National Trails Day Activities in New Hampshire

WHITE MOUNTAIN, New Hampshire ??вЂќ The Appalachian Mountain Club has scheduled several National Trails Day activities, including those listed below. These events are open to the public. Volunteers should contact the trip leaders listed to register for these events. National Trails Day, which is overseen by the American Hiking Society with support and involvement from trail maintenance organizations, outdoor organizations, and volunteers from across the country, is set for Saturday, June 4.

In addition to National Trails Day activities, the Appalachian Mountain Club offers trail maintenance opportunities throughout the summer in such places as the White Mountain National Forest, Acadia National Park, and Baxter State Park. To find out more, check out the Web at www.outdoors.org/trails or contact AMC Volunteer Coordinator Terry Robinson at [email]tmrobinson@outdoors.org[/email] or (603) 466-2721, ext. 192.

AMC maintains more than 1400 miles of trail throughout the Northeast, including more than 300 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The AMC White Mountains Trail Program contributes nearly 25,000 hours annually to trail maintenance in the White Mountain National Forest. See also:

www.outdoors.org/trails/volunteer/national-trails-day.cfm

NATIONAL TRAILS DAY ACTIVITIES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE JUNE 4, 2005

Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway

Help maintain AMC??в„ўs section of the Monadnock-Sunapee Greenway. There will be work for folks of all abilities and experiences (including none). Free pizza after, and option to car-camp free Saturday night and hike on Sunday. This is a good event for families and kids. For information and to register: Bill Darcy at 603-224-0709, [email]bill_shearer@hotmail.com[/email] or Tim Doucette at 603-332-6722, [email]nhtc@juno.com[/email].

Piscataquog River Park

Join AMC??в„ўs New Hampshire Conservation Committee for a work day at Piscataquog River Park in Manchester to lop, pull, and clip invasive plants so the native ones have a better chance. Participants will learn about invasive plants and their threat to our environment, help a small piece of that environment, and have fun. Piscataquog River Park is a beautiful bit of woodland in West Manchester that needs our help. For information and to register: Anne Melvin, 603-664-5089; [email]anne.melvin@att.net[/email] or Mary Harrington, 603-524-1464; [email]thndrbrd@worldpath.net[/email].

Davis Path

Join fellow hikers in a day of trail maintenance on the Davis Path in the White Mountain National Forest. No experience necessary. Meet at the trailhead in Crawford Notch at 8:30 AM. Bring lunch, lots of water and work gloves. Tools and instruction will be provided. We will cut brush, remove blow-downs, define tread-way, build cairns and more. Lunch on the summit of Mount Crawford, with a 360 degree views of Mount Washington and more. That evening join with other National Trail Day volunteers at Camp Dodge for a free cook-out and surprises. Stay the night at Camp Dodge and hike in the Presidentials the next day. The Davis Path parking lot is on Route 302 in Crawford Notch, 4.4 miles south of the Ripley Falls parking lot and 2.7 miles south of the Dry River Camp Ground. Coming north on Route 302 the parking lot is 6.2 miles north of the Bear Notch Road. Pre-registration is requested: Don MacFarlane, [email]macfard@metrocast.net[/email] or 603-279-3288.

Mt. Willard Trail

Join us for a trail work project on the Mount Willard Trail in Crawford Notch State Park. A short hike from the Depot parking area gets you to the project site for a full day of trail construction on Mount Willard (working on installing rock steps and drainage), under the supervision of AMC Trails Employees. At the end of the day you are welcome to join us for a B-B-Q at AMC’s Camp Dodge Volunteer Center (about 1 hr. from project site) B-B-Q is free to all participating in either event. Meet at the Crawford Depot, just south of the AMC Highland Center off of NH RT. 302 at 9:00 a.m. Bring a day pack with lunch, water, work gloves and work clothes appropriate for the weather (bring your rain gear regardless of weather report). The leaders will provide the participants with tools, safety gear, and proper training. No prior experience required. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to volunteer for NH Trails Day and experience a rewarding day’s worth of hard work. For registration and information: Terry Robinson, [email]tmrobinson@outdoors.org[/email] or 603-466-2721, ext. 192.

Basic Chainsaw Training June 4 & 5

Learn how to use and maintain a chainsaw during this two-day, intensive workshop. The emphasis of this workshop is to enhance your knowledge of safe chainsaw use, identification and mitigation of hazards, and gain practical experience using chainsaws. This workshop is for both the occasional firewood cutter as well as those using a chainsaw to perform trail work. It is recommended that participants bring their own saw and personal protective equipment (PPE), but chainsaws and PPE will be provided for those who do not have them. Lunch is provided both days. Participants should bring necessary clothing to be outdoors all day in inclement weather. Sturdy leather boots are also required. For registration and information: Terry Robinson, [email]tmrobinson@outdoors.org[/email] or 603-466-2721, ext. 192. (registration required)

Corridor Monitoring workshop

Come explore the woods in an out-of-the-ordinary event which will teach participants map and compass and route finding skills. Join the Appalachian Trail Conference and the Appalachian Mountain Club in a workshop to monitor the boundary of Appalachian Trail lands adjacent to the White Mountain National Forest. Volunteers are needed for our Boundary Monitoring Program, but all interested persons are encouraged to attend. Morning classroom session will review map and compass skills and surveyor’s maps; the afternoon session will include an off-trail adventure along the AT corridor boundary. If you enjoy being in the woods off-trail, then this is the event for you. Location: Pinkham Notch Visitor Center. For registration and information: Terry Robinson, [email]tmrobinson@outdoors.org[/email] or 603-466-2721, ext. 192. (registration required)

Founded in 1876, the non-profit Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the United States.