Trail Conference office relocates to Mahwah, NJ

Effective February 1, 2001, the offices of the NY-NJ Trail Conference will be closer to the trails and parks in which the organization is active. Moving into an office suite in a small commercial building at 156 Ramapo Valley Road (also known as Route 202), just north of its intersection with Route 17, this new Trail Conference office location marks the beginning of a new era.

Incorporated in New York State, the Trail Conference has been located in midtown Manhattan since we first opened an office in 1970.

The move was driven in part by the threat of increasing rents in Manhattan and by the need to better respond to situations with trail-land partners as identified in our strategic plan. Although other Manhattan locations were considered, the Trail Conference board of directors decided to explore in earnest alternatives to a New York City office. This new office location places the Trail Conference in closer proximity to the majority of our membership and more centrally to our trail systems.

"This is an exciting time of change, and not without some anxiety," says Trail Conference President Gary Haugland. "Leaving the City may seem to some like a callous break with our past. But we are seeing it as a move to strengthen our future. It will be challenging to rethink how we do business from this new address, and we trust it will make us more effective in doing our trail advocacy work in New Jersey."

Our new, second-floor office has wonderful views overlooking the Ramapo River from the back windows�quite a change from looking at the city skyscrapers in midtown Manhattan! Under the trees at riverbank�s edge is a great spot for a picnic in nice weather�an added perk.

Board members Paul Bell, John Gunzler, Tom Humbach, and Bill Mishler anchored the relocation committee, scouring sites from Jersey City northward to Tarrytown and Tuxedo, NY. Fellow Board member Pete Heckler actually found the Mahwah space.

Office hours will remain the same, weekdays from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Our new telephone number is 201-512-9348; our new fax is 201-512-9012. Our web site and e-mail address remain the same.

Volunteers: we need you in Mahwah!

With our new location, we need some new local volunteer help around the office, on either a steady basis or on-call. Can you help? We need folks to:

• answer telephone inquiries about the trails or hiking in general. We need coverage all day, everyday�but perhaps you can help out for a couple of hours one day a week. If we can get several people giving a few hours one day a week on a regular basis we can arrange full coverage.

• stuff envelopes for mailings, and/or map sets into plastic baggies (on call as needed).

• pitch in with general office work.

• help organize our filing system, and files, better.

• word process to update our many forms and brochures.

• enter data on our computer systems.

• be our computer repair technician and "help desk" reference (on call).

• be our librarian�follow up on overdue books (a few hours once a month).

• suggest something you would like to do.

Let us know what you would like to do and your availability. E-mail our volunteer coordinator at [email protected] and we�ll get back in touch with you.

Celebrating NJ�s Millennium Trail

Photos by Dan D'Erico

On a stunning golden October 21st, the Highlands Trail was feted as New Jersey�s Millennium Legacy Trail with the opening of another 20 miles of trail to the public. Hikes of various lengths in and around Spruce Run Recreation Area in Clinton, NJ, followed the ribbon-cutting, over which Trail Conference President Gary Haugland, Highlands Trail Chair Bob Moss, and NJ Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Robert C. Shinn presided. Celebrants included many of the Trail�s partners who have teamed with the Trail Conference to build this nationally-recognized trail.

Greg Marshall, Director of the Division of Parks & Forestry of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, and his wife Judy (foreground) joined one of the hikes celebrating the opening of new sections of the Trail.
	Within Spruce Run Recreation Area, the Highlands Trail (left) features long views over the Spruce Run Reservoir.
Robert C. Shinn, Commissioner of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and keynote speaker, noted with pleasure the continuing results of the successful partnership between the Trail Conference and the State Park Service, as the Highlands Trail continues to grow and become a reality.
	NJ Department of Environmental Protection Naturalist Stephanie Fox (right) led an interpretive hike along the Trail in Spruce Run Recreation Area following the ribbon-cutting. Among hikers learning about the area�s flora and fauna were (left) Robert C. Shinn, Commissioner of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, and (center) Al Gomolka, superintendent of Cheesequake State Park.

Two grants support computer upgrades, membership recruitment, and volunteer recognition

The Trail Conference is pleased to announce receipt of two foundation grants to upgrade our computer equipment and other necessary technology.

