the mountain biking community anddecided to support allowing mountain bikeuse to continue on Wild Forest trails pend-ing completion of a trail evaluation anddesignation process on a five-year time-table. The draft plan proposes to banmountain biking in Wilderness areas andwe strongly support DEC on this position.Mountain bikers have expressed concernsabout losing access to popular routes lo-cated in Wilderness areas. The partner-

ship is currently discussing with moun-tain bike advocates proposals that mightcreate specific exceptions for mountainbike use on designated and signed oldroads and horse trails in Wilderness ar-eas while prohibiting mountain biking onhiking trails in these areas.

The Trail Conference-ADK Partnershiphas made it clear to DEC that if the newWilderness designations, positive signagerule for mountain bikes, and the 3100-foot rule for snowmobiles (they would beprohibited in Wild Forest areas above thatelevation) are abandoned, we will nolonger support the draft plan. The part-nership supported the elimination of the2700-foot rule, which requires all landsabove 2700 feet to be managed as Wil-derness, only because of these importantcomponents of the plan. Were DEC toabandon these components, the Trail Con-ference and ADK have taken the positionthat the CPSLMP would have to be re-issued with new public hearings and a newopportunity for public comment.

—Neil WoodworthCounsel, TC-ADK Partnership

For the latest on the Catskills and othertrail lands, visit www.nynjtc.org

Update on Catskill Master Plan AT ManagementSparksImprovements

The Appalachian Trail Conference(ATC), the collective of clubs and indi-viduals that, with the National Park Ser-vice, is responsible for maintaining andprotecting the Appalachian Trail, is re-tooling for the long haul. In November2003 the ATC board of directors adopteda strategic plan that aims to raise ATC’sprofile with hikers and the general pub-lic, better connect it to the volunteers inthe affiliated clubs who handle most ofthe day-to-day, on-the-ground trail work,and increase stable sources of future in-come to support its mission. The NewYork-New Jersey Trail Conference is amember organization of ATC. One hun-dred forty-two TC members are active inAT management. More than 600 TCmembers are also members of ATC.

ATC’s plan calls for a major change inthe governing structure of the organiza-tion, changes in the staffing structure, sub-stantial expansion of the organization’s re-gional presence, raising ATC’s public pro-file, and new emphasis on environmen-tal-quality issues. Most of the changes de-scribed in the plan will be implementedover the next two years. Detailed infor-mation about the stategic plan is avail-able at www.appalachiantrail.org/strate-gic/index.html.

TRAIL WALKER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 3

from the Executive Director

An Ambitious Agenda Suits a Dynamic TC

&A D V O C A C Y C O N S E R V A T I O N

continued on page 6

As we transition from 2003 into 2004,the Trail Conference must continue toadapt to changing conditions in pursuit ofits overarching mission of connectingpeople to nature. Last year saw the TrailConference securing foundation fundingto start a science program aimed at sup-porting our traditional trail program andextending our stewardship to the conser-vation lands surrounding our trails. Wealso received a foundation grant tojumpstart fundraising efforts needed toacquire priority tracts in threatened trailcorridors. In 2004, Trail Conference vol-unteers, staff, and board members willjuggle these new and growing efforts withtraditional programs of trail building, con-servation advocacy, and publishing.

Trails

In 2003, volunteers fully reopenedStorm King State Park by renovating thetrails in the remaining unopened “SectorB,” began a new initiative in the five bor-oughs of New York by adopting AlleyPond Park in Queens, and constructed atrail that will eventually provide full ac-cess to Stony Kill Falls in MinnewaskaState Park. In High Point State Park inNew Jersey, the Jersey trail crews replacedthe Flat Brook Bridge on the Howell Trailwith help from a horse team that hauledthe heavy timbers to the construction site.

The major trail projects in 2004 willinclude planning for trails on Bear Moun-tain, extending the Long Path north to-ward the Adirondacks, and working withthe NYC Dept. of Environmental Protec-tion to make their watershed lands moreaccessible to hikers. Beyond the majorprojects will be more than 1,000 volun-teers working alone and together to makea direct experience of nature more acces-sible to the public.

Conservation & Advocacy

Several ongoing land protectionprojects came to fruition in 2003. Mostnotable of these was an 820-acre tract andfire tower on the Shawangunk Ridge,which is in the process of being acquiredby the New York Dept. of EnvironmentalConservation. The Trail Conference alsoacquired another 84 acres on theShawangunk Ridge in Greenville, NY. In2004, we expect to acquire over 500 acreson the Shawangunk Ridge and another100 where the Long Path crosses GinsengRidge north of the Catskills.

Several years of hard work paid offwhen the Catskill master plan identified

additional areas as protected wilderness.Working with the Adirondack MountainClub, we were also able to secure a$750,000 increase in state funds for trailplanning and stewardship in parksthroughout the state. The ShawangunkRidge Coalition, a Trail Conferenceproject, fought the Awosting Preserve de-velopment proposal to a standstill. Full-scale development in the Ramapo TorneValley was averted. Cooperative effortsresulted in the apprehension of illegal ORVand dirt bike traffic in Norvin Green StateForest, NJ. The Trail Conference helpedpass a $50 million increase for the NJGreen Acres fund and was part of theHighlands Coalition that helped push theHighlands Conservation Act through theHouse of Representatives.

Publications

The Publications Committee has re-cruited experienced project managers, butis still seeking additional volunteers, es-pecially cartographers and GPSers. Thebig news from ’03 and ’04 is the drive to

convert our maps to a digital format. Wemade great strides in coming out with thesecond digital edition of the Sterling For-est map and the first digital edition of theEast Hudson map set. Digital maps, whilemuch easier to keep up to date and allowfor printing in a variety of formats, dorequire new skill sets to produce. On thebook front, Bob Boysen’s completely newKittatinny hiking book is expected out bymidyear.

In addition, we’ve renovated the officeso that it better serves volunteers and hiredsomeone for the front desk (RamonMcMillan) who can answer detailed hik-ing questions. We are also planning del-egates’ meetings that can truly act as aforum for member clubs to interact andcollaborate on projects of mutual interest.

But even as we struggle to adapt to newthreats and opportunities, the purpose ofit all remains to get more people outdoorsby creating an interconnected network oftrails that is built, maintained, monitored,and mapped by the people who use it.

—Ed Goodell

Delegates’ andMembershipMeetingFebruary 12All Trail Conferencemembers invited

All Trail Conference members are in-vited to attend the next meeting of hikingclub delegates on Thursday, February 12,2003, at the Seafarers and InternationalHouse, 123 East 15th Street, in Manhat-tan (corner of 15th Street and Irving Place,one block east of Union Square).

The meeting starts at 7 pm. Please joinus for a social hour, beginning at 6 pm,for a chance to share refreshments and chatwith hiking club representatives.

Meetings provide wonderful opportu-nities to share hiking and conservationnews, discuss issues, and help guide theTC's future work and activities. Club del-egates are also encouraged to bring gen-eral and specific issues of concern to themeeting.

Public transportation to the SeafarersHouse: subway lines 4, 5, 6, N, R and Lto 14th Street/Union Square. Or bus lines6 and 7 (Broadway); lines 1, 2 and 3 (ParkAvenue); and lines 102 and 103 (ThirdAvenue).

Highlands Preservation Advances inCongress

The U.S. House of Representatives ap-proved the Highlands Conservation ActNov. 21. The bill authorizes $100 millionin federal matching funds over 10 yearsto assist the states of Connecticut, NewJersey, New York, and Pennsylvania inconserving priority open spaces in the morethan two million acre Highlands region.The legislation is sponsored by Rep.Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) and has bi-partisan support from 31 cosponsors in theHouse, including every member of the NJdelegation. Senator Jon Corzine (D-NJ) hassponsored identical legislation in the Sen-ate. The legislation is modeled after thesuccessful state and federal partnership thatwas employed to protect over 15,000 acresof Sterling Forest. The Trail Conference isa founding member of the Highlands Coa-lition, which has long advocated passageof this legislation.

Delaware Watershed to GetProtection with Federal Help

The U.S. House and Senate in early No-

vember gave final approval of $4.9 mil-lion to conserve land in the Upper Dela-ware River Watershed of the NJ High-lands, the second largest Forest Legacyproject approved in the nation. Severalproperties that are being targeted for pres-ervation on Scotts Mountain in WarrenCounty, on the Musconetcong Ridge inMorris and Hunterdon Counties, andalong Lubber’s Run in Sussex County, areeligible for these funds.

Industrial Plant Threatens BashaKill and DH Canal Park

The Basha Kill watershed and historicD&H Canal Linear Park in theShawangunk Ridge town of Mamakatingcould be detrimentally affected if an in-dustrial mushroom production and pro-cessing plant is developed. YukiguniMaitake Corp. proposes to build an825,000+ square-foot facility on a 47-acrelot at the intersection of Rt. 209 andMcDonald Road. The property adjoinsboth the upper reaches of the Basha Killand the historic D& H Canal Linear Park.If developed, the plant will disrupt

viewsheds from the valley andShawangunk Ridge, and, according toestimates by the company, will draw621,000 gallons of water per day fromthe aquifer. In a recent meeting, a waterexpert from the US Geological Survey’sTroy office told representatives of theBasha Kill Area Association that a with-drawal of this amount would inevitablylower water levels in the Basha Kill, aDEC Wildlife Management Area, possi-bly drying up some of the smaller wet-lands bordering it.

NJ Voters OK Open SpaceSpending

In November, New Jersey voters okayeda constitutional amendment that will in-crease the bonding capacity of the Gar-den State Preservation Trust to $1.15 bil-lion, an increase of $150 million from the$1 billion voters approved in 1998. Theincreased capacity will place no additionaltax burden on New Jersey taxpayers. Thesales tax dedicated in 1998 to pay offGarden State Preservation Trust bonds will

4 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 TRAIL WALKER

TRAIL NEWS

New Sapphire Trail LinksHarriman with Sterling Forest

The new 2.68-mile Sapphire Trail ex-tends from Harriman State Park in thenorth to the Appalachian Trail in SterlingForest State Park in the south. From thenorth: begin by following a short entryroad, opposite the Harriman rail stationparking lot entrance, on Route 17. Here,the dark-blue-blazed trail enters a wooded,old farm area as it heads south, away froma gas pipe line and a housing develop-ment. Following an old farm road, it

passes by and through stone walls, rockoutcroppings, and a stand of pine as itturns west to join a main north/south woodsroad. The trail follows the woods road,crosses a stream, and continues to wherethe woods road turns right. It follows thewoods road as it gains elevation. Sectionsof this piece of the woods road are eroded,so the trail is relocated off the road, fol-lowing the base of a rock outcropping forseveral hundreds of feet. Rejoining theroad, the trail again crosses a stream as itcontinues to follow the woods road. Thetrail passes through a wet area and thenjoins an existing, blue-blazed, footpathleading to (and through) the AppalachianTrail (AT) just northwest of Indian Hill.

New Parking Area at Split RockReservoir

New Jersey’s Dept. of EnvironmentalProtection has opened a new parking areaat Split Rock Reservoir in RockawayTownship, Morris County. The parkingarea is located on Split Rock Road at thesouthern end of the reservoir, and wasopened for public use on Friday, Nov. 21.

The parking area provides a trailheadfor hiking the 13.8-mile loop trail and alsoa launch site for people with cartop boatsfor fishing, kayaking, or canoeing. The625-acre reservoir and surrounding 1,500acres are owned by Jersey City, but areprotected by the DEP’s Division of Fishand Wildlife under a conservation ease-ment purchased by the DEP’s Green AcresProgram.

Stay on the trail as you hike aroundthe reservoir. Access to areas off the trailis prohibited. Horseback riding, mountainbiking and ATV use is not permitted onSplit Rock Reservoir property.

WEST JERSEY CREWThe West Jersey Crew certainly saw

West Jersey in 2003: High Point StatePark, Worthington State Forest,Wawayanda State Park, Stokes StateForest…we got around!

The spring season began on the Appa-lachian Trail in High Point State Park,where the crew rehabilitated an erodedsection of the AT, installing water bars,check dams, and rock steps.

Then we moved on to Stokes State For-est, to replace a 32-foot-long bridge overBig Flat Brook on the Howell Trail, with-out getting our feet wet (the old bridgewas useful to the end). The crew receiveda special assist from Harry Bohlman andHelen Hopkins of 4H Timber Harvestersand their draft horses Tom and Toby, whodonated their time to transport the bridge’sthree stringers—telephone poles—morethan a mile from the road to the work site(they made it look easy).

The crew finished the spring season onthe Appalachian Trail in WorthingtonState Forest, with yet more erosion con-trol and restoration work on the sectionbetween the Dunnfield Creek Parking Lotand Sunfish Pond.

