February 12th Excursion to Gateway/Mines and Meadows

Good Evening Fellow NCTr's:

An EXCELLENT day today on the North Country Trail! The sun was out, the wind died down as the afternoon went on, and the temperature SOARED to about thirty degrees. We did about four miles out and back at Gateway and Mines and Meadows (the whole way to the Gamelands), and along the way planted a new blaze post in the field above Route 18, cleared a couple of branches and lots of grapevine that had fallen on the pathway, checked out the Chewton vista spur trail, and carried out some surprise attacks on the poison ivy vines and multifloral rose. We also considered the possibility of a short reroute up on the bench at Gateway, one that will offer a nice view.

It appears that we were the first ones out on that section of trail since the last snowfall so the going was slow, but with six people hiking today, and professional trail-breakers in attendance, the trail is now much easier to walk.

Thanks to Jake Erhardt, Doug Turner, Rick Ostheimer, Lee Fairbanks, and Eleanor Fairbanks for taking the walk out there with me today and doing the heavy lifting (and trailbeaking, and digging, and lopping, cutting, and pruning.) Some photos from today's hike start here .

Thanks for all you do for the trail!

Dave Brewer
Trail Work Coordinator