2022 Corps Trail Steward Blog

Our Stewards have been bringing face-to-face user education and sustainable, on-the-ground solutions to some of the region’s most popular outdoor destinations since 2013. They are key in protecting the ecological integrity of these special places being threatened by issues such as misuse and high usage. By encouraging public participation, Stewards are a solution multiplier.

Learn more about the program.

Table of Contents

Hudson Valley: By Tiff Rolle and Ryan McLean, Hudson Valley Trail Stewards Crew Leaders

October 

Responding to Needs of Hikers at Breakneck
October 2022 was a unique month for our season. It contained our five busiest days of the season, as well as our slowest full day at Breakneck. Despite the very high volume of hikers, we were very fortunate in that there were no serious injuries that required first aid. There were however a handful of situations that we did attempt to deal with. Amongst these situations were some particularly notable ones including a car crash, a lost dog, a hiker experiencing a panic attack, and a hiker who was separated from her family.

Car Crash
When three cars were involved in a crash right across the street from the Breakneck Trailhead, two of our stewards, Declan and Andrew, spent some time directing traffic to maximize the safety of both motorists and hikers in the area. While this was going on, Ryan alerted park police and the park office to the situation. The accident was relatively minor with no apparent injuries. Within 15 minutes the cars involved in the crash moved off the road, and traffic was able to function normally. Luckily, and perhaps thanks in part to Andrew and Declan, there were no further injuries or incidents that occurred as a result of the chaos of the car crash.

Lost Dog
At the end of one work day, a dog with a collar but no leash sprinted down the Breakneck Trail and almost ran into traffic. Declan and Ryan, who had been giving advice on the rock scramble to a couple, stopped to keep the dog out of the street and attempted to keep the dog with them. After a couple minutes, the dog sprinted back up the trail. Declan followed, and after a few minutes, Ryan did as well. Andrew remained at the trailhead to speak with hikers coming through and to keep an eye out for the dog. Speaking to people along the rock scramble, the stewards were able to piece together a story that implied that the dog was reunited with their family. Multiple people saw the dog running up the rock scramble, and multiple people heard or saw a family near the flag pole calling out for a dog. While nobody we spoke with had confirmation that the dog was reunited with their family, one man did see the dog run past him in the direction of the family. Shortly after, he stopped hearing them call out for the dog. The stewards investigated for roughly another hour, trying to get confirmation one way or the other. While we were not able to, the dog was never reported as missing to the park so we are optimistic that they were reunited.

Aiding a Hiker Experiencing a Panic Attack
One early October day a young man arrived from the trailhead having come back down the rock scramble looking very stressed. He told us that his grandmother had begun having a panic attack about halfway up the rock scramble, and was unable to either continue going up or turn around to go back down. Declan and Ryan joined the young man back up the rock scramble to go help his grandmother to safety. Before leaving, they put a first aid bag into one of their backpacks so that they were prepared in the event it became necessary, but also so she would not be see a potential signifier of an emergency situation. With the first aid bag hidden from sight, the seriousness of the situation could be downplayed slightly, in the hopes of easing her fears.

As the stewards ascended the rock scramble, they attempted to ease the guilt of the young man who felt that he had pressured his grandmother into a difficult situation. The stewards found her alone, in the fetal position facing towards the mountain with her eyes closed. She could speak Spanish but not English, so of the stewards present only Declan could speak in any detail with her. She and Ryan would only communicate through very simple phrases in both English and Spanish, and through facial expressions and body language. Initially, the four of us just sat together while she attempted to work up the nerve to go back down the rock scramble. Once she was able to, the stewards walked in front of her, scouting for the safest and easiest sections of scramble to take. We held her hands for much of the hike, and coaxed her down challenging portions. Often, she leaned on one or both of us for extra support.

Early on, the challenge was helping her feel safe enough to move at all, but once she had descended a few sections, in her eagerness to return to a place where she felt safe, she began descending faster and faster. The challenge quickly shifted to trying to slow her down enough that she was not in danger of injuring herself, while also trying to use her newfound energy and ability to hike to help her down the scramble. Soon enough, we returned to the trailhead. Once there, she became somewhat emotional and hugged both stewards who had helped her down. She stayed at the trailhead while her grandson left to get the car they had arrived in. Once they departed, the stewards felt somewhat emotional as well.