Fall was, by coincidence, ‘SteppingStone’ season, and wet feet were the rule.We began with a collaborative weekendproject with the North Jersey Crew, in-stalling stepping-stones across DunnfieldCreek on the Dunnfield Creek Trail. (Add-ing to the soggy theme, it rained that week-end.)

After juggling the schedule to avoidstarting the next stepping stone projectimmediately after Hurricane Isabel hadmade the wet areas wetter, the crew ar-rived at the Appalachian Trail inWorthington State Forest to find thatIsabel had left numerous blowdownsacross the trail. Out came the chainsaws.Once the blowdowns were removed, wedid manage to do some of the originallyintended work, installing a water diver-sion to prevent a major washout fromhappening.

Then it was back to stepping stones,first on the Terrace Pond North Trail inWawayanda State Park, and then on theAppalachian Trail in High Point State

Park. Both projects are now completed,and hikers can enjoy dry-foot crossings inboth areas.

Thanks to all who volunteered with theWest Jersey Crew in 2003: Rob Anglin,Jack Baccaglini, Ian Blundell, Bob Boyle,Bob Boysen, Roland Breault, GordonCampbell, Joan Campbell Valerie Chiang,Marc Cohen, Bill Darling, Arturo Diaz,Paul Dutton, Ann Festa, Dick Gerien, DonGriffin, Bob Jonas, Tom Kirchofer, JerryLosowyj, Gay Mayer, MarshallMcKnight, Sarah McKnight, BobMesserschmidt, Hien Nguyen, Sandy Parr,Jody Reischer, Norm Reischer, PaulRobertson, Bob Sickley, Shawn Viggiano,Larry Wheelock, Harry Bohlman andHelen Hopkins of 4H Timber Harvest-ers, and (our largest volunteers) Tom andToby.

Thanks also to our NJ Dept. of Envi-ronmental Protection partners: Supt. ErnieKabert at Worthington, who arranged tohave our tools transported the two milesto and from the Dunnfield Creek crossingwork site, and Supt. John Keator at HighPoint, who arranged for our tools’ trans-portation to and from the AppalachianTrail stepping stone project this fall, andwho assigned a staff member and vehicleto the spring’s Howell Trail bridge project.

—David Day and Monica ResorWest Jersey Crew Chiefs

WEST HUDSON CREWThe West of Hudson trail crew has just

finished a successful 2003 season. Togetherwe put in approximately 1,000 volunteerhours on several projects throughoutHarriman State Park. We couldn’t havedone it without the generous help of: Vic-tor Alfieri, Roz Barnes, John Blenninger,Mary-Nell Bockman, Jane Bonnell, JulietBonnell, Roland Breault, Jim Brown, GailBrown, Brian Buchbinder, GeorgeCartamil, Douglas Clarke, David Day,Rich DeCoursey, Tom Dunn, Chris Ezzo,Rich Forman, Charles Silver Frankel,Joyce Gallagher, Claudia Ganz, VictorGreen, Dana Havas, Mary Hilley, BillHorowitz, Joan James, Andy Jay, JaredJay, Russell Jay, Lisa Kontente, BrianKrall, Jeff Lintz, Richard Lynch, BobMarshall, Gay Mayer, Lori Maynard,Doug McBride, Glen Nelson, MaureenPearce, Tommy Pearce, Jason Rangel, BobReardon, Monica Resor, Kevin Riley,Nalani Ritchie, Melissa Schumer, TrudySchneider, Yulani Shafranyuk, BruceShriver, Matt Smyth, Donna Beth Stewart,Denise Vitale, Thomas Woehlke, HansonWong, and last but not least SteveZubarick.

—Chris EzzoWest of Hudson Crew Chief

Trail Crew Reports

CHAINSAW SCHOOLINGOn November 8 and 9, a chainsaw certification class was held at High Point State Park innorthern New Jersey. Our seasoned and very capable instructors were Jack Shuart, NewJersey State Forester, and Peter Jensen, of Open Space Management. In attendance were12 trail maintainers, supervisors,and chairs from the Trail Confer-ence, as well as a state ranger.These two days of intense class-room and field instruction coveredthe gamut of chainsaw instruction,from basic safety to advanced fellingtechniques. Even the most experi-enced students there for recertifica-tion were able to hone their skillsand gained new respect for this veryserious endeavor. —Bob Jonas

ANNUAL MEETING AWARD WINNERS

TC PHOTO ALBUM

TC’s roving crews rocked and rolled.

The Ken Lloyd Award was presented toIlse Dunham, (left) for her tireless workwith the Interstate Hiking Club. Theaward honors individuals who havegiven exemplary service to their cluband is named in honor of the late KenLloyd, a dedicated member of the TrailConference.The Hoeferlin Award went to JimRoss.Jim was the first Project Supervi-sor (now called Trails Chair) for the LongPath for the Trail Conference.

TRAIL WALKER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 5

A big THANK YOU to our 689 trail vol-unteers. This list includes trail chairs, trailsupervisors, trail overseers, trail corridormanagers, trail corridor monitors, trail shel-ter maintainers, and trail maintainers. If youare interested in joining this distinguishedgroup, contact Josh Erdsneker, volunteerprojects director, at the Trail Conferenceoffice, josh@nynjtc.org or 201-512-9348.

Alan Abramowitz, Bill Abramson, ValerieAcerra, Bryan Alter, Neil Altman, TomAmisson, Douglas Anderson, Estelle Ander-son, Rick Anderson, Julie Angle, RobAnglin, Richard Antonick, Jill Arbuckle,Michael Arthur, Jack Baccaglini, BrianBacher, Kevin Bannen, Kendall Barnes,Rosslyn Barnes, William Barnett, BernardBaron, Robert Bartlett, Henry Bartosik, LauraBattelani, James Becker, Mindy Becker, AlanBeebe, William Beehler, Paul Bell, HannaBenesch, Irwin Benjamin, Clifford Berchtold,Robert Berlin, Fred Bernstein, KennethBernstein, Larry Bernstein, Susan Bernstein,Amy Bianco, Elie Bijou, Adam Bird, CarterBland, John Blenninger, Michael Bongar,Kerry Borchardt, Chris Bosco, Harry Bott,Mary Bowdoin, Douglas Bowers, BobBoyle, Joy Boysen, Robert Boysen, JohnBracco, Linda Brandt, Philip Brandt, LarryBraun, Sol Braun, Alan Breach, RolandBreault, Marian Britten, Roger Bromfield,Edward Brophy, Peter Brown, BrianBuchbinder, Jeffrey Buck, Mary Burke,William Burns, Robert Busha, SteveButfilowski, Sandra Byard, George Byrne,Raymond Byrnes, Anne Cade, Frank Cain,Eric Calder, Carolyn Canfield, JamesCanfield, Russ Cannizzaro, Kenneth Card,Paul Carment, Priscilla Carmona, ElizabethCarroll, William Carroll, George Cartamil,Janet Carter, Daniel Case, Joseph Castine,Nancy Caulfield, Marilyn Chema, BelleChen, Tom Christensen, James Christie,David Church, Carol Ciancia, Ray Cimera,Ray Cimera, Mark Cirillo, Pamela Cissik, KenClair, Cherie Clapper, Karl Clauss, VincentClephas, Kathleen Clines, Roger Coco,Martin Cohen, Richard Cohn, Pat Colella,Peter Coleman, Herbert Coles, Glenn Collins,Bill Consiglio, Theron Cook, JamesCornelius, Susan Corriere, JacquelineCorrieri, James Cowell, Ellen Cronan, KevinCwalina, James Daley, Jane Daniels, WalterDaniels, Dorothy Dantico, Barbara Darling,Susan Data-Samtak, Wanda Davenport,Patrick Dechon, Salley Decker, PaulDeCoste, Richard DeCoursey, DukeDeGroat, John Delesky, Peter Delman,David Dembo, Jon-Eric Dentz, JerryDeVos, Luis Diaz, Mark Diekmann, DonatoDigiacopo, Peter Dilullo, Robert Dinse,Christopher Dionisio, Christian Dobol, Bar-bara Docktor, Robert Dodd, AndrewDodsworth, Michael Doehring, JohnDoellinger, Frank Dogil, Timothy Donovan,Chris Doolittle, Duncan Douglas, MargaretDouglas, Scott Downing, Jack Driller, DanielDubofsky, Ken Dukes, Jerry Duma, ArnoldDunham, Ilse Dunham, Thomas Dunn,Ronald Dupont, Tom Dupont, Bruce Duty,Robin Duty, Tom Dwyer, Albert Eckler,Chuck Elbert, Marc Elfenbein, Don Elliott,Robert Else, Michael Engel, Donald Erbe,Joshua Erdsneker, Gregg Everett, Bud Fair,June Fait, Martin Feldman, Ralph Ferrusi,Jesse Figueroa, John Fila, Frank Fischer,William Fisher, Harvey Fishman, Al Fitch,Edmund Fitzgerald, Jean Fletcher, JamesFlorance, Peter Ford, Dennis Fordham,George Form, Charles Forman, RichardForman, Tom Fox, Nancy France, JenniferFrancisco, Jakob Franke, Ben Frankel, Tho-

mas Friesema, Douglas Furman, JoyceGallagher, Clark Galloway, David Galvin,Charles Gamble, Diane Gamgochian,Claudia Ganz, Eduardo Garcia, JamesGardineer, John Gebhards, Jane Geisler,Sam Gellens, Douglas Gerritsen, GeraldGervais, Ramon Gil, James Gilmore, EdGilroy, Joseph Gindoff, Gene Giordano,John Giuffrida, Andrew Gliganic, JackGoldwasser, Lizabeth Gonzalez, EdwardGoodell, Mark Goodwin, Suzan Gordon,Coralyn Gorlicki, Louise Gosnell, ConradGosset, Stacy Gould, Kathryn Grader, JohnGraham, George Gray, Josie Gray, GordonGreacen, Marnie Greenberg, JamesGregoire, Lalla Grimes, Ralph Grinnell, JohnGrob, Martin Grossman, Susan Grossman,Allen Grunthal, Harold Guest, Dana Gumb,Thomas Haas, Bruce Habegger, RobertHagedorn, Jim Haggett, Robert Hagon,Warren Hale, Gary Hamm, Gary Haugland,Edward Hayes, Matt Hazel, Donald Hecht,Peter Heckler, Ted Heider, JosephHenderson, Donald Hendrickson, GregoryHennen, Pat Hennesey, Tom Hennigan, JoeHerrod, Jan Hesbon, William Hickerson,Mary Hilley, Amy Hillick, Julia Hobart, Pe-ter Hobday, Daniel Hoberman, GaryHoekstra, Gordon Hoekstra, RobertHoffman, Malcolm Holderness, EricHollman, Michael Holman, WilliamHorowitz, Walter Houck, Alfred Howes,Leon Howorth, Joseph Hrouda, MarkHudson, Michael Hume, Nancy Hunt,Patrick Hynes, Walter Ilchuk, Robert Inglis,Chuck Irwin, Walter Jahrling, Joan James,Jeffrey Janso, Bernard Japy, HenryJenkins, Robert Jennings, Mona Jimenez,Johanna-Karen Johannson, CalvinJohnson, Peter Johnson, Trish Johnston,Robert Jonas, Greg Jones, Lore Jungster,John Jurasek, Shirley Kainey, RaymondKane, Debra Kantor, Harold Kaplan, NadineKaprelian, Henry Kassell, Mark Kassop,Frank Keech, Judy Keith, Ellen Kelly, Rob-ert Kelsey, David Kientzler, William Kikillus,Michael Killeen, Chong Kim, Judith King,Katie Kingsbury, Donna Kirchner, HarryKissileff, Stephen Klauck, Robert Klein, Pe-ter Kohlberger, Alice Kohnert, RichardKondzielaski, Eileen Korona, Larry Korona,

