Volunterring to work help clear/ maintian trails w/o AMC

[RGF1]

How do you Volunteer to work orhelp clear traill with out going through the AMC . I am very skilled with a Chainsaw and ond can do some rock work i would not mind clearing blwodowns , building waterbars or rock c steps. But it seems only the AMC doesthis and I do not want ot pay to learn how to do something I already know how to do . Wirked on a trail crew in my younger days and still rember it well. I noticed tat in trail conditions ther are alot of winter blow downs and other work to be doen. But I want nothing to do with the AMC . I do not want otstart a flame war but I just have strong personal objections to the current AMC . But I still want ot do something in return for having the trrails we do here . plus it helps keep people o from making a big mess of things . Please Not flame wars .

 

[Waumbek]

Look at some of the many smaller trail orgs. Many have volunteer opportunties. Try WODC or Randolph Mountain Club or Cohos Trail. That's for starters.

 

[Sherpa John]

RGF...

Sarah and I are adopters of the Jefferson Loop Trail. Our work consists of ensuring the blazes are marked appropriately. Our trail is ENTIRELY above treeline. What we need to do is also maintain the proper rock work on the trail as well as screewall work. If your interested in lending us a hand let me know.

I know I am going to make a CLOUDY day trip to assess proper amount of cairns a.w.a visibility of each from each. COuld use a hand for sure.

 

[sapblatt]

I thought the AMC did not charge to learn these skills if you were going to help on the trails.
I also beleive the WMNF enlists volunteers...I seem to remember reading once that you could get a free parking pass in exchange for some sort of labor in the forest.

 

[Sherpa John]

Sapblatt... when you adopt a trail with the AMC.. you have to pay to take a "training course" which entails you paying for food for the day as well as a place to stay.

Also... if you "volunteer" to go out for a weekend or a week with an AMC trails crew... you have to PAY to VOLUNTEER your services for whatever amount of time.. and then your not even really treated well.. from what I hear.

 

[forestgnome]

RGF1,

I can relate to your thoughts about both the AMC and giving back to the trails that you enjoy, so here's what I do.

I act as a sort of unseen, elfen force out in the forest that clears trails without anyone knowing. I always carry a plastic bag for trash; each time I hike I remove trail trash, usually innocently dropped by others. Last fall I removed a grill, bottle of lighter fluid, and about 24 Bud cans from an illegal campsite along the Bolles Trail.

I also try to remove branches and logs that I can handle without a saw. I'll drag them off and lay them perpendicular to the trail, helping to keep hikers on the trail. You'll notice that when a log falls across the trail, there quickly appears a herd path around it. The sooner the log is removed, the less extra erosion will happen. Instead of leaving it to a crew, I do it myself.

I hike solo, so noone ever knows who did it, or that it was done at all. It may be a small contribution, but I think it helps reduce the overall workload for the crews who do the heavy stuff.

 

[jade]

I have an adopted trail on Mt Greylock. The training was free and included lunch. If you are handy with a chain saw, the AMC wants you to go through special training with them first before you go out as an official AMC volunteer--liabilty being the reason.

I have volunteered for three years for the Classic Week (a mixed age group--there are over 50'ers, women's and young memeber groups) with the AMC. We are based at Joe Dodge Camp (as opposed to JD Lodge at Pinkham). It costs $75 and for that we were trained on proper maintenance techniques, had available hot showers, equipped with tents for two overnights in the woods, bunkbeds while at the camp, fed three meals a day (that's 21 meals!) plus all the GORP you could consume--and because it was in August during my birthday, I got a nice birthday cake too! The leaders were all patient and appreciative and I learned a lot. Each night we were offered a van ride to Pinkham for a movie, or a talk. At week's end, we were treated to a 'Thank You' party barbeque.

I would encourage anyone to join up. What a great way to meet like minded folks.........a wonderful experience...
....Jade

 

[sierra]

I love it, the AMC charges for you to volenteer and some of them wonder why they get flamed. Anywho, I would second working with the Randolph MTn Club, very traditional and what a great trailnetwork and location to work on, alot of the older less used trails could definetly use some tlc, some are even hard to follow, although, I admitt to love trails that are not highways.

 

[Barbarossa]

RFG, are you in N Central Mass?

Friends of the Wapack is pretty close by.

 

[Al Sochard]

RMC loves volunteers

RMC appreciates all volunteers- We have work trips all through the summer that you can join up with. Check out our website at in a month or so the trips will be posted at http://www.randolphmountainclub.org
people of all abilities and ages are accepted to spend all of or part of a day.

