Also Inside (printed version only)

• National Trails Day
• Albany Update
• Hikers' Almanac 

Catskill's Bearpen Peak Purchased by New York State

At New York Governor George Pataki's press conference announcing the State's acquisition of Bearpen Mountain for inclusion in the Catskill Forest Preserve, Neil Woodworth (left), counsel to the Adirondack Mountain Club and the NY-NJ Trail Conference, presented the Governor with a copy of the New York Walk Book. Neil represented both ADK and the Trail Conference in gaining the Governor's attention for support of this long-sought land acquisition. Governor Pataki has aggressively supported the campaign for open space protection during his administration.

In June, Bearpen Mountain in Greene County, one of the 36 Catskill High Peaks over 3500 feet, was purchased by the State of New York to be added to the "forever wild" lands of the Catskill Forest Preserve. The Trail Conference and the Adirondack Mountain Club were the principal advocates for the Bearpen purchase.

The acquisition of Bearpen Mountain has long been a priority of hiking and outdoor recreationists. At 3,600 feet, it dominates the landscape, with steep, rugged topography and forested slopes, and offers some of the best hiking in the

Catskills. Bearpen is the highest summit on a long ridge of mountains that runs north-south, providing easy and good views of Hunter Mountain, West Kill, and other Catskill High Peaks. It dominates views in the upper Schoharie and Delaware River Valleys. The name Bearpen is likely to have derived from the practice of hunting bear during the 1800s by constructing traps built with stone or logs. The "bearpens" would trap the bear until the hunter arrived. Curiously enough, though Bearpen was identified as an "exceptional resource" in the state's Open Space Plan, it was one of a handful that were not owned by the state.

The 1,185-acre parcel will be added to the adjacent 700-acre Dela-ware-Greene Reforestation Area and managed by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Neil Woodworth, counsel to the Adirondack Mountain Club and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, representing a constituency of over 135,000 hikers and campers, said, "We are delighted with the purchase of Bearpen Mountain, a critical addition to State

lands in the Catskills. This purchase preserves this beautiful mountain, guarantees hiking access to a popular Catskill

High Peak, and safeguards key portions of the Schoharie Creek and Delaware River areas of the New York City Watershed. What an incredible bargain. Kudos to Governor Pataki and Commissioner John Cahill for this valuable purchase."

Fred LeBrun, political and outdoors columnist for the Albany Times Union observed in his column: "We nearly lost the acquisition of Bearpen - a dreadful thought - but Neil Woodworth, representing the 135,000 members of the Adirondack Mountain Club and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, urgently warned DEC Commissioner John Cahill. A private developer was interested, so was the City of New York, which was seeking to improve watershed protection."

Subsequently, DEC successfully concluded its negotiations with the owner and bought this valuable tract. ADK and the Trail Conference are now lobbying for the purchase of a 500-acre tract on the summit of nearby Vly Mountain.

With the acquisition of Bearpen Mountain, the State has now protected the northwestern-most high peak in the Catskills. This wonderful new addition to the State Forest system will provide outstanding recreational opportunities for hikers, campers, hunters and all those who would like to enjoy fantastic panoramic views of the Schoharie Valley and the Huntersfield Mountain range.

The State purchased the property for $940,000, using Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) resources. The EPF supports more than a dozen State and local environmental programs, including the conservation of priority open space projects identified in the State's Open Space Conservation Plan.

Kennard Grant Bolsters Safety Training for Trail Crews

The New York - New Jersey Trail Conference is pleased to announce a generous gift of $8,000 from the Charles W. Kennard Foundation. The money will allow us to establish a regular schedule of safety refresher training for our trail crew members and leaders, and to support general Conference operations.

This gift, together with $7,500 donated to the Trail Conference late in 1998, earmarked for several Appalachian Trail projects, a new interpretive sign and training for our trail crew leaders, totals $15,500 received from the Charles W. Kennard Foundation within the past 12 months.

