There are thousands of mile of trails set aside for recreation in New York State. There are long trails, like the nearly 350-mile Long Path from the George Washington Bridge to Albany, as well as short ones like the less than half-mile-long trail from Route 23A to Kaaterskill Falls. Some trails, like the Escarpment Trail, are rough and wild and challenge the most experienced users, while others, like the Long Island Greenbelt trail, are more like a walk in a suburban backyard. Despite their physical differences, though, all the trails have one thing in common; that is the oversight of the New York State Trails Council. Formed in 1981, the New York State Trails Council is designed to ensure citizen participation in trail planning and management. The council is made of representatives from various state and federal agencies and also includes a citizen’s advisory board charged with a variety of duties. These include: advocating trail interests to all levels of government and to the public; providing a reliable source of information on trail-based recreation; coordinating efforts to develop, construct and maintain recreational trails; fostering trail user ethics, and providing a forum for mediating differences among trail user groups. The trail user groups are represented on the council by delegates in a dozen different activities: hiking, cycling, equestrian, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, ATV’s, snowshoeing, four-wheel drive, off-road motorcycles, water trails and running.

The council meets twice a year, once in winter and once in late summer/early autumn. This year’s autumn meeting took place in mid-September in Schodack Landing State Park, on the eastern shore of the Hudson River south of Albany, and I was there as a trail running delegate nominee. I had only heard of the council a few months earlier, when a friend notified me of the need for another running delegate. I was intrigued immediately and, as a regular trail user, I felt compelled to represent the runners in whatever capacity was necessary, though I wasn’t sure of what that might be. I e-mailed my interest in being a delegate to the contact at the trails council and was asked to supply a short resumé. Shortly after that exchange, I was asked to attend the next council meeting where my status as a delegate would be decided. I hadn’t run for any office or position since junior high school and wasn’t sure if I need to make “Vote for Jimmy” colored posterboards. As it turned out, my nomination as a new delegate went smoothly, with the same council representative I originally contacted simply reading aloud my bio and then asking the other delegates present—about 15 or so—“aye or nay.” The vote was a quick and unanimous “aye.” I didn’t have time to savor my triumph, though, as we launched immediately into the business at hand.

The council meeting was held at the picnic pavilion in the park with the tables arranged in a large rectangle. Roll call was taken and the delegates, who were seated around the tables, answered by activity. The meeting was being run by two folks from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the first real order of business was a presentation by the four-wheel-drive user group. A Power Point set up was on a table at the front of the pavilion and the delegate took his position there, nervously thumbing through flash cards as he recounted the obstacles faced by four wheelers in finding places to take their off-road machines (we saw several images of the delegate’s own Jeep during the presentation). The delegate had a well thought out and, after his nerves had subsided, impassioned argument for finding some official trails for his user group. For instance, he noted that of all the trails in the state, none were designated for 4x4 use. In addition, he laid out the economy of the sport, noting that he and the group he represents travel to out-of-state 4x4 friendly places, often spending substantial money in the communities they visit. A park in Pennsylvania was used as an example of the money-making potential for the state; users there paid forty dollars to take their machines on trails, with as many as 400 vehicles there on a busy weekend. Possible sites for 4x4 trails were also presented, with abandoned quarries the most feasible. The delegate wrapped up his presentation and I was left to consider that he seemed to have a point—several, in fact—and wondered if his cause would be taken up by the council.

A lunch break was next. A council volunteer had fired up the grill at the pavilion and hot dogs and hamburgers were offered to all. In addition, other council members had provided an array of homemade salads and desserts. I took the opportunity to walk to the water’s edge and look out on the mighty Hudson River. A huge tanker glided past, barely fitting through the narrowed river—whose banks this far north were much closer together than in Kingston ,Catskill or Poughkeepsie. The meeting resumed after lunch, albeit somewhat sluggishly at first, with a presentation by a representative of the office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Again utilizing Power Point, he highlighted some recent action taken by his office, including a series of surveys taken regarding usage at several select state parks during the summer. We were told about conflicts in a couple of places between the state and local municipalities that were being resolved. Finally, a New York State Department of Conservation official took over and showed us a series of changes in language that was being proposed to state laws and guidelines for trail use. Throughout the meeting, the delegates raised thoughtful and relevant points to all that was discussed. Clearly, each delegate had passion for the user group they represented and each wanted to convey any concerns that might affect their use of the trails. For their part, the government side of things listened patiently to all comments and I got the sense that the delegates’ input mattered. By the time the meeting adjourned nearly four easy hours had passed. A few days later an e-mail with all that had been discussed at the council arrived in my inbox and I marked my calendar for the next one in March.

