COLTON -- Members of the St. Lawrence Mountain Bike Association and Adirondack Mountain Club, local residents, and students and faculty from the four local universities made significant improvements …
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COLTON -- Members of the St. Lawrence Mountain Bike Association and Adirondack Mountain Club, local residents, and students and faculty from the four local universities made significant improvements recently to trails at the Stone Valley Recreation Area.
In one weekend last month, almost 400 man hours were volunteered to help improve the trail system. With an average turnout of 30 volunteers per day, many projects were completed.
The projects included general maintenance and upkeep of current trails to the design and creation of new trails. The expansions were designed for both mountain bike and foot traffic with the goals of maximizing long-term sustainability while keeping environmental impact to a minimum, according to organizers.
The Stone Valley Recreational Area was created through a joint venture between St. Lawrence County, ADK and Brookfield Power. They use a combination of county land and Brookfield Power property along the river to create a multi-use trail system for local residents and visitors. The trails are used primarily by hikers, whitewater kayakers, and mountain bikers.
The weekend was organized by the bike association in hopes of getting community members excited about the trails in their back yard.
“Getting community members involved with their local trails gives them a sense of ownership of the trails,” said club President Michael Klein, “It is hard work, but at the end of the day you really feel like you have made a difference.”
Klein is also owner of Wear On Earth in Potsdam.
Members of the Wilderness Education program at SUNY Potsdam were given real world experience to augment their classroom lessons about trail management. Members of the St. Lawrence University Outdoors Club the SUNY Canton Outdoors Program, and the Clarkson University Bike Club showed up in force and were a great contribution to the effort, he said.
The bike association was formed this summer for the purpose of expanding mountain biking opportunities in the area. They are committed to creating a sustainable trail system that attracts users to our area for the purpose of economic development.
“Outdoor recreation in St. Lawrence county has the potential to provide a new and sustainable means to bring economic development to our communities,” said Club member Mark Martin, a retired U.S. Forest Service employee. “Nationally there are a number of success stories with organizations like ours that have brought needed stimulus to small and remote communities.”
Help from Brookfield Power and ADK was integral in making the weekend happen, Klein said. Brookfield Power provided workers with safety equipment and helped in the design and planning stages. ADK members helped organize specific trail projects and promoted the event. They have created working partnerships with organizations such as Brookfield and SLMBA to help ensure that outdoor recreational opportunities are available for all.
For more information or to join the bike association, contact Klein at mike@wearonearth.com. For more information on the Laurentian chapter of the ADK, contact club President John Barron, JohnBarron@sympatico.ca