VOLUME XXXVI, NUMBER 6 ISSN 0749-1352 Non-ProfitUS Postage PaidPermit No. 1239Bellmawr, N.J.

Teamwork Saves Gunks Trail ParcelAdiligent Trail Conference volun-teer kicked off a series ofnegotiations that resulted in pro-tection of land adjacent to theShawangunk Ridge Trail.

At a tax auction in Orange County onJuly 31, County Executive Eddie Dianaremoved a scenic, 129-acre undevelopedparcel in the Town of Deerpark on theShawangunk Ridge from the sale, indicat-ing that it would be preserved as openspace and opened for trails.

The Trail Conference applauds Diana’sdecisive action, which culminated severalweeks of work by the Trail Conference,Orange County Land Trust, Open SpaceInstitute, the Nature Conservancy, andOrange County officials to remove the landfrom the auction and preserve it in itsnatural state.

The effort began in July whenTrail Con-ference volunteer Andy Garrison,supervisor for the Shawangunk Ridge Trail,spotted the parcel on the list of properties tobe auctioned by Orange County. The landwas identified by the Trail Conference as apreservation target in its 2004 Land Acqui-sition and Stewardship Plan. The propertyborders other Trail Conference-owned land

on the ridge and stretches down to the Nev-ersink River, where it meets the NeversinkPreserve, owned by the Nature Conservan-cy, and an adjacent county park.

Trail Conference Executive Director EdGoodell noted that many people andorganizations worked together to protectthis land parcel. “Andy Garrison played acrucial role in alerting us that the propertywas in tax arrears and was set to be includ-ed in the tax auction,” Goodell explains.

Goodell then began to spread the wordabout the preservation opportunity to oth-ers. He contacted two frequent TrailConference partners in land preservationprojects, JimDelaune at the Orange Coun-ty Land Trust and Bob Anderberg at theOpen Space Institute, as well as longtimeTrail Conference member and OrangeCounty legislator Wayne Decker. “Fromthat point,” says Goodell, “Jim Delaunetook the lead, including contacting theNature Conservancy, which provided

$15,000 to pay the back taxes, and work-ing with Orange County officials to find away to protect the land.”

The effort revealed an obstacle to thecounty’s ability to quickly protect conserva-tion land that ends up on its auction block:an advance review process to identify keyparcels. Legislator Decker began work onlegislation to enable saving conservationproperties in the future.

“This is a wonderful outcome that wasmade possible by the continuing collabora-tion of numerous organizations andofficials,” Goodell says.

Andy Garrison adds, “That parcel wouldhave never been pulled from the auctionhad others not produced the land acquisi-tion plan in 2004 and other acquisitions inthe area not happened. So a special thanksgoes out to all those who laid the ground-work for me to follow and to everyone fortheir support of the Shawangunk RidgeTrail project.”

The Trail Conference’s work to advance landprotection along the Shawangunk Ridge issupported by a grant from the Land TrustAlliance and NY State Dept. of Environmen-tal Conservation.

November/December 2009 New York-New Jersey Trail Conference — Maintaining 1,716 Miles of Trails www.nynjtc.org

Not Your Usual Walk in a Park

“This is a

wonderful outcome...”

New! Improved!Trail Conference volunteersbuild a new trail loop andimprove another in NorvinGreen. READ MORE ON PAGE 5

Return of the FisherReintroduced in NY in 1970,fishers have traveled theShawangunk Ridge to NJ.READ MORE ON PAGE 7

Looking at Palm Trees, Writingabout New York-New Jersey TrailsWhen, more than a year and a half ago,Phil McLewin, Mahwah resident and pro-fessor emeritus of economics at RamapoCollege, volunteered to help develop con-tent about parks and trail regions for thenew Trail Conference website, he quicklyproved to be the very model of a new kindof volunteer—one who can make enor-mous contributions to a project ororganization without necessarily being onthe scene in person.

Phil volunteered not only via his com-puter at home, but, for most of last winter,from the sun-stoked warmth of a seasideapartment in Southern California. “It was abit jarring writing about mountain peaksand pine trees while looking at the PacificOcean and palm trees,” he confesses. Luckythe one who can do it.

When the Trail Conference began plan-ning a new, expanded website more thanthree years ago, among its objectives was tomake its vast storehouse of informationabout trails, hikes, and parks more easilyavailable to the public. Starting points forthis effort included theWalk Books for NewYork and New Jersey. Together these twobooks are a trails encyclopedia for ourregion. The goal was not simply to tran-scribe their contents onto web pages, but touse them as points of departure for struc-turing and creating an entirely newresource for trail users.

The project is huge and ongo-ing, but in mid-September, Philannounced reaching a majormarker. “I recently finisheduploading content for the lastpark in the New Jersey WalkBook,” he wrote on Sep-

tember 18. “This is a milestone for me, andI thought the right moment to take stock.”

Phil started researching and writing inearly May 2008. He uploaded his firstpark write-up—Ramapo Valley Reserva-tion—on May 19, 2008. The finish thathe announced came on September 12,2009, when he uploaded informationabout Turkey Swamp Park in the JerseyShore region.

During that year-and-a-half, he also con-tributed extensively to getting upinformation about New York parks. Whenthe website’s March go-live deadlineapproached with relatively little park con-tent developed for New York State, Philworked with Gayle Edgerton and KenMalkin to divide up responsibility for NewYorkWalk Book regions. Ultimately he com-pleted four of them on the west side of theHudson River, including Harriman-BearMountain, the site’s most visited web page.

On the first weekend of October, an estimated 40,000 trail users walked, ran, biked,skate-boarded, kick-scootered, roller-bladed, or wheelchaired across the Hudson Valley’snewest state park: Walkway Over the Hudson. A not-for-profit group spearheaded the

conversion of the former railroad bridge,which connects Poughkeepsie, in DutchessCounty, and Highland, in Ulster County,into a paved corridor for pedestrians, bik-ers, and other non-motorized users.Opened in 1888, the bridge carried traintraffic until a fire in 1974 put an end to itsservice. Rail-trails on both sides of the riv-er come close to the 1.25-mile bridge, butdo not yet connect to it, though such con-nections are being pursued. A loop walkthat includes the Walkway, a sidewalk onthe neighboring Mid-Hudson Bridge, andPoughkeepsie city streets is possible. Learnmore about the Walkway on our website(type Walkway into the Search box).

Volunteer ProfilePhil McLewin

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The Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad bridgein 1978 and, top, on October 4, 2009 whenit opened as a Mid-Hudson trail link forwalkers and bikers.

Newly preserved land (in blue) protects asection of the Shawangunk Ridge Trail and

creates a corridor to the NatureConservancy's Neversink Preserve.

continued on page 10

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The TRAIL WALKER (USPS Permit #1239)(ISSN 0749-1352) is published bi-monthly bythe New York-New Jersey Trail Conference as abenefit of membership. Subscriptions areavailable 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 expressedby authors do not necessarily represent the policyor position of the Conference. Contributions oftyped manuscripts, photos, and drawings arewelcome. Manuscripts may be edited for styleand length. Send SASE for writers’ guidelines.Submission deadlines for the TRAIL WALKERare January 15 (Mar./Apr. issue), March 15(May/June issue), May 15 (July/Aug. issue),July 15 (Sept./Oct. issue), September 15(Nov./Dec. issue), November 15 (Jan./Feb.issue). Unsolicited contributions cannot beacknowledged unless accompanied by SASE.For information on advertising rates, please writeor call.Copyright 2009 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.orgWorldWideWeb: www.nynjtc.org

Mission StatementThe New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is afederation of member clubs and individualsdedicated to providing recreational hikingopportunities in the region, and representing theinterests and concerns of the hiking community.The Conference is a volunteer-directed publicservice organization committed to:

• Developing, building, and maintaininghiking trails.

• Protecting hiking trail lands throughsupport and advocacy.

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

Board of DirectorsRobert Boysen ChairChris Connolly Vice ChairMac Highet TreasurerDaniel Chazin Secretary

DirectorsJane Daniels Hans KhimmBill Gannet Seth McKeeJosie Gray Edward SaiffAnn Gruhn Mary SmartGaylord Holmes Daniel Van EngelPeter Kennard

StaffEdward Goodell Executive DirectorJoshua Howard Deputy Executive

DirectorLarry Wheelock Special Projects

ManagerChris Ingui Bear Mountain

RegionalRepresentative

Jeremy Apgar CartographerGary Willick Fulfillment

CoordinatorCatherine Gemmell Volunteer

& InformationManager

Jennifer Hezel DevelopmentAssociate

Hedy Abad MembershipProgram Manager

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is avolunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. It isa federation of 103 hiking and outdoor groups,and 10,000 individuals.

VOLUMEXXXVI,NO.6 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009

GEORGETTE WEIR EDITORLOUIS LEONARDIS GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Page 2 November/December 2009

printed on recycled content paper

Visit our new site today!www.NYNJTC.org

PLEASE RECYCLE TRAIL WALKER

Remember Our HistoryThe Trail Conference is accomplishinggreat things these days, and the TrailWalker has been—and is—a great partof it. I eagerly look forward to readingevery issue.

However the Trail Confer-ence seems to be afflictedwith a case of “social amnesia.”A case in point is the elimina-tion of the sketch of “TheThree” (Dr. Dickinson,Frank Place, and RaymondTorrey) from the heading ofthe hike listings. Yet theywere the pioneers who, withvery little help from others,

put out two editions of theNewYorkWalkBook, the first in 1923 and the second in1934. And it was done in an age that mostregions could be reached by train and trol-ley, with a motor car now and then, withrough roads, and an average speed of 25-30 miles per hour. Still, their booksinspired many city folks to seek out andtread “the long brown path.”

Then there is the case of the “Beech”Trail. This trail was scouted andmarked well over 30 years agoto honor Art Beach for hismany years of dedicatedwork for the Trail Confer-ence, both as a tireless trailworker and as a holder ofseveral official positions, not

the least of which was that ofliaison to the Palisades Inter-state Park Commission.

The name “Beach” did appear on a parkmap shortly after the trail was made, butthe park had a policy of not naming trailsfor living persons, and Art, being a mod-est man, agreed with the policy, so thename of the trail took on the spelling ofthe tree.

Perhaps the time has come to set thematter aright by changing the spellingback to what it was intended to be, per-haps with a little ceremony held at one ofthe trailheads to emphasize the point.