A foundation donor, which wishes to remain anonymous, generously contributed $35,000�$25,000 of which is earmarked to assist with the Trail Conference�s three-year revolving upgrade of computer hardware and software. The Hyde and Watson Foundation donated $5,000 for purchase of needed computer equipment.

"We are deeply appreciative of these grant awards because they recognize the infrastructure and communications needs of the organization," commented Anne Lutkenhouse, Trail Conference Projects Director. "It takes many resources to perform our mission, some far removed from the earth and shovels of the trail work itself. With these grants, our foundation donors have given us vital tools with which to manage information, and communicate with, recruit, and recognize our volunteers."

Grants will aid Strategic Plan goals

In mid-2000, the Technology Committee of the Board of Directors recommended a three-year program to upgrade our office computer hardware to enable optimum networking with the new database, and to improve office technological systems to enhance productivity. The Board approved this plan. Grant funds from our anonymous donor foundation will cover the costs of this three-year program.

In this, the first of the three-year cycle, we replaced two computer workstations and upgraded essential office software, including Windows 2000 Operating System and the upgrade for QuickBooks accounting program. In the second and third years, additional computer workstations and software will be upgraded as necessary to keep current. In addition, as part of its technology enhancement, the Conference developed a Web Store, and upgraded the office telephone system to include voice mail.

The Morris County, NJ-based Hyde and Watson Foundation�s donation enabled the Trail Conference to purchase a server to manage the membership and accounting databases. We also purchased FileMaker software for both the server and office work stations. Because most of our volunteers and agency partners are familiar with Microsoft Office, we bought copies for all the Conference work stations.

The Strategic Plan also calls for greater emphasis on volunteer recruitment, development and recognition, and $10,000 from our anonymous foundation donor is earmarked to do just that.

A membership brochure is a vital tool for new member recruitment and volunteer development. With $5,000 in grant funds, the Trail Conference re-designed and printed 25,000 copies of this new 4-color, photo-filled membership brochure. It now concisely answers the question, "What is the Trail Conference and what does it do?" Potential members learn that the organization maintains public hiking trails, and that there is a role for every member to become an active volunteer. Samples of activities in which members can get involved with the Conference�s work are part of the new text.

The remaining $5,000 from our anonymous foundation donor will support ongoing volunteer recognition, hosting a series of regional get-togethers for maintainers, so that they may be recognized for their trail work and meet their peers in a social�rather than trail work�situation. The Trail Conference has eleven committees of active trail workers�representing about 800 volunteers�who care for 1,300 miles of trail. Being able to give a little something to our volunteers builds bonds that are an investment in this organization�s continued service.

The Trail Conference deeply appreciates the support of our Anonymous foundation donor, and the Hyde and Watson Foundation, for these important infrastructure needs of our organization.

Trail Conference�s Science Advisory Committee Holds First Meeting

Nestled amid the rugged hills and sprawling reservoirs of northern New Jersey, the Weis Ecology Center was the perfect setting for the inaugural meeting of our newly formed Science Advisory Committee. On a crisp November morning, scientists from a variety of backgrounds met to discuss how the Trail Conference can become more responsive to the environmental issues that these knowledgeable individuals present.

Over the last few years, some general concerns have become evident to the Trail Conference. Exotic and invasive species are proliferating in trail lands, habitats are being fragmented and shrinking, and many species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and plants are being identified as endangered or threatened. We want to be better stewards of the natural environs where trails are located, and to be more aware of potential negative impacts on places wherewe wish to build new trails.

A public information sign on the Gertrude�s Nose Trail in Minnewaska State Park Preserve educates visitors about natural resource protection. Photo Pete Heckler

Attending this first meeting was an eclectic array of individuals willing to share their expertise about, and their passion for, the natural world. The meeting was co-chaired by Joan Ehrenfeld, Professor of Ecology at Rutgers University, and Trail Conference President Gary Haugland. Other members included: Michael Batcher, ecologist and consultant; Steve Clemants, botanist at Brooklyn Botanical Garden; Patrick Cooney, botanist with the Torrey Botanical Society; Matt Gompper, biologist at Columbia University; Chris Harmon, land steward for The Nature Conservancy; Robert Masson, natural resource monitor at Morristown National Historic Park; Laura Newgard, environmental scientist and a Trail Conference trails supervisor; William Richardson, hydrologist with the NYC Watershed; and Lance Risley, Professor of Ecology at William Paterson University.

