BETA's 2026 Tool Drive Fundraiser Launches

UPDATE: Folks who donate $100 or more can claim a free, limited edition t-shirt after the fundraiser concludes on May 8th.  We're excited to share these with you.  More details to come.

It's time for us to retire some of our most well-worn tools, grow our tool inventory, and add a few new items to the mix. The biggest acquisition is a tracked material hauler (AKA mechanized wheel barrow) for faster, less painful, and less dangerous hauling for years to come. We're also planning to order new hand tools, battery tools, chainsaw and personal protective equipment, and leaf blower.  The curious can find a bit more information later in this blogpost.

From now until May 8th, we're fundraising for these exciting tools.

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Did You Know: The work done on Bob's Bridge (pictured below), the longest bridge built as part of the new Jackrabbit Ski Trail section at the Keene trailhead, was built entirely with personal tools? Power drills, saws, personal protective equipment (PPE), and more were lent by our dedicated and skilled trail crew. While their tool donation was incredibly generous, it is not sustainable nor fair.

We owe it to our staff, our volunteers, and our community to invest in tools that we own and can count on, but quality tools cost a pretty penny. We are prepared to invest in tools for the good of our community -- please help us make this much needed tool inventory update by donating to this fundraiser by May 8th.

Some of the many people -- staff, volunteers, and community members -- who will benefit from BETA's tool inventory update. Left: the ribbon cutting party at Bob's Bridge in early 2026. Center: Dusty (Trails Coordinator), Scott (Trail Crew), and Rekker (moral support) at the end of the 2025 trail season. Right: a youth-focused volunteer trail work party at Mt. Pisgah, Saranac Lake in 2025. Adult leadership includes Chris (Volunteer Coordinator), Karen, Molly, and Ezra.

What Are We Getting?
The tools we're planning to purchase include:

Hand Tools -- These are the meat and potatoes of trail work, so we are replacing broken tools and expanding our hand tool inventory. Staff and volunteers alike use them just about every single day of trail work for the widest range of tasks. We're specifically interested in acquiring loppers, hand saws, pole saws, Pulaskis, rogue hoes, and rakes.

Battery Tools -- In the past, we have borrowed these tools from our staff and volunteers' personal inventories, but that is not fair to them. We're excited to add a battery-powered reciprocating saw and circular saw to BETA's inventory.

Leaf Blower -- Clearing leaves is an important but time-consuming task for us. Using an efficient, lightweight leaf blower is the quickest and least painful way to get the job done.

Chainsaw -- Over the years, we've been lucky enough that folks have donated their chainsaws to our cause. We are ready to invest in our very own saw, one we've chosen specifically for our needs.

Chainsaw Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) -- Can't run a chainsaw without personal protective equipment(PPE)! BETA-owned chainsaw chaps and helmet, here we come.

YARDMAX Hauler -- This is the tool purchase that we're the most excited about (indicated by it's central focus in the banner above). This mechanized wheel barrow will seriously upgrade the process of hauling building materials like sand, gravel, and soil. Back-breaking bucket hauling or precarious wheel barrow maneuvering will be replaced with a mechanized hauler with treads. Faster, less painful, and less dangerous hauling is in our future. Shoutout to Dusty's back for roughing it for so long; cheers to a lighter load soon!

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