The Trail Conference will use part of the Kennard gift to begin a program of regular safety courses for our volunteer trail crew members. Chainsaws, and winch/rigging systems, are accepted tools nowadays for trail crew work of building and repairing hiking trails. As such, workers using this equipment need to maintain a high level of skill in operations and awareness of safety for these specialized tools.

Peter Kennard, Foundation secretary noted, "Protecting the hiking opportunities in the immediate New York City area is important to me. The Trail Conference, with its long history of volunteerism and activism, is the pre-eminent organization in this region to do that job."

While chainsaw certification courses have been given for the past few years, re-certification courses, which refresh an operator's skills under the eye of a certified instructor, have yet to be presented by the Trail Conference. The hiking community standard requires a re-certification course every three years to keep the operator current on new techniques and standards for bucking, felling and limbing trees during trail maintenance, as well as to maintain a strong emphasis on good safety skills.

The Trail Conference is seeking to have a member re-certified as a chainsaw instructor, who would then be able to offer the one-day refresher courses for our volunteers on a regular basis in-house. This would provide greater flexibility in meeting our re-certification needs than we currently have under a request-basis arrangement with our state and federal agency partners.

Winch rigging systems also demand high levels of experience and exposure to a variety of applications to improve operators' safety. With the Kennard Foundation donation, the Trail Conference will bring in experienced trainers on a regular schedule to transfer their field-earned knowledge to our trail crew members.

"The Kennard Foundation well understands the variety of skill training our volunteer trail crew members require, and has been very supportive by earmarking portions of two generous grants to meet those needs," said Anne Lutkenhouse, Trail Conference Projects Director. "The Foundation's investment to provide on-going safety skill training to our volunteers, and general operations support, assures a legacy of trail care and improvements well into the new century."

The Trail Conference is deeply appreciative of The Kennard Foundation's gift.

from the executive director   Times and people...they are a changin'

You will notice a new and more modern look about the Trail Walker in this issue. We are pleased to welcome Nora Porter as our new Designer and Managing Editor. Nora has previously designed publications for the Trail Conference, including the New York and New Jersey Walk Books, and has done editing and design work for a number of organizations in the Hudson Valley. We want to thank special people who have improved our Trail Walker and applied their well-honed skills with devotion for the past ten years, especially Managing Editor, Alice Tufel, and Designer Tom Fenton.

The Trail Walker is only a reflection of change. The nuts and bolts transformations are subtle, and taking place through the creation of a Strategic Planning process for the organization.

As we enter a new millennium, it is natural to take stock. Issues and pressures that we encounter on behalf of our 1300-mile network of foot trails are vastly more complex than ten years ago. Our parks are in crisis as they wither from lack of adequate funds for stewardship and management; land development increasingly threatens our trail corridors and landscapes, and conflicting trail uses compromise the hiking experience. A dedicated Board and staff have devoted several retreat days, and countless hours in task force meetings, to develop a clear mission and vision statement as guidepost, and to establish concrete future plans for each project area within the Conference. To best garner the necessary resources to address issues and protect our trail lands, we must look at innovative approaches and more sophisticated support systems. You will be hearing more about Strategic Planning in future Trail Walkers.

All of you have received a personal invitation to attend a gala dinner dance

on September 26 to celebrate trails and honor our Trail Conference President, H. Neil Zimmerman. Neil will step down from his office in October after 12 years of intensely devoted service. During his tenure, his leadership and vision have resulted in expanded hiking trail maintenance responsibilities; new trails such as the bi-state Highlands Trail, the Long Path North extension, and the Shawangunk Ridge Trail. Neil has forged strong partnerships with state agencies and colleague organizations and has made land protection a priority. He will be missed in his capacity as president, even as we are confident of strong leadership within the organization. But, Neil has promised to stay very involved with the Trail Conference!

