As I write this, spring WAS coming, and then (like she so often does) reconsidered. Our winter sports folks got a bonus week to play, but that's ok because they certainly got cheated earlier this winter. Meanwhile, we all can be looking forward to warmer weather and planning this year's trail work... and making sure we have the funds to make it happen.
Friends of Hammond Hill VSA is sponsoring a Wilderness First Aid class April 29-30 at The Canaan Institute. Lunch will be provided. The training will be led by Dr. Todd Miner of the University of Colorado School of Medicine. http://canaaninstitute.org/bikeskiblog/wilderness-first-aid-class-april-29th-30th/
In other great news! Working closely with Region 7 DEC and Jeff Busche and Pam Gueldner of Cycle CNY, FoHH has identified close to three miles of additional trails that will be added to the Hammond Hill multi use trail network this spring. This will bring our total trail mileage to 29.96 miles, just a smidge under the maximum allowable 30 trail miles for our system. New trail markers will be going up this year, hopefully by late spring, and the map will be revised. These trails will be open to all trail users. A couple of the trails will need additional work to get them up to multi use standards. Volunteer manpower and dollars for materials will be necessary before these sections will be in good shape. We will be scheduling trail work days soon to address the necessary changes.
However! We haven't finished up last year's Yellow 1 and Blue 1 project. We still need to install several drainage pipes to get water off the trail promptly, and fill in some root-y areas and mud pits. Mud, roots and rocks are nobody's friend, no matter what your sport is. Water is the common denominator for all three. Get water off the trail, and you prevent most of the erosion that results in mud pits and exposed roots and rocks.
Additionally! We're hoping to schedule a volunteer work day to fix up the bottom of Red 1 this year. Cycle CNY agrees that this is a project that deserves attention. Concerns about weight limits on Ganowtacherage road will restrict the size of the trucks we can use to move gravel nearer to the work site, but if we get enough volunteers willing to move the gravel in, we could manage a workaround here. As there are protected lady slipper orchids along this stretch of trail, preventing trail creep is of extra importance here.
As these are pretty ambitious plans, we are shooting to raise $10,000 in addition to the WFA funds.
Welcome to Ernie Bayles who is joining the leadership of Friends of Hammond Hill VSA this year. Ernie is an avid hiker and mountain biker who also enjoys snoeshoeing, hunting, fishing and foraging. His thoughtful input on our trail system maintenance plans is greatly appreciated.
The Friends of Hammond Hill is very grateful to Charlie Mulligan, for his financial and technical support in helping us establish this platform. The Friends is also highly thankful to The Finger Lakes Runners Club for their help in acting as 501-C non-profit for this fundraiser and previous fundraisers. This allows your donations to be tax deductible.
Hope to see you all out on the trails soon!
Friends of Hammond Hill VSA
Mike Ludgate, Ann Leonard and Ernie Bayles
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