Robert SchulzRichmond Hill, NY

Send Us a LetterEmail it to tw@nynjtc.org; in the subjectline, put “letter toTW editor”; or send itto Trail Walker Letters, NY-NJ TrailConference, 156 Ramapo Valley Rd.,Mahwah, NJ 07430.

*Applies to purchase of gift membership for new members only. Tax-deductible. Dues are not refundable.

Purchase a Gift Membership for someone specialat 50% off our regular price!*

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A PunditGets It

New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristoftypically addresses topics in the internation-al and human rights spheres. But in August,Kristof wrote a couple of columns that tookas their theme the need for people to keepin touch with nature. He and his 11-year-old daughter, he reported, had backpackedinto wilderness “to recover from a surfeit ofcivilization.” Kristof said that he and hisfamily are frequent trail users, often back-packing on long-distance trails. But, heobserved, trails in the U.S. are too oftenpoorly maintained, especially compared totrail networks in Europe and Canada.

“One problem may be,” he wrote, “thatthe American environmental movementhas focused so much on preserving naturethat it has neglected to do enough to pre-serve a constituency for nature. It’simportant not only to save forests, but alsoto promote camping, hiking, boulderingand white-water rafting so that people careabout saving those forests. So let’s protectnature, yes, but let’s also maintain trails...”

Hear, hear!It’s great to see such a ringing endorse-

ment of the kind of work the TrailConference is all about and such a keenunderstanding of its importance from aprominent writer.

Trail Conference people know first-handthat a direct connection to nature benefitsour mind, body and spirit. For most of us,indeed for most people, the usual route tonature is via a trail. Further, as Kristofwrites, a direct connection to nature helpscreate a body politic attuned to environ-mental self-preservation. We need onlylook back to two acclaimed walkers with aliterary bent—John Muir and John Bur-roughs—who opened the eyes of anunsuspecting public to the pleasures andspiritual rejuvenation that could beachieved by a walk in nature. Readersbecame hikers and campers and, seeingincreasing urbanization, industrialization,and population around them, realized thatnature could not be taken for granted. TheAdirondack and Catskill Preserves, the Pal-isades and state park systems, and the

National Park system soon followed.Benton MacKaye took this idea of indi-

vidual renewal in nature and made thesocietal case for its importance. In 1922, heproposed a trail along the length of theAppalachian Mountains as a refuge for thelaboring population of the East Coast’scities that would help save the mountainecology, link communities, and provideindividuals with the opportunities to pre-serve their connections to nature.

The Appalachian Trail still performs thatfunction today, as do all trails and all parks.

As this issue goes to press, the Trail Con-ference is wrapping up a year marked byunusual challenges, both to our own opera-tions and those of many of our partners. Buteven in the midst of cutbacks and hardchoices, the Trail Conference has continuedto make a difference. The work we do tokeep trails open and enjoyable is a kind of apublic health program intended to forestallan epidemic of “nature-deficit disorder.”Thanks to our dedicated volunteers andstaff, we have helped keepmany of our mostbeloved parks and open spaces accessible tothe public via the trails we maintain andbuild. And interest in our work has grown.

• We support more volunteers—1,636individuals actively volunteering—than ever before—a more than 25%increase in the number of volun-teers over two years!

• We maintain more miles of trail—on average we add 50 miles of trailsto our network each year. Some webuild, some are added at the requestof local communities and park man-agers, themselves strapped for fundswith which to properly maintain pub-lic open space and trails. The TrailConference’s expertise in managingtrail projects and recruiting, training,and organizing trail volunteers is high-ly regarded and sought after by parkagencies and local governments withtrails in their care.

• We have pushed the vacancy ratein our volunteer posts to its lowestlevel on record (less than 10%), evenas we continue to add new opportuni-ties for outdoor public service.

So there is good news for the Trail Con-ference and trails in our region. We maynot yet be out of the woods, but with yourcontinued support—through your mem-bership, donations, and purchase of TrailConference maps and books—we are onthe Recovery Trail!

— Edward GoodellExecutive Director

November/December 2009 Page 3

From the Executive Director

Our work is a kind of

public health program

intended to forestall

an epidemic of

“nature-deficit disorder.”

HIKERS RAISE $15,000 FOR TRAILS AT HIKE-A-THON 2009

Presented by:

A very special thank you to our sponsors:

Palisades ParksConservancy

THANKYOU FORYOUR SUPPORT!Sixty stalwart trail supporters turned out on a gray,

rain-threatening Saturday to support trails in our

2nd Annual Hike-a-thon. This was a 50% increase

in the number of participants over last year. Thanks

to the hikers, donors, and sponsors for helping us

raise $15,000 for trail stewardship and education!

MICHAEL MALANDRAPHOTOGRAPHY

Stella Leonardis and her mom, Christine

Scout Troop 97

Top fundraiser Bob Fuller

Hiker Paul Freshnock

North Face Upper West Side and SoHoStore Team participants Amanda Blakely

(right) and Apple Hernandez (left).

Volunteer Wendy Parker displays a giftcard from Nike, one of many event

sponsors that donated gifts and prizes.

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Members Help Save Fundsfor Non-motorized TrailsIn September, Trail Conference membersand supporters were among those whohelped defeat two amendments to annualfederal Transportation funding legislationthat would have prohibited the use of fed-eral funds for pedestrian or bicyclefacilities, efforts to reduce vehicle colli-sions with wildlife, and other specifiedTransportation Enhancement projects.The amendment was withdrawn before avote on it was taken. A second amend-ment would have eliminated the currentset-aside that ensures funding for non-motorized trail enhancements in all states.All four senators fromNewYork andNewJersey voted against this amendment. TheTrail Conference had sent an email alertabout the funding issue to its membersand friends.

NEW JERSEY

ATV LegislationUp for November VotesBy advocacy volunteer Brenda Holzinger

Bills that would create new regulations forAll Terrain Vehicles (ATVS) in New Jerseyare expected to be up for full votes in boththe Assembly and Senate after theNovember 3 elections. S2055 and A823,would establish requirements for the reg-istration and identification of ATVs andenforcement of laws regarding their use.

Legislation requiring the NJ Depart-ment of Environmental Protection to“try” to locate three ATV parks in the stateis currently linked to S2055 and A823,which means that both bills must moveforward through the legislative processtogether. If no action is taken before theend of the year, when the current legisla-tive session ends, the entire process willneed to begin anew in 2010, when a newlegislative session, with a fully reelectedAssembly and a slightly reconfigured Sen-ate, convenes. Because this time frame isso short, your help is needed more thanever to pass this important legislation!

For current updates about this legisla-tion and ways you can support this effort,please visit theTrail Conference website atwww.nynjtc.org/content/atv-legislation-summary.

NEWYORK

Trail Conference AwardedTwo Conservation GrantsThe Land Trust Alliance New York StateConservation Partnership Programawarded the Trail Conference two grantson October 1, 2009.

A grant of $40,000 over two years willsupport the Trail Conference’s West Hud-son Community Trail Program, whichaims to enhance public access and pro-mote community support for open spaceprotection by expanding trail networksand improving links between public parksand preserves in Rockland, Orange, Sulli-van, Ulster, and Greene counties.Funding will enable the Trail Conferenceto provide assistance, largely through aRegional Representative, to local munici-palities and private landowners in DECRegions 3 & 4, bringing thousands ofNew Yorkers closer to trailheads and localprotected areas.

A second grant, of $3,000, will help theTrail Conference, in partnership with thePalisades Interstate Park Commission andOrange County, to complete the bargain-sale purchase of a key parcel adjacent to theSterling Forest State Park, expanding animportant natural area in close proximityto the New York City metropolitan area.

Page 4 November/December 2009

Conservation & Advocacy News Notes

Make sure you get Action Alertsfrom the Trail Conference so that youcan help support our region’s trails,parks, and open spaces. Set youremail program to accept mail fromthe New York-New Jersey Trail Con-ference!

IN HARRIMAN STATE PARKVictory TrailThat a section of the Victory Trail is a utili-ty road was barely noticeable until recentwork that has been reported and questionedby several hikers. Construction of a roadaccessible to large utility trucks was begunby the park after the utilities advised thatwithout the road development, the lines topark facilities would not be serviced. As ofthe September deadline for this newsletter,clearing and construction of a widened dirtroad over the trail, extending from a shortdistance north of Lake Skenonto, south tothe terminus of the trail, was nearly com-plete. Culverts have been installed fordrainage at some low spots.

The Trail Conference has requested thatlow spots be filled in and the road andadjoining surfaces be made as neat as rea-sonable. During an early September fieldtrip to the site, the Victory Trail remainedblazed adequately to follow. MaintainersSeth Schwartz, Janet Waegel, and WayneMiller planned to attend to the trail by theend of September.

We thank the several hikers who report-ed and questioned this major traildisruption. Trail users are often the first tobe aware of trail issues and we encourageyour eyewitness reports. To report a trailissue or problem go to our website, click onthe Community tab and choose Report aTrail Problem; or call 201-512-9348.

Blue Disc TrailA large number of the blue-on-white disctrail blazes were removed this past summerby persons unknown, who not only dam-aged and removed blaze tags, but hackedoff painted blazes from the trees. Re-blaz-ing has been accomplished for the easterntwo-thirds of the trail and, as of September,is adequate to follow the entire trail length.

Nurian TrailAs of late September, the bridge over theRamapo River, between Route 17 and theSouthfields Pedestrian Bridge over the NYState Thruway, was impassable. Watch ourwebsite for news of the bridge reopening.

Also on the Nurian Trail, of the two lowbridges across Stahahe Brook, the more east-ern one had collapsed and Trail Conferencevolunteers have removed it; at this time thepark is unable to providematerials to replaceit. The almost adjacent western bridge hassagged but is currently crossable though slip-pery. Both stream crossings are quite easilyachieved without use of the bridges.Parking Note: Parking is not allowed at

the defunct Red Apple Rest or on sur-rounding private property. Parking isavailable about 0.8-mile northwest ofRoute 17 on Hall Drive off of OrangeTurnpike, but would entail a road walk.Parking should also be allowable at theSouthfields Post Office during hours that itis not open—but never in the adjacent pri-vately owned lot. The difficulty of parkingin this location may also affect hikers whowould otherwise plan to connect with oth-er trails, such as the Stahahe Brook, WhiteBar, and Dunning Trails.

