2 PREFACE Welcome to the AMC Adopt-A-Trail Program and thank you for volunteering for this important and rewarding service. This Handbook is designed as a guide to the program for AMC Adopters. It provides you with the essential information about how to maintain your trail and the resources available to you. The Handbook states the policies and procedures of the program, describes your responsibilities, and informs you on how to obtain training, lodging, meals, and tools. Basic information is provided on trail maintenance, including the standards employed by the AMC. The first edition of the Handbook appeared in 1994 as a volunteer initiative. It was based on sources including the AMC’s Complete Guide to Trail Building and Maintenance, Appalachian Trail Conference trail maintenance guides, Green Mountain Club guide, and publications of the Forest Service and State of New Hampshire. Contributions and suggestions were made by Dave Hardy then Trails Committee chair, Carl Demrow then AMC Director of Trails, Bob and Leah Devine, Laura and Guy Waterman, Steven H. Smith, Carl Gebhardt US Forest Service, Andrew Norkin present White Mountain Trails Manager, Stephen Crowe, and Scott Monroe present Trails Committee chair. Thanks are also due to many other members of past and present trails staff and White Mountain trail maintainers and volunteers who made helpful suggestions. The AMC Trails Department staff members provided the information on AMC policies regarding the program and facilities and Terry Robinson, Cristin Preisendorfer, and Alex DeLucia provided helpful editing for the major revisions in the eighth edition. Thomas L. Lentz was the Mount Washington Region Leader from 1993 to 2003 and Adopter for the Glen Boulder Trail for the AMC and Adopter of the upper Tuckerman Ravine Trail for the Forest Service. Handbook prepared by Thomas L. Lentz © Copyright 1994-2007 by Thomas L. Lentz and Appalachian Mountain Club Ninth Edition, January, 2007 NAMES, TELEPHONE NUMBERS, AND ADDRESSES AMC Trails Department Staff White Mountain Adopt-A-Trail Program, Appalachian Mountain Club, P. O. Box 298, Gorham, NH 03581. Phone: 603-466-2721, FAX: 603-466-2822, Website: www.outdoors.org Alex DeLucia - North Country Trails Volunteer Coordinator, Contact Person for Adopters: 603-466-2721 ext 192, [email protected] Andrew Norkin - White Mountain Trails Manager, ext 202, [email protected] Mariah Keagy - White Mountain Trails Supervisor, ext 203, [email protected] Pinkham Notch Visitor Center Business: 603-466-2721 Reservations: 603-466-2727 Trail and Weather info: 603-466-2725 Camp Dodge/Camp Dodge Coordinator: 603-466-3301. For reservations (meals and lodging). White Mountain National Forest, Laconia, NH 03247: 603-528-8721; TTY/TDD 603-528-8722 Forest Service Ranger Districts Ammonoosuc, Bethlehem, NH: 603-869-2626; TTY/TDD 603-869-3104 Androscoggin Ranger Station, Gorham, NH: 603-466-2713; TTY/TDD FAX 603-466-2856 Pemigewasset Ranger Station, Plymouth, NH: 603-536-1310 3 Saco Ranger Station, Conway, NH: 603-447-5448; TTY/TDD 603-447-1989 Visitor Information Centers Ammonoosuc, Bethlehem, NH: 603-869-2626 Evans Notch, Bethel, ME: 207-824-2134 Rebecca Oreskes, Recreational Wilderness Team Leader, USFS, 300 Glen Road, Gorham, NH 03581-1369. Phone: 603-466-2713, ext 212 Bob Spoerl, Trails Program Specialist, New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation, 172 Pembroke Rd., P. O. Box 856, Concord, NH 03302-0856. Phone: 603-271-3556 Mike Pelchat, North Regional Supervisor, New Hampshire Division of Parks and Recreation, RFD 2, P. O. Box 241, Lancaster, NH 03584. Phone: 603-788-3155 NH State Police: 1-800-525-5555 ME State Police: 1-800-482-0730 Hospitals Androscoggin Valley Hospital, Berlin, NH, 1-603-752-2202 Memorial Hospital, North Conway, NH, 1-603-356-5461 Littleton Regional Hospital, Littleton, NH, 1-800-464-7731 Rumford Community Hospital, Rumford, ME, 1-888-869-3101 Bethel Family Hospital (M-F 8-5 PM, Sat 8-12 noon, physician on call 24 hours), 1-207-824-2193 4 CONTENTS Page Preface..............................................................................…………………. 3 Names, Addresses, and Telephone Numbers.................................………… 3 Contents........................................................................................................ 5 The AMC Adopt-A-Trail Program……………………................................ 6 History of Hiking and Trails in the White Mountains.............................….. 6 What Are My Responsibilities?..................................................….……….. 7 Sample Adopter Work Schedule.................................................………….. 8 Reporting Trail Work.............................................................……………... 9 Facility Use Policy......................................................................………….. 10 How Can I Get Training?........................................................…………….. 11 Other Policies and Useful Information..........................................………… 12 The Mountain Environment......................................................……………. 13 Interacting with the Public and with Agencies.................................………... 14 Region Leaders....................................................................………….……. 15 Basic Trail Maintenance..........................................................…………….. 16 Drainage...................................................................………………. 16 Trail Clearing.............................................................……………… 18 Pruning in the Krummholz Zone....................................................... 20 Blazing.....................................................................