BARKEATER TRAILS ALLIANCE
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Who We Are
    • History
    • Annual Reports
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Community Partners
    • Blog
    • Gallery
    • Contact Us
  • DONATE
  • BIKE TRAILS
    • Bike Trail Conditions
    • Ride With Gratitude
    • Wilmington >
      • Flume Trails
      • Hardy Road (Beaver Brook)
      • Three Sisters (Quaker Mountain)
    • Lake Placid >
      • Lussi Trails
      • Loggers Loops
      • Craig Wood Trails
    • Saranac Lake >
      • Dewey Mountain
      • Mount Pisgah
      • Fowler's Crossing
    • Elizabethtown >
      • Otis Mountain
      • Blueberry Hill
    • Keene
  • SKI TRAILS
    • Conditions
    • Jackrabbit Ski Trail >
      • Lake Clear JCT to Pauls Smith's VIC
      • Saranac Lake to McKenzie Pond Road
      • McKenzie Pond Road to Whiteface Inn
      • Whiteface Inn to Mirror Lake
      • Mirror Lake to ADK Cascade Trails
      • ADK Cascade Trails to Keene
  • EVENTS
    • Wilmington MTB Festival
    • Kids' Summer MTB Series
    • 1000 ANIMALS
  • VOLUNTEER
  • MERCH

BETA Awarded Grants Totaling $17,500

5/30/2025

0 Comments

 
Donations from individual people make up a majority of our funding. Grants provide a welcome boost to that foundational grassroots funding, but our work is made possible by members like you. Thank you to both new and long-time members for your vital support of BETA's work.

Recently, BETA has been awarded two separate grants: the Trail Capacity Fund from American Trails and the Community Enhancement Fund from the Town of Keene. 

​The Trails Capacity Program is administered by American Trails and primarily funded by Bronco Wild Fund, a Ford Motor Company program dedicated to connecting people to the outdoors, responsibly. The goal of the Trails Capacity Program is to invest in building trails community capacity nationwide through research, education and stewardship.  BETA has been awarded $7,500 that will support volunteer stewardship initiatives.

The Community Enhancement Fund from the Town of Keene will provide $10,000 to support construction at East Branch Community Trails. Primarily, it will support construction of Duzzi, the enduro-style descent trail currently under construction; a skills park trail; and a new upper mountain loop.
0 Comments

Calling Call Community Members!  BETA's 1-Minute Survey

5/22/2025

0 Comments

 
BETA needs your help to improve the way we share updates, stories, event information, and more with the community. Please lend us a hand by completing our 1-minute survey. Your input will help us understand how you use BETA communications so we can bring you the info you want, how you want it.
SHOW ME THE SURVEY
As a token of our appreciation, folks who fill out the survey can enter to win one of five free tickets to our next Backcountry Film Festival (date TBD).

Please fill out the survey today to help BETA understand how we can improve the ways we connect with the community. It will be open for one week and will close on Thursday, 05/29. Thanks everyone!

With gratitude,
The BETA team with our partner, GreatRange
Picture
0 Comments

Names for Trails at EBCT Decided

4/25/2025

0 Comments

 
Final results are in for the EBCT trail name survey!  After a whopping 156 responses, we have:
  1. Boulder Rush (new downhill on the northern side)
  2. Upstream (formerly "Climbing Trail")
  3. Vista Loop (formerly "Short Loop")
  4. Sentinel Loop (new hand dug lollipop off of Vista Loop)
  5. Duzzi (enduro-style downhill on the southern side; construction is not finished)

Many people left comments to the tune of, "High fives to everyone involved, these trails are great!"  Those comments put the wind in our sails, thank you for leaving them.

​Thank you to everyone who has helped the East Branch Community Trails become what they are today -- a network of incredible smile-inducing trails built for and named by the community.  We are so honored to build with you.
Picture
YOU'RE INVITED: Please join us in celebrating this treasured community resource on National Trails Day, June 7th, 2025.  Prepare for bikes, burgers, and buddies.  Stay tuned for more details.
Picture
Recent volunteer work at EBCT. As of 04/22 all trails were cleared, raked, and tuned up -- they are ready to ride.
Picture
The view from Sentinel Loop lookout, for which the trail was named. The peak framed perfectly is Sentinel Mtn.
0 Comments

Help Us Name Trails at East Branch Community Trails

3/8/2025

0 Comments

 
Big things have been happening at EBCT for years now, and that progress isn't stopping anytime soon.  We want your help with finding good names for the trails that need them (see the map below).  