The Trail Conference was also represented by Walt Daniels, experienced trail supervisor, Appalachian Trail Conference board member, and chair of our Technology Committee, and Sandy Parr, chief of our New Jersey Trail Crew.

Gary Haugland spelled out the reasons for forming this committee and offered some goals for discussion: 1) developing methods of assessing trail and hiker impacts in sensitive areas, 2) producing guidelines for trail construction and maintenance, 3) educating Trail Conference members and volunteers about environmental issues, 4) establishing better communication between the TC and land managers on scientific issues, and 5) developing volunteer-centered activities including research and education.

Joan Ehrenfeld then laid out the areas of concern that this committee should consider. Committee members were invited to amplify this list based on their knowledge and interests. This included threatened and endangered species, exotic and invasive species, use of trails by animals, effect of trails and hikers on habitats, wetlands management, potential land management conflicts, need for local expertise, monitoring ecosystem health, educating the hiking community, and getting students involved in research.

After some lively discussion, the group recommended the following actions:

1. First, to start a program of educating trail users. Members will write articles for the Trail Walker and the TC web site specifically addressing environmental issues. Future trail maintenance workshops will include sessions of scientific interest, starting with the next one in May;

2. The committee will review present guidelines and policies and make recommendations to make them more ecologically informed;

3. The Trail Conference will become more closely involved with experts in particular areas who can participate in the training of volunteers;

4. The woods are perfect laboratories for scientific research. The committee will establish partnerships between institutions of higher learning and the TC;

5. Trail problem reporting procedures will extend to reporting ecological problems along the trails.

What does this mean for Trail Conference members?

Not only will there be more channels for expanding your knowledge about trail-side science, there will be increased opportunities for protecting habitats, identifying and removing invasive species, teaching responsible hiking behavior, and in general becoming better stewards of the lands that the hiking trails traverse.

We are excited about this new direction. It presents us with new ways of living up to our mission, and we have never shied away from the ever-changing challenges of trail work. Thanks to all who participated.

	Five of the six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, of Raymond H. Torrey (left to right): Warren Millett, Laura Millett, William Torrey, Eileen Torrey, Raymond Torrey, Robert Torrey, Robert Millett, and Laura�s dog, Jazz Millett.
Torrey Memorial Hike attracts five of Raymond Torrey�s grandsons Photos by Val Caliandro
	Meyer Kukle, Conference honorary member and long-term steward of the annual hike tradition, confers with Carol Ash, Executive Director of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (above) and accompanies Conference President Gary Haugland on the Long Path to the top of Long Mountain (left).

The first Torrey Memorial hike of the new millennium returned to its roots�as 5 of Raymond Torrey�s grandchildren joined Trail Conference members and friends.

The hike honors one of the Conference�s co-founders, Raymond H. Torrey, as well as the Long Path, a trail Torrey championed and which is used to access the Torrey Memorial tablet atop Long Mountain in northern Harriman-Bear Mountain State Park. From the summit there are panoramic views over Turkey Hill Lake, Harriman Park, and the Shawangunks.

Held each year on the final Sunday in October, the Torrey Memorial event includes the hike to the mountain�s summit, a brief ceremony, and a social gathering of hikers who meet on the summit via any number of trail routes. It relives the day in October 1938 when hikers gathered to scatter Torrey�s ashes to the wild lands of Harriman where he labored so diligently to build and maintain the park�s trail system.

Meyer Kukle, Conference honorary member who has championed the annual hike tradition for decades, passed his coordinating role to fellow Trail Conference member Jules Orkin, who has vowed to keep the tradition alive.

Having Raymond H. Torrey�s descendants join us was a serendipitious happening. In August, an inquiry via e-mail came from Warren Millett, who was looking for copies of the newspaper column his grandfather wrote in the 1930s. Mr. Millett�s mother was Raymond Torrey�s daughter. Needless to say, since Raymond Torrey was a co-founder of the TC, our archives contain all the newspaper clippings of "The Long Brown Path," the long-running column he wrote for the New York Evening Post. Thus was the connection between the NY-NJ Trail Conference and RHT�s descendants established.

Once Warren, and his cousins Bill and Bob, learned of the Torrey Memorial hike, they decided to gather as many Torreys as possible to attend�no small feat, since all 6 grandsons are widely scattered across the country.