………………. 21 Trail Definition............................................................…………….. 23 Trails in Wet Areas.......................................................…….……… 24 Cairns......................................................................………….……. 25 Tools Used in Trail Work and Where to Get Them...........................……... 27 Safety While Working............................................................…………….. 29 First Aid............................................................................………………… 31 When It Is Time To Let Go......................................................……………. 32 Further Reading...................................................................….……………. 33 Appendices Appendix A Trail Maintenance Standards for AMC Trails.........….. 34 Appendix B Trail Maintenance Standards for Wilderness Areas...... 35 Appendix C Trail Maintenance Standards for Alpine Areas........…. 36 Appendix D White Mountain Trails...................................….……. 37 AMC Maintained Trails.........................................………… 37 USFS Maintained Trails........................................………… 41 Appendix E Adopter Agreement.......................................………… Appendix F Adopter Work Report Form............................………. Appendix G Region Leader Agreement………...…………………. Appendix H Region Leader Report Form......................................... Appendix I Stewardship Society....................................................... Appendix J History of the AMC Adopt-A-Trail Program…...……. 43 Index................................................................................…………………. 45 Mission Statement......................................................................................... 47 5 THE AMC ADOPT-A-TRAIL PROGRAM The Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), the United States Forest Service (USFS), State of New Hampshire, Maine Bureau of Public Lands, and other trail clubs and organizations cooperatively maintain the almost 1,500 miles of trails in the White Mountains. The Adopt-A-Trail Program provides the opportunity for volunteers to perform basic maintenance on trails in the White Mountain National Forest. The Adopter performs an essential role in maintaining trails. Without Adopters and other volunteers, many trails would be in poorer condition. The AMC began the Adopt-A-Trail Program in 1980 with 15 Adopters. The program has steadily grown and presently there are over 150 Adopters maintaining most of the AMC's 350 miles of trails in 198 sections in the White Mountains. Adopters may consist of individuals, families, or groups and organizations such as clubs, camps, scouts, AMC chapters, and others. Basic training in trail maintenance is provided regularly through workshops and skills sessions as described later in this Handbook. Adopters take on the responsibility for performing the basic maintenance on the trails for a variety of reasons. Some find this a way of "paying back" for the good experiences they have had hiking in the White Mountains. Many Adopters have hiked most trails in the White Mountains and adopt a trail as a new and different challenge. Some enjoy the interactions with hikers and other volunteers. Others find regular work on a trail to be an excellent way of staying physically fit. Most significantly, there is a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in maintaining a mountain trail. If you would like to adopt an AMC trail, request an Adopt-A-Trail application from AMC Trails, P. O. Box 298, Gorham, NH 03581. If you are interested in working on a Forest Service trail, contact the Ranger District in which the trail is located. USFS trails are listed in Appendix D. HISTORY OF HIKING AND TRAILS IN THE WHITE MOUNTAINS In order to put your trail maintenance efforts into perspective, a brief history of trails in the White Mountains is provided here. Darby Field first climbed Mt. Washington in 1642, but there were almost no visits to the mountains for another 150 years. Mountains were considered daunting and terrible and few had the time or inclination to visit them. Then, in 1784, Jeremy Belknap led a scientific expedition to Mt. Washington, which he named. Descriptions of this trip were published and created interest in the White Mountains. The first visitors were mostly scientists, botanists, authors, artists, adventurers, and academicians. They came on foot or horses and stayed at the houses of local settlers in the region. The most famous of the early residents were the Crawfords. Visitors became numerous enough that it was decided to cut a trail to the summit of Mt. Washington. This was the Crawford Path put in by Abel and Ethan Allen Crawford in 1819. Visitors continued to increase and in 1828 the first building solely for the accommodation of travelers was built. This was the Notch House which was located in Crawford Notch a little south of the Highland Center. Around the 1850s, the railroads reached the towns of Littleton, Conway, and Gorham. The railroads greatly increased accessibility to the mountains and there was a great increase in vacationers beginning in the 1850s. Great hotels, some with hundreds of rooms, were built. These included the Crawford House in Crawford Notch, the Profile House in Franconia Notch, the Glen House in Pinkham Notch, the Summit House on Mount Washington, and lastly the Mount Washington Hotel built in 1902. The visitors at the hotels did little hiking but visited scenic sites and were led by guides up the mountains over bridle paths on burros or ponies. A bridle path up Mt. Washington from