Reuniting A Lost Hiker with Her Family
On October 16, a hiker approached our table in a highly stressed state as she was unable to locate her family who had chosen a more difficult path than she was prepared for. She took an easier way back to the trailhead, and then was unable to contact them as her phone was dead. The only steward able to effectively communicate her was Declan, as she could speak Spanish but not English. He charged her phone in his car (as our battery pack had died earlier that day) and in the meantime messaged her family members from his Instagram and Facebook accounts. He also joked around with her to help keep her calm. Her family did not respond right away, but within about an hour she was able to get in contact with them. About 20 minutes later they arrived at the trailhead and she departed cheerfully with them, after thanking all of the stewards but primarily Declan profusely.

Opening New Trail
On October 21, the stewards were fortunate enough to be with the Taconic trail crew on the day that they opened their primary project for the season-a reroute of the Wilkinson trail near the peak of Sugarloaf. It was a project that the stewards had been assisting with throughout the season, and it was a privilege to be able to be there to open the trail with them. The day was spent removing blazes from the old trail and putting up new blazes, dispersing duff and rock piles, hiding the existence of the old trail with leaves, fallen trees, rocks, and other plant materials, and of replanting some native plants along the trail. One very nice moment occurred when we welcomed the first hikers onto the newly opened trail. One of those hikers had never been in the park before, and she expressed excitement at the prospect of being part of the history of the trail. Earlier in the month, stewards assisted with corridor cleaning at this location.

Building Bog Bridges
Throughout October we worked with volunteer leader Andy Garrison on a project that we started together in September-a new section of the Long Path in Tallman Mountain State Park that will reduce the need for a road walk. We spent most of our time there this month dealing with what will likely be the most challenging section of new trail, a portion that is highly prone to flooding. We collected thousands of small rocks in order to create a three makeshift bridges. While the new section of trail is not yet ready to be opened, the project is fairly close to completion after those three bridges were constructed.

Looking Ahead
The future of the Hudson Valley Trail Stewards program is bright. Four of five Hudson Valley Stewards and one Catskills Seward said they would strongly consider returning/joining the Hudson Valley Trail Stewards next year. Manager Myra Romano will be returning for her second year leading the program and will be well suited to continue elevating the program. The stewarding program is poised to expand its goals of educational outreach, invasive species control, trail construction and maintenance, and the preservation of natural spaces in a variety of ways in 2023 and beyond.
 

September

First Aid at Breakneck Ridge
Perhaps unsurprisingly, September was not only our busiest month overall, but also our busiest month in terms of first aid. Luckily, that is still a low number, and none of the injuries this month were life threatening. One hiker had their ankle stabilized in a splint to reduce risk of further harm as they returned home to than seek further medical treatment. Another hiker had her wounds cleaned and dressed after taking a nasty fall that resulted in multiple cuts on each of her legs and one of her arms.

An additional instance of first aid occurred on September 10. Around 3pm, a pair of men arrived at the Breakneck Trailhead, having just gotten off of the Wilkinson Trail. They let us know that they had left their friend behind to find help for him. They let us know that he was experiencing very painful cramps in his lower back and legs that left him unable to walk. They said they had left him over an hour earlier, but had been getting updates from him via text message periodically. One of the trail stewards called him and was able to pinpoint his location as the southern intersection of the Breakneck and Notch trails. The steward was able to get from the phone call that the man was calm, lucid, and in a great deal of pain. The steward assured the man that help was on the way, advised him that he may be receiving phone calls from the parks department, and ensured that his phone battery was relatively high. He confirmed that he was out of water and food. It was also confirmed that he was alone. From his friends, a physical description of the man was collected, he was described as over 6’3 and roughly 250 pounds. Immediately, the stewards contacted the park manager, Evan, and after gathering necessary supplies, one began the trek up to see him. While hiking, that steward was informed that the park’s department staff, volunteers, and AmeriCorps members (not directly affiliated with the NYNJTC AmeriCorps members) would also head to the scene with a stretcher.
The trail steward arrived at the scene before the park’s department did, and offered the man water and a power bar, which he accepted. He was in so much pain at the time that he was unable to even sit up. Within a few minutes of the trail steward arriving, the first parks employee arrived. She offered the man a Gatorade, which he accepted, and the trail steward departed to lead the rest of the Park’s Department and its affiliated members to the scene. By the time they returned, the man was already doing significantly better; he was sitting up. After around 15 minutes, he was able to stand up, and shortly after, he was able to take small steps, with assistance from the trail steward and two parks employees. Within about an hour, the man was able to make his way down the Notch Trail, at which point he was able to get into a Park’s Department truck which had drove up as far as it could, after having gotten permission from Lake Surprise. The man’s friends picked him from just outside the gates.