Congress Passes "Un-CARA" Bill

In October, Congress passed and President Clinton signed the "UN-CARA." That�s the Trail Conference and ADK�s moniker for a budget bill (HR 4578) that is a poor substitute for the landmark Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) that we supported for the last two years. Only bits and pieces of CARA made it into this budget bill.

HR 4578, officially known as the Land Conservation, Preservation and Infrastructure Improvement Act, eliminates guaranteed funding to the states for wilderness and park purchases. HR 4578 sets aside a much smaller amount and the money must be appropriated by Congress each year. For the past fifteen years, Congress has failed to fund the state land acquisition program portion of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The Trail Conference and ADK supported CARA legislation HR 701/ S.2123 and its Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) plan. This fund would have given back to the states money that was rightfully theirs. Congress promised back in the 1970s that these monies, which are generated by off shore oil leases, would belong to the states for open space and parks. Instead, Congress has been using the money over the years to offset budget deficits and buy federal lands.

The House passed the CARA bill we supported back in June 2000. Over sixty senators supported that landmark bill, but it was never put to a vote. Instead, the White House and budget appropriators negotiated a deal for the scaled down and temporary conservation funding measure as part of the large federal budget bill.

A Poor Substitute for CARA

The Trail Conference and ADK supported language that would guarantee permanent land acquisition funding every year for all the states. The landmark CARA bill would have provided $450 million to the federal government and $450 million to the states for open space land acquisition, state parks, ball fields, and greenways. New York alone would have received $28 million every year for wilderness and state park projects. By contrast, the approved budget bill provides New York with only $4.7 million this year. There is no guarantee that any state will be given any funding for state land acquisition in a non-election year.

Under HR 4578, only $90 million is to be divided among all the states, compared to the $450 million that was proposed in the CARA legislation. While the bill protects this small pot of money from being spent for other things, it does not guarantee that even one dime is actually appropriated by Congress in succeeding years. Congress will have to go back to the drawing board each year to authorize the level of funding for each state. New York and New Jersey and all the states will have to fight for their share every year.

To help offset the failed CARA bill, the federal budget will also include $60 million for the Forest Legacy Program. This money could be used in New York to preserve working forests and open space, and pay for more canoe and kayak access. New York recently received Forest Legacy money for Sterling Forest and acquisition of a canoe put-in on the Hudson River Gorge.

CARA�s Future in Doubt

The Trail Conference and ADK, and many other environmental and recreation organizations nationwide, are looking into the possibility of resurrecting CARA when the new Congress convenes. CARA�s future is obviously clouded by a very murky political situation in Washington as this article is written in mid-November.

Literally hundreds of thousands of groups around the country supported the old landmark CARA bill. The NYS Office of Parks and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation did a wonderful job of uniting many groups to support CARA.

Neil Woodworth served on a state Task Force of environmental and recreational group leaders to organize support for CARA. The job remains undone and we must convince Congress to do its duty and appropriate federal dollars to help the states buy lands like Sterling Forest, and the Hudson Highlands.

Pioneer Trail Closed

The Pioneer Trail has been closed by the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area due to its close proximity to Bald Eagle wintering habitat and safety concerns about a section where a mud slide bared a rock ledge near the river. See closed trails.

New Wildcat Mountain Trail opened

Connects Routes 17A and 17 junction with the Elk Pen

The Wildcat Mountain Trail, Sterling Forest State Park�s fourth new hiking trail, was finished and opened to the public in October. It provides a footpath link between Harriman-Bear Mountain and Sterling Forest state parks, starting in one and ending in the other.

From its southern terminus near Route 17A, the 3-mile-long trail climbs Wildcat Mountain, affording a broad vista to the south and east. It then proceeds north at an elevation of about 1,000 feet, providing views of Sterling Forest to the west and the Indian Hill property to the north, and then descends to terminate on Old Orange Turnpike (County Route 19) just across from the historic Southfields Furnace. (See the Trail Conference�s Sterling Forest Trails map, northeast corner, and Harriman-Bear Mountain Trails map #4, grid B-3.)

At that point, a hiker can access the Southfields Furnace Trail, taking that trail to the Indian Hill Loop Trail, which connects to the Appalachian Trail on Mount Arden (a little west of Agony Grind and Route 17). Thus a hike of about 8 miles�from the Route 17A and 17 junction to the Elk Pen in Harriman-Bear Mountain�is now possible with the opening of the Wildcat Mountain Trail.