And yes, at this important juncture, when we are developing a strategic plan for the Trail Conference, it is timely for me to develop my future plans as well. I have advised the Board of Directors that I will be stepping down as executive director on or before December 31, 1999. After nearly 20 years of working with the Trail Conference, I will be moving on to pursue personal goals. I have seen enormous changes within the organization over the years, and I am proud to have had a role in its growth. It has been a constant source of inspiration for me to work with such a passionately committed and talented corps of volunteers and staff. The opportunities of working and building friendships with members and colleagues has been extremely enriching. Another gift has been my deepened connection to the land in our region-physically, intellectually and spiritually.

I am working closely with the Board on a transition. A Search Committee is now accepting applications and appreciates members passing along the posting below regarding the position.

- JoAnn Dolan, Executive Director

Trail News

Long Path Section in Shawangunks Closed

The section of the Long Path from the western end of Mud Pond to its junction with the High Point Trail (see the Trail Conference's Shawangunk Trails map #9, grid C-3, shown below) has been closed by the landowner. Please do not tresspass on this private land. When a re-route is established, notice will be published in the Trail Walker, and noted on our website at www.nynjtc.org.

Chainsaw Certification Course November 13 - 14

A two-day chainsaw certification course will be given by Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area staff for volunteers on Saturday and Sunday, November 13-14 at Camp Mohican in the National Recreation Area. This course, which is accepted as certification for chainsaw use on National Park Service, and US Forest Service, lands is geared for maintainers with the Appalchian Trail, or a trail assignment within the federal lands of the Recreation Area. Training will be both indoors and in the field, in and around Camp Mohican. To be considered for certification through the course, participants must attend both days' sessions. For those wishing to stay overnight, special arrangements have been made with AMC, which operates Camp Mohican: $20 per person for space in a full-service cabin, with use of the communal kitchen for preparing your own food. For more details, and to register, call Anne Lutkenhouse at the Trail Conference office, 201-512-9348.

Frank Bouton Shelter Dedication September 18

Volunteers from the Ramapo Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, recently constructed a hiker's shelter on Table Mountain in the Catskills. The site is known as the Bouton Memorial Shelter in honor of the late Frank Bouton, an avid and active member of the hiking community. Please join us in honoring his memory as we dedicate the shelter on Saturday, September 18. The shelter is on the Peekamoose-Table Trail, about 3.5 miles from the Denning Trailhead parking area-a moderately strenuous hike. Carpools will form at the Harriman railroad station on Route 17, north of the Red Apple Rest, at 8am. Two groups, 'A' and (more leisurely) 'B' pace, will start at Denning around 10 am for the hike in. A brief dedication ceremony is set for 1 pm. Be prepared for a possible wet crossing of the East Branch of the Neversink, as bridges are out. For more information call George Sheedy at 914-986-6807 or [email protected]. Rain date: Oct. 2-same times and place.

Low Impact Use Program Presented

In May, on Morris County Park Commission's Trail Day students from St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, NJ, a Trail Conference member organization, presented a public program on low-impact use at the Mahlon-Dickerson Reservation. St. Benedict's Prep School annually presents a leave no trace/low impact program for youth group leaders who take their charges onto the AT in New Jersey. This training is part of our New Jersey AT Committee's management of group use.

Students Steve Cordova, a senior, and Terrill Harris, a junior, and faculty member Didier Jean-Baptiste performed a skit presenting the story of three bumbling guys who break every Leave No Trace rule imaginable while going on an overnight backpacking trip. The program was geared towards the younger kids in the audience, who happily pointed out the mistakes that the "guys" made during their "trip." Steve, Terrill and Didier pointed out what they overlooked, so everyone learned something while enjoying themselves.

This low-impact program attracted the largest crowd of the day, and participants took home a Leave No Trace booklet that went into more detail and included some games to help them review the principles.

Our thanks to Steve, Terrill and Didier for their energies to present this important public education program!