Robert Koshinskie, Susan Krafve, PeterKraus, Richard Kriska, David Kunz, Rich-ard Kurland, Tildy La Farge, Peter LaBelle,Marguerite LaCorte, Sabrina Lafave, KevinLane, Fred Langevin, David Lankford, Rob-ert Laskowski, Tibor Latincsics, Peter Laue,Caroline Lavanhar, Art Lebofsky, AlfredLeigh, Jeffery LeJava, Phyllis Lennert, JaneLevenson, John Levin, Lung Li, JohnLipsett, Mark Liss, Larry Litchfield, Larry Litt,Alfred Lockwood, Rick Loggia, GeneLomoriello, William Lopez, Max Lopp II,Jeffrey Luick, Richard Lutringer, DeanMacGeorge, David Mack, John Mack,Walter Madsen, Philip Magasich, JohnMagerlein, Karen Magerlein, HenryMangione, Peter Manning, J. MatthewMannix, Susanna Margolis, Barry Mark,Christine Marko, Robert Marshall, KarenMarshon, Robert Martie, AdrianneMarusinec, Joe Mason, MaryAnn Massey,Stewart Maurer, Sean Mayer, Chris Mazza,James McArdle, Denise McCabe, ThomasMcCarthy, James McCoy, WayneMcDaniel, Peter McGinnis, Leslie McGlynn,Donald McGregor, Christopher McIntosh,Kevin McLaughlin, Donald McLellan, JeaneMcLellan, Ramon McMillan, LorenMendelsohn, Sam Mendelsohn, PeterMeskin, Jeff Messina, Eric Meyer, WilliamMeyer, Walter Millman, Elizabeth Mills, Wil-liam Mishler, Hans Moeller, Barbara Mo-naco, John Monchak, Laurie Moore, PeterMoore, Richard Moore, John Moran, DonMorgan, Chester Morris, Edmund Morrison,David Moskowitz, Robert Moss, DonaldMueller, James Muhaw, George Muller, GusMuller, Henry Muller, Warren Mumford,George Munger, Robert Munschauer, JoanMunster, Thomas Murasso, Terry Murphy,Ron Mutone, Donald Myers, MichaelNeedleman, Gail Neffinger, Laura Newgard,Glen Nison, James Nolan, Resch Nunn,Edward O’Brien, Michael O’Brien, GaryOlman, Martha Olsen, James Olson, PatriciaO’Malley, Noreen O’Rourke, Fred Ost,David Ovejero, Mathew Owens, ElizabethPace, Don Pachner, John Padover, BobPaine, Laurie Palasz, John Palczynski, WaltPalmer, Margo Pantalone, Jack Papirio, PattyParmalee, Russell Patera, Mark Payne,

Owen Peacock, Maureen Pearce, ThomasPearce, David Peck, Donna Perch, GeorgePerkinson, Vincent Pernice, Peter Perricci,Hank Perrine, Betty Perry, Charles Perry,Jack Persely, Larry Peternith, Mark Peterson,Snapper Petta, Joseph Petti, George Petty,Sean Pidgeon, Mathew Pilkington, JeanninePinto, Albert Poelzl, Trudy Pojman, FredPolicastri, Alfred Polvere, Jennifer Pregon,George Preoteasa, Arnold Projansky,Michael Puder, Susan Puretz, Bob Purnell,Clarence Putman, Cathy Quay, Philip Quick,Joe Raiola, Robert Randhare, ThomasRaylock, Michael Rea, Natalie Rea, RobertReardon, Richard Redfield, Norman Reicher,Chris Reyling, Mona Reynolds, MikeRibnicki, Gareth Richardsen, GeraldRichardson, Kevin Riley, Edward Ripley-Duggan, Jim Robbins, Stanley Roberts,Clem Robertshaw, Paul Robertson, BrianRogers, Doug Rokaw, Constancia Romilly,Ronald Rosen, Rich Rosencrans, AveryRosenfeld, Daniel Rosenstein, MikeRosenthal, Ruth Rosenthal, Bruce Ross,John Runyon, James Ryo Kiyan, LynnSaldajeno, Nathan Saltzburg, Doug Saum,Joseph Schachtele, Bill Schafer, KristenSchara, Glenn Scherer, Keith Scherer,James Schlenker, Helmut Schneider, TrudySchneider, Thomas Schofield, MarypatSchreibman, Fred Schroeder, StephenSchuckman, Robert Schultz, Noel Schulz,Hans Schumacher, Alan Schwartz, NormanSchwartz, Steve Schwinn, Connie Sciutto,Steve Sconfienza, Thomas Scuccimarra,Warren Seamans, Robert Segal, RobertSegal, John Seirup, Michael Selender,Doug Senterman, Peter Senterman, NoraleeSeptoff, Robert Serkey, Alfred Seymour-Jones, Fred Shaw, George Sheedy, Jenni-fer Sheeran, Steve Sheikin, Scott Shepherd,Stanley Sherr, Elizabeth Sherry, DeborahSherward, Isidore Shiffman, Vi Shipley, H.Claude Shostal, Jack Shuart, Mike Sibilia,Bob Sickley, Norman Sigler, MannySilberberg, Frank Silkowski, Bob Simansky,Melanie Simmerman, Kent Simon deMontfort, Ollie Simpson, Robert Simpson,Serena Sims, Irving Sinai, Isaac Siskind,Marilyn Siskind, Robert Sklar, AlbertSlaninka, Frederick Smith, Mitchell Smith,William Smith, Brian Sniatkowski, BettyeSoffer, Steve Soffer, Douglas Sohn, GeorgeSolovay, Richard Sparrow, William Spear-ing, Malcolm Spector, Salvatore Sposito,Carl Spreen, Gary Standard, RobertStanton, Victor Starshinin, AnnaStarshinina, Steven Stehwein, DonaldSteig, Sarah Sternick, Shane Steward,Donna Stewart, Bill Stoltzfus, Larry Straus,Bernard Stringer, Michael Stuart, BrianSullivan, Robby Sussman, Naomi Sutter,Lynn Swanson, Terence Sweeney, CathieSwyka, Sallie Sypher, Larry Tardif, PaulTarlowe, Paul Taubman, Chris Tausch,Michael Taylor, Herbert Then, BruceThomson, Peter Tilgner, Eileen Torrey, LarryTrachtenberg, Mark Traver, Brett Treible,John Uhle, Mike Uhrie, Shelby Umland,Joseph Valuntas, Wallace VanHouton,Dave Vars, Robert Verdon, David Vernooy,Marc Veuhoff, Eric Victorin, Luis Vieira,Shawn Viggiano, Debbie Vigneri, RichardVislocky, Karl Volk, Triston Von Haug,Donald Wade, Lance Wagner, RosemaryWalmsley, Edward Walsh, Robert Ward, JoeWarner, Richard Warner, Tim Warner, LeonWasserman, David Webber, Richard Weiler,Julia Wein, Dava Weinstein, GeorgetteWeir, Donald Weise, Steven Weissman,Lanny Wexler, Timothy Whalen, LarryWheelock, Malcolm White, John Williams,Michael Williams, Mike Willsey, EdmundWilson, Edward Wilson, Daniel Wise, LeeAnn Wolak, Peter Wolff, James Wolford,Robert Woodin, Herb Young, HermanZaage, Ewa Zalewska, Nancy Zimmerman,Richard Zinn, and Steve Zubarik

Thanks!. . . to the People Who Bring You Clear Trails

H e m l o c k s ,pitch pine, whiteShaw-angunk con-glomerate: If youenjoy the uniqueexperience of hik-ing at MinnewaskaState Park, andpassing throughand scramblingover its magnifi-cent scenery, then 2004 could be the yearfor you to become a volunteer trail main-tainer at the park. This is a wonderfulopportunity to really get to know a sec-tion of trail. Your efforts are rewardedby the knowledge that you are provid-ing a much needed service for the hik-ing community. Without volunteermaintainers, blazes disappear,blowdowns block the trail, and blueber-

Trail-tending:Minnewaska Trail Opportunity

ries crowd thefootpath.

V o l u n t e e rmaintainers mustbe members of theConference. You’llget one-on-onetraining or maywish to attend theC o n f e r e n c e ’ sMaintenance 101

workshop, usually held each spring.For more information or to volunteer

at Minnewaska, contact ShawangunkTrails Supervisor, Dave Webber, 845-452-7238, webberd1@yahoo.com.

For information on volunteering as amaintainer in other areas of the NewYork-New Jersey region, contact JoshErdsneker, volunteer projects director,josh@nynjtc.org, 202-512-9348.

6 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 TRAIL WALKER

VOLUNTEER CLASSIFIEDSGET INVOLVED GET INVOLVED

Nancy Tollefson has experienced it (seepage 1), and you can too. Volunteeringfor the Trail Conference is a great way tomeet new friends, support an activity thatis important to you, and do things youlove to do. Become an active part of theTrail Conference family and volunteer.Check the listings below for current posi-tions. For these, or other opportunities,contact the volunteer projects director,Joshua Erdsneker, and he will find a wayto get you involved: josh@nynjtc.org or201-512-9348.

Office Volunteers…Five NEW reasons to lend a hand at the

Trail Conference office:1) Free snacks for volunteers.2) Open in the evenings and conve-

niently located in Mahwah, NJ.3) Make new friends and get reac-

quainted with old ones.4) You’ll leave feeling good about vol-

unteering for a worthy cause.5) The camaraderie and humor of our

crack staff is priceless.As the days get shorter and the nights

grow colder, why not stay warm at the TrailConference office? Our office will be stay-ing open late for those volunteers who wantto lend a hand, but cannot get here untilafter work. Please contact Naya Barahona:naya@nynjtc.org or 201-512-9348.

Membership CommitteeThe strength of the Trail Conference

comes from its members. As we face newchallenges protecting the hiking trails andtrail lands we love, we need to be strongerthan ever. If you are a motivated go-getter,then this is the committee for you. Withmore than 2 million hikers in our region,the potential to grow our membership isboundless. Interested persons should becreative, able to work in a team/group envi-ronment, and be dedicated to the Trail Con-ference. Membership Committee will focuson new member acquisition, membershipretention, and reviewing and enhancing ben-efits of membership in the Trail Conference.

Volunteer CommitteeLast year more than 1,100 volunteers

donated over 37,000 hours to Trail Con-ference endeavors. In order to increase thesupport for our volunteers, a VolunteerCommittee is being established. This com-mittee will focus its energies on the threeRs of volunteerism: recruiting, retaining, andrecognizing volunteers. The committee willwork with Josh Erdsneker, volunteerprojects director, to expand and improve theprograms currently in place. The committeeis looking for volunteers with experienceand/or an interest in the following opportu-nities:

Human resource specialists: to createa volunteer handbook.

Trail volunteer assignment coordina-tor: process and confirm trail maintainer as-signments.

Event planners: coordinate volunteerorientation and recognition events.

Recognition specialists: assist with the

coordination and distribution of volunteerawards and expansion and enhancementof our volunteer recognition program.

Recruiting specialists: increase thenumber of active volunteers.

No prior experience is necessary to jointhis committee. All that is needed is a posi-tive attitude and a desire to help the TrailConference.

The committee’s first meeting will beheld on Wednesday, January 21, 2004,at 6:30 pm at the Mahwah office. Directyour RSVPs and questions to Josh.

Photo ArchivistWe are looking for volunteers to scan,

sort, label, and organize our cherishedkeepsakes. Come see our newly reorga-nized office and take a stroll down TCmemory lane.

File MeisterHelp executive director create filing sys-

tem to handle burgeoning projects/paper.

cover these additional bonds by takingadvantage of today’s lower interest rates.The Trail Conference supported this pro-posal. Gov. McGreevey has indicated thatat least $50 million will be used to createand improve parks in cities and suburbsand a minimum of $50 million will bespent on open space purchases and farm-land preservation in the Highlands. Vot-ers also approved 32 out of 38 local openspace ballot questions, including the twocounty questions in Bergen and Hudsonand 30 out of 36 local questions.

Gift Will Preserve WestchesterOpen Space

A $4.7 million gift from environmentalactivist (and Trail Conference member)Lucy Waletzky has resulted in the addi-tion of 181 acres to Rockefeller State ParkPreserve in Westchester County and a con-tiguous 10 acres to the county for parkingand access to its North County Trailway.Waletzky made the gift to the Stone BarnsRestoration Corp., a nonprofit group thatowned the land and planned to sell it to adeveloper in order to raise funds for aneducation project.

Park Manager Dr. Alix Schnee notedthat Waletzky’s gift brings the park to1,096 acres. “This is an extraordinary giftto the state,” she said. “Lucy is extremelygenerous.” Carriage roads on the site thathave been closed to the public are nowopen, Schnee said in December; they linkvia an underpass under Route 448 to thoseelsewhere in the park. She said the newlyadded land includes pristine plateaus andwetlands that host a variety of birds, andthat nature trails will be developed withthe particular aim of enhancing bird watch-ing.

A local paper reported Waltezky assaying, “I’m glad to be doing my little

thing in protecting this large regional eco-system that is so important for wildlife andbirds, and also people.”

Westchester Plans RiverWalk TrailSystem

Westchester County recently released areport detailing its plans to develop a con-tinuous trail system for bicyclists and pe-destrians that would wind its way alongthe county’s nearly 47 miles of HudsonRiver shoreline. The Journal News re-ported that the route, called RiverWalk,in many places utilizes existing trail sys-tems, such as the Old Croton Aqueductand Croton Point and Kingsland Pointparks. Other sections wind through areaswith restricted access, such as Metro-NorthRailroad property and Camp Smith inCortlandt. It also passes through the down-towns of waterfront communities andplanned riverfront development sites atHarbor Square in Ossining, the GeneralMotors site in Sleepy Hollow, and Yon-kers’ developments at Hudson Park andAlexander Street. Some components of theplan already exist, others are in variousstages of implementation.