Kanawauke Lakes and Route 106Route 106 remains closed between LakeKanawauke and Little Long Pond, due todeterioration of two bridges. Repair hasbegun on one of them and is expected to becompleted and the road opened by winter.The lakes are being drained to allow therepair work to be accomplished and forsome weed control. Parking on 106from 7-Lakes Drive is available at LakeKanawauke. From Route 17 the road isalso passable to the closed bridge, provid-ing access to parking for the Parker CabinHollow and White Bar Trails, Island Pond

Norvin Green VolunteersNorvin Green Trails Co-Supervisor Paul Makus and Central JerseyCo-Chairs Estelle Anderson and Bob Jonas thank the followingvolunteers for their work on trails in Norvin Green State Forest.

Eagle Scout candidate Anthony Outeiral and his fellow scouts,friends, and family, including: Anthony Catalano, Mike Diaz-Piedra, Christopher, James, and Marie Geocos, Robert Jonas, KyleKatorincek, Abie Khalil, Emily Kratzer, Matt and Tim Krogdahl,Sal, Celeste, Marie-Elena, and JohnManteria, Henry, Pat, Matthew,Tristan, and Rosalia Outeiral, Mike Penn, Todd Porter, MatthewRogers, Jeffrey Telep, Ashley Noelle Volpe and Alex Voss.

Girl Scout Gold Award candidate Rachel Maynard and her fellowscouts, friends and family, including: Jessica Levine, AntonioLombardo, and Debbie Maynard.

West Jersey Trail Crew, helpers, students, and potential Central Jersey Crew members: Monica and David Day (West Jersey CrewChiefs), the Barnhard family, Jack Baccaglini, Ian Blundell, Brian Dostal, Christie Ferguson, Lee Higgs, Larry May, Gay Mayer, LeslieMcGlynn, Lee Mott, Steve Reiss, Jeff Roggenburg, Karen Schoof, Shawn Smith, and Bill and Linda Taggart.

Trail NewsThe Highlands Trail Creates anOpportunity for a New Loop Hikein Norvin Green State ForestLong-distance trails such as the Appalachi-anTrail, Long Path, and HighlandsTrail aremore than linear corridors for one-way thruhikes or in-and-out excursions.They are thebackbone along which more modest loophikes, popular with hikers and casual trailusers, can be attached and enjoyed.

Such is the case with a new loop route inNorvin Green State Forest, west of theWanaque Reservoir in New Jersey. Comple-tion of a link in the Highlands Trail (HT)connecting Windbeam Mountain to theBlue Mine area sparked the idea to build anew loop by making a trail connection tothe HT from the RoomyMineTrail a shortdistance away. The project became thefocus for a productive collaborationbetween Trail Conference volunteers, BoyScouts, and Girl Scouts. Not only was theRoomy Mine Trail extended to the HT, theMineTrail was improved and a section relo-cated to avoid a difficult climb up a talusslope. (See map on page 12.)

The Mine Trail improvements becamean Eagle Scout project for Anthony Out-eiral, a Life Scout of BSA Troop 350 inWestwood. Anthony worked with NorvinGreen Trails Co-Supervisor Paul Makusand us (Central Jersey Trails Co-ChairsEstelle Anderson and Robert Jonas) todesign a new route off the talus slope upthe hill alongside the Roomy Mine thatwould afford a nice viewpoint over theWanaque Reservoir. This portion of theproject was completed in the fall of 2008.

Anthony and members of his Scout Troopthen went on to build a series of 15 water-bars on the northern section of the MineTrail up Ball Mountain.

We then had to consider the actual con-nector trail from above the Roomy Minedown to the Highlands Trail and the low-lands via a rather steep hill. To perform therequired work of building stone steps, weenlisted Monica and David Day of theWest Jersey Trail Crew to make this a com-bined work trip and a Trail ConstructionWorkshop, aka Trail Maintenance 102. Sothis crew of hardened veterans of rock workwere joined by an eager group of volun-teers, who high-lined, pried, dug, wedged,and cajoled large slabs of rock into position

for a staircase, and spent hours terracingand side-hilling this new trail section.

Joining our group was Rachel Maynard,a Girl Scout from West Milford Girl ScoutTroop 499, who was working towardsobtaining her Gold Award, which is theequivalent to the BSA’s Eagle rank. Rachel,and her mom, Debbie, although new totrail building, enthusiastically charged intothe work of building new trail.

After the West Jersey Crew completedtwo weeks of hard work, Rachel and hercrew of fellowGirl Scouts and school friendsreturned to finish clearing the trail, paintingblazes, and joining it with the HighlandsTrail. Rachel is now proud to point out “herstep” (see photo) to all visitors.

Hikers will now have the pleasure of tra-versing this new loop. (Turn to page 12 fora description of one hike that uses the newand improved trails or visit the Hikes data-base on the Trail Conference website,www.nynjtc.org/view/hike. Scroll toNorvin Green State Forest in the Parks col-umn and look for “Highlands/RoomyMine Trails Loop from West BrookRoad.”) It offers the hiker a little bit ofeverything as its makes its 3.1-mile circuitup and down a series of hills, passing twoold mines, a few scenic viewpoints, a love-ly forest, and gorgeous rock outcrops.

A huge thank-you to all who participat-ed in this project, as it is an important andscenic trail connection.

— Bob Jonas & Estelle Anderson,Central Jersey Co-Chairs,

Paul Makus & Chris Synol,Co-Supervisors

Boy Scouts + Girl Scouts + Trail Conference = New Trail Loop

Left to right: Estelle Anderson, AntonioLombardo, Debbie Maynard, Jessica Levine.Kneeling is Rachel Maynard, the Girl Scoutwho earned her Gold Award for her trailwork and points to “her” rock step.

continued on page 10

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HIGHLANDS TRAIL CREWLeaders: Glenn Oleksak, HT Supervisor:htsupervisor@verizon.net or 973-283-0306Adam Rosenberg, HT Co-Supervisor:dobsonian@verizon.com or 973-570-0853

Monthly on a SundayWe generally get together the first Sunday of everymonth to tackle various jobs building new sectionsor reworking existing sections of the HighlandsTrail throughout New Jersey as well as in New Yorkwest of the Hudson River. We also schedule otherwork dates. All are welcome, experience is not nec-essary. Contact leader for details of the current tripand what tools to bring.

Sunday, November 15Combo Hike & Work TripLocation TBD

Sunday, December 13Combo Hike & Work TripLocation TBD

METRO TRAIL CREWLeaders: Joe Gindoff, 718-614-2219,joeghiker@nynjtc.org; Linda Sullivan, crew chief,347-721-6123, marmlinda@yahoo.com;Liz Gonzalez, lz.gonzalez@verizon.net

Sturdy work boots or other hiking footwear ismandatory. All participants must sign in to performtrail work. RSVP is a must.

Please contact Linda Sullivan, Metro Trail CrewChief, in order to receive email notices of work out-ings, or check the Metro Trail Crew page on theTrail Conference website.

EAST HUDSON CREWS

Ward Pound RidgeWeekly Trail Maintenance TripsLeader:WPRR Trail Maintainerwprrtrailmaintainer@gmail.comMeet: 9:30am at the Trailside Nature MuseumWard Pound Ridge.

Ward Pound Ridge volunteer trail maintainersmeet weekly year round. If you would like tobe put on their email list for notifications, contactwprrtrailmaintainer@gmail.com or view the EastHudson Trail Crew webpage at www.nynjtc.orgfor more information and the schedule.

Dutchess-Putnam AT in Fahnestock State ParkEvery SaturdayLeader: Tim Messerich,bascomgrillmaster@yahoo.com 845-297-9573Meet: 9am at the west side of Canopus Lake(Rt. 301), at the AT Crossing.

Trail work involves hauling stones, drilling stones,placing stone steps, and building waterbars. Callleader to confirm!

Angle Fly Preserve in Westchester CountySaturday, November 8Contact: Friends of Angle Fly,fafp@somerslandtrust.orgMeet: 10am at the entrance to Angle Fly, off Prim-rose Street, 0.5 miles south of Reis Park (in theTown of Somers).

The Friends of Angle Fly are working on some newtrails at Angle Fly with the support of the Trail Con-ference. Work includes trail clearing, putting in abridge, and sidehilling.

Teatown to Kitchawan Trail in WestchesterSaturday, November 21Contact: Catherine Gemmell, gemmell@nynjtc.orgMeet: 9:30am at location TBA (See Trail Crew Page)

Be a part of connecting Kitchawan County Park toTeatown Lake Reservation with a carefully plannedtrail on designated DEP recreational lands. Newtrail construction begins in October, and willcontinue through the end of the year.

BEAR MOUNTAIN TRAILS PROJECTProject Manager: Eddie Walsh,bearmountaintrails@gmail.com, 845-591-1537Volunteer Coordinator: Christopher Ingui, bear-mountaintrails@gmail.com, 201-783-3599

Thursday-Monday, Weekly to NovemberGeneral work days, suitable for beginners toexperienced trail workersTraining will be provided according to participant’sskill level, interest, and project needs. Meeting timeis 8:30am at Bear Mountain. Please sign up viaemail and wait for either an email or phone confir-mation from us prior to attending to confirm the tripand so we know whether to expect you.

Work trips involve a variety of tasks and experience,such as: corridor clearing, prepping work sites,quarrying stone, using an overhead highline totransport stone, creating crushed stone (with mashand sledge hammers), building crib walls, settingrock steps, and splitting stone.

WEST HUDSON SOUTH CREW

Leaders: Chris Ezzo (crew chief): 516-431-1148,musicbynumbers59@yahoo.comBrian Buchbinder: 718-218-7563,brian@grandrenovation.comClaudia Ganz: 212-633-1324, clganz@earthlink.netBobMarshall: 914-737-4792, rmarshall@webtv.netMonica Day: 732-937-9098, Cell: 908-307-5049,westjerseycrew@trailstobuild.com

Saturday, October 31Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail onBlack Mountain, Bear MountainState ParkLeader: Claudia Ganz

Saturday, November 7AT on West Mountain,Bear Mountain S.P.Leader: Monica Day

Thursday, November 12TBDLeader: Bob Marshall

Saturday, November 14TBDLeader: Brian Buchbinder

WEST HUDSON NORTH CREW

Leaders: Denise Vitale (crew chief):WHNTrails@aol.com, 845-738-2126(days or early evenings)Dave Webber (crew leader):webberd1@yahoo.com, 845-452-7238

Peters Kill Loop Red Trail,Minnewaska State Park PreserveRelocation of this trail continues. Each work tripwill include education for the novice and plenty ofchallenges for the more experienced. This is agreat opportunity to learn all the basics of trailbuilding like side-hilling, rock moving with rockbars and a high-line system, plus rock split-ting/shaping and building crib walls and stairs.

