Adirondack Peeks Winter 2025

• 5 miles trail sweep on Jones Hill, Hoffman Wilderness (for NCT). Each volunteer carried a load of garbage left by a hermit from the summit out of the woods. • Installed a sign in the register at Dirgylot Trailhead. • 7 mile trail sweep from Sharp Bridge Campsite to Ensign Pond Road. Due to our work for the NCT, this 6-mile stretch between Loch Muller and Big Pond will now be added to the NCT. In 2023, we spent a weekend at Poke-O-Moonshine reestablishing and adding approximately 50 drainages. This year, we returned to clean these and add several more. We also defined (narrowed) wide trails opened up by “social hikers.” Also, let’s not forget the trail sweeps of Bass Lake loop and Pharoah Mountain. Both were much in need of our volunteers. We will finish the year with a chainsaw sweep of the 8-mile Hoffman Notch Trail. We get a lot done with easy to carry saws and axes, but this trail is notorious for large size and quantity of blowdown. So we will wait until the DEC chainsaw window opens after Oct. 15. Notice to crew volunteers in 2026: Prepare for more overnights stays in the backcountry. A few of the projects will be too far for day hikes. Exciting and fun! Regardless of your size, strength, age or ability, there is always something you can do on the trail crew. At the end of each day, we want every volunteer to feel like they did something useful and contributed to the improvement of Adirondack trails that we all use. Come join the crew in 2026! Your 2025 Trail Masters,Brian Hoody, Doug Varney, Curt Snyder, Michelle McCall, Victoria Challingsworth, Tom Armstrong, Thomas Caruso, and Mark Simpson

Kevin Chico #12356, Jason Albertson #15131 and Brian Sweeney #15821 clearing blowdown on Poke-O Moonshine – Photo Credit Doug Varney #6468WV

We had two three-day work weekends this year, and on Saturday evenings we all gathered and enjoyed the time spent and were treated by retired Trail Master Pete Hickey’s cooking. The first three-day weekend was all about Calamity Brook. The second three-day weekend, we spread our volunteers all over. Whew , what a weekend it was: • Constructed one of the CATS bridges (mentioned above). • Constructed new bog bridging on Calamity Brook (mentioned above). • Constructed three 8-foot replacement bridges at Severance Mountain. • Half-mile trail alignment in Hoffman Wilderness (for NCT). • 6 miles trail sweep from Loch Muller to Big Pond, Hoffman Wilderness (for NCT) including defining the trail and adding too many trail markers to count. New bog bridge on Calamity Brook Trail – Photo Credit Paul Gebhard #9936WV

Thomas Caruso #10486V, Tom Armstrong and Michele McCall #6117V taking a break at West Valley Trail Bridge Replacement project in Westport – Photo Credit Michele McCall

40 | ADIRONDACK PEEKS