NY Town OKs Stiff ATV Fines

TC member Ed Walsh, who maintains thesection of the Long Path that passesthrough Cheesecote Park in the New YorkTown of Haverstraw has, like manymaintainers, long been frustrated with thedevastation wrought by illegal ATV usein the park. In November, Ed had somesatisfaction. The Haverstraw town boardvoted to increase fines for illegal use ofATVs on town property. The previous finewas up to $1000, but it left the amount upto the judge’s discretion. Now the fine isset at $1000 for a first offense, $2500 forrepeat offenders with an option of 60 daysin jail. “No one spoke against the newfines and I was the only one besides theboard members who spoke in favor,” Edreports. “I pointed out that this change hadno effect on law-abiding ATV riders.”

Protecting the EPF

The Trail Conference and ADK havebeen working with other environmentalgroups to plan a strategy for ensuring thepassage of a 2004 budget in New YorkState with a fully funded ($125 million)Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). TheEPF is a dedicated fund that has been criti-cal in achieving New York’s open space,parks, and stewardship goals. In 2003,more than $100 million in EPF projectswere not funded due to budget constraints.Over the last two years, some $400 mil-lion have been diverted from the EPF tohelp balance the state budget. The part-nership will also lobby for repayment ofthe diverted EPF funds to enable $50 mil-lion to be spent from the EPF for land ac-quisition in 2004.

wire rope and lower the rock back to theground.

At Twin Forts, where trees adequate forspar and anchor purposes are in short sup-ply, this system employed a crew-builtwooden tripod and an I-beam of the bridgeas the spars and a bulldozer as the anchor(proper permissions were obtained for all).

Rocks were moved to the edge, belowthe cable, using a massive hand-operatedroot ball dolly. They were wrapped inchains, attached to the moving pulley, thenhoisted into the air. In order to control theirdescent, a line of nylon rope was affixedto the wrapped rock and anchored througha belay knot to the bulldozer. In this way,rock after rock was lowered safely downto the trail as a well-synchronized crewworked the system. Two to three peoplemanaged the dolly and wrapped the rocksas a solo person operated the winch—low-ering and raising the cable as needed; an-other person belayed the rock with the fric-

tion knot on the nylon rope, while a finalperson waited down below. That bottomworker gave most of the commands as shekept a sharp eye on the tripod and un-wrapped the rocks after they landed at thebottom of the proposed steps. Once thesystem was set up, one rock would makeit down about every 40 minutes.

From here, the rocks then had to bemoved uphill to their final resting places.Some were dragged into place with a hand-operated winch; others required setting upanother highline system to lift them intoplace.

The project is now substantially com-plete: 33 rock steps, each weighing a ton,were installed on the steepest section ofthe trail that was the most prone to ero-sion, poor traction, and where the highestsafety hazard existed. A complete set ofretaining walls, including built-in benches,were built during the project’s final week.

During the summer’s work, heavy rainscreated an unsightly and treacherous gullyin the center of the tread of the trail belowthe staircase. By mid-autumn, a plasticculvert had been installed to divert thewater into a drainage that passes underthe trail. In early November, the crew be-gan to gather native stones and set addi-tional steps to stabilize the gullied trail.

Similar erosion and trail stabilizationmeasures will likely be needed on the FortMontgomery side of the Popolopen Gorge.And, although our crew did do some ero-sion control work and tread enhancementson the bail-out trail—aka “after-hourstrail”—a significant number of steps willeventually be needed on this section.

Thanks go to the Twin Forts volunteercrew: Gay Mayer, Denise Vitale, LarryWheelock, Karen Blersch, David Day,Monica Resor, Josh Erdsneker, Chris Ezzo,Chris Reyling, Jack Baccaglini, RolandBreault, Joyce Gallagher, Edward Goodell,David Dam, Dan Hausner, and MarilynGross.

Eddie Walsh is NYNJTC Twin Forts Spe-cial Project Manager.

TWIN FORTScontinued from page 1

ADVOCACY &CONSERVATIONcontinued from page 3

TRAIL WALKER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 7

in flight. Bats can see quite well, butecholocation is their primary means ofavoiding obstacles and capturing prey atnight. When a bat performs echolocation,it emits high-pitched sounds, listens forechoes of the sounds, and adjusts its flightaccordingly.

The natural history of northeastern batsincludes a period of prolonged winter dor-mancy (hibernation) followed by summerfeeding and rearing of offspring. Hiber-nation may take place in mines, caves,buildings, and trees, either locally or in adistant location to which the bat migrated.In the early 1900s, large flocks of red batswere often observed flying with flocks ofmigrating birds as they passed Cape MayBird Observatory at the southern tip ofNew Jersey. Hibernation is a period ofincreased vulnerability, especially whenhumans invade underground spaces inwhich bats are spending the winter. Hu-man disturbance may trigger a chain ofphysiological events that wake hibernat-ing bats. This process of waking then re-turning to “sleep” may take hours, andprecious resources (e.g., fat) are utilized.If a hibernating bat is awakened severaltimes by disturbance, the loss of fat maycause the bat to emerge from hibernationin late winter before insect prey can befound.

Following emergence from hibernationin early spring, bats disperse to summerforaging areas where they locate suitableroosting sites (underground spaces, build-ings, trees, etc.) and feed on insects for

By Lance Risley

Halloween is long past, but any timeis a good time to encourage you to addflying mammals to your list of watchableanimals. Our area boasts nine to elevenspecies of bats. They are mostly noctur-nal, and though most hibernate, there nev-ertheless may be opportunities for batsightings even in winter. From November(and through the winter), some species ofbats may leave their day roosts and flybefore the sun sets. Some bats, e.g., bigbrowns, may temporarily emerge fromhibernation to search for insects during amild evening in February. Regardless ofthe month, the acrobatics of foraging batsare remarkable and fun to watch.

If you are a trail user who frequentscertain trails more than others, your re-peated observations of flying bats may helpyou define predictability in bat behavior.For example, I know of a trailside clear-ing in a northern New Jersey forest wheretwo or three bats have been observed for-aging every muggy, calm summer eveningI have visited the location. These bats prob-ably spend days roosting in the adjacentforest. Because we have incomplete knowl-edge of roost site selection and of specificroosting sites, your observations could bequite useful to those of us who study bats.In fact, the New Jersey Department ofEnvironmental Protection, Endangered and

Nongame Species Program (ENSP) orga-nized the first annual statewide summerbat count in summer of 2003. Roostingsites were emphasized and volunteers wereencouraged to count bats flying from roostsat dusk. Interested bat watchers loggedonto the ENSP website and received de-tails about how to conduct their observa-tions and who to contact with resultinginformation. (A word of caution: beforeyou hit the trail to watch bats, make sureyou are permitted to use that particulartrail after dusk.)

Biologists have described approxi-mately 1,000 species of bats (there are4,000 species of mammals). The UnitedStates is home to more than 40 species ofbats, and we have documented the regu-lar occurrence of between nine and elevenspecies here in the northeastern states. TheNY-NJ Trail Conference region is inhab-ited by the following species of bats: bigbrown, little brown, red, hoary, northernlong-eared, eastern pipistrelle, silver-haired, small-footed, and the federallyendangered Indiana. The infamous bloodsucking vampire bats are restricted to Cen-tral and South America, and the large fly-ing foxes with wingspans of six feet arefound in northern Australia. The averagewingspan of bats in our area is about 12inches. Most species have declined inabundance in the last several decades andare considered at risk, threatened, or en-dangered. Northeastern bats are noctur-nal and feed on flying insects, which aretargeted by echolocation and then captured

Trail Conference efforts to create a trailcorridor along the southern ShawangunkRidge have also served to identify andprotect significant natural communities.Two recent dicoveries include an unusal“scub oak bald” and New York State’slargest population of the rare mountainspleemwort (Asplenium montanum), asmall cliff-dwelling fern.

In October, Greg Edinger, an ecologistwith the New York Natural Heritage Pro-gram, teamed up with Ed McGowan, TrailConference science director, to survey thesite. Writing in the November New YorkNatural Heritage monthly highlights,Edinger reported:

B A T SB A T SB A T SB A T SB A T S

“Earlier in the year while sur-veying rock outcrops along thesouthern Shawangunk Mountainsfor potential timber rattlesnakehabitat, Dr. McGowan came

across two examples of biodiversity thathe thought may be of interest to the NYNatural Heritage Program. The first wasan impressive 100-acre area dominatedby wind-swept scrub oak (Quercusilicifolia) with scattered pitch pine (Pinusrigida). Although this is very likely thelargest continuous stand of scrub oak on amountain ridge in the state, it is treated asan extreme variant of the more broadlydescribed pitch pine-oak-heath rocky sum-mit community. The scrub oak bald is partof an excellent, large (1,030 acres—2ndlargest in NY) occurrence of pitch pine-oak-heath rocky summit. The scrub oakbald is believed to be a result of a very

Trail Work YieldsBiodiversity Discoveries

IF YOU LOVE THE

SHAWANGUNKSYOU’LL WANT TO VISIT

www.shawangunkridge.org

This website of the ShawangunkRidge Coalition has beenredesigned and should be yourone-stop source for up-to-datenews about the Shawangunks.

Features• Regular News Updates on

Development Threats• Action Alerts• Recreation Resources (Please help us keep these items up-to-date.)• Environmental Information• Media Links• Maps• Planning Tools• Links to a host of Coalition

members and partners

Add it to your list of Web favorites.

The Shawangunk Ridge Coalition is aproject of the New York-New JerseyTrail Conference.

HELP WITH EAGLE SURVEYThe Trail Conference, working with the

NY State Dept. of Environmental Con-servation, is initiating a volunteer-basedwinter eagle survey on trail lands alongthe lower Hudson River (Beacon to Cro-ton Point). For more information or to vol-unteer as an eagle monitor, please con-tact Ed McGowan, TC Science Director,at mcgowan@nynjtc.org or 201-512-9348. The eagle season runs from No-vember through March.

intense fire that swept through the area50-100 years ago.

“The second part of the day was spentcountingc lumpsof as m a l lstate rarefern, them o u n -t a i nspleenwort (Asplenium montanum). Thelocations of four ledges were accuratelymapped using GPS and the total numberof clumps counted was 333, making thissite the largest known occurrence of moun-tain spleenwort in the state. There are fiveother occurrences in the state with 50 to100 clumps each.”

several months. In some species, the preg-nant females gather in large groups forday roosting (maternity roosts) and remainin the group until the pups are able to fly.Pregnancy lasts about four weeks and abat pup will fly about four weeks afterbirth. Depending on the species, northeast-ern bat females may give birth to one,two, or as many as four pups. Nursingfemales have voracious appetites and mayeat their body weight in insects in a singlenight. By late July, the night sky is filledwith adults and juveniles. It is the juve-niles that often fly into homes and create,shall we say, a bit of distress for the home-owner. Bats seem to remain faithful to hi-bernation and summer foraging sites dur-ing lifetimes that may extend to over 20years. The bats you continue to observemay be considered old friends.

Lance Risley is associate professor of bi-ology at William Paterson University inNew Jersey and is on the board of direc-tors of the Weis Ecology Center.

Reprinted with permission from the New YorkNatural Heritage monthly highlights.

A large scrub-oak bald.

Mountain spleenwort

8 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 TRAIL WALKER

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Make check or money order payable to NY-NJ Trail Conference, and mail to: 156 Ramapo ValleyRoad, Mahwah, NJ 07430. For a full descriptive catalog, please write or call 201-512-9348.*Tax must be paid by NJ residents on books, maps, misc., but not on clothing. Thank you!

You can also order at ourweb site: www.nynjtc.org

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Two Complete NE 111

Congratulations to Arlene and ErnieValera, who completed the required climbsfor Northeast 111 recognition with a hikeup Owl’s Head in the White Mountains.They report that all peaks were done asday hikes and that they covered 769 mileswith 239,000 feet of vertical rise.

Member Offers Hike Info for UK,Ireland, and More

TC life member Richard K. Greve hasbeen compiling informational packets onlong-distance walks in the UK since 1985.He is now offering his packets to TC mem-bers. He writes: “Information sheets cover

all items pertaining to doing these long-distance walks independently. In England:coast to coast, Cleveland, Cumbria,Cotswolds, Dales, South Downs, NorthDowns, and Pennine Ways; in Wales:Offa’s Dyke, Pembrokeshire Coast, andGlyndwr’s Way; in Scotland: South Up-lands, St. Cutbert, West Highland, andSpeyside Ways; in Ireland, Dinale andWicklow Ways. Packets are also avail-able on Chilkoot, Colorado, John Muir,and Wonderland Trails and Hawaii in theU.S., plus hiking in New Zealand, Nepal,and Tour de Mont Blanc.” Send $2 (threefor $5) to cover postage to Richard Greve,115 Dawn Drive, Mt. Holly, NJ 08060 oremail theskiotter@prodigy.net.

