Survival Skills Workshops

On Saturday, December 12, we are partnering with Pok-O-MacCready Camps to offer “Survival Skills 101″and “Survival Skills 201.” These two intensive workshops will be led by Pok-O-MacCready instructors Brian DeGroat, Zack Floss, and Alex Mihavics. They will take the two separate groups into the Blueberry Hill Trail system in Elizabethtown to learn how to survive in difficult and possibly dangerous situations.

Survival Skills 101 is geared toward families. This session will be held from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. for families with children ages 5 and older and will explore basic safety skills such as proper gear, hydration dos and don’ts, when and what to eat, and other novice back-country health and safety tips.

Survival Skills 201 is for adults only and will delve deeper into survival aspects. This session will be held from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and will cover advanced gear, making a fire, building a “leave no trace” shelter, going through some survival scenarios/simulations, and discussing what to do when a day trip becomes an unplanned overnight.

For more information on these workshops, and to register, click here.

Directions to the Blueberry Hill Trail System’s Hemlock Trailhead

From the blinking light at the corner of Rt. 9 and Rt 9N in Elizabethtown, follow Water Street (crossing Rt. 9) 0.5 miles to Cross Street on the right. Turn right onto Cross Street then an immediate left onto Roscoe Rd. Follow Roscoe Rd 0.6 miles where it turns to the right. Continue to follow Roscoe Rd for another 0.5 miles to Bronson Way on the left. Turn left on Bronson Way (dirt road) and follow for approximately 0.5 miles to the first large parking area on the right.

Doing some work to clear a trail (Credit: CATS)

Third Saturday of the Month Trail Project

Please join Stewardship Coordinator Bill Amadon on Saturday, December 19, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. at the Sophie’s Lair trailhead to build connector trails for this new trail. These new connector trails will make the trail perfect for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing this winter.

Meet in the parking area of the Florence Hathaway Park located on Route 22 in Willsboro 1.3 mi south of the bridge over the Boquet River or 3.2 mi north of Essex. Plan to work until 3:00 p.m. or as long as you can. Bring water and a snack.

Chris Maron
CATS Executive Director

CATS Wildflower Hike Location Chosen (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
CATS Moves Bruce Klink Bench Dedication to Trailhead of Wildway Overlook Trail (www.essexonlakechamplain.com)
Boquet River Association (BRASS) (www.essexonlakechamplain.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.