Trail Work
Reporting blowdowns
If you are hiking and come across blowdowns across the Taconic Crest Trail that needs removing, you can report the problem to David Pisaneschi at dapadk@gmail.com. Please be specific about the location and how big the blowdown(s) are and note if there are numerous blowdowns.
Taconic Hiking Club Trail Volunteers - Thank You!
Many thanks to all of the dedicated volunteers that contribute so much of their time and energy to keep the Taconic Crest Trail clear for all hikers!
In 2024 our trail workers worked extremely hard on the trail and recorded a total of 850 trail work volunteer hours. This is well above average for a typical year. We look forward to another active year in 2025!
Volunteering for Trail Work
If you would like to volunteer to do trail work, contact David Pisaneschi at dapadk@gmail.com or email taconichikingclb@gmail.com (no u in club). Please include if you prefer weekdays, weekends or both.
Perhaps you are interested in doing trail work but don’t know what to expect? Trail work is like working in your own yard, but it has the added benefits of hiking, working in the woods, and enjoying the company of others! Work may include removing blowdown (branches of various sizes or smaller trees that have fallen across the trail), side trimming with loppers to remove branches and other vegetation growing into the trail, and then later in the season using grass whips to cut down heavy weed growth. Sometimes we use hoes to clean out water bars. Volunteers bring their own loppers, hand saws or other hand tools as well as work gloves and other protective equipment as needed.
Trail Work Volunteers - work reports
Many thanks to our numerous trail work volunteers! You make hiking the TCT a safer, more pleasant experience! The club keeps track of trail work you perform and reports this information to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
If you are a trail steward, please email your trail work summary to David Pisaneschi at dapadk@gmail.com.
Please include the: 1) date of the work, 2) section of trail and 3) number of person hours worked. If you lead a group, include the names or number of people in the work group. If further action is needed for the trail, be sure to include that in the email so that we can follow up on it.
If you only do trail work once in a season, please send the email report soon afterwards. If you go out a number of times in a season, you can send reports which include some of the outings periodically. Thank you!
Chain Saw Policy - January 2015
Taconic Hiking Club (THC) volunteers may not use chain saws during TCT trail maintenance.
Only authorized paid professionals employed by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will conduct chain saw operations on the TCT.
The THC Board has voted unanimously on this decision after a review of the following:
the DEC chain saw certification requirements for volunteers,
the various chain saw safety courses available, and
the inherent risks associated with chain saw use, including a recent trail work volunteer fatality in the Finger Lakes area.
Neither the Club nor the Board of Governors have the financial resources to cover the potential costs and the financial liability related to chain saw use.
If THC members are unable to remove blowdown with hand tools, they should inform the Trails Committee chair of the location and size of the fallen tree(s). The club will pass this information to our contacts at either DEC or DCR.