Where there’s a Will, there’s a TrailWhen we build them, you hike them. We’ve been

building and protecting trails for at least fourgenerations of hikers since 1920. That’s 1,500 miles

in New York and New Jersey to date. Help uskeep building for the next generation by namingthe New York-New Jersey Trail Conference in

your will. A bequest makes a wonderful gift, andit lasts beyond one lifetime.

For confidential information and legal language,contact the Trail Conference at 201-512-9348, or by email:

info@nynjtc.org.

CONTRIBUTIONS

GIFTSADK Knickerbocker Chapter, AMC New York-

North Jersey Chapter, Doug and BarbaraArbesfeld, Robert P. and Joan T. Augello, Barnsand Noble, Ian Blundell, Michael J. Bolotsky,

William and Martha Bremer, EvangelineCaliandro, Adolph O. Cherot Jr., Linda M.

Clark, Herman H. Clausen, Vincent R. Clephas,Derek D. and Barbara Cocovinis, Neil and

Katherine Cohen, Polly Condit, Gary Custis,Mark J. Dallara, Andy J. Damato, Jane Daniels& Walt Daniels*, Crist Dixon, Joan Ehrenfeld &

David Ehrenfeld, John Ellingboe & PageHartwell*, David Ettenberg, Christopher Ezzo,Martin and Alice L. Feldman, Frank J. Fornoff,

Ben Frankel and Phyllis Frankel*, Peter L.Gabriele II, George Gentsch & JoAnn

Abbadessa, Eric Goldstein, Brian Goodman,David Graybeal, Gordon H. Greacen, John

Grob & Anne Grob, Eileen P. Hanna, Nancy G.Hassanein, Edward Z. Hawkes, George and

Lucy M. Heller, Joseph P. Henderson, Gregor L.and Nancy L. Hetzel, Ginny Higgins, Paul J.Hoffman, David E. Hogenauer & Claire S.Hogenauer, Daniel M. Hunt, Joan D. James,Calvin E. Johnson & Eric Johnson, Robert J.Jonas, Robert A. Jordan Jr., Dan R. Karch,Richard H. and Galene A. Kessin, David J.

Klem*, Stephen and Ann Klepner, Clifton andAnn Koontz, Dennis J. Lenz, David E. Levine,Lawrence H. Levine, Doris G. Lommel, RobertF. Marshall, Malcolm J. Matthews, Robert M.

Mitrane, Carl Monopoli, Thomas C. Moorhead,Betty Moran, Hugh H. D. Murray, Anne Osborn

& Fred Osborn*, Greg Paris & JoanneWilliamson, Jeanne Petta, Timothy M. Rankin,Laura M. Rice, Weiland A. Ross, Arlene Scholer,Alfred A. Seymour-Jones*, Bob Sickley, Simon

and Nancy Z. Sidamon-Eristoff, MalcolmSpector*, Ursula Springer, Jan A. Summers,

Theodore and Elizabeth Suttmeier, Bud Therien,Louise S. Thompson, Howard Tokosh, Alice L.

Tufel, Thomas N. and Diane Tuthill, ConstantineG. Vasiliadis, Rita Warner, Robert and VirginiaWeismantel, David V. and Naola B. Woolf, Ann

Yasuhara, William Zipf

MEMORIAL GIFTSIn memory of Samuel Marks

Marsha K. Weiss

In memory of Nancy PerkinsonPeter Heckler & Rita Heckler, Peter Tilgner &

Suzan Gordon

SPECIAL GIFTSTo Shawangunk Ridge Coalition in honor of

Chris & Laurie’s weddingJeffrey Apotheker, Linda Becker & John Wolcott,

Jane Berkowitz, Georgina and MichaelCarpentieri, Nancy Delahunt, Lani Donlon,Heather Flournoy, Beatrice Gernstein, Philip

Gerstein, Elizabeth Godwin, Ami Hirschstein,Charles and Mary Sue Kelly, Monika

Kretschmar, Lee Kyriacou & Elizabeth Barrett,Kitty Lerin, Adele Marcus, Regina Marrero,Charlotte E. Moss, Elizabeth Paul, Heather

Saunders, Suse Volk, Jill and Wendell Wahren,Robert White, Ilja Wiedijk

To Shawangunk Ridge CoalitionAnne Bretz-Aronoff, Astrid Fitzgerald, BereniceKatzen-Cohen, Anne Kochendorfer, Rochester

Residents Association, Inc, Save the Ridge*

MATCHING GIFTSNew York Times Co. Foundation

* Members of the Raymond H. Torrey Society

F O R & A B O U T

O u r M e m b e r sPlease order by circling price

Retail Member P/H Total

Official Conference MapsOfficial Conference MapsOfficial Conference MapsOfficial Conference MapsOfficial Conference MapsSterling Forest Trails (2003) $7.95 $5.95 +.80 ______North Jersey Trails (2002) $7.95 $5.95 +.95 ______Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails (2003) $8.95 $6.75 +.95 ______NEW!! East Hudson Trails (2003) $9.95 $7.50 +.95 ______West Hudson Trails (2000) $7.95 $5.95 +.95 ______Catskill Trails (2003) & see combo $13.95 $10.45 +$1.10 ______Kittatinny Trails (2000) $12.95 $9.75 +$1.10 ______Shawangunk Trails (2000) & see combo $9.95 $7.50 +.95 ______South Taconic Trails (1988, rev. 1998) $4.95 $3.75 +.65 ______Hudson Palisades Trails (available Mar. 2004) $7.95 $5.95 +.80 ______

BooksBooksBooksBooksBooksA.T. Guide for NY & NJ (2002) w/6 maps $19.95 $15.95 +$2.00 ______Long Path Guide to NY/NJ (2002) $16.95 $13.55 +$2.00 ______Day Walker (2002) $16.95 $13.55 +$2.50 ______Hiking Long Island (2002) $19.95 $15.95 +$2.50 ______Circuit Hikes in Northern New Jersey (2003) $11.95 $9.55 +$2.00 ______New York Walk Book (2001) & see combo $19.95 $15.95 +$2.50 ______New Jersey Walk Book (available Feb. 2004) $19.95 $15.95 +$2.50 ______Harriman Trails Guide (1999)& see combo $16.95 $13.55 +$2.50 ______Iron Mine Trails: NY-NJ Highlands (1996, rev. 1999) $8.95 $7.15 +$2.00 ______Health Hints for Hikers (1994) $5.95 $4.75 +$2.00 ______Doodletown: Hiking Through History in a Vanishing Hamlet on the Hudson (1996) $12.95 $10.35 +$2.00 ______Catskill Trails: A Ranger’s Guide to the High Peaks Book One: The Northern Catskills (2000) $14.95 $11.95 +$2.00 ______ Book Two: The Central Catskills (2000) $14.95 $11.95 +$2.00 ______Scenes & Walks in the Northern Shawangunks (1999) (hardcover) & see combo $10.95 $8.75 +$2.00 ______NEW!! Shawangunks Trail Companion (2003) $18.95 $15.15 +$2.50 ______Nature Walks in New Jersey (1998) $12.95 $10.35 +$2.50 ______50 Hikes in the Lower Hudson Valley (2002) $16.95 $13.55 +$2.50 ______50 Hikes in New Jersey (1997, rev. 1999) $15.95 $12.95 +$2.00 ______Best Hikes w/ Children in the Catskills & Hudson River Valley (2002) $14.95 $11.95 +$2.00 ______Best Hikes w/ Children in New Jersey (1992) $12.95 $10.35 +$2.00 ______AMC Catskill Mountain Guide (2002) $19.95 $15.95 +$2.00 ______ADK Guide to Catskill Trails (1994, repr. 1998) $17.95 $14.40 +$2.00 ______Palisades: 100,000 Acres in 100 Years (2001) $27.50 $22.00 +$3.00 ______

Combo-PacksCombo-PacksCombo-PacksCombo-PacksCombo-PacksCatskill (5-map set & ADK book) $27.80 $21.60 +$2.00 ______Harriman (2-map set & book) $22.40 $17.55 +$2.50 ______NY & NJ Walk Books $32.35 $25.85 +$3.50 ______Shawangunk Combo (4-map set & book) $17.90 $13.95 +$2.00 ______

The Personal TThe Personal TThe Personal TThe Personal TThe Personal TouchouchouchouchouchNote Cards: TC Collection $12.00 $9.60 +$2.00 _____Hiking Cap $12.90 $10.50 +$1.75 ______Long-sleeve Denim Shirt Circle: S M L XL $29.90 $22.90 +$4.00 ______Polo Shirt (Forest Green) Circle: S M L XL $19.90 $15.50 +$4.00 ______NY-NJTC T-Shirt Circle: L XL $13.95 $13.95 +$3.50 ______Harriman Map Bandanna $6.95 $5.95 +++++$1.50 ______Conference Logo Patch $2.50 $2.50 postpaid ______Long Path Logo Patch $2.75 $2.75 postpaid ______Conference Logo Decal $ .85 $ .85 postpaid ______

TRAIL WALKER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 9

HIKERS’ BOOKSHOP

The Wimp’s Guide toCross-Country SkiingJames B. Kobak, Jr.1st Books Library, 2003

Reviewed by Robert E. Green

The title of this book is misleading; theauthor does not discuss skiing techniquesbut instead provides a humorous commen-tary on the equipment, clothing, and cli-matic conditions that may be encounteredwhile trying to make one’s way on skiscross country. It is written, claims the au-thor, “for someone who does not like be-ing cold and wet and having bruises allover his body.” Would people who fit thisprofile even think of skiing as a desirablewinter activity?

The author claims years of failure as across-country skier, but has obviously en-joyed the exercise or surely he would nothave continued, and so, presumably, be-came a lot more proficient than he admits(at least, in this book). Experienced skierswill enjoy the somewhat exaggerated com-plaints concerning various aspects of theirsport, while recognizing that most of theincidents discussed have happened to them-selves at one time or another.

One item that appealed to this reviewerwas the advice to always carry a map anda compass so that you can find the way toa hotel. The red point on the compass, theauthor reminds us, points to the north, soif you have doubts about your direction,be sure to go the other way. And bewareof contour lines—they indicate either go-ing up or going down, both of whichpresent hazards to those on skis.

In such a nice book it seems a pity thatthe typos could not have been correctedbefore printing.

The CatskillsT. Morris LongstrethBlack Dome Press, 2003printed from the 1918 original

Reviewed by Carol White

The Catskills by T. Morris Longstrethis a delightful telling of the author’s 1917trek through the Catskill Mountains; it isfilled with observations of nature and hu-man nature that stimulate both senses andmind. We’re offered strenuous adventure,humorous stories, Catskill landscape andlore, all conveyed in writing that rings trueand leads to deeper thought.

Longstreth’s 400-mile adventure beginswith meeting Brute, whose Ford was inneed of cranking up. These very differentmen “were but on different stages of thesame old road.” Brute had “certain thingsessential in the friend who is to walk byone’s side through rough weather as wellas fine—generosity, a sense of humor, asense of beauty, honesty, a liking for ad-venture.” And not least, “the ability to gonowhere-in-particular with him and stillbe interested and happy.”

He needs Brute’s touch of Tom Saw-yer, too, I think. In 20-mile days, they re-lied on the kindness of strangers for meals.After climbing from Woodstock toPlattekill Clove, they were famished. Noluck at two houses, then Brute took over:“ ‘Good evening, sir. Could I have a drinkof water?’ ” He bade us enter. “ ‘Would itbother you to sell us a couple of pieces ofbread?’ ” Soon the trampers had his wife,dubbed the Good Dame of Plattekill Clove,dishing up vast quantities of delectables.If you want something big, begin withsomething easy and work up.

They marvel atop the Wall of Manitou:“I wonder why nobody ever told me aboutthis, Brute.” “Where was they to begin?”he very adequately replied. “Seeing bigmust make you think big,” Brute declares,as they discuss big subjects like puttingpleasure before business. “You never getideas when you’re not enjoying yourself—at least, any valuable ideas,” Morriscontends. But it isn’t work that makes Jack

More Backcountry Cooking:Moveable Feasts from the ExpertsDorcas S. MillerThe Mountaineers Books, 2002

Reviewed by Lynn Brandon

More Backcountry Cooking is a wellthought out and researched book. The firstpart of the book contains recipes, and thesecond part deals with information thatall people need to know if they are goingto be in the backcountry. It is much morethan a collection of recipes.

The book offers good advice concern-ing food in general: nutritional breakdownfor every recipe, non-dairy options, andhow to dry without a dehydrator, makeconversions, enlarge recipes, plan food fora long trip, and much more.

The diverse recipes are easy to followand are organized into two parts: at-homepreparation and on-trail meal-making.Miller offers recipes that can be used inmany situations, and they include a vari-ety of portion options. They range fromrecipes for single backpackers, for peoplewho don’t have to worry about food weight(i.e. canoe camping), and for large groups.Check out the Mediterranean Polenta onpage 96. It melts in your mouth!