After this first call for suggested trail names, we will create a short list of finalists from those suggestions, and then hold a round of voting to select our winners from the finalists.

How it works:
  1. Fill out the form to submit trail name suggestions.  You can submit names for as many or as few of the trails as you'd like.  Multiple submissions are fine, but please fill out the form again for new submissions.  Make sure your suggestions are easy to remember and pronounce as well as respectful and appropriate in order to give them the best chance to become a finalist.  The form will close at 11:59pm on Sunday, March 23rd.
  2. Submissions to the form will be reviewed in order to select a short list of finalists.  Note: we may mix and match names from separate submissions.
  3. Voting on the finalists will open in late March.  The link to that form will be shared here on our website, via our email listserv, and via Instagram and Facebook.  Voting on the finalists will close approximately 2 weeks later at which point we will have the winners for trail names.
Picture
Trail #1
This intermediate downhill-only machine-built trail was completed in the Autumn of 2024.  It snakes down the northern portion of the property and is accented by some incredible natural features (such as the boulder perfectly utilized for an optional jump as seen in the picture to the left).  This downhill trail is a bit rowdier and less refined than the green downhill trail, Downriver.

Trail #2
This trail has been called "Climbing Trail" for a while now -- there must be something more fun that we could call it, don't you think?  This trail is the main route by which visitors get to the current top of the system.  We have frequently heard it described as a "dream to climb" due to the skill with which it was built.  Switchbacks, short flat and downhill sections, and a low grade ascent all help make this trail manageable and enjoyable, a serious feat for a climb.
Picture
Trail #1 boulder jump. The line is from where the cameraman is standing more or less straight forward.
Picture
Trail #3 rocky viewpoint featuring Luke Peduzzi and Spud
​Trail #3
This loop (formerly known as "Short Loop") brings visitors to a rocky viewpoint (pictured left), now with a new and improved view.  A great spot for a snack and re-group.
Trail #4
This lollipop off of Trail #3 was hand-dug in the Autumn of 2024.  This undulating trail brings visitors to a viewpoint that perfectly frames Sentinel Mountain (see right) and has a couple of rocks to perch on in a small grassy clearing.
Picture
Entrance to Trail #4
Picture
Trail #4 view of Sentinel Mountain
Trail #5
This enduro-style, downhill-only trail is planned for construction in the Spring of 2025 (AKA very soon!).  It will be a hand-built trail and will demand advanced riding skills.  Having a hard time naming a trail you haven't ridden yet?  Envision your soon to be new favorite trail -- rugged, steep, technical sections, rock gardens, and tight corners -- then give it a name!
Cheers -- Time to Celebrate
We're having a party at EBCT in June
 to celebrate all the seriously awesome growth at this trail system as well as the myriad of folks who have made it possible.  Special thanks go out to Dusty and Kyra, Luke Peduzzi, Joe Pete Wilson and the Town of Keene, the Keene Youth Commission, and the members of the Keene LTC, but there are so many more we simply couldn't name everyone.  The community has benefited greatly from all the work and energy you've put into this project and it's about time we celebrate it. 

Stay tuned for details on that get together, but we're anticipating bikes, brews, food, and tunes on a Saturday in June.
0 Comments

How $155,000 From an Anonymous Donor is Amplifying BETA’s Work

2/19/2025

0 Comments

 
One of the biggest challenges for BETA in planning for trail seasons is knowing whether we will have enough funding on hand to hire trail building professionals – both as staff and contractors – and commit to the planning, landowner partnerships and day-to-day operations that go into every berm, turn, roller, and feature.

Last year, a $70,000 gift from an anonymous donor, combined with member support, grant funding and other public and private contributions, allowed us to commit to phase two of the trail work at East Branch Community Trails in Keene, invest in major trail improvements at Craigwood and Scott’s Cobble in Lake Placid, open the Jackrabbit reroute into the Sentinel Wilderness, begin construction of a new trail at Blueberry Hill in Elizabethtown, and more.

Without this major gift, the pace of the work would have been much slower, as in years instead of a single season. It also played a factor in enabling BETA to organize volunteer workdays that brought together well over a hundred volunteers who spent 2,170 hours clearing brush, tamping tread, moving materials, and lopping roots toward a greater good and collective sense of accomplishment.  

