BETA News - July 2017

BETA News - July 2017 ACTION ALERT - New Trails Proposed in Saranac Lakes Wild Forest BETA is elated by the news that NYSDEC Region 5 has finally released the Draft Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest (SLWF) . BETA and our predecessor organization, the Adirondack Ski Touring Council, have long advocated for new mountain bike and ski trails to be built in this unit, which includes numerous tracts of Forest Preserve surrounding the communities of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. In our eyes, the SLWF is on par with the High Peaks Wilderness in terms of its recreational value and importance for local communities. The draft plan calls for nearly 35 miles of new trails, all of which would be open to mountain bikes. SEE MAPS, FACT SHEETS and the FULL PLAN HERE. There is a lot of information to digest, and BETA is still formulating a detailed response to DEC regarding the new trail proposals. Generally, the proposals of great interest to BETA are: Formalize and expand existing trails in the vicinity of Rt. 86 and River Rd in Lake Placid, locally known as the "Loggers Loops". Includes new parking along Rt. 86 and (hopefully) new trails, one of which could possibly form a ski connection between the Jackrabbit Trail and Connery Pond/Whiteface Landing ski trail. New trail system west of Lake Placid in the vicinity of Old Military Rd, Carolyn Rd and Rt. 86. These trails could be accessed by bike from the Village of Lake Placid using the Jackrabbit Trail off Wes Valley Rd and the neighborhood trails on Fawn Ridge. New trails throughout the tract of land west of Old Military Rd and south of the railroad corridor in the vicinity of Scarface Mountain and Averyville Rd. This could include a premier long-distance backcountry loop around Scarface. Formalize and expand existing trails on the edge of Saranac Lake, south of Turtle Pond near the railroad corridor and along the Jackrabbit Trail south of Mackenzie Pond Rd. New ski trails including a new section of the Jackrabbit Trail to bypass the "road walk" on Mountain Lane between Rt. 73 and the trail head for the Old Mountain Rd. down to Rock and River. And a new trail to create a loop for skiers and hikers on the Moose Pond trail between Saranac Lake and Bloomingdale We urge our members to get involved in the public comment process and express your support for new mountain bike trails in the vicinity of Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. Written comments will be accepted until August 11, 2017. Additionally, the DEC will be holding public sessions to solicit feedback related to the Draft UMP. July 12, 2017 1:00 to 4:00 PM , at the Harrietstown Town Hall auditorium, 39 Main Street, Saranac Lake, NY 6:00 PM , at the Saranac Lake High School auditorium, 79 Canaras Avenue, Saranac Lake, NY July 13, 2017 1:00 to 4:00 PM , at the Geoff-Nelson Memorial Library, 41 Lake Street, Tupper Lake, NY 6:30 PM , at the Wild Center, Flammer Theater, 45 Museum Drive (off Hosley Avenue), Tupper Lake, NY Trail Day this Sunday, July 16 @ The Flume Join BETA this Sunday, July 16 for some good old fashioned trail building at the Wilmington Flume Trails. We're working on the new lower connector trail between the Flume trail system and the Poor Man's Downhill / Reservoir trail head. Once completed, this new trail will provide an "on-trail" bike connection between the hamlet of Wilmington and the Flume. BETA is working alongside Adirondack Mountain Club , Student Conservation Association and NYSDEC for this one, its truly a collaborative effort to connect the hamlet to the Forest Preserve. It's a big, difficult project and we need all the volunteers we can get! PLEASE NOTE - This Trail Day was originally scheduled for Scott's Cobble in North Elba, but was moved to the Flume at the last minute. Meet at the Flume trail head on Rt. 86 in Wilmington. PLEASE carpool if possible. The parking lot is small and will likely be busy with fly fishing folks, mountain bikers and hikers. As always, please come prepared for a day in the woods with sturdy footwear, gloves, proper clothing for the weather, lunch, and water. Volunteers should expect to hike 4-5 miles throughout the day, which includes the hike to reach the project site. Quaker Mountain Trail Day a Huge Success! On Sunday July 2 over 45 volunteers showed up to help BETA complete the new connector trail between Wilmington and Hardy Rd. The Quaker Mt. Trail is 1.5 miles of machine-built heaven for mountain biking and other non-motorized activities, located on the Wilmington Community Preserve, recently established by the Lake Placid Land Conservancy in partnership with private landowners, Barkeater Trails Alliance and the Town of Wilmington. The trail is rideable but we still have a little a work to finish up the project, which includes updating trail maps, installing signage and a bridge, and creating parking. We'd like to encourage mountain bikers to ride from Wilmington instead of starting at the top where parking is very limited on the side of the road. Park at the Wilmington Town Hall on Springfield Rd or at the Visitor's Bureau by the river. Ride up Quaker Mt Rd, staying straight on the climb. Shortly after the road turns to gravel you'll crest the hill onto a long, flat section of the road. Look for pink flagging and enter here. The trail ends at Hardy Rd near the intersection with Perkins Rd. At the bottom hang a right onto Hardy Rd. and ride 1/2 mile to the trail head. Registration Open for Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival The inaugural Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival is your chance to experience everything the "mountain bike capital of the Adirondacks" has to offer, all packed into a fun Labor Day weekend festival with on-site camping, group rides and shuttles for all abilities, live music, local beer & food, and a kids fun ride & MTB race. Register by August 1 for a 25% discount . Early registration is the only way to reserve a campsite for the weekend. On-site registration will be available on a first come, first served basis. Day passes also available. Volunteer Trail Days July 16 Flume Trails, Wilmington July 30 Scott's Cobble, Lake Placid August 20 Scott's Cobble, Lake Placid CLICK HERE FOR MORE DATES ( dates/locations subject to change, stay tuned for updates) Join or Renew Today BETA staff and volunteers devote thousands of hours each year to trail stewardship and related projects. Those efforts are supported primarily by membership donations and other fundraising efforts. If you are already a member, thank you for your continued support. If not, please consider joining today and help us sustain and expand a world-class trail system for you and others to enjoy for years to come. If you have questions about your membership status, please contact us by replying to this email. JOIN/RENEW YOUR BETA MEMBERSHIP Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA) works every day on behalf of our members to advocate for, build and maintain a world-class network of trails for ski touring and mountain biking in the Adirondack High Peaks region. BETA recently combined forces with the Adirondack Ski Touring Council, and is now responsible for the continuous maintenance of over 100 miles of trails in 6 municipalities, 2 counties and multiple Forest Preserve units. BETA is a member-supported, 501c3 non-profit organization. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

