June Newsletter 2023

**View from BNRC’s Hollow Fields, upper field, southern Taconics in the distance. Pic by M Waldman**

SPRING GATHERING, CHERRY PLAIN STATE PARK (CPSP), SATURDAY, JUNE 10

Join us at the THC Spring Gathering at Cherry Plain State Park. You may come for all or part of the event. Meet old friends and make new friends! This is our first gathering at CPSP, and it should be an adventure for all of us!

Morning: We will start with a brief meeting at 9:30 at the Water’s Edge Pavilion, followed by a group hike. We plan to hike up the Charcoal Trail, check out the evidence of an old charcoal kiln and continue to the Ravine Trail, hike part of that and return. We also plan to hike along the lake to check out the dam. You can paddle or stroll along the lake if you don’t want to hike.

Noon: We will meet again at the Water’s Edge Pavilion for a “bring your own” picnic lunch. If you cannot make the morning hike you can still join us for the picnic lunch; plan on arriving by 11:30.

Afternoon: After the picnic you can paddle in the beautiful lake, take another hike - maybe hike the Waterfall Trail, or relax and hang out at the pavilion. Bring your own kayak or canoe; remember to bring your life vest, white light, and whistle.

See the outings page for registration information.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THC and our TRAIL WORK

A lot of what the Taconic Hiking Club does is TRAIL WORK. We maintain 37 miles, yes, that’s MILES, of the Taconic Crest Trail from Rt. 20 in Pittsfield to Rt. 346 in Vermont, plus 8 miles of access trail for a total of 43 MILES of trail.

Here’s a short primer to answer some questions about the work we do.

Everyone talks about it, but what is it exactly?

Think of it as being similar to a spring cleaning of your house. You pick up, throw out, and Hoover. So--we don’t quite vacuum the trails, but we like to make them easy to negotiate and free of blowdown, sticks, overhanging branches, prickers, and other trail debris that can trip you up or slow you down. This was a particularly bad season with that late heavy wet snow of 3+’ followed by heavy winds. In some cases this spring, the trail was obliterated and trail workers had to figure out exactly where the trail was intended to go.

**Numerous branches like this were found blocking the trail; crew deciding how to remove it. Pic by K Ross.**

I’m not big and I don’t lift weights. Will trail work be too much for me?

You don’t have to be a weightlifter or marathoner to do trail work. Usually the going is slow-paced, and there’s something to do for everyone, including side clipping prickers or overgrowth, lopping smaller branches, flicking sticks off the trail, or helping pull aside parts of trees that have just been cut up.

How does THC get it all done?

THC depends heavily on volunteer work crews of all ages to help keep the Taconic Crest Trail open and in good condition for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, and skiing. Beginning in the spring, groups go up the various access trails (clearing them on the way in) to clean up the trail from winter storms and in some cases summer storms that can pack a lot of wind. The first pass of the year is usually slow going as fallen trees and limbs are dissected with hand saws and moved off the trail. Many years ago we could make quick work of blowdowns with chainsaws, but our volunteers can no longer use them for clearing the TCT and access trails. Hand sawing takes a longer time, but we’re able to handle some good-sized limbs.

**Trail tarantula! Care was taken to decide the order to cut branches so that the rest could be safely pushed and rolled off the trail. Pic by M Waldman**

Later in the season we do another pass to check the trail, pick up more storm generated litter and do some weed-whacking of grasses or invasives that have grown in. Other excursions go out to do trail marking so the trail is easy to follow.

Who manages all this work?

We collaborate with both DEC on the New York side and DCR on the Mass side for those trail sections that go through the Pittsfield State Forest. THC maintains a working relationship with these state agencies through a Volunteer Stewardship Agreement that allows us to work on the trails, provides some liability coverage while working and also sets rules. The trail work organizer for the Club is David Pisaneschi, and he puts in a lot of hours organizing trail crews and tracking hours and segments cleared. The whole trail is divided into sections that are overseen by stewards who survey their sections and organize trail work outings. Last year the Club did 736 hours of trail work, including travel, an incredible number for a club of our size.

How can I get involved? Hiking boots, the usual hiking attire and your favorite cutting tool are all you need. The Club and usually the leader can provide extra hand tools for you if needed. Trail work crews can have as few as two or three or as many as ten or twelve going out. Safety is paramount, so instructions are given by the group leader about maintaining distance when cutting or pulling, about carefully gauging how a limb will fall, and about protecting yourself while cutting. In addition to getting the work done we have fun sharing the load, enjoying good company, and feeling we accomplished something worthwhile that benefits many.

Often trail work outings are listed on the outings page of the THC website; sometimes they are not. Weather conditions often create schedule changes. If you are interested in doing trail work and giving it a try, make sure you noted that on your membership renewal or respond via the website to let us know you’re interested. You will probably get an email asking if you want to join a group going out.

TRAIL WORK UPDATE

As of today, the THC trail workers have logged 259 hours of trail work this year, including travel time. However, there are still sections of trail that we need to get to clear the large volume of blow down from this past winter and early spring. Many thanks to the hard-working trail crew! Protecting and maintaining this trail is a major conservation effort that we should all be proud of.

CELEBRATE THE WATERSHED with HVA

From May 26 - July 4, Housatonic Valley Association (HVA) is inviting everyone to “Celebrate the Watershed” and help protect waterways and lands by exploring the outdoors through friendly competition (most miles hiked, biked, paddled, etc.), attending one of their events, or simply enjoying nature your own way. There’s something for everyone, including the chance to win exciting prizes from places like REI, Patagonia and more!” Click here for more information: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/celebrateourwatershedwithhva/

OUTINGS: Refer to the THC website outings page for details about the outings and how to register. We schedule on a monthly and short-term basis, so check the website periodically.

Tuesday, June 6: Albany Hudson Electric Trail Cycle B-
Saturday, June 10: SPRING GATHERING - CHERRY PLAIN STATE PARK
Thursday, June 15: Valentino Family Forest, Grafton NY C
Monday, June 19: Perry’s Peak & Hollow Fields B
Wednesday, June 28: Coxsackie Four Mile Preserve Paddle B
Thursday, June 29: Hand Hollow C

“It is impossible to walk in the woods and be in a bad mood at the same time.” Anonymous