Heavy Snow on CATS Trails

Trail and branches covered in heavy snow (Credit: CATS) — Trail and trees covered in heavy snow—branches and saplings broken or bending into the trail (Credit: CATS)

When is a hike like a trail-clearing project? When heavy snow bends saplings and branches over the trail. So, if you are out snowshoeing on the trails, we invite you to bring loppers and maybe a handsaw to open the trails as you go. We haven’t been out on all of them yet, so it would be helpful to let us know the condition of the trails you use. Just send us an email (to info[@]champlainareatrails.com) and let us know what you find or what you’ve cleared.

Upcoming Events

The Owl Prowl scheduled for December 21 is full! Stay tuned for when we schedule the next one.

We invite you to CATS’ First Moonlight Snowshoe on Saturday, January 3rd when we hike up Blueberry Hill to a beautiful night-time view. We will meet at 6:15 p.m., snowshoe until about 8:15 and then have a post-hike gathering at the Halfway House Restaurant on Route 9 south of Elizabethtown. We’ll meet at the Essex County Dept of Public Health parking lot at the corner of Water Street and Footbridge Lane in Elizabethtown. Please email us at info[@]champlainareatrails.com if you plan to attend so we know how many to expect.

Chris Maron
CATS Executive Director

Upcoming CATS Winter Events (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Fort Ticonderoga Program: Clothing Rogers’ Rangers (essexny.us)
Decrypting Bird Tracks in Snow (rosslynredux.com)

About Champlain Area Trails (CATS)

Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is a non-profit organization, begun in 2009, which creates and maintains hiking and cross-country ski trails in the Champlain Valley that link communities, connect people with nature, and promote economic vitality. In its short history, CATS has developed 35 miles of trails that when added to existing trails, gets it half-way toward the long-envisioned goal of a 30-mile trail loop between Westport and Essex. CATS will extend its trails to neighboring towns and eventually connect them to trails in the Adirondack Mountains, Vermont, and Quebec. Learn more on the CATS website.