Invasive Species Control
September was arguably the month that the trail stewards program was most effective at combatting invasive species, both in terms of direct, targeted removal, and in terms of educational outreach.

Invasive Species Education
One excellent opportunity for education on invasive species came during a corporate retreat, where trail stewards and a NYNJTC staff member went out with a group of people who worked for Subaru. While there, we picked up three garbage bags of trash, but we also had the opportunity to mingle with a group of people who had varying degrees of interest in the outdoors, as well as varying degrees of education on the outdoors. We were able to teach some of them about what invasive species are, and how they are distinguished from native and non-native, non-invasive species. We were also able to go over ways in which they are spread, some of which (such as from transporting firewood over great distances) were things that many of the people there hadn’t thought of previously-even those who were familiar with the concept of invasive species.

The majority of our interactions with the public came from conversations on the trails or at a trailhead, and for much of September, we had an extra ally in starting these conversations-Invasive Strike Force members. Two members from the terrestrial team and four from the aquatics team joined us over the course of the month. This was highly beneficial in three ways. The first is that they were able to speak in great detail about the invasive plants in the area, treatment methods and hardships, ways members of the public can help or get involved, and they were able to offer many anecdotes about the project of invasive species control. The second way their presence was beneficial to our program was that we were sometimes being educated on intricacies of their work-either from overhearing them talking to hikers or from conversation during slower parts of the day. The third way their presence aided our ability to educate the public was simply through their presence. Even when they weren’t directly engaging with hikers, when asked the common question of what we were doing at the trailhead, part of the response would include mentioning the ISF corps members usual responsibilities.
Even on days where we weren’t aided by the presence of ISF members however, we were able to educate many hikers each day on the risks posed by invasive species, what some of the most common or dangerous ones look like, and how they can get involved in combatting the spread of invasive species.


Invasive Species Removal
While stewarding on the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail, we had many opportunities to remove invasive species. This is especially beneficial because the trail can act as a highway for invasive species, given its size and significant length. By the same token however, the trail can act as a highway for native species. The area is frequented by many volunteers who have facilitated native plant growth, and in clearing many invasive species, even those so widespread that eradication or control is no longer seen as pragmatic, we create room for the spread of native species. In addition to pulling invasive plants on stewarding days, we also spent time pulling them on a day involving general trail maintenance along the OCA trail. On that day, trail stewards were joined by a volunteer and their manager.

Trail stewards also traveled to four sites with the Terrestrial Invasive Strike Force, and together the two teams managed to fully survey each site and remove each plant observed. This ended up totaling 754 scotch broom plants, an emerging invasive species.

Looking Ahead

In October, the trail stewards are looking to end their season on a high note, using the education that we have been building all season to have our strongest showing yet. Some projects that we’re looking forward to include finishing up some trail maintenance on the Undercliff trail in Hudson Highlands State Park, collecting the second round of surveys on trail usage for the Fjord Trail group, doing more work with volunteer leader Andy Garrison on the new trail in Tallman Mountain State Park, doing more invasive species control along the Old Croton Aqueduct trail, going out to survey with the conservation dogs team, and, as always, to continue educating the public on how to safely and productively enjoy the outdoors.

August

Collaboration Station

August started off with a few days of collaboration with the Aquatics Invasive Strike Force (AISF). The AISF crew led us out to Teatown Lake to do some surveying. We learned how to use the rakes and keep track of the depth of the water. We started off the day making sure we put everything in the cars then we were debriefed on what we would be doing and how to do it. Once we were split into smaller groups of three, Red drove Kat and me to the launch site. A few minutes after getting to the launch site, Red drove over a large rock and we needed to get towed by the people who worked in the area. Kat shared a superstition about bananas causing issues the day that folks are to go out on the water or when they are already out there. Turns out the banana I brought for lunch played a larger role in the day than just keeping me full! We were split up between three lakes so the results were different at the end of the day. Red, Kat and I had over 50 areas to survey in the lake so we later received help from Roy, Ryan, and Logan to finish up the surveying. It was a great opportunity to see how much work they do to to keep track of invasive and native species in the area.



