Thank you, Gary, for your service and commitment to the Trail Conference! After 18 years of service, fulfillment specialist Gary Willick has left the Trail Conference. He started with the organization in 2002, after graduating from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a degree in computer science. Formerly an avid jazz drummer, he found his…
The Hudson Nor’Westers, under the leadership of Crew Chief Dave Webber, just completed a wonderful project in Black Rock Forest: a reroute of the Scenic/Highlands Trail up and over the Mineral Springs Waterfall. In June 2019, Dave and four of the Trail Conference’s Trail Stewards did a reroute of the trail to swing over to the picturesque falls and…
Dear Long Path, On January 27, I fell in love with you. I set out to trek all 358 miles of your urban, rugged, and wild beauty, not knowing exactly when or how I would complete you. I made it a priority, or so a NEED to wake up early on weekends, commit to the…
Beaver activity and wet weather may have forced the Trail Tramps to build (and rebuild) new trails in Teatown, but a sustainable trail system now exists. When Daniel Chazin asked me to recount the work my Trail Tramps Crew had done on the “new” Three Lakes Loop trail in Teatown, I realized that much of the work we had done…
The Trail Conference welcomes Olivia, Kathleen, Arden, Ryan, and Lenny to our trail family and wishes Michael the best of luck on his next adventure. Olivia Sohn, Volunteer Engagement Assistant Olivia Sohn spent her childhood exploring the trails of Norvin Green State Forest. Her love of the outdoors prompted her to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology…
For 99 years, Trail Conference volunteers have been providing millions of trail users with a means to explore the outdoors. The culture of volunteerism at the Trail Conference has become the fabric of our organization. It is our legacy—a legacy that will continue into our second century. Our volunteers make us the vibrant and impactful nonprofit that…
Whether you seek the solace of nature or crave adventure, your passions drive the path you choose. This October, the Trail Conference turns 100. While browsing through our archives in preparation for our Centennial, I came across our collection of newspaper columns by Raymond H. Torrey. One of the Trail Conference’s founders, Torrey, was editor…
The West Hudson South Crew rebuilt a bridge in Harriman State Park that was first damaged in 2011 and needed more attention to be sustainable. Over many work trips this fall, crew members and trail maintainers worked together to restore this important bridge carrying three trails—Pine Meadow, Seven Hills, and Kakiat—to the popular Pine Meadow Lake. Help also came from…
The Long Distance Trails Crew (LDTC) has been doing a major stonework project rerouting the Upper Nyack Trail to connect Nyack Beach with the Long Path under the shadow of Hook Mountain in Rockland County, N.Y. This moves the White Trail/Long Path off the road and onto a newly acquired portion of land adjacent to the Marydell Faith & Life Center…
Trail Conference Stewards provide the public with the assistance and education they need to have great trail experiences while doing their part to protect the environment. 2019 Corps Season In the Field Trail Conference Conservation Corps (TCCC) Stewards were stationed at Breakneck Ridge, on the Appalachian Trail in Bear Mountain State Park, and in the Catskills on Slide Mountain and Giant Ledge during the 2019 season. Stewards…
Trail Conference Stewards are ambassadors for safe, enjoyable, and responsible recreation outdoors. Think back to your first memory on a trail. Think about where you were, who you were with. What do you most strongly recall? Hopefully it’s a fond memory! Hopefully, it helped to spark a lifelong love of connecting with nature and the determination…
The first trail ever built in Harriman, the Ramapo-Dunderberg (R-D), will get a major facelift starting in 2020, just in time for its—and the Trail Conference’s—100th birthday. Regarded as one of Harriman-Bear Mountain’s most scenic trails, the 23-mile R-D was built in 1920 to connect the village of Tuxedo Park, N.Y., to the Hudson River. In preparation…