20-year effort to protect 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail nears end

The Appalachian Trail land protection program, the most complex land acquisition program in the National Park system's history, is so near to its conclusion - with only 26 miles not yet in public ownership - that in this federal fiscal year 1999, Congress and President Clinton agreed to an unusually large $15.1 million appropriation from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, intended to acquire the final lands needed to bring the entire AT route into public ownership by the end of 2000.

This "final appropriation" brings to an end 20 years of federal funding, which began with the 1978 amendment to the National Trails System Act, mandating the National Park Service to put the footpath and a corridor of lands surrounding it into public ownership.

Since the project began, annual Congressional LWCF appropriations totaling $150 million have purchased more than 151,000 acres, preserving 750 miles of the AT in a greenway corridor averaging 1,000 feet in width. During this time, the AT enjoyed bipartisan political support of an amazing longevity in the world of congressional appropriations.

The 1999 appropriations bill contains $8.1 million for the Park Service and $7 million for the Forest Service to complete their protection programs without having to return to Congress to request more funds. By the end of 2000, the Park Service will protect the remaining14.4 miles of trail, and the Forest Service, 11.5 miles.

Typically 1,000 feet wide, the AT greenway has "preserved the entire Appalachian ridgeline from Maine to Georgia," and in doing so, preserved the essence of the hiking experience. It has also given wild flora and fauna a fighting chance to survive the pressures of rampant development. Research suggests that the greenway provides critical habitat, supports the range's biodiversity, and may even play a role in species migration.

Land Gifted to Appalachian Trail in Hudson Valley

The Open Space Institute and Scenic Hudson have donated a total of 108 acres of undeveloped land in two parcels to the Appalachian Trail for enhanced corridor and viewshed protection.

In April, through its land acquisition affiliate, the Beaverkill Conservancy, OSI purchased a 36-acre parcel just south of South Mountain Pass Road, which it plans to transfer to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Complementing this transaction, earlier this year OSI and Scenic Hudson gave another Hudson Highlands parcel, a 72-acre tract known as the Stinson land, to the National Park Service.

"The Open Space Institute has been a significant partner in Appalachian Trail land protection efforts in the Hudson Valley," commented Walt Daniels, the Trail Conference's AT area supervisor in Putnam County.

The 36 acres, bought with a $280,000 grant from the Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Fund for the Hudson Highlands, is bordered on the south by Camp Smith, and on the west by Hudson Highlands State Park and the AT corridor, and contains three 800-foot peaks along a prominent ridgeline which offer views of the Hudson River and the Hudson Highlands. The Trail Conference will work to lay out and construct link trails through the new purchase to existing trails in the area.

The Stinson land is a steep wooded ridgeline, first acquired by OSI and Scenic Hudson in 1986 as part of a 300-acre assemblage, also with funding from the Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Fund for the Hudson Highlands. OSI gave 200 of those acres to the National Park Service in 1986 to re-route a portion of the AT through southern Putnam County, NY, where the Trail approached the river. The remaining 72 acres-the Stinson land - was since determined as valuable for AT corridor and viewshed protection including the Hudson River and Bear Mountain, resulting in this year's second donation. The AT crosses the Hudson River on the Bear Mountain Bridge, which is just west of the Stinson Parcel.

Thank you to Open Space Institute and Scenic Hudson for its generous Appalachian Trail land donations.

The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: An Andean Hiking Destination

By Anne Lutkenhouse

The Inca Trail, a path palpating with a sense of mystery deep in the Peruvian Andes. Hiking this world-renown trail to Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, is a very do-able, 4-day, 30-mile, classic high-wilderness adventure route across two high passes. Each day yields lush cloud-forests and a cornucopia of flowers and hummingbirds beneath snow-capped peaks, with visits to more-and-more complex, well-preserved Incan sites as anticipation for reaching Machu Picchu builds.

The trek, through the ruggedly vertical Andes, is all above 10,000 feet, with a maximum of almost 14,000 feet, and, though strenuous, with careful pacing, is suitable for many hikers.

Combining the trek with the Winter Solstice Festival (Inti Raymi), the greatest of all Incan celebrations, held each year in Machu Picchu's gateway city, Cuzco, made for a wonderful hiking trip.