ACTION ALERT - New Trails Proposed in Saranac Lakes Wild Forest

BETA is elated by the news that NYSDEC Region 5 has finally released the Draft Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Saranac Lakes Wild Forest (SLWF). BETA and our predecessor organization, the Adirondack Ski Touring Council, have long advocated for new mountain bike and ski trails to be built in this unit, which includes numerous tracts of Forest Preserve surrounding the communities of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. In our eyes, the SLWF is on par with the High Peaks Wilderness in terms of its recreational value and importance for local communities.

The draft plan calls for nearly 35 miles of new trails, all of which would be open to mountain bikes. SEE MAPS, FACT SHEETS and the FULL PLAN HERE. There is a lot of information to digest, and BETA is still formulating a detailed response to DEC regarding the new trail proposals. Generally, the proposals of great interest to BETA are:

Formalize and expand existing trails in the vicinity of Rt. 86 and River Rd in Lake Placid, locally known as the "Loggers Loops". Includes new parking along Rt. 86 and (hopefully) new trails, one of which could possibly form a ski connection between the Jackrabbit Trail and Connery Pond/Whiteface Landing ski trail.
New trail system west of Lake Placid in the vicinity of Old Military Rd, Carolyn Rd and Rt. 86. These trails could be accessed by bike from the Village of Lake Placid using the Jackrabbit Trail off Wes Valley Rd and the neighborhood trails on Fawn Ridge.
New trails throughout the tract of land west of Old Military Rd and south of the railroad corridor in the vicinity of Scarface Mountain and Averyville Rd. This could include a premier long-distance backcountry loop around Scarface.
Formalize and expand existing trails on the edge of Saranac Lake, south of Turtle Pond near the railroad corridor and along the Jackrabbit Trail south of Mackenzie Pond Rd.
New ski trails including a new section of the Jackrabbit Trail to bypass the "road walk" on Mountain Lane between Rt. 73 and the trail head for the Old Mountain Rd. down to Rock and River. And a new trail to create a loop for skiers and hikers on the Moose Pond trail between Saranac Lake and Bloomingdale

We urge our members to get involved in the public comment process and express your support for new mountain bike trails in the vicinity of Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. Written comments will be accepted until August 11, 2017. Additionally, the DEC will be holding public sessions to solicit feedback related to the Draft UMP.

