Upper Valley Trails Alliance

Upper Valley Trails for Life

In November 2003, UVTA received a five-year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF) Active Living by Design program to implement "Upper Valley Trails for Life"--a project to promote routine physical activity via trails in order to combat the threat of development/sprawl and its associated negative trends in obesity, diabetes cardiovascular disease. UVTA is one of 25 organizations selected nationwide to receive this grant--out of almost 1,000 applicants--RWJF's largest-ever response to a call for proposals. For more information on this exciting initiative, you can download a printable version of our brochure here, read more about Trails For Life by clicking here or visit Active Living By Design's national website here.

Upper Valley Loop Trail

UVTA has initiated a project to complete an Upper Valley Loop Trail that connects the four towns of Hanover and Lebanon, NH and Hartford and Norwich, VT via a 20-mile trails that allows bicyclists and pedestrians to travel safely along the proposed route. By linking paths currently under development and thereby creating a continuous loop of travel, the Loop Trail will allow people to travel to work, shopping plazas, restaurants, schools and their homes by a safe and established route on foot, bike, roller blades or other non-motorized means.

Much of the Loop Trail is already complete, under construction, or approved for construction. UVTA is currently working on determining the best route to connect Lebanon, NH and Hartford, VT.

Upper Valley Trail Database

UVTA is currently working to create an Upper Valley trails database to assist in trail and conservation planning. The importance of this type of data assimilation is crucial to protecting trails on private property, identifying areas of natural resource concern such as protection of ginseng along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and infestations of purple loosestrife and other invasive flora along the Connecticut River Water and Birding Trails, and in planning for future trail linkages, maintenance and future construction.

To aid in this effort, we are always looking for volunteers to help GPS trails. We have two Garmin 76 GPS units available for loan. Please let us know if you're going out on a trail and are willing to carry one of our GPS units with you. No technical expertise required!

Upper Valley Trails Day

Upper Valley Trails Day sponsors this year included Dan & Whit's General Store, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Eastern Mountain Mortgage, Hanover & Lebanon Co-op Food Stores, J&B Plumbing and Heating, Jetboil, Inc., Lake Sunapee Bank, L.L. Bean, Mascoma Savings Bank, New England Industries, Nordic Skater, Resource Systems Group, Tele Atlas N.A., and TransCanada Hydro Northeast. Thanks to L.L. Bean and Jetboil, Inc. for providing Event Organizer and Participant Raffle Prizes including a Bigelow Backpack, Smartwool hiking socks and a Jetboil portable cooking system.

Many trail users take it for granted that the trails they travel are well-defined and clear of brush. But each year volunteer trail crews spend thousands of hours making sure hikers have a great experience on the trail. Trail workers build new trails, redirect old trails, clear brush and fallen branches, build bridges, and so much more.

The Upper Valley relies heavily on volunteers to maintain and build new trails, construct trail signage and shelters, monitor rare wildlife and plants, and lead guided hikes. Did you know there are over 100 trail organizations in the Upper Valley? And they all need your help!

So mark your calendars, and plan to join us for Upper Valley Trails Day annually - June 7th in 2008. Meet new friends, feel good, and make a difference!

Click here for a detailed list of events!

Lending Toolshed

In 2002, UVTA opened a Lending Toolshed at Eastern Mountain Sports in West Lebanon, NH. The toolshed was conceived and created to provide a source of necessary tools for UVTA members and member organizations to build and maintain area trails or perhaps just need something specific to make a work project a little more productive.

The lending tool shed was made possible through a generous grant from the Connecticut River Joint Commissions 2002 Partnership Program. With the help of volunteer Craig Sanborn of the Cardigan Highlanders, UVTA identified a set of tools that would be most helpful to as many different groups as possible. Craig also helped locate sources for many of the less common, trails-specific tools and helped in procurement.

Tools included for use are shovels, hazel hoes, pick mattocks, loppers, bow saws, pruning saws, rock bars, post hole digger, measuring wheel, tape measures, come-along (hand winch), weed wrenches, hard hats, first-aid kits, and tarpaulins. Tools are available to UVTA members and member organizations at no cost as long as they are returned clean and in good condition. A credit card is required for deposit when signing out tools at the cashier station at EMS.

Along with the great cache of tools, the Upper Valley Trails Alliance can assist in locating skills instruction for trail building, rehabilitation, and maintenance. If you or your organization would like to use tools from the shed or would like specific skills training, contact the Trails Alliance for more information.

Trails Education and Stewardship

Through a generous grant from the Wellborn Ecology Fund of the Upper Valley Community Foundation, UVTA has partnered with the Norwich Conservation Commission's Trails Committee to initiate a trails education and stewardship program. This community-based program aims to utilize and align individuals, organizations and expertise already residing within the Upper Valley to train volunteers to build and maintain trails, and how to use and care for the appropriate tools, in order to increase the skilled volunteer base in the Upper Valley. As a part of this program, we have organized workshops on trail design and layout, bridge building, trail building, trail maintenance and adoption, and trail easements/agreements. The enthusiasm from these workshops has led to a doubling in size of the Norwich Trails Committee and momentum for creating a new shared-use trail (hiking, mountain biking and skiiing). In addition, we have partnered with the Community Mapping Program at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) to engage 6th grade students from the Marion Cross School in taking an inventory of important natural and historical resources to help determine the ultimate location of the trail.

If you are interested in developing a similar program in your town, please let us know.

Other

UVTA and the newly formed Hanover Mountain Bike Committee (a subcommittee of the Hanover Conservation Commission) will be hosting The International Mountain Bicycling Association's (IMBA) Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew July 22-25, 2004 to talk trails, teach people proper trailbuilding technique, and spend quality time digging in the dirt. The 4-day visit will allow time to assess local trails, host an evening event at a bike shop, conduct a Trailbuilding School, and ride a local trail. Everyone is invited to attend the weekend's events.

The award-winning Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew program includes two full-time, professional teams of trail experts who travel North America year-round, leading IMBA Trailbuilding Schools, meeting with government officials and land managers, and working with IMBA-affiliated groups to improve mountain biking opportunities. The Crews teach "sustainable" trailbuilding, which means building trails that last a long time and require minimal maintenance. This helps reduce trail damage, protects the environment, and enhances visitor enjoyment. IMBA's Crews have led more than 1,000 trail projects since the program debuted in 1997 and have inspired great volunteer trailwork across the U.S. and abroad - a big help to government agencies and land managers who have limited funding for trail construction and upkeep.

Return to Upper Valley Trails Alliance.

Click Here for Upper Valley Trails Day   June 2, 2007