Trailwork May 14th & June 10th

SUNDAY, MAY 14:  ANNUAL CLEARING OF BLOWDOWN AND DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE ON THE BAXTER MT. TRAILS. MEET 10AM AT THE BAXTER MT. PARKING ON BEEDE LANE.

In 2019, the Keene Valley Chapter assumed the responsibility for maintaining the trails to Baxter Mt. Since the 1940s, the Chapter had that responsibility, but later turned maintenance of the Baxter trails and all others it once maintained to various other ADK chapters. At that time, the Algonquin Chapter, based in Plattsburgh took on the Baxter trails. After that chapter was no longer able to continuing maintaining these locally popular trails, the Keene Valley Chapter decided to get back into doing trail maintenance. In the years since 2019, the Chapter has cleared some significant blowdown along with establishing some needed drainage to prevent any further erosion. This year's trail work will clear a relatively few trees, but work on continuing our efforts to better keep the water off the trail.

SATURDAY, JUNE 10: SIDE-CUTTING THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE PORTER FROM THE AIRPORT TRAIL. MEET 8 AM AT THE MARCY FIELD PARKING AREA.

This another trail that the Keene Valley Chapter had traditionally maintained before turning maintenance over to the Schenectady Chapter. Again, that chapter was no longer able to maintain the trail, although an individual adopter has been maintaining the trail as far as Blueberry Mt. Our effort will be to side-cut and clear blowdown (but mostly side-cut) the portion of the trail past Blueberry Mt. up to the junction with the trail from the Garden. With the trail from the Garden currently closed, and with the parking problems for the Cascade approach to Porter, this trail from the Airport has become an important, if longer, alternative to approach Porter, and perhaps even Cascade. We won't be attempting to try and mitigate any of the miserable, steep half-mile climb from Blueberry to the east end of the Porter ridge, but some side-cutting will make the next mile of easy walking with two nice views much more enjoyable. The plan is to meet at Marcy Field parking and divide into two groups. The larger group will be shuttled (in 4WD vehicles) to the highest point on Little Porter before hiking to the start of the side-cutting. The smaller group will hike up Blueberry and begin side-cutting from there. At some point, the two groups will meet and descend together to Marcy Field.

RSVP is appreciated to help with planning, but not required.