These comments include much information that is new in the last month.
An article in today's Valley News (vnews.com) shows that this project is much larger than it seemed when the only information we had was the DRED press release. You can review the background on your way down the page to the bigger picture.
The State of NH, Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) will accept comments from the public through 23 January on the Appalachian Mountain Club's request to close Hurricane Gap Trail (HGTr) on Mt. Cardigan State Forest and replace it with their own private spur from Clark Trail for the exclusive use of their paying guests at High Cabin. Please see the press release (nhstateparks.org/what's happening). Public comments can be emailed to
[email protected].
The AMC makes two claims here: 1) Most users of HGTr are their paying guests; 2) Erosion at the east end of HGTr is too much to be worth fixing.
In my comments to DRED I rebutted these claims: 1) AMC's claim is unsubstantiated, but on newenglandtrailconditions.com there are 35 recorded hikes over HGTr since 1/9/2010. HGTr is more sheltered from storms, less icy than Clark Trail, and the easiest approach to High Cabin in emergencies.
2) I visited the site, looked at three other fixes and the AMC's, and concluded that a NE connector from Clark Trail to HGTr just above the erosion will stabilize the trail best. Well-led volunteers can build it.
Replacing a public trail with this private spur is unnecessary, unsafe, unprecedented, and outrageous.
The AMC has applied for a Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant so we taxpayers can fund their private spur. Their 2013 report: endowment $60,505,000, operating surplus $152,000, net asset increase $5,750,000. They have 6 weeks of staff-led volunteer-paid trail crews on the east side of Cardigan in 2015: 2160 hours and $18,950 gross income from those volunteers (outdoors.org). The AMC needs no public money for this job.
RTP Guidelines (nhstateparks.org/partner and community resources/recreational trails program) read "For profit trail systems... are also ineligible." What is a private spur for guests renting a cabin ($159/night + tax, now booked weekends til late May; ~$16,000/year)?
But first, DRED has to approve the AMC's request for it to even reach the RTP grants administrator. So please, fellow hikers, keep them emails coming.
Now, the bigger picture: the AMC is applying for the biggest possible RTP grant of $50,000 to fund most of what they claim is $66,000 of work over 6-7 weeks. Besides replacing Hurricane Gap Trail with their private spur, they plan to add new waterbars, stone steps, and staircases to 0.4 miles of Clark Trail downhill of the east end of Hurricane Gap Trail by PJ Ledge. Well, here's a reminder for the AMC, who are conveniently forgetting decades of work reports:
That section of Clark Trail already has 30 waterbars, over 24 steps, mainly of rock, a log ladder of PT wood only 4 years old, and many other fixtures for drainage and erosion control. They were built by AMC volunteers from Narragansett Chapter Volunteer Trail Crew, New Hampshire Chapter Volunteer Trail Crew, and Cardigan Volunteer Trail Crew between about 1980 and 2014. Those volunteers needed and got no help from AMC Trails Department staff beyond $300/ year for tools and materials. They each paid $40/weekend room and board in the Lodge. They cleaned the drains of leaves and debris on their three work weekends each May 1st, after Labor Day, and Hallowe'en. Hurricane Irene caused minimal damage on their trails because they were diligent about cleaning their drains, which is unfortunately more than many others can say. They built and rebuilt fixtures on the trails they tended in a rotation based on mitigating impacts from hikers and water, and Clark Trail was up for minor repairs in 2014. The list included replacing a few old wood waterbars, adding a step or two in gullies, and adding some rocks beside flights of steps to encourage the hikers to use the steps. There was also a short relocation around an icy ledge.
The AMC wants $50,000 from the taxpayer to fix what ain't broke, and they already have six weeks of volunteer-paid staff-led crews planned for 2015. The bigger picture also includes AMC Cardigan Lodge on their land at the main trailhead on the east side of the mountain: 8000+ bednights a year, expanded campground recently, all for paying guests.
