Besides hiking, trail maintenance is the major activity of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference. FLTC members and affiliated hiking clubs or organizations have built the trail during the past five decades, and we get out on the trail throughout the year to keep it in shape. We do this because we love the trail, we enjoy working in the woods with fellow volunteers, and it is a great way to stay in shape ourselves.
If you want to join us, here are three ways you can:
As a trail section maintainer — You assume responsibility for a section of the Finger Lakes Trail. Working for your club or trail sponsoring organization, or as an individual trail sponsor under one of the FLTC’s volunteer Regional Trail Coordinators, you agree to visit your section three times per year. You perform routine maintenance: clear vegetation and fallen branches, refresh blazes and signs as needed, check up on trail infrastructure such as register boxes, benches, bridges, lean-tos, etc. To access the services of a roving certified chainsaw operator or for anything else you can't handle yourself, you will contact your club or organization’s trails chairperson, or the FLTC’s Regional Trail Coordinator who oversees your area. You will also be invited to attend attend occasional training meetings in your region.
As a trail worker — You will join other volunteers recruited to work on trail projects that are beyond routine maintenance and the capabilities of the individual trail section maintainer. Projects might be repairing trail erosion, clearing downed trees, repairing bridges and structures, and the like. Work parties are typically organized by the club sponsoring the section or by the FLTC’s Regional Trail Coordinator for the area.
As an “Alley-Cat” crew member — Alley-Cat (Allegany to Catskills) crews work on major trail construction projects. These projects may require months of advanced planning and preparation and the projects themselves may take from several days to a week, and involve construction of trail infrastructure such as lean-tos and bridges, and major trail building or rerouting. These crews are organized by the FLTC’s Director of Crews & Construction.
As a “Travelin’ Training Team” member — Join members of the Trail Quality Committee and teach others how to build and maintain our premier hiking trail.
Contact us if you want to join in building and maintaining the premier hiking trail in New York.
Information for Trail Maintainers
Soon, this website will offer special resources to trail maintainers. This will include the Trail Tender News newsletter published three times per year, plus announcements of special projects, training opportunities, and meetings.