This year, the same donor was so pleased with our effectiveness in using the 2024 support that they are investing $85,000 in BETA. These gifts are a testament to the power of community. We thank every donor, member, and volunteer for enabling BETA to not just build trails, but to build community. A great big thanks to all! 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Pictures are from the July 20th, 2024 volunteer trail day at Blueberry Hill, one of many trail days supported by financial donors.
0 Comments

Backcountry Film Festival -- A Smash Hit

1/29/2025

0 Comments

 
​IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO SEE SO MANY OF YOU AT THE FILM FESTIVAL!
Picture
The crowd at North Country School and Camp Treetops' Walter Breeman Performing Arts Center (WallyPAC)
As BETA's first screening of the Backcountry Film Festival, we weren't sure what exactly to expect.  Measured in smiles, handshakes, and cracked cans it seems we can mark it as a sizeable success.  Shout out and thank you to the businesses, organizations, and volunteers who made this event possible.  Thank you to all attendees for coming out to the event -- your participation and investment in BETA helps us do what we do: advocate for, build, and maintain ski and bike trails that connect people to one another.
Picture
Forrest Barron climbing the Bowl, The Power of Four
Picture
Luc Mehl, The Glide, Alaska
In total, over 150 people joined us at the North Country School and Camp Treetops WallyPAC to enjoy a social hour with snacks, drinks, and good friends; two hours of hand-picked films highlighting both the deep thrill of winter recreation as well as the unstable future of those same activities; and introductions from some of our region's nonprofit leaders in protecting and expanding winter recreation.

We are already looking forward to hosting this film festival in the future. 
Picture
WE OWE SO MANY THANK YOUS!
We'd like to thank The Devlin Inn & Suites once again for supporting this community event as our presenting sponsor.  Thank you to the North Country School and Camp Treetops for lending us their space and thank you Larry Robjent for doing so much to coordinate this evening.  Thank you to Hex and Hop, Capisce Coffee, and High Peaks Cyclery for donating beer, hot coffee, and raffle prizes, respectively -- your donations added an element of excitement to the evening that was well-appreciated.  Thank you to Zach and Leah of the Adirondack Mountain Club and Ron of the Adirondack Powder Skier Association for telling us about the important work you're doing.  Likewise, thank you to Winter Wildlands Alliance for coordinating this film festival and for fighting on behalf of winter recreation interests on a national scale.

Thank you to BETA board members Karen, Bob, Thea, Kaley, and Wes as well as Toni, Linda, Sarah, and Becca for all your help to set up, run, and break down the event.  Once again, thank you to everyone who came out on a blustering January evening -- it was great to see so many familiar faces in the crowd.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Mount Pisgah Update: Thank You Cure Cottage Development, LLC

1/29/2025

 
Mount Pisgah has had some big developments lately.  Recently, the Village of Saranac Lake approved pitching in about half of the funding for a trail design plan at Mount Pisgah.  Another big win for the village-owned recreation area is a new land use agreement with Cure Cottage Development LLC that will grant public access to Mount Pisgah through their Park Ave property.  The planned trail is shown on the map below.

By granting public access through their private property, Cure Cottage Development LLC has facilitated safer access for the many bikers (including student members of the Saranac Lake Middle School Outride Club), hikers, and walkers who enjoy Mount Pisgah.  Accessing the trails by riding or walking on busy roads like Route 3 and Route 86 will no longer be necessary for many visitors.

We’d like to extend our sincere gratitude to Wayne and Scott Zukin and Brian Draper of Cure Cottage Development, LLC for this incredibly generous decision.  It is a pleasure to collaborate with landowners like them who are committed to the safety and joy of our community.  Thank you!  
Planned Pisgah Connector on Trailforks.com

Jackrabbit Rally 2025 is live!

1/28/2025

 
Picture
The Jackrabbit Rally is a choose-your-own-ski-adventure fundraising event with the goal of celebrating the long and storied history of Adirondack ski touring.  This year we also mark the 39th anniversary of the Jackrabbit Ski Trail and the founding of the Adirondack Ski Touring Council (now called BETA!).

WHY?
Outside of showing your love for BETA, what's your why? Maybe you could use a little motivation to get outside, period.  Maybe you need a nudge to ski that section of trail that has always been a mystery — or MAYBE your puffy coat leaves a trail of feathers in your wake.

No matter your why, your Jackrabbit Rally donation directly supports advocacy efforts, the building and maintenance of our trails and administrative services that keep our organizational wheels spinning. None of what we do would be possible without the grassroots support of trail-users like you.