In addition, we went out to Constitution Marsh and helped pull water chestnut. Both were incredibly hot days yet still enjoyable as we learned how to identify water chestnut and pull it accurately. That was definitely an incredibly exhausting day because of the canoeing back and forth to drop off the amount of chestnut we gathered in the boats. It yet still enjoyable as we learned how to identify water chestnut and pull it accurately. That was definitely an incredibly exhausting day because of the canoeing back and forth to drop off the amount of chestnut we gathered in the boats. It was awesome to be out there with AISF and we look forward to days they can join us at Breakneck Ridge and Croton during stewarding days!

The month of August brought a lot of things to a close for the Hudson Valley Trail Stewards. Trail Steward Charlene headed out for the start of her senior year of college, leaving only four stewards between the two locations. To celebrate Charlene’s last days, Ryan and her were able to go out to the Catskills to get an idea of the work that the Catskills Trail Stewards do. They both loved the experience and enjoyed seeing Liam and Chiara in their element. In addition to the Catskills, on Charlene’s last day, the trail stewards hiked 9 miles out to Beacon. They stopped at the Fire Tower and then continued their route out to the parking lots in Beacon to make it a full day hike and better understand the area they steward in. It was a fulfilling last few days to spend with Trail Steward Charlene.


Some of the other work accomplished in the month of August focused on invasive species pulling and surveying. The trail stewards worked on a patch of stilt grass along the Aqueduct Trail to preserve the native white asters that were growing. It was a long and tedious day of work but the end result was awesome to see. Brent, the Trail Conferences’ Associate Director of Ecological Stewardship, worked with Myra, our Program Coordinator to get the trail stewards out to Harriman to survey invasive species. The work is beneficial to the Trail Conference and allowed the trail stewards to become familiar with another aspect of what the Trail Conference does. This month made the stewards excited for the rest of the season and future collaborations. With the work completed and connections built by the end of August, the trail stewards continue to feel motivated for the rest of the season and what it has in store.

July 

Hello, July

July flew by with memorable moments at both Hudson Valley Stewarding Locations. The beginning of the month led with asking Breakneck Ridge visitors survey questions for the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail. Despite starting on a holiday weekend, the surveys were difficult to collect with a decrease in visitors to the location. That same July 4th weekend, our second location, Croton Gorge Unique Area, officially closed. While the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail is still open for use, the river itself is no longer open for use. This led to difficult conversations with folks who were visiting because of their desire to go to the river after driving from far away. The main reason the river is closed is due to safety for visitors who come to the area to swim. Based on discussions with the Forest Ranger and Diane Alden, the goal is to open it again soon but for the rest of the Hudson Valley Trail Steward season, it will remain closed.

We had great collaborations and training during the month of July. The training we had was for the Croton Gorge Unique Area where we were able to see one of the weirs for the Old Croton Aqueduct and learn the history of the Dam. This provided better insight to the history of the area that we are stewarding in. In addition to the training, there were weekends of collaboration between the Hudson Valley Trail Stewards and the Terrestrial Invasive Strike Force. Two of the locations we went to with them were Iona Island and the Three Arrows. At Iona Island, we helped spot Cutleaf Blackberry and Chinese bushclover. At the Three Arrows, we helped pull Japanese Spirea. It was an amazing opportunity to see the work that the Terrestrial Invasive Strike Force completes during their field days!

The month of July was also an opportunity to begin trash pick up along Breakneck Ridge. Many of the routes become heavily populated with trash that folks don’t throw out at the trailhead in anticipation that there will be trash cans at any of the false peaks. The Hudson Valley Trail Stewards who are able to hike the different options have continued to pick up trash along the short, moderate, and long loops each stewarding weekend. With a few members from other crews joining us at Breakneck Ridge they’ve also helped with the pick up, making it less extensive each time the stewards go to hike. With how much trash gets collected, we continue to make it our mission to educate folks on the importance of pack in, pack out. For the preservation of a popular hike, the Hudson Valley Trail Stewards want to make sure that everyone does their part to keep our parks clean!

June

The Long and Winding Road

June was an action packed month. With multiple trainings and collaborations with other crews, the Hudson Valley Trail Stewards have been hard at work to ensure the proper education of folks out on the trails.  In the beginning of the month, they gained three additional members, Charlene, Declan, and Ryan, which helped support the two busy locations. With many changes that have occurred with how we steward, who we steward with, and where we steward, the new members have taken the changes in stride. They’ve been great additions to the team!

