We have some fabulous winners in the first Champlain Area Trails Travel Writers Contest! 

We spent a day in December walking in the woods along and above the Beaver Flow Trail with Alcott Smith. A renown NH naturalist and retired veterinarian, Alcott was to speak on how animals prepare for winter. It was an educational hike sponsored by Northeast Wilderness Trust in this forest we know and love, so we were pleased to support both (we also love to learn new stuff and hike around aimlessly). It seemed like a perfect way to spend a Saturday.

Here are two great outdoor opportunities to learn more about the animals who live in the forests, fields, and wetlands around us.  One is an all-day hike to see how animals prepare for winter and the other invites you to join the next Keeping Track training program.  Here are the details and attached are flyers describing both programs:
 
How Wildlife Prepare for Winter - Saturday, December 10th, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The December 5th deadline to submit a travel article or travel video for the "CATS Travel Writing and Video Contest" is fast approaching.  You can find details by clicking on the "Contest" tab above.

So, hike a trail, eat at a local restaurant, visit a historic site,

Two youngsters hike up the Cheney Mountain Trail in Moriah (photo by Elizabeth Lee)

Please join us on Saturday morning, November 5 at 8:30 when we return to Cheney Mountain in Moriah to hike up through the forest, enjoy the views and clear the final 200 feet of trail to the best overlook.  Click on this link   http://www.thevalleynews.org/news/2011/oct/26/cheney-mountain-trail-work-continues/   -  to see an article from the Valley News describing the trail party.  It feature

We had a great turnout for the October 8 trail project at Cheney Mountain in Moriah, with volunteers coming from Port Henry, Mineville, Moriah, Crown Point, Westport, Wadhams, Essex, and even southeast Kentucky.   After some tasty muffins, welcoming words, and introductions we cut branches and saplings, removed fallen logs, weed-whacked through tall goldenrod, and put up trail markers as we worked uphill to the summit.
 
Cheney Mountain is shaped like a loaf of bread so the top of the mountain has a long, fairly level surface with rock outcrops near the edges and numero

Champlain Area Trails was recently featured on North Country Public Radio in a radio interview with Brian Mann.  In case you did not hear the program, click on the link below to hear about our work to create trails that link communities, connect people with nature, promote economic vitality, and protect natural areas, farms, and scenic vistas.

http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/18571/20111011/new-adirondack-grou

We have an exciting new trail project this Saturday morning, October 8 from 8:30-11 at Cheney Mtn.