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Well over 100 people came out to celebrate the East Branch Community Trails (EBCT) in Keene, NY on June 7th. To all the folks who joined us there – bikers, hikers, and trail runners alike – thank you so much for joining the festivities and our effort to recognize everyone that is making this evolving trail network possible. The forecast was pretty bad, but somehow we were treated to perfect weather! If you weren’t there, you missed a great day complete with hands-on volunteering (the skills trail we worked on is now rideable with features planned for the future); free drinks and BBQ treats; a few words of appreciation and support from key project partners; the opening of the new enduro-style descent trail Duzzi; and the high spirits that come when people gather to celebrate what’s been created through their hard work, collaboration, and dedication. As we did on the 7th, we want to express our gratitude to all of you who have supported this incredible trail network through your volunteering and donations. This project got started in 2021 thanks to the initiative of the Keene Youth Commission. The preliminary vision that BETA helped create led directly to an inspiring outpouring of support from individuals and foundations. Great trails aren’t easy to build nor inexpensive – we’ve invested or committed $178,000 of private funds and $145,000 of public funds for a total of $323,000 into this network so far. But once you’ve ridden here you know that trails this fun and well designed are worth it! Thank you to the Cloudsplitter Foundation and People For Bikes for support with this phase! As always, we hope you can join us at another BETA event in the near future. At East Branch we have an upper mountain trail already planned so we’ll have more to celebrate here before too long!
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In addition to the incredible work of independent volunteers across our region, our pro crew and contractors have been hard at work this season. Here are some highlights:
Wilmington Early season, Dusty and Scott put in a lot of work at Hardy Road which included leading a volunteer work day to address erosion, rebuild drains, restore corners and manage vegetation. A volunteer machine operator rebuilt a section of trail and features at Flobus in Three Sisters Preserve in late spring to improve the riding experience. Keene Peduzzi Trails, with staff and volunteer support, has finished the enduro-style descent trail Duzzi and the tread for the skills trail (technical features for inclusion along the trail are being planned now) at East Branch Community Trails. Visitors may notice another addition to the trailhead: a port-a-john at the parking lot which has been sponsored by a local family for the season. This is quite the upgrade from the privy (a rare “open floor plan 3-seater”) tucked away in the woods. Saranac Lake So far, staff and volunteers have tuned up the trails for the season and invested significant energy into laying the groundwork for upcoming projects in Saranac Lake. That groundwork includes reflagging a new connector trail from Park Ave into Mt. Pisgah, supporting a master trails plan for Mt. Pisgah, and planning new trails at Fowler’s Crossing that would add around 2 miles of high-quality trail to the network. Lake Placid Dusty and Scott recently finished the reroute on a number of steep climbs on Back Nine at Craig Wood with the help of volunteers. We’ve already heard a lot of appreciation for how much better the trail climbs now. Staff met with DEC to finish flagging a new section of the Jackrabbit ski trail that will bypass much of Mountain Lane. And finally, work has begun on the new trailhead at the east end of the Jackrabbit near Rock & River! Elizabethtown Dusty and Scott have returned to complete work on the new climbing trail that began last summer at Blueberry Hill. We anticipate a volunteer work day in Elizabethtown within the next 3 weeks and will share more details with you when we’re able – stay tuned. To all the volunteers, staff, and contractors who steward these special places through respectful use and hands-in-the-dirt work, thank you so much for building and maintaining these trails. Your hard work makes a big difference for our trails and community. It is deeply appreciated. The Wilmington MTB Festival is 3-day celebration of bikes and community with on-site camping, live music, local food & beer, group rides for all abilities, shuttles, a kids MTB race, and 25+ miles of beautiful Adirondack-style single track riding. This event is hosted by and in support of Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA)! Proceeds support the trails! Whether you're brand new to this rip-roaring celebration of bikes, trails, and community or you're one of the folks who started it all, we've got all the info you need right here. For more information, visit wilmingtonmtbfest.com -- to register, visit bikereg.com/wilmingtonmtbfest
CAMPING If you will be camping on the festival grounds, you must purchase a camping pass regardless of if you’re sharing a campsite with other people. LAYOUT:
Have questions this blog post didn't answer? You can find what you're looking for on the festival website: wilmingtonmtbfestival.com
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.
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.
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:
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.
 Pictures are from the July 20th, 2024 volunteer trail day at Blueberry Hill, one of many trail days supported by financial donors. IT WAS SUCH A PLEASURE TO SEE SO MANY OF YOU AT THE FILM FESTIVAL!  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.
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.  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.
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! |
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