Most of the trips are light trail maintenance and brushing followed by a potluck. No experience necessary-

you can email the RMC at
http://www.randolphmountainclub.org/contactus/howtocontactus.html
Al
RMC Camp and Trails co-chair

 

[linehant]

>>I love it, the AMC charges for you to volenteer ...<<

Yeah... I too thought that was a bit... odd... at first - that they'd charge me a fee for the privilege of volunteering.

But, the AMC provides food and lodging during the week-end and week-long trail maintenance gigs. Someone mentioned that individuals would sign up to work on a volunteer crew, spend a couple of hours chopping weeds, and then hike for the rest of the week-end (but make use of bunk space and show up for meals). Dunno for sure, but the nominal fee for food and lodging might discourage freeloaders.

The AMC **does** organize no-cost (to the volunteer), day-long trail work opportunities. These are not run by the same folks who operate the Camp Dodge trail work teams. The day-long efforts are organized primarily by the "trails" committees of the various chapters (Boston, New Hampshire, Connecticut, etc). Their schedules and contact information are printed in the club's monthly magainze (AMC Outdoors) and can be found on the various chapter's web-pages.

I never attended the/a pricey learn-to-maintain-a-trail workshop. Never needed to. The leaders of the chapter work parties were always willing to provide OJT to the volunteers who came out to help. And the professional trail crew folks who served as team leaders at the Camp Dodge week-end work parties were great - both at teaching the methods and skills we needed for the tasks that we were assigned and at making us feel as though our efforts were appreciated.

While it's been my experience that the AMC is both welcoming and reasonable with respect to volunteerism, it is certainly true that the club's approach doesn't jibe with everyone. And that's okay. There are a number of other excellent organizations, such as RMC, that also organize volunteers to help maintain the trails. In the end, I think we're all working to achieve the same objective.

 

[MadRiver]

I have to disagree with one statement. When my wife and I took the AMC’s Trail Maintenance Course through Dodge Camp, we were NOT charged a fee because we were adopting a trail. Also, since our trail was not above tree line, and not part of the alpine zone, if we wanted to take a course on alpine maintenance just for the knowledge, it was also free of charge.

Even though I might not agree with everything the AMC does with respect to the White Mountains, it beats the alternative, which is to rely solely on individuals to safeguard the Whites.

 

[WhiteMTHike]

I'm certainly not here to flame you. I'd like to commend you on your cause. Just to let you know the Audubon Society is another organization that (among other things) maintains trails. They are always looking for volunteers in case you are interested.

 

[dr_wu002]

Ok, I'm interested in "adopting" the Mt. Tremont Trail. I'm serious about this. But I have no idea where to start... do I talk to the AMC? Do I talk to the forestry service? Would I have to take the AMC classes if I did? Any suggestions?

-Dr. Wu

 

[sapblatt]

Ok, I'm interested in "adopting" the Mt. Tremont Trail.
-Dr. Wu

Dr. Wu -
Not sure who maintains the Tremont trail, but the AMC has links to this stuff on their site. There is a list of available trails that need to be cared for.

 

[jade]

Go to www.outdoors.org for information on adopting a trail/trail maintenance with the AMC.........
.......Jade

 

[DougG]

I am beginning my fifth year as an AMC adopter and can also testify that there is no cost for adopters / would-be adopters to take the AMC Basic Skills course which is required for first-time and re-certifying adopters.

Please flame with fact

 

[RoySwkr]

Ok, I'm interested in "adopting" the Mt. Tremont Trail. I'm serious about this. But I have no idea where to start... do I talk to the AMC? Do I talk to the forestry service? Would I have to take the AMC classes if I did? Any suggestions?

-Dr. Wu

Look in the AMC White Mountain Guide to see what organization maintains the trail. For Mount Tremont Trail it is Phillips Exeter Academy Outing Club, so talk to them.

For the Forest Service, talk to the District Ranger Station where a trail is located. Probably the want you prefer has been adopted already, but they can tell you what's open. No classes required unless you want to use a chainsaw. FS staff turns over frequently and some care more for adopters than others.

If you like digging waterbars and building bridges rather than pruning or cutting blowdowns, contact www.trailwrights.org right away. Otherwise, there are plenty of trail groups in NH other than those mentioned, including Wapack, Monadnock-Sunapee, and Sunapee-Ragged-Kearsarge. See hikenh.netfirms.com/Whose.htm (near bottom) for some addresses

The Green Mountain Club in VT also has volunteer adopters with minimal red tape.

 

[pbernard]

Forestnome has a good philosophy. "Solo" trail maintaining,whether it is simply picking up some litter or removing some brush works well, yet so does formal trail maintenance, its all good!

 

[carole]

A lovely area in the Ossipees (Mt. Shaw, Castle in the Clouds area) needs trail adapters also. It is managed by LRCT