Saturday, November 14Leader: Dave Webber

Sunday, November 22Leader: Denise Vitale

November/December 2009 Page 5

Trail CrewSchedules

October — December 2009

Check our website for possibleadditions or changes to schedules.Go to www.nynjtc.org and click onTrail Crews in the Get Involved tab.

TBD = To Be Determined

For all trips bring work gloves, water,lunch, insect repellent. In some cases,tools are provided. Contact leaders inadvance for meeting times and places.

CENTRAL JERSEY TRAILS COMMITTEELeaders: Estelle Anderson and Bob Jonas,ynoke@aol.com, 908-803-3883 (cell)

Winter Break

NORTH JERSEY WEEKEND CREWLeader: Sandy Parr, 732-469-5109

Second Sunday of each monthTrips start at 9:30 am; call for location anddetails during the week before the scheduled tripday. Tackle a variety of projects ranging from trailrepair to bridge building in northern New Jersey.

NORTH JERSEY WEEKDAY CREWLeader: John Moran, thornburyhall@verizon.net

Work outings as neededThis crew covers the NJ Ramapos, Ringwood S. P.,Norvin Green S. F., and NJ Palisades area. Itspurpose is to respond quickly to immediateneeds, rather than to schedule definite events farin advance. If you’re interested in being on callfor this work, contact John Moran by email.

WEST JERSEY CREWLeaders: Monica and David Day,westjerseycrew@trailstobuild.com732-937-9098 or 908-307-5049 (cell)Website: www.trailstobuild.com

Bring your lunch, plenty of water, gloves and sturdywork shoes, and be prepared to get dirty. All tools,materials and training will be provided. Beginnersare welcomed on all work trips.

All events begin at 9:00am. Please phone/email theleaders for meeting location and driving directions.There is usually a walk to the work site, so pleasebe there on time (call the leaders’ cell phone if youare coming to an event and are running late). Raincancels – if in doubt, call the leaders between 6:00and 6:30 that morning.

Carpooling: if anyone is interested in carpooling(offering a ride or riding), please let the leadersknow and we will try to arrange a shared ride. (Pas-sengers please be prepared to contribute for gas.)

Saturday, October 31Terrace Pond North Trail, Wawayanda StateParkWe will install stepping stones in a wet area ofthe Terrace Pond North Trail.

Saturday, November 14Garvey Springs Trail, Worthington State ForestWe will install water bars and mitigate an erodedarea of the Garvey Springs Trail.

NEW JERSEY APPALACHIAN TRAIL CREWLeader: Gene Giordano,trails@genegiordano.com

Second Saturday of Each Month,April through NovemberWork begins at 9am and is finished before 4pm.Covers the entire NJ section of the AT, blue-blazedside trails, and shelters. Supplements work by ourindividual maintainers as requested and for specialwork projects. Workers bring gloves, lunch, andwater; all tools, equipment and training provided.Email leader to be placed on email notification list.

Volunteers Build New Staircase to Wyanokie High PointOn two consecutive weekends this September, members of the West

Jersey Trail Crew and the Central Jersey Trails Committee constructed

a total of 34 rock steps on the co-aligned portion of the Mine and

Hewitt-Butler Trails as they begin their climb of Wyanokie High Point in

Norvin Green State Forest. The goal was to create a safer, more

enjoyable hiking experience and to forestall erosion on a steep and

rocky trail section to Wyanokie High Point. This popular route connects

with the Otter Hole Trail from the Weis Ecology Center.

Left to right: Monica and David Day, Joan Lyons, Estelle Anderson, Steve Reiss,and Lee Mott. Not pictured: Paul Makus, Gay Mayer, and Bob Jonas.

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November/December 2009

Volunteer Classifieds: Get Involved!To indicate your interest, or for more informa-tion about these or other volunteeropportunities, go to www.nynjtc.org/volunteeron our website; or contact us at volun-teers@nynjtc.org or 201-512-9348 ext. 22

OFF-TRAIL OPPORTUNITIES

Help Support our VirtualTrail ConferenceJoin an enthusiastic team of volunteerswho ensure our website is the best placeto go for trails information in the NewYork-New Jersey metropolitan region!

The New York–New Jersey Trail Confer-ence is putting in place a team ofvolunteers to support and enhance ourwebsite's capabilities. If you have a fewhours each month or more to volunteerand would like to be a champion of ourvirtual presence on theWeb, sign up now!We need a wide range of skills and abili-ties to keep our site running, ensure itscontent is current and accurate, and tomaintain our presence in the expandingWeb-enabled social network. Much of thework can be accomplished from yourhome computer on your own schedule.

Openings exist in the following areas:Assistant Webmaster, Web Developer,Analytics Maven, CRM database lead,Long Island Parks Section Writer. See ourvolunteer openings postings on our web-site for additional details.

Volunteer Office Assistants Needed!We need your help! Come to our Mah-wah office and assist us whenever you can.TheTrail Conference has a wide variety oftasks that could use your expertise, fromassisting customers and answering phonecalls, order processing and mailings, toworking on special projects. Make newfriends or join current ones at the TCoffice for a few hours

Volunteer Job Description WriterWe need a volunteer to write clear andcomprehensive job descriptions for our dif-ferent volunteer positions. This would suitsomeone with a background in HR, or anindividual with good listening and writingskills. If you are able to listen and help vol-unteers think through particular jobpositions to develop a set of written volun-teer job descriptions, then let us know!

Long Island Parks WebWriterOur web site includes descriptions of parksthroughout our region, but the LongIsland region is yet to be done. Check outother park pages at www.nynjtc.org/view/parks and let us know if you’re inter-ested in researching and writing the LongIsland region.

ON-TRAIL OPPORTUNITIES

Trail MaintainerAdopt a segment of a trail to keep clear andadequately blazed two ormore times a year,and help to keep our region’s footpathsaccessible, pristine, and protected.Vacancies exist in the following areas:

NEW YORKAppalachianTrail (PutnamCounty), BlackRock Forest, Black Dome Range(Catskills), Catskills Long Path (Devil’sPath, North Escarpment, Phoenicia-EastBranch, or Mount Tremper), Harri-man/Bear Mountain, Hudson Highlands,Shawangunk Ridge Trail, South Taconics,Staten Island, Van Cortlandt Park

NEW JERSEYFarny Highlands, High Mountain, HighPoint State Park, Highlands Trail, North-ern Wyanokies, Palisades (Edgewater),Pequannock Watershed, RingwoodState Park, Southwest Highlands, StokesState Forest, Swartswood State Park,Wawayanda State Park.

Corridor Monitors Needed inNorthern NJ/NY Border andPutnam County, NYCorridor Monitors walk the boundariesof the Appalachian Trail lands, reportingincursions and misuse, documentingmonuments and markers, and interactwith neighboring landowners. If youenjoy the off-trail experience, and wouldlike to help protect these trail lands, thenthis is the opportunity for you!

Trail Supervisor for HarrimanState ParkIf you have a trail maintenance back-ground and would now like to apply yourexperience to the stewardship of 25% ofthe footpaths in Harriman, then this maybe just the job for you! Working with theWest Hudson Trails Chair, you would beresponsible for assigning, training andsupervising maintainers covering an areaof about 45 miles of trail.

Trail Crew Leader for East HudsonExercise your leadership skills! Superviseand work with regional Trail Chairs andTrail Supervisors to lead Trail Crew tripsthroughout the East Hudson area. TrailCrews provide the construction and trailrestoration needs in order to ensure thattrails are built or repaired to Trail Confer-ence standards. Determine the workschedule, help identify and plan projects,build your team of volunteers, and men-tor new leaders.

There are many ways to give back to trails. In addition to volunteering to serve as anew member of the Trail Conference Board of Directors, Hans Khimm (center) recruitedfriends to participate in Hike-a-thon. Check the volunteer opportunities listed above orvisit our website, www.nynjtc.org and click on “Volunteer” to give back in the way thatbest suits you.

NY-NJTrailConference

BENEFITS

25%Discount on Trail Conference publications andclothingwhen purchased directly from the Trail Conference.

FREE Subscription to the Trail Walker, the TrailConference’s bi-monthly newsletter filled with timely articlesand columns that will enhance your hiking experiences.

Money-Saving Discounts at participating retailersand businesses.

Workshops and Seminars on trail maintenanceand construction, leadership training, wilderness first aid,chainsaw operation, environmental monitoring andGPS operation.

Volunteer Opportunities to “learn by doing” inareas as varied as trail maintenance, construction,publications, environmental monitoring, and cartography.

Access to the Hoeferlin Library at the TrailConference office that includes more than 1,000 bookson hiking round the world, along with maps, guides anda historical archive.

VISIT WWW.NYNJTC.ORG/CONTENT/RETAIL-PARTNERSFOR COMPLETE LIST OF MONEY-SAVING DISCOUNTS!

The Trail Conference is proud to offer a MembershipBenefit Program, which was created to provide ourmembers with money-saving discounts at area retailersand service providers — benefits only available toTrail Conference members.

As part of your Trail Conference membership, you areissued a card identifying you as a Trail Conferencemember, making you eligible for all program discounts.To receive your member discounts, you must presentyour valid membership card at the time of purchase.Some stores offer the discount only on select items,so be sure to ask.

We encourage our members to take advantage of thisincredible opportunity that comes with a Trail Conferencemembership. New discounts and offers are continuallybeing added so be sure to visit our website’s membershipbenefits area at www.nynjtc.org/content/retail-partnersfor current offers.

Trail Conference members can takeadvantage of exclusive discountsand benefits with participatingretailers and businesses!

You can recoup the cost of yourmembership in one visit!

Page 6

Some of Our Discount Partners

NY-NJTrailConference

BENEFITS

Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation

Trail Walker is a bi-monthly paper published by the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, 156 Ramapo Valley Road, Mahwah, NewJersey 07430. The editor and managing editor is Georgette Weir, at the same address. The annual subscription price is $15; contactperson is Josh Howard; telephone number is 201-512-9348. The tax status of the organization has not changed during the preceding12 months.

As of the filing date of October 1, 2009, the average number of copies of each issue during the preceding 12 months was 11,000; theactual number of copies of the single issue published nearest to the filing date was 11,000. The paper has a total paid and/or request-ed circulation of 7,427 (average) and 7,639 (actual, most recent issue). The average free distribution for the 12 months preceding thefiling date was 4,000 (average) and 4,000 (actual, most recent issue). The total average distribution was 11,000; the actual distributionof the single issue published nearest to the filing date was 11,000.