HOW?
  1. SIGN UP and donate $35 to the Rally (below).
  2. GET OUT and ski* any day between now and March 20th.  It’s not about speed or distance.  One mile counts.  Putting on skis and drinking a beer on your tailgate counts, too.  *If you prefer to snowshoe/run/dog walk, we’re all for it.
  3. SHARE your adventure with the BETA community by tagging @BETAtrails and including the hashtag #JackrabbitRallyADK.
  4. BASK in that après glow and celebrate the fact that we have access to these magical places and spaces.

MAKE YOUR JACKRABBIT RALLY DONATION HERE

Jackrabbit Scott's Cobble Reroute Update

1/23/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
Glenn, our executive director, skied the new section of the Jackrabbit Trail around Scott's Cobble over the weekend with friends and family. This picture is from just before entering the golf course on the return trip.
“This is the biggest improvement to the Jackrabbit in at least a decade” – Josh Wilson, former BETA executive director, regarding the Jackrabbit Trail reroute around Scott's Cobble that was finished this fall. Josh has been involved in the project from the very beginning. He offered his chainsaw skills in late October alongside Dusty and Glenn (our Trail Coordinator and Executive Director, respectively) and many longtime volunteers.

The new section (red trail on the map) is approximately two miles long. By linking Craig Wood Golf Course to the intersection of Mountain Lane and State Route 73, it will eliminate two crossings of highway and offer a direct route for skiers touring between Lake Placid and Keene. It is incredible to see this vision become a reality for our community at last.

We asked on social media what we should rename the retired section of the JRT. It was really fantastic to hear from so many people and your creative suggestions were great -- thank you!  

We were specifically moved by an outpouring of support for honoring the late Art Jubin.  Art built the Cascade Ski Touring Center in 1979 (now owned by the Adirondack Mountain Club and known as the Cascade Welcome Center) and helped make this JRT reroute a reality. After consulting with his family, we are proud to move forward with naming the old JRT section "Jubin's Jaunt." Check out the map for updated names -- Jubin's Jaunt is blue and bookended by triangles.

This reroute has been a labor of love for many people over many years, including Art, Josh Wilson, and countless other trail advocates.  It's incredibly rewarding to see their hard work come to fruition -- thank you to every person who helped make this vision a reality for our community!
Picture
0 Comments

BETA & Generation ALPHA

12/26/2024

 
Picture
Liam S. mid-air at the Harrietstown Bike Park.  Photo by Jordan Craig.
“I do like jumps a lot, except I’m not that good at them. I'm getting better, though,” Leela V., a student at Saranac Lake Middle School, said when asked what makes mountain biking special to her. She continued, “I like being able to push myself to get better at stuff.” 

We were fortunate to be joined by three additional students: Henry H., Simon L., and Sam M.. As we bring 2024 to a close in our final story of the year, we’re excited to hear from these four young riders along with one of their mountain biking club leaders. Their perspectives remind us of the true essence of outdoor recreation and the powerful impact that BETA can have on the lives of young people as a builder, maintainer, and advocate for fun, challenging trails.
Picture
Delilah J. (left) and Lucy D. (right) at the Harietstown Bike Park.  Photo by Jordan Craig.
“I like being outside; I like the cool scenery. And I have a need for speed,” Henry, 11, said mischievously between bites of his packed lunch. He continued, “I really like berms and jumps and features and stuff.”

Simon, 13, took the conversation in a different direction and focused on the feeling of freedom and stress relief he gets from mountain biking. “It's basically therapy for me,” he said. Later on he elaborated, “I am just going to confirm, I do really like jumps.”

Sam, 13, got right to the point, saying, “Adrenaline.”
Picture
Ryder B. rides at the Harietstown Bike Park as parents watch from the background.  Photo by Jordan Craig.
These four riders share a common bond: they’re all members of the OutRide Club where Saranac Lake Middle School students go mountain biking on local trails after school. One of the leaders of OutRide is Karen Miemis, a teacher at the school, a board member for BETA, and an incredible advocate for local youth in mountain biking.
Picture
YOUTH MOUNTAIN BIKING MAKES A DIFFERENCE
“On average, kids spend up to 7 hours a day on screens. Mountain biking gets kids outside. It’s a great way for them to build strength and endurance, connect with the beautiful nature around us, and make new friends,” Karen shared. 

