This story was also featured in Adirondack Explorer in an article skillfully written by Tim Rowlands.  Thank you Tim for such a great piece about this project, the people involved, and the ceremony to celebrate it all.

​When we launched our Year-End Campaign in mid-November, we trusted that supporters would respond. What stunned us was how quickly and generously people stepped up. Thanks to this incredible community, we unlocked the full $20,000 match by mid-December, weeks earlier than anticipated. But you didn’t stop there.

All told, BETA raised more than $29,000 in community donations, for a total of over $49,000 with the match. That is remarkable – our biggest fundraiser ever!

This gives us a strong foundation for 2026 and allows us to keep investing in the trails. Trails that link us from place to place and person to person, that dare us to challenge ourselves, that invite us to connect with nature. Trails that bring our community together.

Because of your support, we look to 2026 with excitement and momentum. Thank you for making this amazing moment happen. 

Where does your mind go when you hear the phrase “trail town”?  

Places like Bentonville, Asheville, Park City and Jackson are often cited as big trail towns across the country.  We think great trail towns are much closer.  They’re the towns we call home, right here in the Adirondacks.

As we enter our 40th year of advocating for, building, and stewarding trails that connect us, we encourage you to consider making a year-end donation to support this work.  

Join the 135+ people who have already given this season.  Help us build trails and create community in 2026.

You may have seen the incredible news: together, our community met our goal of raising $20,000 in community donations to unlock the full $20,000 matching donation from a generous anonymous donor.  That’s a powerful reminder of what this community can do together!

Thank you to everyone who has already contributed.  If you were hoping to make a donation this year, you can still be a part of this moment.  Every donation supports our work to build and care for trails and strengthen the community. 

We all know trails are special to people; did you know that they’re also special to dogs? We’re excited to share a story about the well-behaved dogs who work alongside us on the trail.

Of course we can't claim to be dog mind readers so we’re just making an educated guess, but between their dance of anticipation at the doorway, their alert eyes at the trailhead, and their wagging tails in the woods, we think it’s safe to assume the trails are just as special to dogs as they are to you and me. 

​We’d like to introduce you to some unofficial crew dogs of BETA who’ve “helped” with many of our projects: 

​Each dog has their own outdoorsy style -- taking it slow and steady; zipping after good smells; or finding a comfy spot to take a nap -- but they still have a lot in common, just like us.

We all love the special way trails connect us to nature, to one another, and to ourselves. And we know that dogs, like people, need to be well behaved so that everyone has a great trail experience.

There is one difference that stands out between dogs and people: dogs can’t donate to support the trails, but people can. 

Thanks to the gift of an anonymous donor, all community donations through December 31 will be matched. That means your $50 becomes $100. Your $100 becomes $200. Your gift funds trail projects that will put Spud, Stewie, and Rekker to work.

Thank you for being part of this community.
And thank you for helping write the next chapter.
​
Help us meet our goal of raising $40,000 for BETA's 40th year -- donate today to double your impact.

Creatures of all sorts benefit from BETA's work.

While out on a trail visit to Adirondack Land Trust's Three Sisters Preserve in late November, our group spotted this gorgeous ermine, photographed by the ALT's Stewardship Manager Derek Rogers.  These feisty predators are pretty sneaky; seeing them is a rare and coveted experience.

This special woodland resident was a great reminder that the land preserved for recreation provides services even beyond the valuable gift of fun trails.  They offer a home to wildlife, and they offer us a chance to witness that wildlife.  

Fleeting moments of awe in the woods are made possible by land preservation and outdoor recreation.  

Thank you to the Adirondack Land Trust for working with us to manage trails at Three Sisters Preserve. Thank you Derek for capturing this incredible little guy and sharing your photos with us. Thank you to this little guy for letting us peek into the wild lives of woodland critters.  
​
PC: Derek Rogers/Adirondack Land Trust

That’s what Brooks Reynolds (below, second from the right) said about a volunteer work party sponsored by the Reynolds Group of Lake Placid.  As a family of avid mountain bikers and skiers, the Reynolds use BETA trails often and they’re sure to visit the Jackrabbit this season.

THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS!
In addition to the baseline satisfaction of volunteer work days, this year we’ve had the special pleasure of welcoming a lot of new faces into the volunteer ranks.  We’ve seen a big increase in logged volunteer hours over previous years, too.  Thank you so much to each and every one of you for donating your time and energy to the trails; your hard work is much appreciated by us at BETA and surely by every rider, skier, hiker, or runner who enjoys the trails. 

​If you’ve supported BETA’s work by volunteering in any way this season, please log your hours here: bit.yl/LogHours4BETA.  Doing so helps us track volunteer efforts and apply for more grant funding for trails (DYK: volunteer labor is valued at $38+ per hour!)

THANK YOU, SPONSORS!
In addition to volunteers, we’d like to thank the businesses who sponsored work parties this season: Silver Birch Cycles, Bike ADK, The Reynolds Group, Placid Planet Bicycles, and Origin Coffee.  If you’re business is interested in sponsoring a work party next year, please contact [email protected]

THANK YOU, CHRIS!
Finally, we’d like to thank Chris Gosling for his service as our Volunteer Stewardship Coordinator over the summer.  Your efforts to connect volunteers with trail work opportunities and provide fun and rewarding experiences for everyone was greatly appreciated.  We’re sure to see you on the trail sometime soon!