The Hudson Valley Trail Stewards started off with Wilderness First Aid training where they, along with the Catskills Stewards and some Trail Crew members, learned how to perform CPR and other medical assistance depending on the situation. Later in the month, the stewards had Leave No Trace Training led by the Stewards’ Program Coordinator, Myra Romano and the NYNJ Trail Conference’s Executive Director, Joshua Howard. Activities were led by Conservation Corps members and provided valuable takeaways on how to approach conversations with folks when discussing Leave No Trace principles.

The last training in June was for the new Fjord Trail that will be built near the Breakneck Ridge Trailhead starting in late 2022, early 2023. This new trail will involve a variety of terrain that will be ADA accessible and give people the opportunity to walk close to the Hudson River without hiking intense terrain that they may not be prepared for. This will cause the Breakneck Ridge Trailhead to be closed once construction starts but the amenities will be worth it in the long run!

The Hudson Valley Trail Stewards had great opportunities of collaboration with the Terrestrial Invasives Strike Force at the Croton Gorge Unique Area. Engaging with at least 5 invasive plant species, the stewards are able to pull invasives throughout their stewarding days to help support the work that the Invasives Strike Force is doing throughout other parks. In addition to working with the Invasives Strike Force, the stewards went a few feet down the road from Breakneck to work with the Wilkinsons Memorial Trail Crew. It was a great opportunity to be in a familiar area doing different work!

 

 

With a busy yet fulfilling month, the Hudson Valley Trail Stewards have been able to engage with new work from other crews, learn about trail maintenance, and train to further our educational outreach. As the weather gets hotter and locations get busier, they are looking forward to successful and knowledgeable conversations with folks in the outdoors!

May
May Showers Bring More People Per Hour

The first weekend of stewarding came with its fair share of challenges but that did not prevent the Hudson Valley Trail Stewards from starting off their season with great enthusiasm. The DEC wanted at least one Trail Steward posted at Croton to ensure people did not use the old social trail but we were scheduled to be at Breakneck for Memorial Day weekend. The Trail Stewards, with the help of a Trail Crew member, Onely, were flexible with that change. With our mornings at Breakneck and afternoons in Croton, we got the perfect introduction to stewarding at both locations. 

With intense rain on Saturday, we saw only 22 Breakneck visitors and trained for the Croton Gorge Unique Area, becoming familiar with our roles at that location. Sunday’s sunny weather provided a reprieve from the gloomy weather and a spike in the numbers at Breakneck. The Trail Stewards saw over 600 people in 4 hours at Breakneck with many of them coming from the now opened train stop. The Trail Stewards were thankful for the extra assistance Hudson Highlands State Park provided due to the business of the location. Many people that we interacted with came from countries around the world, some of those places being Australia, Spain, and England. Interacting with people from other areas made us excited to continue educating folks about the area and Leave No Trace principles.

Both sunny days at Breakneck, the Trail Stewards found themselves often guiding hikers into Cold Spring or Beacon in order to catch the MetroNorth back into New York City. We anticipate the need to become more familiar with the train stop locations and times in order to best assist hikers on the trails. We found many of our conversations with hikers were based around the need for water, the challenge for larger dogs on the hike, and the need for a Trail Map. As we continue to steward at this location, we feel we will become much more efficient in our communication surrounding these topics and more. 

The Trail Stewards had slower afternoons at Croton with only 5 people on Sunday asking about the old social trail and 11 on Monday. Many of the people asking about a way down came packed for a day by the water but had to make the journey back home because of the trail’s closure. When provided with alternative areas to picnic, people took note of them but were curious if there was still a way to get down to the Gorge in order to enjoy a park they have visited for years. The Trail Stewards were quick to express that the trail will be open eventually but at the moment that specific trail is closed. With the small numbers that came, it was a smooth introduction to the area and the encounters we will have with visitors. The Trail Stewards will most likely still interact with people who decide to ignore the closure of the social trail but we have the support of the Forest Ranger when those conversations happen.

We are looking forward to our Leave No Trace training in June and the addition of new Trail Stewards this season. The new Trail Stewards will make great additions to the team and we are excited to continue improving our stewarding skills and our effectiveness at both Breakneck and Croton.