Pinkham Notch was opened in 1852. It became a carriage road in 1861. The Cog railway on the west side of the mountain opened in 1869. Modern hiking is considered to have begun around 1870. People began to come to the mountains to climb and hike. They began to build foot paths and formed hiking clubs. The AMC was formed in 1876 at a meeting at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The AMC subsequently 6 had a profound effect on hiking which was accomplished through trail building, providing accommodations, and publishing trail guidebooks. The first AMC trail was Lowe’s Path put in by Charles Lowe and William Nowell in 1876. Most of the trails today were built between 1870 and 1910. The first hut where hikers could stay was the Madison hut built in 1888. The Carter Notch hut was built in 1914 and Lakes of the Clouds in 1915. The Pinkham Notch Camp consisting of two log cabins was built in 1920 and managed by Joe Dodge beginning in 1922. In 1928, he became manager of the hut system. He oversaw the expansion of the hut system until stepping down in 1959. Louis F. Cutter’s map was published by the AMC in 1886. The AMC White Mountain Guide described the trails in detail and first appeared in 1907. The State of New Hampshire began selling wild lands in 1810. The last piece was sold in 1867 for $25,000 and consisted of 172,000 acres including Mt. Washington. Extensive logging on these lands began in the second half of the nineteenth century. Logging camps were built and most of the forest was clearcut. Logging railroads were built throughout the mountains. Many trails today follow the railroad beds. Inevitably, a conflict developed between loggers and those visiting the mountains. The slash contributed to devastating forest fires the effects of which can be seen in places today, although mostly the forest has made a remarkable recovery. There was a great public outcry and a conservation movement developed. Finally, the Weeks Act was passed in 1911 and provided the legal basis for the establishment of the White Mountain National Forest. John W. Weeks was a Representative and later Senator from Massachusetts. After the flurry of trail building, the trails were not maintained and many grew in and disappeared. In 1919, the AMC formed the first trail crew to maintain trails. The first crew included Sherman Adams, future governor of New Hampshire and Eisenhower Chief-of-Staff. The advent of the automobile and the creation of the WMNF brought even more people to the trails. Today, the large number of hikers creates great stress on trails which require constant maintenance. Construction and maintenance is performed by paid Forest Service and AMC trail crews. The most recent trend has been increased reliance on volunteers to maintain trails. The AMC coordinates four volunteer programs in the White Mountain area; Adopt-A-Trail Program, Alpine Stewardship Volunteer Program, Camp Dodge Volunteer Crews, and Corridor Monitor. The history of the Adopt-A-Trail Program is found in Appendix J. WHAT ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES? Adopters have the responsibility of performing the basic maintenance on a regular basis on a trail or section of trail. Trails are extremely fragile and without regular maintenance will erode, widen, or grow in. Proper maintenance is necessary to avoid serious damage to the mountain environment and to make hiking enjoyable and safe for hikers. Taking on the stewardship of a trail is a privilege and commitment, and it is important that the Adopter take the responsibilities of maintaining the trail seriously. Upon joining the program, the Adopter signs an Adopter Agreement (Appendix E) agreeing to perform the basic maintenance according to certain standards and requirements. The Adopter completes the required training and then begins work on the adopted trail. The basic maintenance tasks of Adopters are cleaning out existing drainage, trail clearing, marking the trail with paint blazes and cairns, and trail definition. These tasks are described in the section on trail maintenance. As a general guideline, it is estimated that a one to two mile section of trail would require a minimum of 24 hours (= three days) of work to perform these tasks. These three work trips should be distributed throughout the spring, summer, and fall so that maintenance issues can be addressed as soon as they arise. The Adopter also serves as an early warning system when serious problems are developing and alerts the Region Leader or trails staff so corrective action can be taken before a problem grows to major proportions. With training and experience, Adopters can perform more complicated tasks such as installation of waterbars and step stones. This should be done only after all basic maintenance tasks are completed and the work is discussed with your Region Leader or the AMC trails staff. Major construction and reconstruction projects are performed by AMC staff trail crews. 