Voice of the Wapack – Spring 2026
President’s Note
Winter is over, the snow is gone in the valleys and will soon be clear in the high woods as well. It’s time to check trail conditions and clear small branches. No major tree damage was reported at our board meeting a few weeks ago, the ice was not bad this year. We are fortunate that Wapack and side trails are on mostly solid, well drained ground. At this time of year there can be a temptation to walk around significant mud, but it’s best to keep to the middle and don’t widen the treadway.
The organization still has two main goals or jobs: keeping the physical trail in good condition for hiking, and protection to allow continued access. Our section captains and special projects trail crew keep the first part going well. We continue to get compliments on the trail condition. The second part has been successful over the years, we consider over 60% of the main trail protected in some way. However, some of the landowner agreements have not been reviewed for over a decade. This year, I’m organizing our records of those agreements, verifying the contact information, and aiming to review the status with those contacts. Supporting those efforts are the operations of the organizations. That includes the basics, like insurance, government reports, and the Web page. Our merchandise production and distribution, through our Web page, provides information for hikers with the guide and map, while also raising funds for operational expenses.
One consideration with changing technology is, what is the future of paper guides and maps? I’m sure many Wapack Trail hikers are now using AllTrails or similar web based, free, information as their sole resource. I realize that the Wapack has always been used by some casual hikers without maps or guides. The sales of thousands of maps and guides indicates there have been some serious hikers willing to pay for such information over the recent decades. So, do we need to change with technology? The Board of Directors is starting to have discussions about this. We need a variety of information. As a cross-border trail, I will be looking around at what other trail maintaining organizations are doing. The Appalachian Mountain Club, based in Boston, I would expect to be a leader in outreach and user of new technology. Some of the other small trail maintainers in the area still produce and mail guides as we do. Your thoughts and comments would be welcome at: president@wapack.org.
- Bruce Myrick, President
Our Trail Adopters are out on the Trails!
The Friends of the Wapack Section Captains (Trail Adopters) are out checking their trail sections for Winter damage and planning their trail maintenance for the year. I’ve already received several trail condition and work reports. The work done by our Section Captains is incredibly important. There would be no trails without their work and dedication. If you are interested in knowing more about trail adoption, come to a workday to see what is involved, check the trail maintenance page on our website Wapack.org, or send me an email at rick@wapack.org.
- Rick Blanchette, Trails Committee Chair