Catskills: By Chiara Brady, Catskill Trail Stewards Crew Leader

October

All’s Well That Ends Well

And just like that, the 2022 conservation corps season has wrapped up for the Catskill Trail Steward crew. But the crew went out with a bang, as October was the busiest month yet in terms of stewardship! Additionally, the crew finally got to see the finished products of months of hard work on their trail maintenance projects. So though this month was the bitter-sweet goodbye to an unforgettable 6 months, the stewards certainly got a proper send-off.

With the mountains and hills of the Catskill region painted bronze and gold for the final weeks of the program, the crew got to be the bearers of autumn greetings to the thousands (yes, thousands) of visitors who came through the various stewarding locations. Park attendance at these locations increased by over 65% from the previous month, rising from 2,001 hikers counted in September to just over 3,980 for the month of October, making October the most popular month of the entire season!

This traffic made for the perfect ending to the stewardship season, which officially ended the 26th. On the last official stewarding day, crew leader Chiara Brady also got the opportunity to join the Hudson Valley Trail Steward crew down at Breakneck Ridge and assisted them with their busiest day of the season.

In another perfect ending, the Catskill trail stewards also had the satisfaction of finally finishing up two of their long-term trail maintenance projects. One of the best parts of this job is getting to see your hard work culminate into meaningful, tangible outcomes, and the crew got to experience this at both their Warner Creek and Minnewaksa worksites.

With the help of senior volunteer Andy Garrison, the crew finished up their work along the Long Path, constructing 5 stone bridges to cross over newly dug drainage paths. These bridges will help curb the likelihood of erosion along these sections of the trail where water tends to collect. Over the course of the month, the stewards got to place some of the biggest stones they moved all season over the crossings. At Minnewaska State Park Preserve, the stewards also got to assist the park staff at Sam’s point, which they left with brushed in fire damage areas and social paths, in addition to newly added drainage systems to curb erosion. Just like at Warner Creek, it was super satisfying to see the hard work the crew had done over the past several months build up to a finished product that they could be proud of.

All in all, October was a bitter-sweet month for the crew, but it ultimately ended up being the perfect closure to an amazing conservation corps season. We wish the 2023 Catskill Trail Crew the absolute best of luck in their season, and can’t wait to see this great work be continued. Until next time – the 2022 Catskill Trail Crew!

September

September brings challenges and opportunity to the Catskills

The month of September may have been the Catskill Trail Stewards’ most varied, challenging, and rewarding month of the 2022 season yet! The stewards, now full pros at their regular summit stewarding and trail maintenance service days, had the opportunity to test new and old skills as attendance in the parks continued to ramp up and as weather conditions in the region presented new challenges and unique opportunities. As well, the crew got the chance to go out with the Aquatics ISF crew and to volunteer with a local partner organization alongside crew members from the entire program, giving them even more experience in the field and allowing them to meet and connect with other conservation leaders.

In terms of stewarding, September has been absolutely jam packed! As summer turned into fall, the stewards counted just over 2,000 hikers for the month, making it the second busiest so far. Additionally, the stewards were able to redirect hikers to
different park and town locations 147 times, putting up a new record number for that area. With 3 months of twice a week stewardship, the crew members have, at this point, become pretty good at answering most questions that hikers have.

This month, the stewards really began to focus on 2 of the trail maintenance locations they had been assigned throughout the season. At Warner Creek, with the help of senior volunteer Andy Garrison, the crew got to work on the construction of 4 rock bridges along the Long Path and the redirection of water flow from over the trail. Many of the work days consisted of sourcing, moving, and positioning, large bridge
and gargoyle rocks, which required lots of tools, physical might, and creative problem solving from each of the crew members.

As the stewards began to really get deep into their Warner Creek project, just 35 miles south, Minnewaska State Park Preserve would offer the stewards a challenge, this month, that not even the park staff could predict. As drought conditions in the Catskills remained continuous, and as the summer heat refused to break, at the beginning part of the month, 3 wildfires within Minnewaska’s bounds erupted. These fires forcing the park to close to the public for just about 3 weeks. On September 1st and 2nd, the crew assisted park staff in redirecting park goers to other recreational locations in the area so that first responders could safely and effectively work to control these wildfires. Following the eventual conclusion of the fires, the crew would work with staff at the Sam’s Point region of Minnewaska to brush in/renaturalize and construct new drainage ways for the former fire damage area. Though much of this work wasn’t expected, the crew rose to the occasion and got the chance to help out the local community in a remarkably meaningful way during the month of September.

