Volunteers, contractors, and the BETA trail crew have been checking trail projects off the list left and right. Here are some highlights:​

Jackrabbit Ski Trail | Paul Smiths, Lake Placid, Keene

• Replacement of the Bird Song Bridge in Lake Placid (below).
• Side cutting from Paul Smith’s VIC to Haul Road, Bird Song Lane to Craig Wood, Craig Wood to Route 86.
• Additional signage from Paul Smith’s VIC to Haul Road for easier wayfinding.
• New ramp and railing extensions at Bob’s Bridge near the Keene trailhead to make a safer entrance for skiers (below).
• Upcoming Jackrabbit Trail Work Projects
  • Railing replacement on Theresa's Bridge in Lake Placid.
  • Seasonal mowing with Tony Goodwin and Woods McCahill.
  • Volunteer day to clean drainage on McKenzie Pass from Whiteface Inn Lane, Lake Placid on October 25th.
• Upcoming Trail Work Projects on Other Ski Trails
  • Side cutting at the Hays Brook trail in Paul Smiths. 
  • Blowdown removal and clearing in the High Peaks Wilderness 

Ski trails need love, too!

Bridge work is complete on the Jackrabbit Ski Trail near Bird Song Lane in Lake Placid! See the pictures below for an inside look at how this bridge got its makeover.

Most of our ski trails don't need such extensive work, but they need regular upkeep (side-cutting, mowing, and blowdown clearing) to stay useable year after year. BETA staff and the Ski Trails Committee are gearing up for fall ski trails work. Stay tuned for updates on how you can pitch in and which projects we're tackling before the snow flies.

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.

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!

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!

There is always something cooking at BETA.  Right now, some of the projects on our horizon include the following.

​ELIZABETHTOWN

• Blueberry Hill: The machine built section of the new climbing trail is complete.  Dusty and Scott are continuing with the handwork to finish the trail in the next couple of weeks. This volunteer- and pro-crew-built trail offers an easier alternative to Hemlock for climbing and returning to the trailhead off of Bronson Way. 
• Cobble Hill: We’ll have new signage installed here soon.  Great timing since we’ll be riding there on August 12th for our next Slow Your Roll Ride!

 
KEENE

• East Branch Community Trails, on top of the two new trails already opened this season, we have:
  • Peduzzi Trail Building has begun construction of a climbing trail and descent trail above the power lines.  That’s right, we’re starting on a whole new section of ground for these trails and adding more elevation!  If all goes according to plan, the new trail will be open before October, just in time for the UCI World Cup.
  • The Skills Loop is currently rideable and we are working with Peduzzi and local volunteers to plan and build technical trail features to help riders advance their skills in a controlled environment. 
• Jackrabbit Trail: The Rock and River trailhead to access the JRT is moving forward.  Construction is done on the parking lot and work on the trail and bridges will be happening over the next few months.  Stay tuned for volunteer work parties there this fall. 

 
LAKE PLACID

• Craig Wood/Scott’s Cobble: 
  • As we mentioned in our last update, Dusty, Scott, and an amazing brigade of volunteers finished the climbing reroutes on Back Nine.  It has really improved the riding experience in that section and simultaneously made the trail much more sustainable against heavy rains and erosion.
  • On August 17th, the Lake Placid Outing Club (LPOC) and BETA are teaming up to bring kids in LPOC and their families out for a volunteer trail work party at Craig Wood, Lake Placid.  Not only is it fun, volunteering is also a great way to cultivate a sense of stewardship, respect, and gratitude for the amazing trails we have at our fingertips.  This work party is only open to members of LPOC and their families.  Register here.
• Jackrabbit Trail: 
  • If time permits, we’ll replace the stringers on the bridge at the bottom of the JRT near River Road this fall.  We have temporarily patched the one at risk of failure to get us through the upcoming winter if we don’t get to the replacement this season.
  • ​A reroute of the JRT to that will take us off of part of Mountain Lane is approved and will be constructed in late fall during the chainsaw window.  This is a sizable undertaking and we hope to host a few volunteer trail work parties to tackle some aspects of this project.  Stay tuned for more details as summer draws to a close.

SARANAC LAKE

• Mt. Pisgah: 
  • We’re working with the folks at Cure Cottage Development LLC in order to create a new access trail route from Park Ave to Mt. Pisgah that accommodates their plans for development of Trudeau Village, a major project to renovate the former Adirondack Cottage Sanitarium and create affordable housing in Saranac Lake.
  • On Monday, July 28th, the Saranac Lake Village Board voted unanimously to approve and sponsor BETA’s Mt. Pisgah Summer Trails Enhancements and Master Plan.  We will keep you posted on what that means for Mt. Pisgah – look forward to more information in our next newsletter and as we try to secure funding for the work.
  • A volunteer trail work party with the Saranac Lake Innovative Cycles Kids (SLICK) will be held at Mt. Pisgah on Sunday, August 17th.  Kids and their families, regardless of their involvement with SLICK, are encouraged to join in on this fun and gratifying activity.  Register here.
• Dewey: We hosted a volunteer trail work party at Dewey on July 24th sponsored by Silver Birch Cycles and have another one on the calendar for August 25th sponsored by Bike Adirondacks.  These evening work parties focus on brushing, root removal, clearing drainages, and treadwork in a few sections.  Register for the next work day here.

WILMINGTON

• Three Sisters: A new route for the Town Connector has been flagged and approved from Outlook Lane to Three Sisters with construction planned for 2026.  This reroute will help preserve recreational access between the Wilmington Recreation Town Park and Hardy Road even as development proceeds on private property in the area. We are thankful to the landowner for his support of our effort to maintain access!
• Hardy Road: Right now Dusty and Scott are putting the finishing touches on a bit more work on All In for the season.  Meanwhile, we are finalizing the trail conditions assessment in order to produce a recommendation of Hardy Rd trail work for DEC review and approval for 2026.  That’s right, we’re already looking ahead to 2026 so we can hit the ground running next trail season.