“We're working to bring people together, promote trail stewardship, make the sport more accessible for kids, and increase outdoor fun in our community. … From picking up trash to volunteering on BETA trail days, they're getting their hands dirty and making a real impact on our biking community.”
Picture
Sam M. mid-air at the Harrietstown Bike Park.  Photo by Jordan Craig.
HOW THINGS CHANGE
“When I was 4 or 5 and my parents would go to Pisgah, I would walk right up the middle while they were [riding],” Sam recounted. Nowadays, Sam has no problem riding along with them at Pisgah, but his favorite place to bike is Craig Wood and Scott’s Cobble.

Simon thought about how his experience mountain biking has changed with time. “[I remember] looking at [some feature] and thinking, ‘wow, people can do that!?’ and now I'm the person doing it,” Simon said. 

“I think I’ll continue to get way better at [biking]. And people will look up to me because I’m older,“ Henry mused, thinking about what mountain biking will look like for him in the years to come.
Picture
Young riders follow one another on a series of rollers at the Harrietstown Bike Park.  Photo by Jordan Craig.
ADVICE FROM YOUNG RIDERS
Henry and Simon had some words of wisdom for folks new to mountain biking. 

“I’d say don't feel like you have to be amazing right away, because you won't be, right?” encouraged Simon. 

Henry added, “Don't get down on yourself too bad. It takes time.”

WHAT THEY KINDLE
These four riders’ reflections remind us that mountain biking trails, like those that BETA works hard to provide, are more than just avenues to a fun-filled afternoon. 

They’re hubs for community and family connections, opportunities for personal growth through overcoming challenges, a place for healthy exercise, and an inspiration for dreaming big. They are soul-stirring places where people of all ages can learn who they are and who they want to be.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this story. It is the fourth and final in a series you’ve seen through the end of the year that featured a handful of incredible community members with a variety of stories and perspectives. We’re glad to have shared them with you as part of our Double Your Donation campaign.
Picture
DOUBLE YOUR GIVING POWER

​Happy update: We have hit our original target! Thank you so much to everyone who has given – our community truly rocks. Our anonymous donor was so impressed by your support that he has offered to extend the match from $12,500 to $15,000.

He has pledged to match every dollar of community donations, now up to $15,000, made to BETA between November 15th and December 31st, 2024.  All gifts received by December 31st are eligible to be matched up to a total of $15,000, worth $30,000 if fully matched!
Picture
Left to right: Leland C., Lukas M., and Sam M. at the Harrietstown Bike Park.  Photo by Jordan Craig.
Give now to support advocacy efforts and construction projects that make life-changing youth mountain biking possible.

Together, we can ensure that our trails continue to be a source of connection and adventure for our community.

Join us in making a difference.
Picture
<<Previous
    UPCOMING EVENTS
    07/09: 1000 Animals Athletic Social Club Ride, Lake Placid

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

BARKEATER TRAILS ALLIANCE (BETA)
volunteer driven - member supported - human powered


Address

P.O. Box 843 - ​Lake Placid, NY 12946

Telephone

518.523.1365

Email

[email protected]
Privacy Policy
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Who We Are
    • History
    • Annual Reports
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Community Partners
    • Blog
    • Gallery
    • Contact Us
  • DONATE
  • BIKE TRAILS
    • Bike Trail Conditions
    • Ride With Gratitude
    • Wilmington >
      • Flume Trails
      • Hardy Road (Beaver Brook)
      • Three Sisters (Quaker Mountain)
    • Lake Placid >
      • Lussi Trails
      • Loggers Loops
      • Craig Wood Trails
    • Saranac Lake >
      • Dewey Mountain
      • Mount Pisgah
      • Fowler's Crossing
    • Elizabethtown >
      • Otis Mountain
      • Blueberry Hill
    • Keene
  • SKI TRAILS
    • Conditions
    • Jackrabbit Ski Trail >
      • Lake Clear JCT to Pauls Smith's VIC
      • Saranac Lake to McKenzie Pond Road
      • McKenzie Pond Road to Whiteface Inn
      • Whiteface Inn to Mirror Lake
      • Mirror Lake to ADK Cascade Trails
      • ADK Cascade Trails to Keene
  • EVENTS
    • Wilmington MTB Festival
    • Kids' Summer MTB Series
    • 1000 ANIMALS
  • VOLUNTEER
  • MERCH
Live Chat Support ×

Connecting

You: ::content::
::agent_name:: ::content::
::content::
::content::