This information is reported on U. S. Postal Service Form 3526 and here as required by 39 USC 3685.

JANE

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November/December 2009 Page 7

With the winter season fast approaching,many animals such as wood-warblers, sala-manders, and black bears have started toeither migrate or hibernate and will not beseen again until spring. This doesn't meanthat naturalists can't continue to explorethe amazing landscape within the NewYork-New Jersey Trail Conference trail net-work. In fact, winter is the perfect time tosearch for rare forest carnivores such asbobcats and fishers, which are mostly activeat night, and usually avoid humans.

Over a century ago, fishers were extir-pated from the New York-New Jerseyregion because of a combination of loss oftheir forest habitat to farmland and unreg-ulated trapping. Thankfully, they werereintroduced in New York in the late1970s and have just recently made theirway back to the Kittatinny Ridge of NewJersey. Similarly, bobcats were eliminatedfrom New Jersey and were reintroduced tothe Garden State around the same time.Now we have the opportunity to find evi-dence of these elusive mammals—normally associated with remote wilder-ness regions in Ontario or Maine—righthere using snow tracking techniques.

Fishers leave tracks similar to mink andotter, but of intermediate size. Clear tracksof the fisher measure about 2 3/4" in lengthby 3" in width and have five toes on eachfoot with claws showing. Depending on

snow conditions, the grouping pattern oftracks may assist in species identification.Fishers often move in a lope pattern withthe four feet landing at different times, butusually one track overlaps another. In deep-er snow, fishers will travel by boundingwith both front feet landing simultaneous-ly at an angle to one another and then thehind feet landing in the same spots. Rac-coons will sometimes use this pattern aswell but will switch up the track angle morefrequently than fishers. Without a clearprint, other diagnostic characteristics arethe fisher's solitary behavior and generalavoidance of trails and open areas. So, youmay not see tracks running along a trail,but watch for tracks crossing trails, or inthe nearby woods.

Bobcat tracks have the classic shape ofanimals in the cat family, with four asym-metrically aligned toes on both front andhind feet, and tracks measuring about 13/4" in length by 2" in width with no clawsshowing. The front feet are slightly largerthan the hind feet. Bobcats usually moveusing a direct register pattern in which thefront foot is lifted and then the hind foot ofthe same side is placed almost exactly ontop of the previous track. Small bobcattracks can overlap with those of a largehousecat but are typically about twice thesize and have a wider trail width.

Surprisingly, much more can be learnedfrom following the trail of an animal thanfrom an actual sighting. Habitat use, foodpreferences, and even human impacts canall be gleaned from snow tracking. My bestoutdoor memories are of below-freezingdays near the Appalachian Trail in New Jer-

sey tracking fishers, bobcats, and coyotes ascrisp, cold winds howled through majesticwhite pines. I have discovered sites in whichfishers and bobcats have left the remains oftheir prey—raccoon, opossum, and redsquirrel—allowing me to learn about theirfeeding behavior. By following tracks, I havealso directly seen the fisher's preference formixed coniferous forests with old trees,downed logs, and standing snags.

On several occasions, I was able to tracka fisher long enough to recover a preciousscat sample. Through genetic analysis ofthe scat, we can determine not only whatspecies made the scat and what populationit came from, but even distinguish individ-ual animals. Following tracks is also used tofigure out where animals are crossing road-ways, and this information is then used tohelp establish wildlife corridors, underpass-es beneath highways, and other linkagesthat allow animals to move safely from onepatch of habitat to another.

So, keep your eyes peeled this winterif you’re out in the snow! Please reportany tracks of fishers or bobcats to meat ckontos@eden.rutgers.edu. The infor-mation will be used in makingrecommendations to the wildlife manage-ment agencies to protect and enhance thesewonderful predator’s lives in our midst.

Charles Kontos is a conservation biologistfocusing on wildlife in New Jersey. He is agraduate student in ecology and evolution atRutgers University.

Snow TrackingFishers andBobcatsBy Charles Kontos

Fishers (Martes pennanti), sometimesknown as “fisher cats,” have returned natu-rally to New Jersey, after an absence of atleast 100 years. Data collected by C. C.Kontos and P. A. X. Bologna in 2006 and2007 from camera trapping, tracking, andscat analysis confirmed the occurrence ofthis relative of martens and weasels inStokes State Forest (Sussex County). (SeeCharles Kontos’s article on tracking fishersand bobcats this page.)

Fishers were once widespread and abun-dant throughout the northeastern U.S.,but habitat destruction and trapping dur-ing the 19th century led to dramaticdeclines and local extinctions. Over thepast 30 years, successful fisher reintroduc-tion programs have been carried out inPennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut,providing potential source populations forthe natural return of fishers to New Jersey.The most likely source of the New Jerseyfishers is the introduced population in theCatskills, via the Shawangunk Ridge. Thecombination of large areas of suitable habi-tat (forest) and abundant prey (small

mammals and birds) makes Sussex Countyan ideal area for fisher populations to estab-lish and persist naturally.

Historically, fishers and other nativeNorth American wildlife species were ableto disperse across vast areas of forestedlandscape. With agriculture, industrializa-tion, and modern development in thenortheastern United States, such habitatbecame increasingly fragmented, resultingin a patchwork of forest and human-impacted habitats. Now, in this fragmentedlandscape, fishers and other wildlife, andeven plants, depend on corridors of suitablehabitat connecting forest fragments of var-ious sizes. As Kontos and Bologna pointout, the Shawangunk - Kittatinny Ridge issuch a corridor. The Trail Conference’swork in protecting trail corridors that canalso serve as biodiversity corridors isextremely important to conservationefforts of both animals and plants, and like-

ly to become even more so.Fishers are mysterious animals, in part

because they are solitary and secretive(although they are apparently becomingincreasingly habituated to humans), fastmoving, and mostly nocturnal. They aredark brown to nearly black, with whitetipped hairs that give them something of afrosted appearance, about the size of a redfox or a little smaller, with a long, bushytail. They have a reputation of being fiercepredators, and are the only known naturalpredator of porcupines. Around humanhabitations, where natural prey may bescarce, they are a threat to small domesticanimals (cats, dogs, chickens), thoughprobably less so than coyotes. They areadept tree climbers, and often nest in holesin trees.

I was first introduced to fishers by wayof their strangest trait. Three of us were sit-ting out on a deck near Hartford (CT)

after dark one late summer evening, sur-rounded by a small patch of woods. All ofa sudden came a sound that is generallydescribed as a screech or a scream, eerilyhuman sounding, like something straightout of a horror movie. Hearts poundingand eyes wide, we all looked at each other,wanting confirmation that the others hadheard it as well. There was some (brief )discussion about taking a flashlight andgoing to look for whatever had made thenoise. The next day a neighbor asked us ifwe had heard something in the woods.When I told a local zoologist about it, shesaid without pause, “Oh, that was a fish-er.” About a year later, the photo at left wastaken from the same deck.

Robynn K. Shannon is a botanist andTrail Conference volunteer who dividesher time between northern New Jerseyand Connecticut.

FishersReturn toNew JerseyBy Robynn K. Shannon

A 2 by 2 bounding lope pattern of a fisher. A 3 by 4 lope pattern. Bobcat tracks in a direct register pattern. Bobcat tracks (High Point State Park)

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This fisher was photographed in a suburban yard in Connecticut.

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The elusive fisher is making a comebackin our region.

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Fisher tracks (Stokes State Forest)

Science & Ecology

Page 8 November/December 2009

NovemberSunday, November 1

[Don’t Forget to Turn Your Clocks Back]

NYR. Dozer Junction North, East Hudson Highlands, NY.Leader: Jim Korn, 212-697-4811. Meet: 7:30am at Grand CentralTerminal for 7:47 Hudson Line train (RT Beacon; check traintimes). Shoreline Trail and local roads to Overlook Trail andFishkill Ridge, over Lambs Hill to Dozer Junction. After looparound Bald Hill, return to Beacon; possible side trips.

ADK-MH. Black Creek Preserve, Esopus, NY.Leader: BethWillis,845-373-8202. Meet: 1pm; call for meeting place. 2-3 miles onwest shore of the Hudson in a Scenic Hudson Park, with 150-footuphill and then gently sloping forest path ending at the river. Badweather cancels.

WTA. Sterling Forest State Park, NY. Leader: Catharine Raf-faele; for more hike info contact Eileen West ateileenw1000@yahoo.com. Meet: 9:30am at North White Plainstrain station ($7 fee if carpooling), or send email inquiring aboutalternate meeting place. Moderate 6 miles. Climb to fire towerand along the ridge, then return along the lake.

AFW. Ramapo Valley County Reservation, Mahwah, NJ.Leader: Must register at www.adventuresforwomen.org or 973-644-3592. Meet: 10am; register for location. Moderate hike at aneasy pace; out by 2pm.

UCHC. Somerset Environmental Center, Basking Ridge, NJ.Leader: Mary Doyle, 908-580-1778. Meet: 10am at Somerset.Moderate hike on trails and boardwalks. Bring lunch to enjoy out-doors after the hike. Rain cancels.

IHC. Blue Mountain, Blairstown, NJ. Leader: BobWarren, 908-626-0130. Meet: 9am at lot on Rt. 521, just north of exit 12 onI-80. Moderately strenuous 8 miles. We’ll drive to parking justpast Millbrook Village, then hike along Blue Mtn. Lake to Hem-lock Pond, thenWoods Trail to Buttermilk Falls. Return on the ATto Crater Lake.

Monday, November 2

UCHC. Lewis Morris Park, Morristown, NJ. Leader: SusanJacobs, 973-402-2555.Meet: 10amat Sunrise Lake lower parkingarea. Easy 3 miles, meandering trails past Sunrise Lake.

RVW. Ashokan High Point (3080'), Catskills, NY. Leader: 845-338-8772. Moderate+ hike: 7.5 miles, 6 hours; elevation gain1980'. Meet at 8am. Inclement weather date—following Monday.

Thursday, November 5

UCHC. Shepherd Lake, Ringwood State Park, NJ. Leader: BobBieri, 201-664-3813. Meet: 10am at Shepherd Lake parking.Moderately strenuous 7-8 miles; for experienced hikers. Markedand unmarked trails, and old carriage roads.

AFW. Buttermilk Falls, Rockland County, NY. Leader: Mustregister at 973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org.Meet: 10am; register for location. Moderate hike; out by 2pm.