August

The Final Half 

With the summer weaning and the leaves in the Catskills beginning to turn bronze if you look closely enough, the Catskill trail steward crew saw many changes to our regularly scheduled programming, and saw many opportunities to exercise our expertise in park education. New locations were added to our trail maintenance rotation, the crew said goodbye to crew member Liam Stuart, and the crew was even able to show off our amazing “office” to some of the other Conservation Corps members who participated in “crew swap” days. This all contributed to some of the major changes that the Castkill stewards faced during the month of August.

One of the biggest changes seen by the crew was the introduction of Minnewaska State Park Preserve as a trail maintenance location for Thursdays. On the first of August, we were given a tour of the park and our various project spots by Laura Conner. The following Thursday and Friday, we got the unique experience to camp overnight in the nearby Peterskill climbing area, and began our first project at the park; rerouting a stream crossing on the Rainbow Falls Footpath. Over the course of the month, the stewards continued with various projects in Minnewaska, such as brushing in social trails and redefining drainage systems along popular walking paths. The introduction of this new location as part of the stewards’ work has helped to keep things new and interesting for us.

We also got to help Trail Conference volunteer Eric Friedman in refurbrushing the Baldwin lean-to. We started the day off with an intense bushwack to a carriage trail where we then hiked 1.7 miles up to the shelter. The crew helped a few other day volunteers to strip and begin to replace the roof, prepare new logs, and overall improve the appearance and functionality of the already existing lean-to.

On a slightly more bitter-sweet note, crew member Liam Stuart’s final day as an AmeriCorps volunteer for the trail conference finally arrived. The whole crew thanked him for his invaluable effort and tireless spirit throughout the season, and wished him luck for this coming school year. Now operating as a four-person crew, we have already been feeling the space left empty in Liam’s place.

As a continuation of a season-long effort to provide variety and introduce volunteers to new kinds of conservation work, the Catskill crew also got to work with a few corps members who opted to shadow us on some of our stewarding days. Members from the Hudson Valley Trail Stewards and the Terrestrial Strike Force crews paired up with some of the Catskill stewards this month to get a taste of what working from the high peaks is like. Like always, this opportunity provided us with an insight into how the other crews are structured, and allowed us to spend time with some of the corps members who we do not often get the chance to work or board with.

July

Summer Send Off-Part 2 

The stewards kicked off our busiest season yet with many new adventures and avenues to explore our work with the conservation corps! Of course we were able to steward the five high peak locations after two months of getting to know them, but we also finally began our trail maintenance work on a more consistent basis, and participated in many cross-crew activities.

To begin the month, we got to work right away with Trail Conference volunteer Andy Garrison on a trail maintenance project at Warner Creek. This day, where we collaborated with campers from a YMCA Frost Valley group, set the tone for a month of serious yet exciting trail maintenance work. The following weeks, we set out to work with Charles Gadol and Matt Smith for multiple days, helping them and various day volunteers to complete trail work effectively and efficiently. During these days, we kept to our usual routine of making crush, farming dirt, moving large stepping rocks from the woods onto the trails, digging drainage canals, and setting brush. The culmination of these tasks resulted in newly restored trails in the Platte Clove Preserve, Huckleberry Point, and Warner Creek locations.

Of course, aside from our trail maintenance work, the Catskill stewards continued to have success in our duties as high peak stewards, educating the public over 750 times within the past 31 days, making it our most successful month in terms of outreach yet (over 25% of all hikers counted were educated this past month)! Additionally, the crew helped over double the amount of lost hikers from last month, and were able to increase the number of hikers redirected to other Catskill locations as well. It seems as though, after weeks of intense training and familiarizing ourselves with the parks, the crew has finally settled into our role as stewards and has finally been able to properly utilize our newly acquired knowledge to be a source of comfort and information for travelers throughout the region.

Lastly, the crew also participated in many corps-wide activities, including the Professional Development Day, where we got to listen to a panel of and sit down with industry forerunners to learn more about careers in sustainability and conservation, and the mid-season BBQ. Both of these events were great opportunities for the stewards to make connections and see a different side of their work.

July was a super great month for the Catskill steward crew! We are super excited to continue our great work with the Trail Conference into the coming months!