7 Basic Maintenance Tasks of Adopters In order of priority, the maintenance tasks of Adopters are: Drainage - clean all drainage structures of dirt and debris and reshape at least each spring and fall. Trail clearing and definition - clear blowdowns, limbs, and brush annually to form a trail corridor four feet in width and eight feet in height (eight by twelve feet for ski trails). Prevent development of widened trails and multiple treadways bypassing wet areas and switchbacks. Trail marking - paint blazes on trees below treeline, use cairns above treeline. Never paint blazes on rocks. All work should be performed in a manner to protect the environment, natural resources, and the recreational experience of hikers. It is important to maintain good relationships with the AMC, USFS, New Hampshire and Maine State agencies, Appalachian Trail Conference, National Park Service, other Forest Service cooperators, and especially private landowners over whose lands the trails pass. Adopters are expected to act in the spirit of partnership and as AMC ambassadors to the hiking public. Adopters are responsible for their own safety while working on trails. It is assumed that Adopters are familiar enough with the variability and potential severity of White Mountain weather to carry sufficient water, food, and clothing. It is still advisable to let family or friends know your itinerary. It is also recommended that Adopters not work alone when performing potentially hazardous tasks such as blowdown removal or heavy rock work. Adopters are also welcome to involve families, friends, and other groups in trail work. For the sake of safety, productivity, and effectiveness of the leader, groups should be limited to the Adopter and five persons. The Adopter is responsible for the work performed and provides instructions on tool use and safety and confirms that the group has adequate water, food, and clothing. Adopters work on their own schedule and at their own pace during the spring, summer, and fall months. Most Adopters are able to perform the basic maintenance tasks over several weekends. A heavily overgrown trail may take many hours to clear out properly. Adopters can request the assistance of a volunteer crew through their Region Leader or the Volunteer Coordinator. Adopters work closely with Region Leaders and file reports of the work they have performed and on trail needs and problems. SAMPLE ADOPTER WORK SCHEDULE Adopters have a great deal of freedom and flexibility in how and when they maintain their trails. However, a sample work schedule is provided here to give you an idea of the best time of year to complete different types of maintenance. Of course, every trail is different and you may not be free at certain times, so this schedule should be considered a general guide that is flexible and can be modified. The White Mountains have the added constraint that the working season is relatively short. May/June - An initial trip should be made in the late spring before the heavy hiking season begins. Your focus should be on correcting immediate problems such as clogged drainages, overgrown sections and blowdowns that remain after June 15 when the trail crew finishes patrolling. The best time to clean out drainages is in the spring and early summer. This removes leaves from the previous fall and clears the drainages for summer rains and thunderstorms. This is also a good time to check for drainage problems because the water table is high and the soils are saturated. June/July - This is probably the best time to perform your annual clipping of branches that have grown into the trail during the previous year. It is also a good time to check whether any of your blazes are blocked by branches and leaf cover. Clean all drainages that need it. 8 July/August - Brush and weeds grow rapidly in the summer so you should check for new brush that has grown into the trail. This is also a good time for blazing because you are more likely to have periods of dry days. Because the water table is lower, it is easier this time of year to clear obstructed streams and put in new drainages and ditches. August, which is warm and has less average rainfall, is a good time to do work, such as building cairns and scree walls, in alpine areas. Clean all drainages that need it. September/October - There are many nice days in the fall when the foliage is beautiful and the temperatures are pleasant. Any of the basic maintenance tasks can be performed but this is a good time to look for any reroutes or bootleg trails that may have developed over the summer and to brush them in. It is also important to thoroughly clean all drainages in the fall after the leaves have dropped. This ensures good drainage in the late fall and early winter when the ground is frozen and seeps appear in many places, as well as in the late winter and early spring during snow melts and early rains. Winter - Most Adopters enjoy their free time during this period. Sometimes, though, the snows come late or leave early, extending your maintenance season. It is also useful to travel your trail on skis or snowshoes in the winter (be sure you have become knowledgeable about winter hiking in the White Mountains). You will gain an entirely different perspective of your trail when there is five feet of snow on the ground and the tree branches are weighted down with snow. This is especially important for ski touring trails that must be brushed more extensively. REPORTING TRAIL WORK Completing a work report form and promptly mailing it to your Region Leader is very important for several reasons. The AMC compiles the information on all reports in order to determine the extent of volunteer services devoted to trail maintenance. This information is needed to compile accurate year-end reports. The number of volunteer hours is reported to the Forest Service and, at times, has been used by Congress. Work reports also help the AMC to keep track of the status of trails. They alert trails staff to problems where a trail crew should be sent in. Finally, these forms help us keep track of your contribution of volunteer hours so that we can recognize your efforts through AMC Stewardship Society awards. See Appendix I for further information on the Stewardship Society. A work report should be filed each time you perform work on your trail. Send your report directly to your