The parking lot off the southbound service ramp to Route 17A from Route 17 holds about 30 vehicles. Short Line busses serve the Route 17 corridor, too. The Sterling Forest State Park Information Center is about 1/4 mile south of the trailhead on Route 17.

Mark Kassop and Mary and John Mack will maintain the Wildcat Mountain Trail. Our deep thanks to all who have contributed to the development of this beautiful new footpath.

Pete Tilgner and Suzan Gordon
Trail Supervisors
Sterling Forest State Park

Storm King State Park trails still closed

Even though the Army Corps of Engineers completed their ordnance clearing project on the hiking trails in Storm King State Park, the trails are still closed�pending a review by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission of the Corps of Engineers� final report.

The Army investigated 235 items within one foot of the trail surface and destroyed 21 ordnance�fourteen 75 mm shells and seven artillery shell fuses. The threat was not theoretical!

The Trail Walker will report whenever the PIPC announces that public access is again permitted.

New parking lot in Black Rock Forest

Hikers are reminded that there is a new primary parking lot for the main entrance to Black Rock Forest since their new Science Center was constructed. Hikers now park on the main forest entrance road shortly after its junction with Route 9W. The Duggan Trail begins at this parking lot and takes hikers to the Reservoir Trail. The parking lot that was just short of the Upper Reservoir is now closed to the public. (See the Trail Conference�s West Hudson Trails map #7.)

Hard Rock @ Black Rock

The next time you visit Black Rock Forest be sure to check out the beautiful new stone staircase leading from the Duggan Trailhead parking lot to Reservoir Road. Constructed over this past summer, this project was the result of the combined efforts of students from The Fieldstone and Storm King Schools along with the help of Forest Manager John Brady and four teachers from Fieldstone. Many thanks to these members of the younger generation for a job well done.

View from Albany

By Neil Woodworth and Margaret Carr

Speak Up Now for the Catskill Forest Preserve!

In mid-January, 2001, you will have the best opportunity in 20 years to speak up for the Catskills. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is drafting unit management plans (UMPs) for many beautiful areas of the both the Catskill and Adirondack Forest Preserves. These plans will determine how our Catskill Forest Preserve will be managed for decades to come. The DEC has scheduled six public meetings around the state to hear your opinions. The NY-NJ Trail Conference and the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) asked DEC for out-of-park hearings so that all New Yorkers would have the same opportunity to be heard as those fortunate enough to live near these marvelous lands.

These hearings are the perfect opportunity for Trail Conference members to have their say. Maps and information will be available at the meeting locations. Attendees will be able to talk to the DEC planners about their hopes and concerns for the areas listed and to make verbal or written statements. Written statements may be submitted after the meetings.

Perhaps you want some more hiking trails in the Shandaken Wild Forest. Maybe you�ve had difficulty enjoying cross-country skiing in the Catskills because certain trailheads haven�t been plowed. Or perhaps you�ve seen an all terrain vehicle (ATV) in use on a favorite hiking trail in Sundown Wild Forest, even though such use is prohibited.

Now is the time to voice your thoughts and concerns about how the Forest Preserve could be managed. Any new trails or other user facilities must be included and approved in a UMP. This is your chance to speak up for:

The Niagara Falls of the Catskills

A major planning issue for the Catskills is how to address the heavy foot traffic and slope scrambling at Kaaterskill Falls. Management of this area is being addressed in the UMP for the Kaaterskill �North Mountain Wild Forest.

Kaaterskill Falls is one of the most striking natural features in the state. It has two great tiers: the upper falls drops 175 feet and the lower drops 85 feet. The falls see a great deal of day use because it�s less than a half mile from Rt 23A. From spring to fall, a constant stream of tourists visit the area. Once to the base of the falls, many are inclined to scramble up the steep slopes to a high point or to the top. Due to their geology of unstable shale and limestone, the slopes suffer from a tremendous amount of erosion. Established trails have been difficult to maintain because of this instability.

Management options to address the slope include: building a cement staircase and platform to a high point for viewing; building a natural rock staircase to a high point; or building a simple platform and posting signs that prohibit hiking to the top. Clearly, none of these proposals is a lasting solution to the erosion problem at the falls, but with an educated public and enforcement, perhaps one of these ideas will curtail the use problems. How do you think the area at the falls should be managed? What kinds of overuse have you seen or experienced there?