After the festival's introduction to Incan culture, we spent a few days exploring nearby ruins, ranging from ceremonial baths high in the hills where spring-fed stream waters still flow, 700 years after the Incas built them, to a volcanic rock temple housing the three Incan "worlds" in one locale-the under-world, explored via the subterranean rock tunnels; this-world, depicted by the ground's surface and the rock carvings thereon; and the upper-world, the prickly crest of volcanic rock with its altars and ceremonial channels used to divine the future.

We set off on Day 1 from Kilometer 77, the starting point for hiking the length of the existing Trail. The trailhead starts at the narrow-gauge railroad tracks, passes through a tiny Quechua village, and begins in earnest along a relatively level path through a desert-like environment interspersed with cacti and cornfields above the Urubamba River. "Is this really the Inca Trail?" I thought. It seemed so unremarkable, showing none of the stonework-cribbed-trail-clinging-to-mountain-sides one associates with this trail. As the valley began to narrow, we stopped at another Quechua community to partake of a "Trail store," a thatched-roofed lean-to shielding some young men and their dishtubs of river-chilled water containing bottles of mineral water and Coca-Cola! Thus fortified, we reached the overlook to the enormous, terrace-clad ruins of Llactapata village. Here we first felt the hair-raising reality that we were actually walking in the footsteps of the Incas. Continuing on under views of the snowcapped Nevado Veronica (18,865 feet, the highest peak in the Urubambas), we finished the easy day hike to set up camp in preparation for Day 2, reputedly the most strenuous.

That night, the stars of the Southern Cross were so plump and fuzzy, and so seemingly near, we felt we could reach up, pluck them from the sky, and place them on our sleeping bags.

Next morning as we left the desert-like environment, the trail quite suddenly grew steep and switch-backed, the path bare of vegetation as the valley narrowed. Breathing became something of which I was very aware. We climbed steeply for 5 hours or so, through plateaus hosting different ecosystems: a forest layer, and then a cloud-forest rainforest where vegetation closed in, giving us precious shade and cooler temperatures. The natural soil "steps" switch-backed relentlessly over, around and through tree roots sucking the energy from our legs, while flowering plants and birds surrounded us. Still feeling the effects of some stomach distress, and relying on rehydration solution for bodily fuel, this was a difficult toil for me. Yet something kept drawing me upwards to the 13,776-foot Warmiwanusqua pass-a decisive point on the journey. Since I was far behind the group, I could gaze upward to see humans atop the pass silhouetted against the blue Andean sky. Seeing the goal, it now felt within my grasp. And ever so slowly, I did reach the pass and reunion with my fellow hikers. Having earned the view of glacier-clad peaks across the valleys, I felt the realization to my very bones that we were deep in a primal environment and wonderfully far from civilization.

After lunching in the lee of the pass's pinnacle, we began a short, but steep and rocky, descent along a well-marked trail to our next camp in a forested valley. It seemed a perverse trail routing: having achieved the height of the pass to immediately begin descending. We would later learn this was for Incan strategic protection purposes.

Day 3 began with a short, steep climb out of the valley bottom, but this rise was noticeably less steep than yesterday, or is it that our bodies have risen to the physical challenge and are now stronger?

Before cresting the second pass's 12,630 elevation, we passed a couple of  glacial tarns offering excellent views of the Pumasillo (puma's teeth) Mountains, as well as the deep gorges and steep ridges of the eastern Andes. Ahead of us lay the Royal Road, the 4- to 6-foot-wide, stone-paved Inca "highway," painstakingly unearthed-the more well-known image of the Inca Trail.

At one point, after we slithered through a narrow tunnel carved from the rock to allow walking behind a too-steep-for-trail-building section, our local guide, without fanfare took out his reed flute and sat down under a special tree to play some personal melodies. As the melancholy tones floated over me, I sat on the ancient stones to listen to the timeless sounds in this most appropriate of places.