July 12, 2017

1:00 to 4:00 PM, at the Harrietstown Town Hall auditorium, 39 Main Street, Saranac Lake, NY
6:00 PM, at the Saranac Lake High School auditorium, 79 Canaras Avenue, Saranac Lake, NY

July 13, 2017

1:00 to 4:00 PM, at the Geoff-Nelson Memorial Library, 41 Lake Street, Tupper Lake, NY
6:30 PM, at the Wild Center, Flammer Theater, 45 Museum Drive (off Hosley Avenue), Tupper Lake, NY

Trail Day this Sunday, July 16 @ The Flume

Join BETA this Sunday, July 16 for some good old fashioned trail building at the Wilmington Flume Trails. We're working on the new lower connector trail between the Flume trail system and the Poor Man's Downhill / Reservoir trail head.

Once completed, this new trail will provide an "on-trail" bike connection between the hamlet of Wilmington and the Flume. BETA is working alongside Adirondack Mountain Club, Student Conservation Association and NYSDEC for this one, its truly a collaborative effort to connect the hamlet to the Forest Preserve. It's a big, difficult project and we need all the volunteers we can get!

PLEASE NOTE - This Trail Day was originally scheduled for Scott's Cobble in North Elba, but was moved to the Flume at the last minute.

Meet at the Flume trail head on Rt. 86 in Wilmington. PLEASE carpool if possible. The parking lot is small and will likely be busy with fly fishing folks, mountain bikers and hikers.

As always, please come prepared for a day in the woods with sturdy footwear, gloves, proper clothing for the weather, lunch, and water. Volunteers should expect to hike 4-5 miles throughout the day, which includes the hike to reach the project site.

Quaker Mountain Trail Day a Huge Success!

On Sunday July 2 over 45 volunteers showed up to help BETA complete the new connector trail between Wilmington and Hardy Rd. The Quaker Mt. Trail is 1.5 miles of machine-built heaven for mountain biking and other non-motorized activities, located on the Wilmington Community Preserve, recently established by the Lake Placid Land Conservancy in partnership with private landowners, Barkeater Trails Alliance and the Town of Wilmington.

The trail is rideable but we still have a little a work to finish up the project, which includes updating trail maps, installing signage and a bridge, and creating parking. We'd like to encourage mountain bikers to ride from Wilmington instead of starting at the top where parking is very limited on the side of the road. Park at the Wilmington Town Hall on Springfield Rd or at the Visitor's Bureau by the river. Ride up Quaker Mt Rd, staying straight on the climb. Shortly after the road turns to gravel you'll crest the hill onto a long, flat section of the road. Look for pink flagging and enter here. The trail ends at Hardy Rd near the intersection with Perkins Rd. At the bottom hang a right onto Hardy Rd. and ride 1/2 mile to the trail head.

Registration Open for Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival

The inaugural Wilmington Mountain Bike Festival is your chance to experience everything the "mountain bike capital of the Adirondacks" has to offer, all packed into a fun Labor Day weekend festival with on-site camping, group rides and shuttles for all abilities, live music, local beer & food, and a kids fun ride & MTB race.

Register by August 1 for a 25% discount. Early registration is the only way to reserve a campsite for the weekend. On-site registration will be available on a first come, first served basis. Day passes also available.

Volunteer Trail Days

July 16
Flume Trails, Wilmington

July 30
Scott's Cobble, Lake Placid

August 20
Scott's Cobble, Lake Placid

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DATES

(dates/locations subject to change, stay tuned for updates)

Join or Renew Today

BETA staff and volunteers devote thousands of hours each year to trail stewardship and related projects. Those efforts are supported primarily by membership donations and other fundraising efforts. If you are already a member, thank you for your continued support. If not, please consider joining today and help us sustain and expand a world-class trail system for you and others to enjoy for years to come. If you have questions about your membership status, please contact us by replying to this email.

JOIN/RENEW YOUR BETA MEMBERSHIP

Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA) works every day on behalf of our members to advocate for, build and maintain a world-class network of trails for ski touring and mountain biking in the Adirondack High Peaks region.

BETA recently combined forces with the Adirondack Ski Touring Council, and is now responsible for the continuous maintenance of over 100 miles of trails in 6 municipalities, 2 counties and multiple Forest Preserve units.

BETA is a member-supported, 501c3 non-profit organization.