If at First
If at first, you don’t succeed, we learn as children, try, try again. For Alex Sherwood of New Paltz, you can make that nine tries before total success at the annual Survival of the Shawangunks triathlon, held each year in early September. It was nine consecutive attempts for Sherwood before his victory this year and he was one satisfied triathlete after his win. The race is an unusual format for triathlon. Instead of the standard swim/bike/run sequence, the S.O.S starts with a 30-mile bike leg, followed by a swim/run/swim/run/swim/run. No, the keyboard of the computer didn’t get stuck; S.O.S’ers swim Lakes Awosting, Minnewaska and Mohonk while running the trails that connect them.

This year’s race saw a sold-out field of 150 leave the fairgrounds in New Paltz on a bright and sunny Sunday morning. The bright and sunny part had been in doubt the day before, as remnants of tropical storm Hannah had blown through 24 hours earlier before with dire warnings of torrential rainfall. The rain had come, but ended well before race time and the competitors ended up with a great day to compete.

Sherwood told me he got off the bike feeling great and that feeling stayed with him throughout the day. He noted how disheartening it is to not feel good and know you have the bulk of the race ahead of you, a situation he has faced at the S.O.S. in the past. In addition, the race is home turf for Sherwood: he is the head of recreation at the Mohonk Mountain House and his colleagues were out in force to support him in his latest try for the win.

My wife and I were on hand to watch this year’s event, and the spirit among volunteers and racers was superb. Old muscle memory began to wake too, and as we watched swimmers exit Lake Mohonk and head up the final sprint to Skytop, I resolved to be participating here next year.

Registration for the 2009 edition of the Survival of the Shawangunks opens October 31. The race is September 13, 2009 and will sell out quickly. For information on registration go to www.ulster.net/~sosnyta

If At First, Part 2
Woodstock’s John Holt headed to Vermont in July to take another crack at the Vermont 100 Endurance Run. Holt had twice before completed the run and was hoping to put the experience in the previous events to use for a better time. He trained well but race morning dawned hot and humid and by 47 miles, Holt was cooked. The race has checkpoints along the course where you are weighed; lose 5% of your body weight and they sit you down until you eat and drink enough to gain it back. Lose 7% and you are pulled from the race immediately. Holt had dropped enough weight by the almost-halfway point to get a time out. In addition, he had trouble keeping food down and so he wisely, if reluctantly, called it a day. He returned home and ran a good Escarpment Trail race and then made up his made to tend to some unfinished business. He registered for a first year 100-miler called the Iroquois Trail Ultra and got back to training. I know how disappointing a DNF—did not finish—feels, having DNF’ed at a 50K early in the year. I also know you get afraid that DNF’ing could get to be habit. So in late September, Holt headed up Virgil, New York for another 100 mile attempt.

The Iroquois Trail 100 featured some gnarly trail and about 18,000 feet of climbing. Holt had trained on hills here in the Catskills though and felt ready for whatever this course threw at him. Along for the first 100 kilometers (62 miles) was Charlie Gadol, a fairly recent transplant to the Hudson Valley and a welcome addition to its running community. Gadol and Holt ran together for over 15 hours picking up the unflappable Joe Brown, of High Falls, at 55 miles, Brown paced Holt for the rest of the way and after 26 hours and 53 minutes, Holt had completed his task while also finishing 4th overall.

The New Kids
Jay Friedman and Jan Cyr recently opened the Shawangunk Running Company, a running shoe and gear store in New Paltz. The shop is described by the duo on their Web site as “a specialty store providing products and services for runners and triathletes of all abilities. With our storefront we also benefit the community through weekly runs. We will also sponsor many local running and triathlon races.” Those are good, strong words and a positive development for runners and triathletes in the area.

Friedman and Cyr also plan to carry a wide selection of great running shoes as well as supplemental gear. When I visited Freidman at the store just after it opened, he showed me a very cool, locally made product called the zip-3 (spelled xip3). The piece is a combination day pack, jacket and pillow and unlike any thing I have seen before. They have also made arrangements to import a highly regarded English trail running shoe, one that I have been trying to find in the U.S. for several years: the Walsh PB Trainer.

Check out the Shawangunk Running Company at 2 Church Street in New Paltz, online at www.GunksRunningCompany.com or call 845 255 8633

October Event of the Month
The Hairy Gorilla Half Marathon and Squirrelly Six miler take place on October 28 in James Thatcher Park, about 15 miles outside of Albany. The course is challenging and is a great run for both novices as well as experienced runners. The real fun, however, comes in the form of costumed ghouls and goblins who pop out at runners during the course of the race. For more information, visit www.albanyrunningexchange.org/hgh.