[at-l] Article in today's NY Times: Pochunk trail relocation, Vernon NJ

[papabear.nyc@verizon.net (Papa Bear)]

There was a nice article in today's NY Times about the completion of the
section of the AT across Pochunk Marsh and Pochunk Creek in Vernon NJ.
Unfortunately I don't think this was in the national edition. It doesn't
seem to be in the www.nytimes.com edition.  It was on page 42 in the Metro
Section.

It explains how the section replaces a roadwalk and all the time and effort
on the part of volunteers that went into it.  It gave lots of credit
including the National Park Service,  NJ Department of Environmental
Protection, ATC and the NY/NJ Trail Conference.

The section was apparently opened this week.  The controversy stirred up by
a few Vernon residents who thought that AT hikers were a threat to their
children was NOT mentioned (I believed this surfaced when a parking lot at
the Rte 517 trailhead to this section was proposed). Hopefully that has
faded to a bad memory and more rational voices were heard.

Ironically when I passed through this section in April, I thought it was
open then.  We enjoyed it very much.  I assume hikers have been using it all
season.  We got a little lost on the north end of the section when we were
confused by some blazes on the old route.  A grass fire had blazed across
the meadow a few days before our hike and I think the board walk helped
firer fighters gain access to control the blaze.  Then the NYNJTC had got
right in to inspect and repair parts of the walkway that got singed.
Apparently it was closed off for a few days and we were lucky to be able to
pass through when we did (April 8th). (See
http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2h6gy/papabear/AT_section_1.html#day5
for my reflections on this section written at the time.  And here's a
picture of the bridge featured in the NY Times article:
http://gallery.backcountry.net/papabear_section_1/aat ).

It's nice to see some good publicity for the trail and public recognition of
the volunteers that maintain and build it.

Pb