A need for a

recreational trail

To the Editor:

I would like to respond to the letter written by Renita Smith that was posted in the Jan. 10, edition of your paper.  

Although she appears to have the best interests of her community in mind, I believe she is quite uninformed about the intentions of the Adirondack Recreational Trail Advocates (ARTA) and the long-standing approved and accepted Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Adirondack Rail Corridor.  

First, there is no proposal by ARTA to discontinue the tourist train operating in Thendara. This seasonal train appears to be a popular attraction and is allegedly paying its own way with no taxpayer support. ARTA has only proposed making better use of the 80 plus miles of rail corridor north of Old Forge as a year-round, world-class recreation trail.

I reside along the rail corridor in Tupper Lake and can tell you that for all intents and purposes, this portion of the rail is abandoned. The railroad went out of business 40 years ago due to lack of passenger and freight service and I do not see either returning anytime soon. This northern portion of the railroad just sits there rotting away, year after year, preventing many other outdoor enthusiasts from enjoying this jewel of the North Country. Yes, the Adirondack Scenic Railroad does roll their antique locomotive through our town twice a year on their way back and forth to Lake Placid, but this does nothing for our economy. I actually work in Lake Placid and regularly see this northern train chugging along with only a handful of passengers and have to wonder how successful an enterprise this truly is for the tri-lakes.

What ARTA has proposed is removing the northern rails to create a year-round, multi-use recreation trail that would provide much needed economic support to our communities. The Great Adirondack Recreation Trail would run from Old Forge to Lake Placid and connect all communities in between. This trail would allow outdoor recreations such as hiking and biking in the summer months and a much extended skiing and snowmobiling season in the winter. I am actually looking at this empty rail corridor as I write this letter, and have seen one brave snowmobiler pass by who is attempting to hug the steep bank along the side of the railroad bed because there is not enough snow to cover the rusting rails. I am not sure where he was headed, but he returned about ten minutes later having obviously given up on his outdoor adventure.

This proposed trail would be like no other in the North Country. It would provide year-round recreation for people of all ages and physical abilities. Biking is fast becoming one of the number one past-times and is a proven money maker for the tourist industry. I have utilized many trails such as this in the past and found them to be a popular attraction for both locals and tourists alike. I believe people are coming to the Adirondacks to camp, hike, bike and ski. They are not coming here to ride a tourist train.

This historic corridor could be well preserved and utilized by people enjoying the outdoors in a safe and peaceful environment. The creation of this trail would allow bicyclists to travel through the pristine wilderness of the Adirondacks in an unmatched environment, while extending the current snowmobile season by weeks or months. This is an approved use of the corridor as documented in the 1995 UMP completed by the NYS DEC Division of Lands and Forests.

ARTA is not a bunch of “train haters,” it is a group of concerned community members who have seen how successful these rail-trail conversions have been in other parts of our state and country and wish for the same success in our own communities. I encourage those people would like more information regarding this topic to visit the website www.thearta.org and to consider signing up on-line as a supporter of our cause.

Chris Keniston,

Tupper Lake