Saturday, November 7

UCHC. Watchung Trail Maintenance, Mountainside, NJ.Leader: Register by calling Betty Kelly, 908-789-3683. Meet:9:30am; we’ll work until noon. Have fun while giving back to thetrails; no experienceneeded. Bringworkgloves, bag for trash, andclippers/loppers if you have them. Trail work is held unless thereis severe weather.

AMC-NY/NoJ. Breakneck Ridge to Sunset Point, East HudsonHighlands, NY. Leader: HallieWolfe, halliewolfe@optonline.net or914-941-5331. Meet: Contact leader. Rocky climb with exposure;9 miles – difficult but rewarding hike. Newbie-friendly, but not forthe faint of heart or short of breath. Laid back pace and lots ofsupport for first-time scramblers.

ADK-MH & Trail Conference. Shawangunk Ridge Trail,Ferguson Road to Sam’s Point, NY. Leaders: GeorgetteWeir andJean-Claude Fouere, geweir@optonline.net (put SRT Hike insubject line) or 845-462-0142. Meet: Contact leaders for detailsand to register; registration limited. 12 strenuous miles. TheNY-NJ Trail Conference has been developing this trail fordecades. Section includes Roosa Gap State Forest and the newSouth Gully Trail. Shuttle required.

WTA. Westchester Wilderness Walk, Pound Ridge, NY. Leader:Marcia Cohen; for more hike info contact Eileen West ateileenw1000@yahoo.com. Meet: 9:30am at North White Plainstrain station ($3 fee if carpooling), or send email inquiring aboutalternate meeting place. Easy to moderate 5-6 miles; shadedpaths on varied terrain.

ADK-MH. Easy Poetry Walk, Red Hook, NY. Leader: NancyKeenan-Rich, 845-452-1727. Meet: 10am at Poet’s Walk; call fordirections. 2 miles on level trail with views of the Hudson; poetryreading in the gazebo. Bring snack and poem that fits the season,if you like. Rain cancels.

UCHC. South Mtn. Reservation, Millburn, NJ. Leader: EllenJeydel, 908-232-2413. Meet: 10am at Locust Grove parking,corner of Glen Ave. and Lackawanna Pl., across from RR station.Moderate hike. Rain cancels.

AFW. Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, NY. Leader: Register at973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org. Meet: Noon;register for location. Easy hike; out by 4pm.

Sunday, November 8

AFW. Buttermilk Falls, Stokes State Forest, NJ. Leader:Register at 973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org.Meet: 10am; register for location. Moderate hike at a fast pace;out by 4pm.

IHC. West Mtn. and the Timp, Harriman State Park, NY. Leader:Roy Williams, 570-828-6207. Meet: 9am at Anthony Wayne park-ing lot, off exit 17 on Palisades Parkway. Strenuous hike over WestMountain andcontinuingover to theTimp.Returnon theRamapo-Dunderberg and other trails. Bad weather cancels.

AMC-NY/NoJ. East Hudson Highlands, Garrison, NY. Leader:Hal Kaplan, 914-376-3156. Meet: Contact leader; message onmachine Friday evening. Moderate 7miles. Climb to AT viewpointat White Rock, then down 600 feet and back to Arden Point,finishing at Garrison Landing. Bad weather cancels.

WTA. Mt. Taurus, East Hudson Highlands, Cold Spring, NY.Leader: Peter Hibbard; for more hike info contact Eileen West ateileenw1000@yahoo.com. Meet: 9:30am at North White Plainstrain station ($6 fee if carpooling), or send email inquiring aboutalternate meeting place. Moderately strenuous 6 miles, moremoderate in the afternoon. Climb to top of Mt. Taurus for viewsthen descend past streams and a former dairy farm.

TNC. Family Nature Walk, Tenafly, NJ. Leader: TNC environ-mental educator; sign up at www.tenaflynaturecenter.org or call201-568-6093. Enjoy a guided walk along one of the center’strails. Program intended for adults and families; no strollersplease. Preregistration requested but not required. Free formembers; $5 for nonmembers.

Monday, November 9

RVW. Balsam Cap (3623') and Friday (3694') Mountains,Catskills, NY. For details: Call 845-246-8616. Strenuousbushwhack: 7.5 miles, 7.5 hours. Meet: 8am. Inclement weatherdate—following Monday.

Wednesday, November 11

UCHC. Ramapo Lake, Oakland, NJ. Leader: Micky Siegel,201-797-7054. Meet: 10am at Skyline Dr., first lot on left at bottomof hill (I-287 to exit 57). Very scenic, casual hike, well worth thedrive. Beautiful view of the lake; bring snack or lunch for20-minute rest stop. Call if in doubt due to inclement weather.

RVW. Buttercup Farm Sanctuary, Pine Plains, NY. Leader:Call 845-758-6143. Easy Hike: 3 miles, 3 hours. Meet: 9am.

Thursday, November 12

UCHC. Seven Hills Trail, Harriman State Park, NY. Leader:Ron Kuhns, 201-836-5256. Meet: 10am at Lake Sebago boatlaunch parking. Moderately strenuous 7-8 miles with nice views;for experienced hikers.

Saturday, November 14

ADK-MH. Locust Grove Walk, Poughkeepsie, NY. Leaders: BillBeehler and Ellen Zelig, 845-473-5557. Meet: 10am at parking loton Rt. 9 opposite Beechwood Dr. Join the strollers for an autumntour of the Locust Grove grounds. Bring snack; rain cancels.

AFW. Jockey Hollow National Park, Morristown, NJ. Leader:Register at 973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org.Meet: 10am; register for location. Moderate hike; out by 2pm.

ADK-MH. Appalachian Trail, From NY to NJ. Leader: DavidKoehler, 917-613-2043or k2dave88@yahoo.com;must register byNov. 13. Meet: Contact leader for details. 8 miles from Rt. 17Aoutside Sterling Forest to Longhouse Rd. Crosses Cascade andFurnace Brooks and Longhouse Creek.

AMC-NY/NoJ. Osborn Loop, East Hudson Highlands, Garrison,NY. Leader: Janice Bortree, 845-831-4430. Meet: Contact leader.Moderate 6 miles. From Manitoga, up to Russel Wright’s inspirednature preserve with a glimpse of “Dragon Rock,” his famoushouse. Then on to Osborn Loop and views from Sugarloaf.Rain cancels.

WTA. Long Path North from Nyack State Park, NY. Leader:Ellie Carren; for more hike info contact Eileen West ateileenw1000@yahoo.com. Meet: 9:30am at North White Plainstrain station ($4 fee if carpooling), or send email inquiring aboutalternate meeting place. Moderate 5miles with lots of hills but ata leisurely pace. Scenic hike starts and ends on Ice House Road,with lovely views of the Hudson.

UCHC. South Mtn. Reservation, Millburn, NJ. Leader: NaomiShapiro, 973-564-8780; call before 9pm. Meet: 10am at LocustGrove parking, corner of Glen Ave. and Lackawanna Pl., acrossfrom RR station. Moderate 4-5 mile hike. Steady pace, uneventerrain. Rain cancels.

Sunday, November 15

AMC-NY/NoJ. East Harriman State Park, NY. Leader: DonKress, swirled07@earthlink.net or 973-743-4833. Meet: 9am inSuffern, NY; parking near junction Rts. 59 & 202. Hilly 9 miles.Hike toward Pine Meadow Lake and eastern end Pine MeadowTrail. Short shuttle; rain or shine.

IHC. Hasenclever Iron Trail, Hewitt, NJ.Leader: JimMcKay, 973-538-0756. Meet: 9:30am at Sterling Ridge South End trailhead onRt. 511. Moderate 8miles. Includes the newMonks Connector Trail,with lunch at Monks outlook. Possible detour on way back at thePatterson Mine. Possible early out with a road walk.

AFW. Long Mountain/Turkey Hill Lake, Harriman State Park,NY. Leader: Register at www.adventuresforwomen.org or 973-644-3592. Meet: 9:30am; register for location. Moderate hike;out by 2:30pm.

WTA. Pawling Nature Preserve, Pawling, NY. Leader: CarolHarting, 845-669-6731. Meet: Call for directions and meetingtime ($7 fee if carpooling fromNorthWhite Plains). 6-7moderatemiles. Explore this Nature Conservancy Preserve in PutnamCounty, possibly a section of the AT as well.

Monday, November 16

UCHC. Patriots’ Path, Morristown, NJ.Leader: RozBloom, 973-364-0186. Meet: 10am at Speedwell Village; call for directions.Easy 3 miles, along old Rock-a-Bye Railroad and the WhippanyRiver. Bad weather or icy conditions cancel.

RVW. Edmund Niles Huyck Preserve, Rensselaerville, NY.Leader: Call 518-895-8474. Easy+ hike: 4 miles, 3 hours. Meet:8am. Inclement weather date—following Monday.

Tuesday, November 17

AFW. Blauvelt Mountain, Harriman State Park, NY. Leader:Register at 973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org.Meet: 10am; register for location. Moderate hike; out by 2pm.

UCHC. High Mtn. Preserve Park, Franklin Lakes, NJ. Leader:Vin Dryer, 201-264-0976. Meet: 10am at end of Indian Trail Dr. inFranklin Lakes. Moderate 7 miles; for experienced hikers. ClimbBeech Mtn. for views of the reservoir, then High Mtn. with viewsof NewYork, Bergen and Passaic Counties. Some roadwalking onthe way out (views of the McMansions), then to Buttermilk Falls.

Thursday, November 19

UCHC. PochuckMtn. to the Boardwalks, Vernon Township, NJ.Leader: Carol O’Keefe, 973-328-7395 or okcarol@optonline.net;must register the day before with leader. Meet: 9:30am. Easy tomoderate 6miles down Pochuck Mtn. and across the boardwalkson the AT – if you have never seen the boardwalks and bridgebuilt by volunteers, it is something you should not miss.

Saturday, November 21

AMC-NY/NoJ. Blue Disc & Victory Trails, Harriman State Park,NY. Leader: Susan Pollak, 914-698-1838. Meet: contact leader.Hilly 6 miles. Relaxed pace with climbing in morning and easyterrain in afternoon. We’ll do both trails end to end. Bad weathermay cancel.

AFW. Anthony’s Nose, East Hudson Highlands, NY. Leader:Register at 973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org.Meet: 10am; register for location. Strenuous hike at a moderatepace; out by 3pm.