Even the youngsters who hadn't brought their bikes were in luck: the Lake Placid Elementary School generously lent us a portion of their bike fleet.  Those bikes were in use from start to finish.  They were in such high demand that on occasion, someone walking a bike back to the rack would be intercepted by a hopeful rider.  It reminded me of asking someone who is putting on their coat if you could have their table when there are no other empty seats in the coffee shop.  High demand, indeed. 

Imagine: a little after 6:30pm, the sun low in the sky, the Oval grass busy with kids of all ages looping around one another to take their turn on the feature(s) of their choice.  Some do wheelies, some are just trying to stay upright.  Adults peruse the booths set up by BETA, Bike ADK, Placid Planet Bicycles, High Peaks Cyclery, and the Regional Official of Sustainable Tourism.  People stand in groups at whatever distance from the features feels comfortable, enjoying a pleasant evening, when suddenly...from the area under the row of flags at the northern crest of the Oval, a dramatic and thundering drumbeat.  Just one, and then two, and then many, many more.  

Fogo Azul had arrived.

This woman-led samba drumline descended the steps into the Oval and marched around the bike features.  They curled around, creating a face-to-face drum-off between two sections of the band.  People linked arm-in-arm danced down the aisle separating the two groups of drummers.  Kids took the opportunity to ride through as well, toothy grins galore.  We heard from the musicians that this was the first time they'd ever had people ride bikes through the drum-off and it was quite the experience for them, too.

After sufficient drumming, oohing and aahing, Fogo Azul retreated, still playing, to their starting point before bringing their music to an end.  While the action seemed to ebb, the lull didn't last long.

The announcer for KRUSHER BMX fired up their speakers and jumped on the mic, informing the crowd (which had grown significantly during Fogo Azul's playing, drawing in folks who had originally planned to just walk by the Oval) that the show was about to begin.  The stunt team had warmed up sufficiently and were ready to get to flipping.  With a soundtrack of fan favorite classic rock tunes and energizing ballads, the team executing trick after trick -- flips, 180s, tailwhips, and so many more (whose names elude me) -- now under the brilliant Oval floodlights since the sun had fully and truly set.  The crowd of at least 300 watched from either side of the series of ramps and quarter pipes, some standing along the galvanized barriers and some seated on the hill between the High School and the Oval, cheering and clapping with each expertly executed stunt.  "Really enjoyed the BMX show (my daughter loved it). Would come again," one person attested.

Our last trail work update was in late July.  Major developments since then include:

• Elizabethtown: new trail (Deerleg) completed and open at Blueberry Hill.
• Keene: Two new upper mountain trails (Trail 7 Climb & Trail 7 Descent) completed and open at East Branch Community Trails.  Funding sought for the final phase of construction.
• Jay: Planning underway for potential new trails in the Four Peaks Wilderness.
• Saranac Lake: Construction of connector trail from Park Ave to Mount Pisgah delayed until 2026. Funding sought for implementing Mount Pisgah Summer Trails Enhancement Plan.
• Wilmington: Talks with landowners and Adirondack Land Trust underway to secure agreement for connector trail from Three Sisters to Hardy Road.
• Jackrabbit Trail: Mountain Lane reroute finished and open. Eastern terminus trailhead, bridges, parking lot, and trail section under construction; expected completion by December 2025.

Read on for more information about the above updates as well as an overview of all the work done in the 2025 trail work season.

THREE SISTERS PRESERVE

• Flobus – Rebuild of some sections of lower Flobus to improve the riding experience was completed in early summer.
  
• Town Connector – New route flagged and approved from Outlook Lane to Three Sisters with construction planned for 2026.  This reroute will preserve access between the Wilmington Town Recreation Park, Three Sisters, and by extension Hardy Road even as the Outlook Lane neighborhood continues development.  Thank you to the landowner for his support of our effort to maintain access!
  

HARDY ROAD

• Procrew and volunteers worked together to make significant improvements to the lower section of All In, including restoration that addressed some of the more extensive wear due to use and erosion. 
  
• We are working with land owners and the Adirondack Land Trust to find potential new connections between Three Sisters and Hardy Road.  Our long term goal is to create a trail that will keep you in the woods and off the road when biking between Hardy Road and Three Sisters.  We’re excited to work with the landowners involved in this agreement and are grateful for their early support.
  

BETA’s work is multi-facetted, ever-evolving, and always dedicated to maintaining and building trails and creating community.  The end of the 2025 trail work season is rapidly approaching, but we're still busy planning for next year's projects.

If the 2025 trail projects have benefitted you or your community, please consider supporting our work by becoming a member or renewing your membership at a higher giving level.  We are so deeply grateful to the hundreds of people who build, fund, champion, and enjoy these trails -- you're both the reason and the way that we do what we do: build trails and create community.  Thank you!