June 
Summer Send-Off

During the month of June, the Catskill Trail Steward Crew saw tons of excitement, and learned a lot as we continued on our journeys to become the best stewards possible! So many firsts, and so much learning happened this month, as well as a nice big welcome to the two newest crew members who joined the pack!

Finally settling in to life up in the ‘skills, the team got the chance, this past month, to explore many of the local businesses and parks (those that we do not even steward) that we would be recommending to curious hikers and travelers all throughout the season. Onteora Lake and Hickory BBQ & Smokehouse are some crew favorites, but Bread Alone, Woodstock Brewing, Rough Draft, and Kenco Outfitters also have seen a lot of us throughout the month. 

During June, the crew also finished up our last few bits of training before going into our first month of our official service weeks. We started the month at the Welch Trail Education Center earning our certifications in Wilderness First Aid training, courtesy of Mid-Atlantic Outdoor Recreation Education (MORE), and in Leave No Trace Education. Aside from getting the opportunity to meet and learn/work with some of the other Trail Conference Conservation Corps crew members, the Catskill crew also learned valuable information that would proceed to help us greatly in the field. We also completed our last trail training at Wittenberg Mountain, officially making us Catskill Trail Stewards for all five of our assigned high peaks.

In another sort of education, the crew also got to experience our first ever day of trail maintenance with longtime organization volunteer Andy Garrison. We met up with the volunteers at the Lane Street trail and got to make crush, dig dirt, and move stepping rocks to maintain some pre-existing trail all for the first time. We also spent a day collaborating with the Terrestrial Invasive Strike Force Crew in Kingston where we learned all about the world of invasive species detection and removal while helping the ISF and Scenic Hudson folks to remove the highly invasive Japanese Spirea.

After all of our training concluded, and we were introduced to the world of trail maintenance, the crew launched our maiden voyage to help educate the public and interpret the park rules and regulations for the next four and a half months. For the month of June, the stewards saw a 223% increase in park attendance during their service days from May, which certainly meant that the stewards had a pretty hectic month cut out for us. Between the five mountains we stewarded, the crew was able to educate nearly 460 hikers, making it our most successful month in terms of educating the public so far! And as summer crowds continue to swarm the parks, the crews are ready to prepare for an even busier July!
 

May
Two’s Company, Tree’s a Crowd

The Catskill Trail Steward crew had a super exciting, informative, and enriching first month of the season. A lot was packed in to send us off on our journeys of stewardship these next few months.

We started our month with three of the five stewards moving to the Catskill location in Shokan, New York. With a mix of experienced and novice hikers/outdoors persons, the crew was already a diverse mix coming from different careers, life stages, and locations. Even though the Catskill Trail Stewards, when compared to many of the other Corps crews, have a much more solitary job (with us spending most of our days by ourselves roving the mountains/summits), the bond that has been developed between us, despite our differences, has definitely made it easier to learn from and use each other to become better stewards. 

Within the first two weeks, the crew visited three of the many locations that we will steward later on in the season. We learned about campsite etiquette, how best to respond to questions from hikers/backpackers, how to use our various technological tools such as Avenza Maps and Seek, how to communicate with radios, and we completed training with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). All of this prepared us for our first official weekend of stewarding both for the month and for the season. 

That weekend, we embarked on our journeys to the first mountains we would steward; Slide, Giant Ledge, and North Point, where we counted over 660 people. Putting all of our training to the test and tapping into our knowledge of the locations, Leave No Trace principles, and passion for stewardship, we were all even able to educate over 140 people! 3 illegal campfires were detected and dismantled at the Slide and North Point locations, a few cairns were toppled over, and even ate some ice cream (as part of the job, stewards patronize local establishments so we can make recommendations to weary travelers based on their needs/wants. In terms of ice cream, I recommend the Old Fashioned Ice Cream counter right off of North Lake Road before you get to the North Point trailhead).

One of the other exciting aspects of stewarding we learned about was seeing all of the little critters scurrying around; particularly the Eastern Newts which, according to Trail Steward Amanda, look like little, orange Kermit the Frogs. Overall, this month was a great introduction to our responsibilities as Trail Stewards in the Catskill region. It was also a great way to get us comfortable with each other, and create a cohesive team bond that will carry us through the season. In the coming months, the crew looks to continue our training and develop expertise in Leave No Trace principles, Wilderness First Aid, and trail maintenance tasks. As well, we are excited to welcome the two newest stewards to the team and continue great work educating the public on hiking best practices and respecting the land!