Category Archives: New York Trails
Advocacy, Lobbying, and a Call to Action in New Jersey
By Adam Page Taylor, Trail Conference Volunteer On Jan. 11, my volunteer work for the Trail Conference led me to Trenton. The flags atop the State House snapped briskly as I walked up to the building’s front entrance. Members of … Continue reading
Ask a Trail Builder: Understanding Grade Reversals
By Erik Mickelson, Field Manager The trail I maintain has issues with water channeling down the tread. What can be done to fix this? It sounds like your trail has a lack of grade reversals. A “grade reversal” is not … Continue reading
Improving the Long Swamp Trail, One Hike at a Time
Eagle Scout could earn another prestigious Hornaday Conservation Award for his efforts combating invasive species in Sterling Forest By Zachary Kunow, Trail Conference volunteer I am a 16-year-old Eagle Scout with Boy Scout Troop 21 of Suffern, N.Y., and have … Continue reading
“Stay Away from the Woods”: Countering the Idea that Nature Is Unsafe for Our Kids
By Hank Osborn, Senior Program Coordinator What messages are our children receiving about exploring the outdoors, and how will they affect future efforts to protect our environment? My wife and I try to get our young ones outside as much … Continue reading
A Closer Look at Snow Fleas
By Hope Rogers, Trail Walker Contributor On a bright winter day, have you ever noticed what look like specks of dark soot in the snow, especially at the base of trees? And then, upon closer inspection, the “specks” are crawling … Continue reading
Where There’s a Hearth, There’s Mirth
By Gary Willick, Fulfillment Specialist As an adult, I discovered that most of the people I had known in my hometown of Teaneck, NJ, had moved away; I myself had moved to Closter, NJ. When visiting my parents and the … Continue reading
Bard Students Team Up with Long Distance Trails Crew to Help Relocate the Appalachian Trail on Bear Mountain
Text by Bob Fuller, Andrea Minoff, and Marty Costello, photos by Andrea Minoff, members of the Long Distance Trails Crew Students supplement sustainable trail design class work with field experience This October, the Trail Conference’s Long Distance Trails Crew (LDTC) … Continue reading
Building Trails in Sterling Forest: Work Begins on Red Back, Eagle
By: Sona Mason, West Hudson Program Coordinator Over the last few years, the Trail Conference, in partnership with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), has been writing down their “to-do” list for trail building and … Continue reading
Breakneck Ridge: A Trail Steward’s Diary
By Brian Tragno, Breakneck Ridge Trail Steward, 2014 & 2015 It’s a beautiful Saturday morning in September. The sun is just starting to shine over our pop-up tent in the parking lot next to the Breakneck Ridge trailhead. As we gaze … Continue reading