Whither Our Wild Forests?

The DEC is being asked to widen many snowmobile trails throughout the Adirondack Forest Preserve. Some snowmobile clubs and local governments have asked for reconstruction of snowmobile trails so that the wider, faster models can use backcountry trails. These groups are also asking for grooming of trails by tracked grooming machines. This could result in 10-15 foot wide snowmobile trails, since Class A tracked groomers require such width to operate and handle corners. The Trail Conference and ADK believe that the operation of these groomers on trails in the Forest Preserve is not consistent with the "forever wild" clause of the state constitution. Current law and policies limit these trails to a maximum of 8 feet. We do not know yet whether or not similar requests will be made for snowmobile trails in Catskill Wild Forests in the future.

Hikers use snowmobile trails in the warm months. While the Trail Conference and ADK are not opposed to snowmobile use in the Forest Preserve, we hope you will urge the DEC to stick to the current regulations which require that snowmobile trails have the same character as footpaths with a maximum width of 8 feet.

Parking Lots, Stewardship and Illegal Use

There are many other management details that Trail Conference members may find important. While as issues may seem less than exciting, such details become critical in the day to day use and protection of the Preserve. For instance, the Prediger Road trailhead to the Indian Head Wilderness is in great need of an established parking lot: sometimes there are 15-20 cars parked along the road and on people�s lawns to access this popular trailhead. If the DEC sees enough support, a parking lot will become reality for this area.

Also, voice your support for better stewardship of the Preserve. Funds for signs, informational kiosks, and proper trail conditions will go a long way in helping preserve these lands. Finally, let the DEC know of any instances in which overuse, vandalism, refuse dumping, or illegal use are occurring. This is the opportune time to raise these issues. DEC�s management plans will hinge greatly on these current use patterns and problems.

Revision of the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan

DEC planners have also resumed work on revisions to the Catskill Park State Land Master Plan (CPSLMP). The CPSLMP is the management blueprint that determines how wilderness and wild forest areas are managed for human use. It is an very important document for protection of the "forever wild" character of the Forest Preserve. For example, it is the CPSLMP that prohibits the use of all terrain vehicles on trails in the Forest Preserve. Amendments to the CPSLMP will greatly influence how the Catskill Forest Preserve is managed for the next 20 years. The Trail Conference and ADK support amendments to the plan that would prohibit mountain bike use on steep, single-track trails such as the Devil�s Path on Hunter Mountain. We believe that mountain bike use should only occur on trails that have been specifically marked to permit bike use. This policy revision would designate trails suitable for mountain bikes in the same manner as horse and snowmobile trails.

The Trail Conference and ADK support the creation of a new Wilderness Area encompassing the peaks in the Windham High Peak�Blackhead Range. We strongly support the provision in the current CPSLMP that applies Wilderness protections to all Catskill Wild Forest lands over 2,700 feet in elevation. This special protection is better known as the 2700-Foot Rule. About half of the Catskill High Peaks over 3500 feet are in Wild Forest Areas. The Trail Conference and ADK believe these special habitats, now designated as Important Bird Conservation Areas under state law, should be afforded the same legal protection as Catskill Wilderness Areas. Many of the mountain slopes and trails in areas currently protected by the 2700-foot rule have erosion-prone soils which need the additional limitations on motor vehicle and mountain bike use afforded by the Wilderness guidelines of the CPSLMP.

Tell DEC: Keep the 2700-foot Rule!

Currently, the 2700-Foot Rule prohibits the use of snowmobiles and mountain bikes on trails such as the Spruceton Trail to the summit of Hunter Mountain. The special Wilderness status conferred by the 2700-Foot Rule also helped the Trail Conference and ADK convince the state Legislature to reject a scheme to convert the summit of Hunter Mountain into a massive ski center in 1996.

Some are now advocating for the repeal of this rule. We urge you to tell DEC planners at the UMP hearings to leave the 2700-Foot Rule in place.

Get Involved

Field checkers and/or editors

The Trail Conference is currently working on preparing a new edition of the New Jersey Walk Book. Anyone interested in assisting with field checking or editing should contact Daniel Chazin at 201-836-7019, or [email protected].

