Palisades Trail Crew: Building New Adventures and Friendships

January 25, 2019
Megan LaCasse
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

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Palisades Trail Crew: Building New Adventures and Friendships
Palisades Trail Crew working in Sterling Forest State Park. Photo by Mike Girard.

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The Munsee-Eagle Trail was built and the Hutchinson Trail improved this season to complete the new multi-use loop in Sterling Forest.

The Trail Conference and New York State Parks held a grand opening of a 7-mile, multi-use, single-track trail loop at Sterling Forest State Park on Sept. 30. The ribbon-cutting was followed by a guided ride, trail run, and hike beginning on the Munsee-Eagle and returning on the Hutchinson Trail. About 50 crew members, volunteers, partners, and supporters attended the momentous event. Trail Conference staff and volunteers began work on the new multi-use trail loop in October 2015. Since then, a small army of Trail Conference volunteers and Conservation Corps members has given more than 13,000 hours constructing the Munsee-Eagle/Hutchinson/Red Back loop.

Multi-Use Trail Loop Completed

This season was a great success! We blazed 7,469 feet of new trail, built berms, ramps, and crib walls, weathered heat and rainstorms, tested our personal capabilities, and made friends. During this program, I’ve had an incredible opportunity to challenge myself and foster a better sense of self-discipline. Walking away from this program I am left with a strong sense of accomplishment, empowerment, and many fond memories of worksite dance parties, wild blueberries and belly laughs. My crew and I made it through countless days of mosquitoes, sore muscles, and torrential downpours. We have made the most of it, struggled together, and emerged stronger. There’s a new trail out there to show for it, too. We did it!