Region Leader. Your Region Leader will forward the reports to the trails office throughout the season. On each work report, please report trail needs so that the Trails Department can track the problem needs. In addition, you should inform your Region Leader of any particular problems such as serious erosion or missing signs. Do not be disappointed if your problem does not receive immediate attention. The AMC has a large backlog of serious problems to address with a limited staff and must prioritize from a resource protection standpoint. Be sure to put the names and addresses of any coworkers on the work report. It is important to file the reports in a timely manner so that your Region Leader is aware of current trail conditions. You may fill the form out in the field or after you complete your trip, but it will most likely be more accurate if you keep it with you and record your work as it is completed. Adopters are expected to send in at least three reports a year: at least one report by July 15, one by September 15, and the last by October 15. If reports are not received regularly and the trail is reported to be neglected, you will be contacted by your Region Leader. Adopters not filing reports will be dropped from the program (please see “When it is time to let go” if you can’t maintain your trail). A work report form is found in Appendix F. You may copy and use this form. You can also request an electronic form. 9 FACILITY USE POLICY Volunteers contribute thousands of hours each year to the Adopt-A-Trial program to help care for the trails of the White Mountains. This work is greatly appreciated by the AMC, the Forest Service, the state of New Hampshire, the state of Maine, and by those who use the trails for recreation. The following policies were created to help facilitate Adopter access to their trail sections. General facility use policy. The AMC Trails Department pays for a specific number of Adopter stays at AMC facilities. Facility-specific policies are listed below and must be followed. Your cooperation in following these policies enables us to continue to offer these benefits to Adopters. Thank you! Cancellations. Adopters and work party members who make last minute cancellations or are no-shows are obliged to pay lodging fees for space that was reserved at Huts, Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, and Shapleigh Studio. Fees will be determined according to the normal guest cancellation policy: cancellations 30 days in advance receive full refund. Guests making cancellations 14-30 days in advance receive a 70% refund. Guests making cancellations 14 or fewer days in advance receive no refund. The facilities at which Adopters may stay are listed below. Check with your Region Leader regarding what lodging facilities have been assigned to your trail or section. Adopters may receive one full day of meals (where available) and lodging for one full day of trail work (staying either the night before or the night after), and only while working on the trail. Lodging benefits cannot be accrued. See below for any limitations. Camp Dodge. Camp Dodge is the center for AMC volunteer trail activities in the White Mountains. All Adopters are welcome to stay at Camp Dodge free of charge while working on their trail. It was originally a Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) camp in the nineteen-thirties and now belongs to the Forest Service. It is located on the east side of NH Route 16 four miles north of Pinkham Notch Visitor Center and six miles south of Gorham. In the summer, there is a large yellow and brown sign by the entrance. Use caution when entering and leaving as the entrance is located near a curve in the road. Camp Dodge is open from the end of May through the last weekend prior to the last week of September. Adopters can plan to stay or obtain tools at Camp Dodge during this period of time. Adopters should call the Camp Dodge Coordinator directly at 603-466-3301 for the exact opening date and reservations. Call at least three days in advance for lodging and seven days in advance for meals (when available). Be ready with the following information when you call: name, phone number, date of stay, trail name and section, group size, number and type of meals needed, and any dietary restrictions. Camp Dodge offers a dining hall, restroom and showers, bunkhouses, tool shed, field for pitching tents, recreational facilities, and a beautiful view of the Presidential Range. Adopters can stay in the bunkhouses if space is available or tent in the field. Besides a tent, you should bring a sleeping bag and a towel. Meals are served during the week on certain days from about the middle of June to the end of August. When prepared, breakfast is served promptly at 7 AM and supper at 6 PM. You can prepare a trail lunch after breakfast. Call Camp Dodge if you need more information about when meals are served. When meals are not being served, you may bring your own food or arrange with the Camp Dodge Coordinator to have food available for you to prepare. Be sure to clean up. In the evenings, there are may be games, talks, and slide shows, sometimes given by Adopters. In addition, free programs are held every night in the summer at the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center at 8 PM. These include slide shows and lectures on a variety of topics. Shelters, tentsites, campsites. On a work trip, Adopters in a group of up to six people can stay free, if space is available, at AMC shelters, campsites, or tentsites. These sites are available year round on a first come, first served basis. Adopters with work parties should contact the Groups 10