Regional trails supervisors and trail committee leadership sought

Are you interested in enhancing hiking opportunities in the network of trails the Conference maintains? The Trail Conference needs people who are interested in becoming more involved with trails, interacting with park managers and helping to solve trail issues and problems.

As a volunteer trails supervisor or trail committee chair, you will have broader responsibility than a trail maintainer. You can also have more influence on a regional system of trails. Volunteer leadership positions require a larger time commitment than that of a trail maintainer, but the payoffs can be great! Both types of volunteer jobs allow one to acquire a broader picture of hiking trails. Training is provided.

Look at the Trail Conference�s web page www.nynjtc.org/volunteers/vol.html for these job descriptions. If you have questions about the New Jersey positions, please call 973-823-9999 for Larry Wheelock, the Trail Conference�s N.J. Field Representative, or Anne Lutkenhouse at 201-512-9348 about those in New York.

Fun with GPS

Volunteers are needed in all areas to help acquire field data with the Trail Conference�s recently acquired hand-held GPS units. These extremely light, easy- to-use units will be used to collect track data to be placed on our map sets. Help the Trail Conference to update its maps while performing your favorite pastime� hiking. To volunteer or for more information, contact John Jurasek at [email protected].

Roving chainsaw crew forming in Harriman: leader(s) sought

The Trail Conference is seeking volunteers to form a new roving chainsaw crew to operate within Harriman-Bear Mountain State Park.

The crew will respond to the backlog of downed trees from Tropical Storm Floyd, and handle new blowdowns, on a steady basis�supplementing the work of the park�s trail maintainers. Ike Siskind, a Conference Trails Supervisor in Harriman, and Pete Heckler, West Hudson Trails Committee Chair, are spearheading this initiative.

We are also seeking volunteers willing to lead such a crew.

To participate, volunteers must be certified by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission as a volunteer chainsaw operator. The Park has hosted two training courses already; if enough non-certified folks respond to this call, another training course can be arranged.

Fill in the coupon below to let us know of your interest.

I�m available to work: weekdays __________ weekends __________

How to get your hiking permit for Pequannock Watershed trails

Catskill lean-to caretakers wanted

Web News

Web store a success

As announced in the November/December 2000 Trail Walker, the Trail Conference�s web store is now open, and is easily reached by clicking on the green Hikers� Market Place menu item on the left side of the home page.

We have been pleasantly surprised at the sales we are getting so far. For our first three weeks we averaged three sales per day, taking in a total of $1869.30 in that period. And almost half of the sales were from non-members, very encouraging indeed.

Once we completely automate our internal processing, we will save a lot of time on office work, which means that the more people who renew their membership, make contributions, and purchase online the more the Trail Conference will save.

Join our e-mail list

The Trail Conference occasionally sends out email notices, usually action alerts, to all�or a subset of�our members. If you did not get that e-mail, it is because: we do not know your e-mail address, you have changed your e-mail address since you gave it to us, or we made a mistake in entering it into our database (sometimes we have trouble reading handwriting, particularly zeros and ones). The easiest ways to get on the e-mail list or to correct an incorrect e-mail address are to fill out the form at the Conference�s web site, www.nynjtc.org/forms/memchg.html, or to click on the Contact Us menu item where you will find a link to the form.

Health Hints

by Albert P. Rosen, M.D.

Osteoporosis, which is a loss of bone density due to insufficient intake of calcium, may be a cause of fractures on the trails.

There are 28 million Americans with osteoporosis, resulting in 1.5 million fragility fractures per year. The incidence is greater in women, and increases as they get older. Smoking, alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise all increase the risk.

Osteoporosis is the underlying cause in 90% of all hip and spinal fractures in women. Hip fractures can be life threatening. Twenty percent die within one year of the fracture.

All adults should ingest 1200 mg (milligrams) of calcium and 400 mg of vitamin D per day. Dietary intake of calcium is often too low to supply the daily requirement. For example, many people drink coffee, tea, or soda. Very few drink milk which is an excellent source of calcium.

One should approach calcium supplements carefully. A recent article in JAMA on these supplements declared that many contain lead. Examine the label and if in doubt ask your pharmacist. For example, Natural Oyster Shell Calcium 500 mg with vitamin D contains lead. Tums does not. Walgreen�s calcium supplements are reliably lead-free whereas Eckerd�s has lead. Also, just because it�s "natural" doesn�t mean it�s safe.