UCHC. DeKorte Park, Meadowlands, NJ. Leader: Lynn Gale,973-763-7230. Meet: 10am at visitor center parking in Lyndhurst,NJ. 4 miles of salt marsh and upland trails with beautiful andwild views and lots of birds; some floating boardwalk. Heavyrain cancels.

WTA. Storm King Mountain, West Hudson Highlands, NY.Leader: Minu Chaudhuri, 914-941-6408. Meet: 9:30am atNorth White Plains train station ($8 fee if carpooling), or contactleader about alternate meeting place. Strenuous 4 miles. Steepscramble up Storm King to enjoy the beautiful views. Return onBluebird Trail.

WTA. Bronx River Pathway, NY.Leader: Audrey Sutton; formorehike info contact Eileen West at eileenw1000@yahoo.com. Meet:10am at south end of Garth Rd. ($2 fee if carpooling from NorthWhite Plains). Easy 6miles. Flat walk to Bronxville and back alonga very pretty section of trail.

RVW. Five Rivers Environmental Center, Delmar, NY. Leader:Call 845-246-4590. Easy hike: 3 miles, 3 hours. Meet: 9am.

Sunday, November 22

IHC. Reeves Brook Trail, Harriman State Park, NY. Leader: RoyWilliams, 570-828-6207. Meet: 9am at Reeves Meadow VisitorCenter on Seven Lakes Dr. Moderately strenuous hike with somespectacular scenery. Includes Seven Hills and HIllburn-Torne-Sebago Trails with somegreat views, and return downCascade ofSlid. Bad weather cancels.

NYR. Colonial Greenway, Mamaroneck, NY. Leader: KayCynamon, 212-865-3245. Meet: 8:20am at Grand CentralTerminal for 8:37 New Haven Line train (RT Mamaroneck; checktrain times). Local roads to SaxonWoods, then complete ColonialGreenway via Weinberg Nature Center, Hutchinson RiverParkway, Twin Lakes Park, and Leatherstocking Trail.

WTA. Three Preserves in Easton, CT. Leader: Eileen West,eileenw1000@yahoo.com. Meet: 9:15am at North White Plainstrain station ($6 fee if carpooling), or contact leader aboutalternate meeting place. Moderate 9 miles. Explore Trout Brook,Crow Hill and Jump Hill Preserves; views of Saugatuck Reservoir.Optional stop on way home at Apple Barn. Rain cancels.

UCHC. Jockey Hollow National Park, Morristown, NJ. Leader:Mae Deas, 908-233-6641. Meet: 10am at visitor center parking.Casual morning ramble of about 4 miles in this gem of anational park. Steady rain cancels.

Monday, November 23

UCHC. Old Short Hills Park, Millburn, NJ. Leader: CherryllShort, 973-299-0212. Meet: 10am; call for directions. Easy tomoderate 3 miles, quite hilly.

RVW. Blackhead Mtn. (3940'), Catskills, NY. Leader: Call 845-246-8074. Moderate hike: 5miles, 5 hours. Meet: 8am. Inclementweather date—following Monday.

Tuesday, November 24

ADK-MH. Franny Reese Park, Highland, NY. Leader: Fred Otte,845-462-8305. Meet: 9am; register with leader for meetingplace. Easy3-4mile hike in parkwith interestinghistory andviewsfrom west side of Hudson.

Thursday, November 26

UCHC. Thanksgiving at South Mountain, NJ. Leader: contactTerry Kulmane for info, terrykayhiker@yahoo.com. Meet: 9:30amat Locust Grove parking, corner Glen Ave. and Lackawanna Pl,Millburn, NJ. 2-hour, moderately paced hike.

Saturday, November 28

WTA. Fahnestock State Park, Cold Spring, NY. Leader: CarolAnn Benton, aquarius2950@hotmail.com; must email leader toregister. Meet: 9:15am at Hubbard Perkins Lodge. Moderate 9-10miles. Stops at two ponds and at the view from Round Hill. Shortshuttle required.

UCHC. Watchung Reservation, Mountainside, NJ. Leader: GailWaimon, 973-467-4761. Meet: 10am at Trailside Nature Center onColes Ave., at NewProvidence Rd. Brisk 4+mileswith some rockytrails. Rain cancels.

Sunday, November 29

ADK-MH. Vanderbilt Mansion Walk, Hyde Park, NY. Leader:Carol Gray, outdoorcarol@aol.com or 845-471-1168. Meet:10:30am at mansion parking lot. Easy 3 miles on park roads,including trail to Bard Rock.

AMC-NY/NoJ. Thanksgiving Weekend Wrap-Up, HarrimanState Park, NY. Leader: Stanley Lewin, 212-929-7012. Meet: Con-tact leader. Hilly 7 miles at a moderate pace. Time to work offsome of that turkey we had over the holiday; join us for this funhike. Call 6:30-7:30am day of hike if weather in doubt.

Lake Kanawauke in Harriman State Park

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A Sampling of Upcoming HikesSponsored by Member ClubsA Sampling of Upcoming HikesSponsored by Member Clubs

HIKERS’ ALMANACHIKERS’ ALMANACFind more hikes at www.nynjtc.org. Click on Scheduled Hikes under Go Hiking!

The activities listed are sponsored by member clubs of the NY-NJ Trail Conference. All hikers are welcome subject to club regula-tions and rules of 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 a flashlight in a backpack. Leaders have the right and responsibility to refuse anyone whom they believecannot complete the hike or is not adequately equipped. Easy, moderate, or strenuous hikes are relative terms; call leader if in doubt.

More than 100 clubs belong to the Trail Conference, andmany of our affiliate groups sponsor hikes not listed in the Hikers’ Almanac.For a descriptive list of Conference clubs, consult our website or send a 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.

RVW Rip Van Winkle Hiking ClubTNC Tenafly Nature CenterUCHC Union County Hiking ClubWTA Westchester Trails Association

ADK-MH ADK Mid-Hudson ChapterAFW Adventures for WomenAMC-NY/NoJ AMC New York-North Jersey ChapterIHC Interstate Hiking ClubNYR New York Ramblers

Clubs wishing to have hikes listed in Hikers’ Almanac should send their schedules to tw@nynjtc.org or to the Trail Conference Office.The deadline for the January/February issue is November 15.

November/December 2009 Page 9

WTA. Popolopen Gorge, BearMountain State Park, NY.Leader:GeorgeO’Lear, 914-631-8441. Meet: 9:30amatNorthWhite Plains($7 fee if carpooling), or ask leader about alternate meetingplace. Moderate 7miles.We’ll hike to PopolopenCreek, with stopsat Brooks Lake, Popolopen Gorge, and Torne, then return to BearMountain and Hessian Lake. Bad weather cancels.

WTA. Erie Rail Bed, Nyack to Piermont, NY. Leader: StewartManville, 914-582-1237. Meet: 10am at North White Plains ($4 feeif carpooling), or ask leader about alternate meeting place. Easy,level 2.5 or 5 miles (your choice). Views of Hudson River, stop inPiermont for a café lunch.

IHC. Patriots’ Path: Schiff Reservation to Scherman-HoffmanAudubon Sanctuary, Morristown, NJ. Leader: Claire Bransfield,908-240-1479. Meet: 9am at Jockey Hollow visitors center inMorristown, NJ. Strenuous 11 miles. Hike will also include LewisMorris Park and Cross Estates. Shuttle required. Rain cancels.

Monday, November 30

RVW. Millbrook Mtn., Minnewaska State Park, NY. Leader: Call845-338-8772 Moderate hike: 6 miles, 4 hours. Meet: 9:00.Inclement weather date—following Monday.

DecemberTuesday, December 1

UCHC. Ramapo State Forest, Wanaque, NJ. Leader: CarolO’Keefe, 973-328-7395. Meet: 10am at back beach parking area.Moderate 5-6 miles; for experienced hikers. Hike on some newertrails on the west side; some climbs and nice views.

Thursday, December 3

UCHC. Seven Hills Trail, Harriman State Park, NY.Leader: IreneLogan, 845-753-5651. Meet: 10am at Lake Sebago boat launch.Moderately strenuous 7 miles. Climb the Seven Hills Trails, thenon to Tuxedo-Mt. Ivy Trail, and the Buck Trail. Crampons/icecreepers may be needed. Bad weather or bad forecast cancels.

AFW. Ramapo Tourne, Harriman State Park, NY. Leader: Regis-ter at 973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org. Meet:10am; register for location. Moderate hike; out by 2pm.

Saturday, December 5

UCHC. Watchung Trail Maintenance, Mountainside, NJ.Leader: Register by calling Betty Kelly, 908-789-3683. Meet:9:30am; we’ll work until noon. Have fun while giving back to thetrails; no experienceneeded. Bringworkgloves, bag for trash, andclippers/loppers if you have them. Trail work is held unless thereis severe weather.

ADK-MH. James Baird State Park, LaGrange, NY.Leader:MarieCaruso, mariehv@verizon.net or 845-452-9086; call before10pm. Meet: 10am; contact leader for place. Easy 3-4 miles,through woods and across the golf course to view ponds. Badweather cancels.

UCHC. South Mtn. Reservation, Millburn, NJ. Leader: EllenJeydel, 908-232-2413. Meet: 10am at Locust Grove parking, GlenAve. and Lackawanna Pl. Moderate hike. Rain cancels.

AMC-NY/NoJ. Skannatati Skedaddle, Harriman State Park,NY.Leader: ArtAlmeida, 914-271-8659.Meet: Contact leader. Hilly9 miles at a moderate pace. Steep initial climb, then wander asmany interesting trails as we can find. Call morning of hike ifweather doubtful.

AFW. Deer Park, Hackettstown, NJ. Leader: Register at973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org. Meet: 10am;register for location. Easy hike; out by 2pm.

Sunday, December 6

IHC. The Fire Escape in Winter, Bear Mtn. State Park, NY.Leader: DaveSutter, dsuttr@aol.com.Meet: 9:30amat Iona Islandparking on Rt. 9W; 1.4miles south of Bear Mtn. Bridge. Strenuous8 miles. Bring crampons or ice creepers as there may be avery difficult ascent. This section of Bear Mtn. Park, south ofDoodletown, has some of the best views in the park.

AFW. Merrill Creek Reservoir, NJ. Leader: Register at 973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org. Meet: 10am; register forlocation. Moderate hike; out by 2pm.