Approaching our campsite just shy of Phuyupatamarca (City in the Clouds, elev. 11,975), we were jolted from our reverie by the sight-far, far off in the distance-of the few electric lights in Aguas Caliente, the hamlet at Machu Picchu's base, our destination at day's end tomorrow. The Trail's remoteness, and its human history seeping into my soul through each footstep, had so soothed my being that I cried at the thought of having to leave it and return to civilization.

Up at 5:15 a.m. the next morning, we scamper the final several hundred feet to view sunrise over Salcantay peak, the sun's first light illuminating the filigree-like cut-work where snow and rock intermingle on the snowfields of the Pumasillos. Leaving camp, we descend down 3,000 steps cut into the mountain. The stairs, a more-recently discovered section of the Highway, seem to drop almost straight down through the lush vegetation of the orchid- and wild begonia-rich cloud forest. We learn the Peruvian secret to avoid leg muscle fatigue while descending: go down sideways.

We glimpse the Winay Wayna ruins far below, whose terraces, rooms and ceremonial baths cling to the mountainside overlooking the winding Urubamba River. We share the path with donkeys on cargo treks led by Quechua children, then explore the ruins, the biggest and most complex on our way. After the precipitous de

scent, this section is quite flat, allowing plenty of time to pause and smell the heady scents of vegetation new to us.

Although an easy, short hike from Winay Wayna to the Inti Punku (Gate of the Sun), it takes longer than one expects since the trail traverses many canyons, covering more distance than the eye perceives. Just when you think you'll never reach that first view of Machu Picchu, a stone staircase greets you around a slight bend and takes you to the Inti Punku for the first breathtaking view of the Lost City. Your jaw drops with wonder: the city is immense compared with other ruins we have passed, and yet, is itself dwarfed by the enormity of the raggedly-sheer peaks towering overhead for 360 degrees.

We sat for a while trying to comprehend the image before our eyes. The quest, the goal of our trek, lay before us, still an hour away. Yet this point also marks the end of the wildest part of our journey, and it is this very journey that resonates so deeply, and unexpectedly, in my core.

Hiking to Machu Picchu, if one is able, is the only way to arrive. It gives you four days to adjust your perspective, to "tune in" to another culture, and to share the commonality of walking experiences with the Incas of yore.

I discovered that while the Inca Trail was initially the means to an end, it became a life-affirming experience, a time away from our modernity, and distilled for me the essence of what is valuable and necessary for life-shelter, food and movement. It's about as simple as one can get, and yet it took this journey to discover it at all.

IF YOU GO:

I went with a pre-booked tour offered by a British company, Exodus Walking Holidays. American companies offer trips, too, all of which are usually porter-, or horse-assisted. You can also make private arrangements in Cuzco, spur of the moment, to hike the Inca Trail. This might be for the more adventurous.

Hints:

• Arrive in Cuzco (11,100 feet) at least several days ahead of hiking to acclimatize. The altitude is a real consideration.

• We went in winter (June - August). It was warm and sunny, a peak time for wild flowers and plants a-bloom. Temperatures can drop to below freezing at night in camp (we woke up to frost one morning). Rain seldom falls during this season.

• Even at midday, clouds can obscure the sun and the apparent temperature cools dramatically, so we layered a lot. The usual performance clothing and gear is necessary. I recommend having some of the rehydration salts packets; keeping hydrated at elevation is very important, and, with the change in food, some stomach distress may result. If that happens, the salts will insure that your body's chemistry is ready for the Inca Trail.

  ---

Hikers'  Bookshop

Nature Walks in New Jersey by Glenn Scherer. Appalachian Mountain Club Books, 1998. 219 pages. $12.95 ISBN 1878239-68-6 [Available from Trail Conference Book Store at member prices.]

Shawangunk: Adventure, Exploration, History and Epiphany from a Mountain Wilderness by Marc Fried. Published by author, 1998. ISBN 0966335104