ADK's Trail Maintenance Program

In the summer of 2005 ADK's Professional Trail Crew completed another productive season utilizing the return of many experienced members, 11 out of 16 from 2004: one 6th seasons, one 5th seasons, five 3rd seasons, four 2nd seasons, and four 1st season. Professional trail crew projects included building a high-water bridge across Slide Mountain Brook and installing rock steps and rock water bars on the Phelps Trail, both in Johns Brook Valley. This much-needed work would not have been completed this year without the generous donation of nearly $17,000 towards these two projects by the 46ers. In the Catskills we installed over 25 rock steps on the trail approaching Thomas Cole Mt., in the Blackhead Range, and we improved drainage on vast stretches of the Escarpment Trail by digging trenches and building water bars.

Some of the work total highlights are:

  • 113 miles of trail patrolled
  • 92 rock steps installed
  • 73 stepping stones set
  • 68 new rock waterbars installed containing 215 rocks
  • 1,494 feet of new ditching.

See BACKPACKER's Dec 2006 article "GODS of ROCK"

ADK’s Adopt-a-Lean-To and Trail Stewardship programs had over
400 volunteers taking personal responsibility for the upkeep of 148 lean-tos and 55 trail sections throughout the Adirondacks.
ADK volunteers are an important part of ADK trail stewardship. In the spring, they completed extensive sidecutting on trails, cleared them of blowdown, and cleared drainage ditches of debris throughout the Adirondacks, readying these popular trails for intense summer use. During the summer, volunteers set stepping stones, improved drainage, and maintained the overused lean-tos and campsites on the Long Lake section of the Northville-Placid Trail. In the fall the Volunteer Trails Program wrapped up in October after the 13th annual Fall Trails Day event. For 2005, over 230 volunteers participated in trail projects completing over 3,000 hours of work. Some of the work total highlights are:

  • over 60 miles of trail patrolled
  • 312 feet of new ditches dug
  • 56 feet of native log bog bridges
  • 15 pit privies moved onto new holes
  • 44 blowdown were removed.

National Trails Day Big Success for ADK (Account of Trails Day 2006)

The Summit Steward regular season ended on September 5. Five stewards (one volunteer and four paid) provided full time coverage on Mount Marcy and Algonquin throughout the summer, along with part-time coverage on Wright Peak and Mt. Colden. Two stewards stayed on through Columbus Day weekend to provide coverage on Mount Marcy and Algonquin on weekends. Stewards made contact with just over 12,000 hikers this year, which is up by 1,500 from 2004. Total program contacts from 1990-2005 are 213,504.  

The Marge Tierney Memorial Trail was started in the fall of 2005 after partial funding was secured. This Universal Access trail starts near the Heart Lake property entrance booth and will end at the edge of Heart Lake on a viewing platform. A total of 340 feet by 3 feet of wood turnpike has been completed thus far after three weekends of volunteer labor.

Among the anticipated projects for 2006 is scouting and designing a new hiking trail route up Lyon Mountain which is part of the newly acquired land purchase of the Sable Highlands. The Algonquin Chapter is funding this project.

Trails building and maintenance is one of ADK's public service programs that members are also encouraged to support with their membership dollars, individual cash donations, and volunteer effort.