Leave No TraceA Guide to the New WildernessEtiquetteAnnette McGivneyThe Mountaineers Books, co-publishedwith Backpacker Magazine, 2003Second edition (first published 1998)

Reviewed by Edward Ripley-Duggan

When Laura and Guy Waterman pub-lished the second edition of their classicBackwoods Ethics in 1993, they were ableto report many successes. The influenceof their work, and of such books as Hamp-ton & Cole’s Soft Paths, has been exten-sive. The Leave No Trace movement hasbeen valuable in reducing the worst of thedamage caused inadvertently in wilder-ness areas. No longer does one see evi-dence of camping as it was practiced inthe 1960s and before—bough beds and thelike—with any frequency, to name oneminor victory.

Still, this is not a campaign won, norwill it ever be. While individual impacthas been reduced, the number of visitorsto backcountry regions has increased.There are new forms of incursion (e.g.kayaking) that affect regions previouslyinfrequently visited: the ecologically frag-ile islands of the Maine Coast come tomind. The inherent paradox is that, whenwe draw on wild areas for recreation, wetoo often destroy the qualities that broughtus there in the first place.

The second edition of AnnetteMcGivney’s book is a useful tool in thequest for ways to manage this dilemma. Itis a thorough examination of Leave NoTrace principles. Divided into nine chap-

The Hiking CompanionMichael W. RobbinsStorey Books, 2003

Reviewed by Betty Heald

This book’s subtitle says it all: Gettingthe most from the trail experience through-out the seasons: where to go, what tobring, basic navigation, and backpacking.

Michael Robbins, a long-time scienceand nature writer and editor, has produceda practical guide for novice hikers andbackpackers. The book is full of goodideas, and is a reminder that the simpleact of taking a hike is a wonderful way toget a new perspective on the world.

Each of the seven chapters covers anaspect of hiking. These include the whereand how of hiking, planning, clothing, andgear. The chapter titled “Navigating”gives instruction on map-reading, follow-ing blazes, and using a compass. “Cau-tions” addresses other important factorsto be considered such as weather, distance,illness, other hikers, critters, and trail eti-quette.

The final chapter on backpacking is a“must read” for the beginning backpacker.Colorful anecdotes of Mr. Robbins’ hik-ing adventures add authenticity.

Readers of this book will be inspired toget out and try a hike. Pen and ink draw-ings illustrate the text. The appendix in-cludes a list of some of the author’s favor-ite national parks, public lands, and wild-life reservations in the United States. Thereis a list of established suppliers of hikingand backpacking equipment. Missing is alist of some of the larger hiking organiza-tions both national and here in the East.The novice hiker would be well advisedto begin his/her hiking with one of the lo-cal clubs and under the guidance of a com-petent hike leader.

The Hiking Companion is easy to readand almost small enough to fit into a backpocket. It is an excellent reference for thebeginning hiker or someone planning his/her first backpacking trip.

RUTH G. HOROWITZRuth G. Horowitz, who served as TrailConference bookkeeper for at least 15years, died October 7, 2003. She is re-membered as a faithful and dedicated of-fice volunteer who manually closed TCbooks/ledgers, and tallied all the depositsand checks received, each week—adaylong activity done weekly with fewabsences. She enjoyed painting and was amember of the Appalachian MountainClub.

I N M E M O R I A M

ters, there are sections on horsepacking,mountain biking, waterways, special en-vironments (arctic and alpine tundra,deserts, and archaeological sites) as wellas the basics for campers and walkers.There is an attempt on the part of the au-thor (on the whole successful) to beencyclopadic, and there is much to belearned here.

Annette McGivney’s book is a thought-provoking investigation of Leave No Traceprecepts. If we venture into thebackcountry mindful of impact, we are ina better position to alleviate or eliminatethe traces of our presence. Only by thismeans will the vital resource of wilder-ness remain untrammelled as a source ofrenewal for future generations. This bookis good starting place to build that neces-sary awareness.

dull, just drudgery. The pursuit of happi-ness means happiness in your pursuit, heconcludes.

Whether describing a thunderstormfrom Hunter, commandeering theWinnisook caretaker’s cabin, jumping offthe north side of Slide on snow, careeningaround Ashokan Reservoir with JohnBurroughs, bivouacking atop a snowypeak, Longstreth’s writing offers humorand wisdom, and conveys the ineffable:“There came over me that sense of well-being it is hard to get in any other waythan on foot.” “We sat on the roots of agreat hemlock and basked in the perfec-tion of life.” “There is a spot for everyonemore satisfying than any other, and if youwill show me the spot I can to some de-gree tell you the man.” And woman.

10 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 TRAIL WALKER

hikers, average age 58, did the route re-cently in six days and a group of RoyalMarine Cadets did it in three and a halfdays; being in training, the latter ran mostof the way.

A good time to do the hike is earlyOctober, when the grapes are being har-vested. The views of the extensive fieldsof grape vines, through which the trailpasses in large part, and the aromas ema-nating therefrom, can levitate the hiking!

One is of course reminded of the his-torical 1777 and 1779 trails in HarrimanPark. Can any of our members call ourattention to other trails of historic impor-tance maintained by the Trail Conference?

If you wish more information about theFrankton Trail, call Ben Frankel, 914-478-0375, or write directly to MonsieurFrancois Boisnier, President of the FranktonSociety, at 1 Avenue du Général de Gaulle,BP 34 16 300 Barbezieux, France. Theywill be delighted to help you.

tends to hike all of the trails to be includedin the book, not just to ensure the accu-racy and completeness of the guide, butto note the interesting flora and fauna sheencounters along the way. Her goal, ofcourse, is to make sure the guide fits theneeds of new hikers on these trails. Manyof the routes will be new to Nancy her-self, and she plans to narrate her passagethrough them into a tape recorder and,later, transcribe her notes into the text ofthe guide. Do not be alarmed, therefore,if you see her in the woods pointing outthe sights to no one in particular.

In addition to the Trail Conference,Nancy has also been long involved in theAppalachian Mountain Club. Havingjoined the club when she moved to Bos-ton in the 1980s, she has kept up her AMCactivities here with the New York-NorthJersey Chapter. Nancy finds the AMC, likethe Trail Conference, to be a good placeto make friends who enjoy hiking andvolunteering. In fact, Nancy met her hus-band, Art Tollefson, through the AMC.Both Nancy and Art lead hikes for theclub and volunteer in the management ofthe local chapter. Nancy particularly en-joys leading beginner hikes, helping totrain new leaders, and taking city kidsout into the woods with the AOK program(AMC Outings for Urban Kids). She hastaken many trips with the AMC, includ-ing a weeklong hike in the Rocky Moun-tains and a hiking and paddling trip inMaine. As one might expect, Nancy alsoserves as editor of Trails and Waves, thechapter’s newsletter.

Life is not all hiking and editing forNancy, however. An accomplished ama-teur singer, she has sung alto with the NewYork Chorale Society for eight years. TheChorale Society is a 180-voice symphonicchorus, and it has performed in New YorkCity concert venues such as Carnegie Hall(an annual Christmas program) and Lin-coln Center for the past 45 years. Nextsummer, Nancy will perform with thegroup in France. Once again—no sur-prise—Nancy does more than sing withthe Chorale Society: she serves on its boardof managers and edits its newsletter.

It is always interesting to learn whatmotivates volunteers to perform so self-lessly for organizations. Nancy volunteersfor groups she has belonged to and en-joyed. She cares about the organizationsand their continued valuable work. In hervolunteer work, she tries to identify needsand help solve problems. Her goal is toinspire others to get involved and makecontributions, while doing things she lovesdoing. In the end, she offers a short andconvincing explanation for why she vol-unteers so extensively for the Trail Con-ference. “It’s wonderful,” she says, “to beable to work in support of something Ienjoy so much.”

Anne De Sutter is an attorney and TrailConference member.

NANCY TOLLEFSONcontinued from page 1

The Frankton Trail in France is an offi-cial long-distance footpath—in Frenchparlance a grande randonnee—which com-memorates a daring World War II com-mando operation and escape. It followsthe initial route, from Blaye on the Girondeestuary to Ruffec, of two British WorldWar II heroes who attacked German shipsin the Bordeaux port on the Gironde River,then escaped through occupied France,and across the Pyrenees into Spain. Theirjourney took more than two months.These days, as three intrepid Trail Con-ference members recently learned, thewalk involves less time and hazard andmore pleasures.

The new Frankton Trail (it was inau-gurated in 2002) in France follows the pathof the Cockleshell Heroes, the British com-mandos who hiked 100 miles in Decem-ber 1942 through ice and rain while beingpursued by the German Wehrmacht andpolice. A well known movie, The Cockle-shell Heroes, was made of this adventureabout 25 years ago.

Three members of the Trail Conference,Jerome Berman, Abba Tor, and myself,recently hiked the trail. Being the firstAmericans to do so, we were awardedmedals by the Frankton Society. The codename of the commando operation was“Frankton.”

The commandos, in one of the mostdaring secret missions of World War II,fashioned by Lord Louis Mountbatten,were left off by a British submarine 100miles from the Bordeaux harbor in spe-cially designed rowboats (cockleshells).They spent four days rowing at night andresting by day to reach two ships in theharbor, vital to the German war effort,

which they blew up with torpedoes.Then they had to meet up with the

French Resistance, 100 miles away–nofood, terrible weather, and exhausted fromfour days of rowing.

A beautiful plaque has been installedat a farmhouse along the trail where thecommandos were aided by a family ofFrench farmers who fed, clothed, and bed-ded them overnight and probably savedtheir lives. The family faced a strong pos-sibility that they would be caught bythe Germans, in which case they wouldbe shot or sent to slave labor camps. Theplaque was dedicated by the Duke of Kentand Lady Patricia Mountbatten.

My two companions and I have hikedtogether extensively in different parts ofthe world and rate this one as truly memo-rable. Reading that plaque, in the beautyof the French countryside, revealing thespirit of the commandos and the courageand decency of the French family, was oneof the most poignant moments of my life.

The hike is not difficult. A group of

The Frankton Trailby Ben Frankel

F A V O R I T E H I K E S

TC members enjoyed WWII history and French farms along the Trail.

TRAIL WALKER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 11

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21PMNHA. Morning Hike. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for information.Meet: 10am at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area Visitor Center,472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. Drop the kids off at schooland join us on this moderate hike at Pyramid Mountain (adults only).

SATURDAY, JAN. 24OUT. Prospect Park in Winter. Leader: Marty and Judy Mahler,718-692-2854; call 6-8 pm. Meet: Call leaders for meeting time; meet atParkside Ave. stop on Q subway, street level. Short walk on our own,lunch break, then walk with a ranger on the new Audubon Bird Trail;possible visit to botanic gardens and museum. No go if raining or snowingheavily.RVW. Woodstock, NY. Leader: Call 845-246-7174 for information.Meet: 10am at Sawyer Savings Bank parking lot, 87 Market St.,Saugerties, NY. Ulster Landing Park or Broadview Rd., Woodstock,depending on weather. Moderate 3-4 miles.UCHC. Tiorati Circular, Harriman State Park, NY. Leader: AlLeigh, 973-471-7528. Meet: 9:30am at Tiorati parking; call Friday 7-10pmfor directions. 8 miles at a moderate pace in this beautiful area; severalhills throughout the day and rocky trails; numerous views.WTA. Jones Beach, NY. Leaders: Will Raffaele, Catharine Allen,914-948-4061. Meet: 10am at North White Plains train station; $6 trans-portation contribution. Easy. A winter walk on the beach with possiblesightings of harbor seals. Dress very warmly to ward off chilling winds.

SUNDAY, JAN. 25PMNHA. Tripod Rock, NJ. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for informa-tion. Meet: 1pm at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area VisitorCenter, 472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. Moderate hike toour famous glacial erratic.IHC. Lake Tiorati, NY. Leader: Pete Rigotti, peterlabor@yahoo.com.Meet: 9am at Tiorati Circle parking area, Harriman State Park. Moder-ately strenuous, but wimps welcome. Early finish. East, west, RD or AT?Leader goes with wind direction. Rain, heavy snow, poor driving condi-tions cancel.OUT. Tibbetts Brook Park, NY. Leader: George Glatz, 212-533-9457; call 7-8am. Meet: 12 noon at 242nd St. and Broadway, park side(take #1 subway to last stop, 242nd St./Van Cortlandt Park, Bronx). 5easy/moderate miles at steady pace. Walk on the old Putnam Trail to seethis beautiful park in winter. Bathrooms are heated and have warmwater—ah, Westchester County!UCHC. South Mountain Reservation, Millburn, NJ. Leader:Ed Leibowitz, 201-332-1709. Meet: 10am at Locust Grove parking, cor-ner of Glen Ave. and Lackawanna Pl., across from Millburn RR station.Easy 3-4 miles, suitable for beginners. Canceled if rain or snow (snow onground okay).WTA. Silver Lake, NY. Leader: Barry Kaplan, 914-946-2869. Meet:10am at North White Plains train station; $1 transportation contribu-tion. 4 easy miles. This is a park just at the edge of White Plains thatseems so incredibly remote, once into the woods. A good time of yearfor avoidance of gnats, mosquitos, etc. Timed to finish early enough forlunch at home or “out.”