WTA. Monksville Reservoir and Ringwood Manor, NJ. Leader:Eileen West, 914-747-3776 or eileenw1000@yahoo.com. Meet:10am at North White Plains ($6 fee if carpooling), or ask leaderabout alternate meeting place. Easy to moderate 5-6 miles.Morning hike features views all around the reservoir, in the after-noon we’ll explore trails around the Manor. Optional tour of theManor, decorated in 19th-century holiday décor, after the hike($7 admission).

TNC. Family Nature Walk, Tenafly, NJ. Leader: TNC environ-mental educator; sign up at www.tenaflynaturecenter.org or call201-568-6093. Enjoy a guided walk along one of the center’strails. Program intended for adults and families; no strollersplease. Preregistration requested but not required. Free formem-bers; $5 for nonmembers.

Thursday, December 10

UCHC. Ringwood State Park, NJ. Leader: Eric Singer, 973-744-7147. Meet: 10am at Ringwood Manor upper lot. Moderatelystrenuous 8 miles. Starts level but gradually gets steeper.Crampons/ice creepers may be needed.

Saturday, December 12

ADK-MH. High Tor, Rockland County, NY.Leader: PeteMcGinnis,

845-454-4428 or pmcgin1@aol.com. Meet: 9am to carpool atRt. 9 Holiday Inn, Fishkill. Moderate 4-5 miles. A landmark abovethe Hudson, 800 feet high, High Tor offers spectacular views ofthe river and to the west. Additional walking along Long Path orthrough town of Haverstrawmay be added. Badweather cancels.

AFW. Harriman State Park, NY. Leader: Register at 973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org. Meet: 10am; register forlocation. Moderately strenuous hike; out by 3pm.

Sunday, December 13

AMC-NY/NoJ. Ramapo Valley County Reservation, Mahwah,NJ. Leader: Ellen Blumenkrantz, eblumenkrantz@hotmail.com.Meet: 10:15am; must contact leader to register, limited to12 people. Moderate 10miles. Our loop will also include RingwoodState Park, passing three lakes and two great viewpoints.

UCHC. Echo Lake Park, Mountainside, NJ. Leader: Mae Deas,908-233-6641. Meet: 10am at lot closest to Mountain Ave.Casual walk; may also go up hill by the lakes and investigate amarshy area.

Tuesday, December 15

AFW. Tallman Mountain State Park, NY. Leader: Register at973-644-3592 or www.adventuresforwomen.org. Meet: 10am;register for location. Moderate hike; out by 2pm.

UCHC. Skylands Manor, Ringwood, NJ. Leaders: Carolyn andJim Canfield, 973-728-9774. Meet: 10am at parking at end ofMorris Ave. Moderate 5-6 miles; for experienced hikers. Greatviews from Mount Defiance.

Thursday, December 17

UCHC. Waywayanda State Park, NJ. Leaders: Carolyn and JimCanfield, 973-728-9774. Meet: 10am at boat launch parking.Moderate 6 miles. If swamp is passable, Pumphouse loop aroundthe lake is possible.

Saturday, December 19

ADK-MH. Race the Bear Hike, Taconics, CT. Leader: Russ Faller,russoutdoors@yahoo.com or 845-297-5126; call before 9:30pm.Meet: Contact leader. 9 miles, over 1500 feet ascent; winter gearmay be necessary. From Race Brook Falls, we’ll hike up Mt. Race,continue on the AT down into beautiful Sages Ravine, then upBear Mtn., the highest mountain in CT.

WTA. Orchard Beach and City Island, NY.Leader: Marcia Cohen,914-478-1172. Meet: 10am at the Orchard Beach parking lot(right, front side of the main lot). Easy 5 miles. Stroll along thebeach, through woods, then over the bridge to streets of CityIsland. Lunchat a cozy spot inCity Island (purchase thereor bringyour own).

UCHC. South Mtn. Reservation, Millburn, NJ. Leader: NaomiShapiro, 973-564-8780; call before 9pm. Meet: 10am at LocustGrove parking, Glen Ave. & Lackawanna Pl. 4-5 miles at a steadypace; uneven terrain. Rain cancels.

Sunday, December 20

AFW. Raccoon Brook Hills Trail, Harriman State Park, NY.Leader: Register at www.adventuresforwomen.org or 973-644-3592. Meet: 9:30am; register for location. Strenuous hike atmoderate pace; out by 2:30pm.

IHC. Three Reservoirs, Harriman State Park, NY. Leader: DaveSutter, dsuttr@aol.com. Meet: 9:30am at Lake Sebago parkingon Seven Lakes Dr. Moderately strenuous 9 miles past threereservoirs and more. Rain cancels.

ADK-MH. Table Rock Photo Hike, Mohonk Preserve, NY.Leader: Brian Sullivan, 845-594-9545. Meet: 9:45am at SpringFarm trailhead; call for directions. Easy to moderate 5 miles; outby noon. Bad driving conditions cancel.

Wednesday, December 23

UCHC. Watchung Reservation, Mountainside, NJ. Leader: EllieKing, 908-233-8411. Meet: 10am at Trailside Nature Center, ColesAve. at New Providence Rd. Moderate 2-hour walk. Rain or heavysnowmay cancel.

Friday, December 25

IHC. Ho, Ho, Ho, Happy Holidays in Harriman State Park, NY.Leader: Larry Spinner, 845-517-0858. Meet: 10am at commuterlot in Sloatsburg, NY (right at blinker light, one block, then rightagain). Moderate, holiday-enjoyment pace. Leader will bringcookies and hopes others will bring treats to share. All levels andbeginners welcome. Snowshoes or crampons/ice creepers maybe needed; those without needed gear may be turned away.Bad weather may cancel; call after 7am if in doubt.

UCHC. Traditional Christmas Day Hike – South Mtn. Reserva-tion, W. Orange, NJ. Leader: For info, contact Terry Kulmane,terrykayhiker@yahoo.com.Meet: 9:30amatTulip Springs parkingon Brookside Ave. Moderate 2-hour hike through the pines.

Monday, December 28

UCHC. South Mtn. Reservation, W. Orange, NJ. Leader: JoeMcLaughlin, 973-263-2799. Meet: 10am at Deer Paddock; call fordirections. Easy, fairly level 3miles. Hike toWashington Rock. Badweather or icy conditions cancels.

Friday, January 1

UCHC. Traditional New Year’s Day Hike – South Mtn. Reserva-tion, W. Orange, NJ. Leader: For info, contact Terry Kulmane,terrykayhiker@yahoo.com. Meet: 10am at Tulip Springs parkingon Brookside Ave. Moderate 2-hour hike through the pines.

Green andBlack ForestAt Minnewaska, naturethrives a year aftera major fireBy Laura Conner

The Overlooks Fire at Minnewaska StatePark Preserve, which lasted for six days inApril of 2008 and closed the Preserve forover a week, was significant in size andintensity. The fire burned through 2,700acres of forest with reported flames as high as70 feet. Some trails, notably Jenny Lane(co-aligned with the Long Path), were closedto hikers for months as nature was allowedto take its course with as little disturbance aspossible. When hikers re-entered the fire-struck trail areas, however, they saw evidenceof a regenerating forest.

The Shawanagunk Ridge has a history offire dating back to the late 19th century,when local berry pickers set fires to increasetheir harvest. The berry picker fires culmi-nated in the largest recorded fire onOctober30, 1947, which burned for six days andcharred between 7,000 to 8,000 acres.

Native Americans in this region used fireas a tool as far back as 3,000 years ago. Reg-ular burning of the forest created a park-likelandscape with overarching nut trees com-plemented by a grassy understory with fruitproducing shrubs. This sort of open forestmade for easy hunting and traveling.

The forest at Minnewaska has evolved tobe fire-dependent, and the plants living init have adapted specifically to survive andeven thrive through fire. For instance, aclose look at the trunk of a pitch pine oftenreveals clusters of pine needles. Thesebright green tufts surround adventitiousbuds that are capable of producing newgrowth if other portions of the tree die.And, the pitch pine has serotinous pinecones, which remain tightly closed untilexposed to extreme heat, when they openfor pollination. This strategy provides thetree with a competitive advantage. The fireeliminates other plants, which would viefor sunlight and nutrients in the forest, andthe organic matter resulting from theirdestruction produces a rich, humus layerthat is ripe for seed germination.

Fire tolerant trees, such as chestnut oakand pitch pine, have a thick, flaky bark thatprotects the living cambium layer beneathfrom burning. These trees, as well as manyother fire tolerant plants, have the ability toresprout from root material. This categoryof plants includes laurels, blueberries,huckleberries, oaks, and sassafras.

It’s been no surprise to see the pitch pinetrees bouncing back as ecologists predicted,

but it has been a delight to actually witnessthe aggressive growth of adventitious budsout of blackened, dead-looking trees. Any-one who hiked Jenny Lane/ Long Path thissummer saw a dazzling abundance of blue-berries. And in mid-September, the forestfloor was carpeted with a plethora of lightpink and red berries protruding fromabundant wintergreen.

One surprise has been the super-sizedreturn of the sassafras. After the fire lastyear, I noticed stump-sprouting sassafrasthat seemed to grow stronger, bigger, andfaster than other trees. The sassafras are stillgoing strong, but other plant species seemto be catching up. Included among theseare New York fern, bracken fern, tulip treesaplings, hay-scented fern, sheep andmountain laurel, wintergreen, Indiancucumber root, red maple, chestnut oak,and bear oak.

In 2008, it was easy to distinguish thepockets of forest that had burned hotterfrom those that were more lightly scorched.The hotly burned forests revealed thecharred skeletal remains of mountain lau-rel, and the tall blackened trunks of maturetrees retained leaves only in their crowns.Other areas were burned so lightly thatcharring could be seen only upon a closeexamination of the forest floor and the bot-tom of tree trunks.

In 2009, though plants rebounded andadded their green costume over the black-ened ground and stumps, a keen observercould still pick out these areas. Many of thebadly burned deciduous trees, in particularred maple, chestnut oak and birch, aresprouting vigorous, almost shrubby newgrowth from their stumps, even as lightlyleafed upper branches struggle to sustainthese large trees.

On late summer walks along Jenny LaneI observed an abundance of wildlife,including chipmunks, red squirrels, ravens,numerous song birds, coyote, turkey, deerand insects. Overall, a visit to the site of lastyear’s forest fire left me with an impressionof a peaceful, vital, bright green foresthumming along just as it is meant to.

Laura Conner is Environmental Educator atMinnewaska State Park Preserve.

Hudson River view from Bear Mountain State Park.

Adventitious buds on charred pitch pine.

A charred area in early June 2008 (top)was sporting green one month later in July.

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