MONDAY, JAN. 26RVW. Huntersfield Mountain, NY. Leader: Call 845-246-4145 forinformation. Meet: 8am at Sawyer Savings Bank parking lot, 87 MarketSt., Saugerties, NY. Moderate 4-mile hike; snowshoes and cramponsmay be necessary.

THURSDAY, JAN. 29FVTW. Butler Reservoir, NJ. Leader: Jim & Theresa McKay, 973-538-0756. Meet: 10am at Kinnelon baseball field, on Boonton Ave. twomiles north of Pyramid Mt. visitor’s center; call for directions. Moder-ately strenuous 8-mile hike around the reservoir. Steady rain cancels.

SATURDAY, JAN. 31PMNHA. Turkey Mountain, NJ. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for in-formation. Meet: 1pm at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic AreaVisitor Center, 472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. Moderatehike.UCHC. South Mountain Reservation, Millburn, NJ. Leader:Ellie King, 908-233-8411. Meet: 10am at Locust Grove parking, corner ofGlen Ave. and Lackawanna Pl., across from Millburn RR station. 4-5miles at moderate pace with some hills. Possibly a snowshoe wallk.WTA. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, NY. Leader: Joan Coffey,914-232-5839. Meet: 10am at Trailside Museum parking area; $3 trans-portation contribution. 4 -5 miles.

HIKERS’ ALMANAC

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FEBRUARY

SUNDAY, FEB. 1IHC. Wawayanda Winter Wonderland, NJ. Leader: Ilse Dun-ham, 973-838-8031. Meet: 9am at A&P/Hewitt Post Office, WarwickTpk. shopping center, Hewitt. Moderate hike or snowshoe, depending onsnow. Explore variety of trails; lovely hemlock forest and giant rhodo-dendrons. Rain, heavy snow, poor driving conditions cancel.OUT. Coney Island to Sheepshead Bay, NY. Leader: Lynn Albin,718-743-0920; call beginning Thursday before hike in evening until 9:30pmweek of hike for recorded details. Meet: Call for meeting time; BrightonBeach stop on Q subway, by turnstiles. 7 miles at a moderate, steadypace. Enjoy a leisurely day walking along the Coney Island boardwalk,then to Sheepshead Bay area; lunch at moderately priced Thai restau-rant.GAHC. Saddle River Park, Paramus, NJ. Leader: Helga Nagy,201-796-5578. Meet: 10:30am at Dunkerhook Park; call leader for detailsand directions. Moderate and easy hikes.UCHC. Watchung Reservation, Mountainside, NJ. Leader: MaeDeas, 908-233-6641. Meet: 10am at Trailside Nature & Science Center,Coles Ave. at New Providence Rd.; call for directions. Brisk 5-mile hikewith mixture of level, easy walking and some hills on rough, possibly icyterrain. Steady rain cancels; good snow cover may result in cross-coun-try ski instead (or both, if someone volunteers to lead the hike).WTA. Old Croton Aqueduct, Scarborough to Dobbs Ferry,NY. Leader: Herb Hochberg, 914-472-3525. Meet: 10am at North WhitePlains train station; $2 transportation contribution. 8 miles, moderate.This section of trail passes several historic houses and churches. We willuse a car shuttle.

SATURDAY, FEB. 7UOC. Delaware & Raritan Canal, Kingston, NJ. Leader: GeneVarney, 732-873-2506. Meet: call leader. Easy 2-3 hour hike along thecanal towpath.UCHC. South Mountain Reservation, Millburn, NJ. Leader:Naomi Shapiro, 973-762-1832; call before 9pm. Meet: 10am at LocustGrove parking, corner of Glen Ave. and Lackawanna Pl., across fromMillburn RR station. Brisk 5 miles with steep hill at beginning. Rocky upsand downs; wear hiking boots. Not suitable for beginners. Steady raincancels; if icy, bring crampons.

SUNDAY, FEB. 8OUT. Ponds of Staten Island. Leader: Joel Pomeranntz, 212-691-3844; evenings before 10. Meet: 10:15am by foot of escalators, StatenIsland Ferry Terminal, South Ferry, Manhattan. 8 miles at steady pacewith some ups & downs. Hike on marked and unmarked Greenbelt trailsto Turtle Pond, Duckweed, Frog, Martling, Pump House and more.Nonmembers $3.PMNHA. Snowshoe Trek, NJ. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for infor-mation. Meet: 1pm at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area VisitorCenter, 472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. Bring your snow-shoes and hope for snow on this moderate hike.IHC. South Mountain Reservation, NJ. Leader: Charles and AnitaKientzler, 973-835-1060. Meet: 9am at South Mountain Arena (ice rink),Northfield Ave., West Orange, NJ. Explore this park in all its winterglory, at a moderate pace. Hemlock Falls will be locked in ice and theview from Washington Rock will be “cool.”UCHC. Lord Stirling Park, Basking Ridge, NJ. Leader: PhyllisBrown, 908-753-8812; call before 9pm. Meet: 10am at Somerset CountyEnvironmental Center, Lord Stirling Rd. off S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge;call for directions. 8+ miles of wide and level trails; could ski or snow-shoe if good snow cover. You can stay for as short or long a time as youwish. Rain cancels; call Sat. eve before 9pm if in doubt.WTA. Croton Point Park, NY. Leader: Catharine Allen, 914-948-4061. Meet: 10am at North White Plains train station; $2 transportationcontribution. 4 easy miles. Hike around Croton Point, with winter viewsacross the Hudson. We may see bald eagles and wintering water fowl.Dress for bitter winds from river. Optional lunch at the Croton Diner.

SATURDAY, FEB. 14OUT. Pomona to Suffern, NY. Leader: Oliver Wayne, 201-840-4145.Meet: 7:45am at Short Line ticket windows, Port Authority Bus Termi-nal, for 8:15 bus. 9 strenuous miles; steady pace, hilly, must be preparedfor ice. No beginners; hiking boots required. Optional dinner at Italianrestaurant in Suffern. Nonmembers $3.PMNHA. Heartbeat Hike, NJ. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for infor-mation. Meet: 1pm at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area VisitorCenter, 472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. Get your heartbeating on this moderately strenuous hike.UOC. Pine Barrens, Chatsworth, NJ. Leader: Coralyn Gorlicki,

732-548-2315. Meet: 8am in Johnson Park, River Rd., Piscataway, NJ;call for further information. Moderate hike along the Batona Trail.UCHC. Watchung Reservation, Mountainside, NJ. Leader: JoanLepselter, 908-273-4188. Meet: 10am at Trailside Nature & ScienceCenter, Coles Ave. at New Providence Rd.; call for directions. Brisk4-5 mile hike with some rocky hills, often muddy. Hiking boots required.Suitable for a strong beginner. Steady rain cancels.

SUNDAY, FEB. 15IHC. Ramapo Valley Reservation, NJ. Leader: Jim Hayes, 201-825-9506. Meet: 9am at Ramapo Valley Reservation, Rt. 202, Mahwah,NJ. Strenuous, but not many major ups and downs. Circular hike usingSilver Trail to Yellow Trail. Rain, heavy snow, poor driving conditionscancel.OUT. Old Croton Aqueduct, NY. Leader: Mike Puder, 718-743-0920;call beginning Thursday before hike until 9:30pm for recorded messagewith details. Meet: Call for time; stationmaster’s office at Grand CentralTerminal (buy round-trip ticket to Scarborough). 5 miles at moderate,steady pace. Lovely flat hike, from Scarborough to Tarrytown along theaqueduct.PMNHA. Winter Hike, NJ. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for informa-tion. Meet: 1pm at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area VisitorCenter, 472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. Moderate hikewith Neil.UCHC. South Mountain Reservation, West Orange, NJ. Leader:Louise White, 973-746-4319; call before 9pm. Meet: 10am at TurtlebackRock parking in West Orange; call for directions. Moderate 4+ miles innicely wooded area, some rough spots; see Turtleback Rock.WTA. Appalachian Trail (CT) or Alternative. Leader: StewartManville, 914-582-1237. Meet: 10am at North White Plains train station;$7 transportation contribution (if CT). 5-6 miles, moderate. Continuingnorth from West Cornwall, but only if ground and road conditions per-mit. In event of serious winter complication, something in central orsouthern Westchester will be more likely.

THURSDAY, FEB. 19PMNHA. Morning Hike, NJ. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for informa-tion. Meet: 10am at first parking lot off McCaffrey Lane; call for direc-tions. Moderate hike at the Tourne (adults only).FVTW. South Mountain Challenge, West Orange, NJ. Leader:Dave Hognenaur, 973-762-1475. Meet: 10am at Mayapple Hill parking onNorthfield Ave.; call for directions. Brisk pace for 11 miles; snow onground will shorten hike; steady rain cancels.

SATURDAY, FEB. 21UOC. Hacklebarney State Park, Chester, NJ. Leader: DanGreenwald, 732-246-4132. Meet: call leader. Moderate hike with somesteep inclines.UCHC. South Mountain Reservation, Millburn, NJ. Leader:Bob Hagon, 908-788-8360. Meet: 10am at Locust Grove parking, cornerof Glen Ave. and Lackawanna Pl., across from Millburn RR station. Brisk5-mile hike with views of waterfall and possibly NYC skyline. Hikingboots required. Canceled if rain or snow (snow on ground okay).WTA. Leatherstocking Trail, NY. Leader: Stewart Manville, 914-582-1237. Meet: 10am at North White Plains train station; $1 transpor-tation contribution. 4 easy miles. An interesting jaunt between SaxonWoods Park and Pinebrook Boulevard reminiscent of the public foot-path system in England.

SUNDAY, FEB. 22IHC. Stokes State Park, NJ. Leader: David Kientzler, 973-948-3983.Meet: 8:30am at Burger King/Stop & Shop, Rt. 23N, Butler, NJ. Strenu-ous hike or snowshoe. The park has many good snowshoe trails, so ifsnow we’ll have some winter fun. If trails are clear, we’ll enjoy viewsfrom Kittatinny Ridge. Rain, heavy snow, poor driving conditions cancel.WWW. Sterling Ridge and Fire Tower, NY. Leader: Don Weise,973-835-2160. Meet: 9:30am at Weis Ecology Center, NJ; call for direc-tions. Strenuous, fast 8 miles on the New York side of Sterling Ridge.High, remote trail with mature hemlocks and numerous great views.Terrain is steep; snowshoes or crampons may be necessary.OUT. 116th Street Broad Channel to Breezy Point Circular.Leader: Oliver Wayne, 201-840-4145. Meet: call leader. 12-13 miles alongthe beach at moderate, steady pace; no hills. Dress warmly and bring hotlunch/beverage. Nonmembers $3.GAHC. Cranberry Lake Park, North White Plains, NY. Leader:Marianne Janowski, 914-428-4573. Meet: 10am at Valhalla RR station;call leader to register. Moderate and easy hikes; possible cross-countryskiing.UCHC. Ramapo Lake, Oakland, NJ. Leader: Micky Siegel, 201-797-7054. Meet: 10am on Skyline Dr., first parking lot on left at bottomof hill in Oakland; call for directions. Very scenic, moderate 5-6 mile hikewith views of beautiful Ramapo Lake. Call if in doubt about weather.WTA. Rockefeller Preserve, NY. Leader: Sam Acerbo, 914-939-2769. Meet: 10am at North White Plains train station; $1 transportationcontribution. 5 miles, easy to moderate. Beautiful bridle paths ofPocantico. We will visit the glacial erratic and Spok Rock. Lunch atEagle Hill overlooking Kykuit. Rain, shine, or show.

SATURDAY, FEB. 28ADK-R. Appalachian Trail. Leader: call leader at 845-354-0738 for

meeting time and place. 11-12 mile hike.OUT. Byram River Gorge, CT. Leader: Mayer Wiesen, 516-671-2095, call before 10:30pm. Meet: 9am at Jerome & Bainbridge Aves.downstairs (#4 subway to Woodlawn, last stop in the Bronx). 7 moderatemiles. Visit a green hemlock river trail; 7:00pm return.PMNHA. Stress Relief Hike, NJ. Leader: call 973-334-3130 forinformation. Meet: 1pm at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic AreaVisitor Center, 472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. Join us onan easy hike through the winter forest.UCHC. Watchung Reservation, Mountainside, NJ. Leader:Eck Khoon Dwyer, 908-790-0939. Meet: 10am at Trailside Nature &Science Center, Coles Ave. at New Providence Rd.; call for directions.Brisk 4-5 mile hike with some rocky hills. Hiking boots required. Raincancels.WTA. Bronx Botanical Gardens. Leader: Marcia Cohen, 914-478-7074. Meet: 10am at North White Plains train station; $2 transportationcontribution. 4-5 easy miles. Walk the winter woods and garden grounds.Visit indoor conservatory exhibit. Warm indoor cafe lunch.

SUNDAY, FEB. 29IHC. Island Pond, Harriman State Park, NY. Leader: Ilse Dun-ham, 973-838-8031. Meet: 9am at Tuxedo, NY, RR station, Rt. 17. Hikeor snowshoe to and around Island Pond, enjoying an invigorating wintryday. Rain, heavy snow, poor driving conditions cancel.PMNHA. Leap Year Hike, NJ. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for infor-mation. Meet: 1pm at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area VisitorCenter, 472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. We have an extraday this year; how about a moderate hike?WTA. Orchard Beach to City Island, NY. Leader: Marcia Cohen,914-478-7074. Meet: 10am at North White Plains train station; $2 trans-portation contribution. 5 easy miles. Beach walk to woodlands to CityIsland and back. Flat, varied, indoor lunch and facilities.

The activities listed are sponsored by member clubs of the NY-NJ Trail Conference. All hikers are welcome subject to club regulations and rulesof the trail. You are responsible for your own safety. Wear hiking boots or strong, low-heeled shoes. Bring food, water, rain gear, first aid kit,and flashlight in a backpack. Leaders have the right and responsibility to refuse anyone whom they believe cannot complete the hike or is notadequately equipped. Easy, moderate, or strenuous hikes are relative terms; call leader if in doubt.More than 85 clubs belong to the Trail Conference, and many of our affiliate groups sponsor hikes not listed in the Hikers’ Almanac. For adescriptive list of Conference clubs, consult our Web site or send an SASE with your request to NY-NJ Trail Conference.

Club CodesOnly those clubs with hikes offered in this issue are listed below. Please call numbers listed to confirm.

Clubs wishing to have hikes listed in Hikers’ Almanac should send their schedules to tw@nynjtc.org or to the Trail Conference office. The deadlinefor the March/April issue is January15, 2004.

TTHE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE NEW YORK-NEW JERSEY TRAIL CONFERENCE

Volume XXXI, Number 1 ISSN 0749-1352 January/February 2004

WRAIL ALKER

HIKERS’ ALMANAC

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continued on page 11

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Make check or money order payable to the NY-NJ Trail Conference,and mail to: 156 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, NJ 07430.Tax-deductible.

Name ________________________________________________________Address ______________________________________________________City ___________________________________ State ____ Zip_________Day Phone______________________ Evening Phone________________E-MAIL _______________________________________________________

A Sampling of Upcoming Hikes Sponsored by Member Clubs

Join the volunteerswho bring you the great outdoors!

1500 miles of trails and counting; your membership helps us expand ourhorizons.

Included with membership, Trail Walker, 10% discount on purchases atmost outdoor stores, and 20% discount on all Trail Conference maps andbooks.

Support the work of the NY/NJ Trail Conference with your membership.

Membership Level Individual Joint/FamilyIndividual $25 $31Sponsor $50 $60Benefactor $100 $120Senior/Student $18 $24Life $500 $750

Permit #970-100

JANUARY

SATURDAY, JAN. 3ADK-MH. Vassar Campus Walk, NY. Leader: Jenny & Stan Rob-erts, 845-471-5712, before 10pm. Meet: 1:30pm at north gate of campus,Collegeview Ave. near Fairmont Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY. Easy 3 miles.Get out and stretch your legs and share some conversation on campuspaths (college not in session).MJOC. Operation Dessert Climb, NY. Leader: Howard Israel, 212-502-0820, call 9pm—11pm. Meet: Call leader to register by Jan. 2. Startwith a hot breakfast at a cafe in Cold Spring, NY, then strenuous 6-7 milehike on Undercliff Trail to Mt. Taurus. Take Metro North train to ColdSpring. Nonmembers $10.ADK-R. Pine Meadow Circular, NY. Leader: call leader at 201-816-9465 for meeting time and place. 7-8 mile hike in Harriman StatePark.PMNHA. Overlooks Hike, NJ. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for infor-mation. Meet: 1pm at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area VisitorCenter, 472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. Moderate hike tosome scenic overlooks.UCHC. Turkey Mountain, Montville, NJ. Leader: Terry Kulmane,908-665-2672. Meet: 10am at Pyramid Mt. Visitor Center; call for direc-

tions. Moderate 5-mile hike; watch for wild turkeys. Rain or heavy snowcancels; call prior to 8:45 morning of hike if in doubt.

SUNDAY, JAN. 4IHC. Highlands Trail, NJ. Leader: Jim McKay, 973-538-0756. Meet:9am at Burger King/Stop & Shop, Rt. 23N, Butler, NJ. 8 strenuous mileson the Rock Lodge Loop, including hills surrounding Pequannock and OakRidge reservoirs. A new area to explore; shuttle required. Rain, heavysnow, poor driving conditions cancel.WWW. Heart of Harriman, NY. Leader: Don Weise, 973-835-2160.Meet: 9:30am at Weis Ecology Center, NJ; call for directions. Strenu-ous, fast 7+ miles in Harriman State Park. Variety-filled hike starting atLake Skannatati and visiting Pine Swamp Mountain, mines, bare rocksummits, glacial erratics, and deep evergreen forests. Several steepspots; snowshoes or crampons may be necessary.GAHC. JFK Bird Sanctuary, Long Island. Leader: Gunter Georgi,516-883-2336. Meet: 10am at Tobay Beach; call leader for details and toregister.UCHC. Black River County Park, Chester, NJ. Leader: PhyllisBrown, 908-753-8812; call before 9pm. Meet: 10am at Kay Environmen-tal Center; call for directions. Mid-hike break at the center; anticipate a2:30pm finish. Rain cancels; call prior to 9pm eve before hike if in doubt.

MONDAY, JAN. 5RVW. Sherril Mountain, NY. Leader: Call 845-246-4040 for infor-mation. Meet: 8am in Saugerties, NY; call for directions. Strenuous 5.5mile bushwhack up 3500’ mountain. Snowshoes and crampons may benecessary.

THURSDAY, JAN. 8FVTW. Sterling Forest, NY. Leader: Carolyn & Jim Canfield, 973-728-9774. Meet: 9:30am at Indian Hill parking lot, Orange Turnpike/Rt.19; call leader for directions. Moderately strenuous. Hike from the Ap-palachian Trail to the Indian Hill loop; route depends on conditions. Steadyrain cancels.

SATURDAY, JAN. 10OUT. Connetquot State Park, Long Island. Leader: Paul Develet,516-488-5232. Meet: 10:37am at Great River, NY, LIRR station (take 9:14LIRR train from Penn Station). 8 miles at a moderate pace on easyterrain. Pleasant wintertime walk along the Connetquot River; up to thefish hatchery and back. Interesting wildlife along the river. Nonmem-bers $3.UCHC. Pyramid Mountain, Montville, NJ. Leader: Micky Siegel,201-797-7054. Meet: 10am at Pyramid Mt. Visitor Center; call for direc-tions. Moderate 5-mile hike along the reservoir, then up to Tripod Rock.Call if in doubt about weather.WTA. Hudson River West Shore Path, NY. Leader: Ellie Carren,914-591-7038; call in advance. Meet: 10am at North White Plains trainstation; $3 transportation contribution. 7 miles, easy to moderate, walk-ing along the river toward Haverstraw, returning on the same shorepath, one of the rare stretches of original, undeveloped river bank.

SUNDAY, JAN. 11IHC. Black Rock Forest Ramble, NY. Leader: Ilse Dunham, 973-838-8031. Meet: 9am at Red Apple Restaurant, Rt. 17, Southfields, NY;park in rear. Moderately strenuous wanderings along trails and woodsroads; crampons might be needed. Rain, heavy snow, poor driving con-ditions cancel.OUT. Cold Spring Circular. Leader: Oliver Wayne, 201-840-4145.Meet: 8:30am at information booth, Grand Central Terminal. 9-10 hillymiles at moderate pace; no beginners. Hike along the Nelsonville Trail,returning on Cornish Trail; possible dinner in Cold Spring. Probably latereturn; hiking boots required. Nonmembers $3.PMNHA. Winter Trees. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for information.Meet: 1pm at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area Visitor Center,472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. Moderate hike; learn toidentify trees by their bark and twigs.UCHC. Mills Reservation, Cedar Grove, NJ. Leader: Lynn Gale,973-763-7230. Meet: 10am at Mills Reservation; call for directions. Easyto moderate hike.

MONDAY, JAN. 12RVW. Gertrude’s Nose, Minnewaska State Park, NY. Leader:Call 845-246-6949 for information. Meet: 8am at Sawyer Savings Bankparking lot, 87 Market St., Saugerties, NY. Moderately strenuous hikeof 7-8 miles; snowshoes and crampons may be necessary.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14RVW. D&H Canal and Bruceville Rd., High Falls. Leader: Call845-246-2945 for information. Meet: 10am at Sawyer Savings Bankparking lot, 87 Market St., Saugerties, NY. Two easy walks for a totalof 5 miles.

THURSDAY, JAN. 15FVTW. Escalator and Stalter’s Spring. Leader: Dave & NaomiSutter, dsutter@aol.com. Meet: 10am at Rt. 9W and Jones Point Rd.;contact leader for directions. Strenuous bushwhack up the forgottenEscalator; no beginners. Bad weather cancels.

SATURDAY, JAN. 17OUT. Jamaica Bay to Beach. Leader: Judy Levine, 718-482-9659.Meet: 10am at Broad Channel stop on A subway, Long Island. 9 miles oneasy terrain; beach and town hike at moderate pace. Dress warmly,including face protection, if cold; may be icy. Nonmembers $3.ADK-R. Letter Rock. Leader: call leader at 845-359-2465 for meetingtime and place. 6 mile hike; Goshen and Stevens mountains.PMNHA. Winter Hike. Leader: call 973-334-3130 for information.Meet: 1pm at Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area Visitor Center,472A Boonton Ave., Montville Township, NJ. Moderate hike with Neil.UCHC. South Mountain Reservation, Millburn, NJ. Leader:Mimi Solomon, 973-379-3910. Meet: 10am in Millburn; call for direc-tions. Moderate hike in woodlands and some fields.WTA. Erie Railroad Between Nyack and Piermont. Leader:Stewart Manville, 914-582-1237. Meet: 10am at North White Plainstrain station; $3 transportation contribution. 2 or 4 easy miles, dependingon your individual choice of one-way or round-trip. Views optimal withleafless trees. Lunch in medium-priced cafe recommended, especially ifwintery.

SUNDAY, JAN. 18IHC. Camp Smith Trail Plus, NY. Leader: Carolyn & Jim Canfield,973-728-9774. Meet: 9am at Anthony Wayne north parking area,Harriman State Park. Strenuous hike with continuous climb of 1100’ toAnthony’s Nose, with great views of Hudson River. Hike down the AT,across Bear Mt. Bridge, and finish along the 1777 Trail; shuttle required.Crampons might be needed. Rain, heavy snow, poor driving conditionscancel.GAHC. Hook Mountain State Park, Upper Nyack, NY. Leader:Henry Loddigs, 718-899-1052. Meet: 9 am; call leader for details anddirections.UCHC. Watchung Reservation, Mountainside, NJ. Leader: BobHagon, 908-788-8360. Meet: 10am at Trailside Nature & Science Center,Coles Ave. at New Providence Rd.; call for directions. Brisk 5-mile hikewith views of the deserted village and stables. Hiking boots required.Rain or snow cancels (snow on ground okay).

MONDAY, JAN. 19RVW. Indian Head Mountain, NY. Leader: Call 845-246-8546 forinformation. Meet: 8am at Sawyer Savings Bank parking lot, 87 MarketSt., Saugerties, NY. Strenuous hike of 7 miles up 3500’ mountain; snow-shoes and crampons may be necessary.

ADK-MH ADK, Mid-Hudson ChapterADK-R ADK, Ramapo ChapterFVTW Frost Valley Trail WalkersGAHC German-American Hiking ClubIHC Interstate Hiking ClubMJOC Mosaic Jewish Outdoor Club

PMNHA Pyramid Mountain NaturalHistoric Area

OUT The Outdoors ClubRVW Rip Van Winkle Hiking ClubUCHC Union County Hiking ClubUOC University Outing ClubWTA Westchester Trails AssociationWWW Weis Wyanokie Wanderers