The construction of over twelve miles of new snowmobile trails in the Moose River Plains Recreation Area, just north of Inlet, is nearing completion.
Laborers have been working on the trail, the longest ever constructed by the DEC, since late August of 2012.
The construction of this trail was outlined in the Moose River Plains Unit Management Plan, approved in early 2011.
The trails will eventually connect with others in the Sargeant Ponds area, allowing for total land-based passage by snowmobilers, offering a safer alternative to crossing Raquette Lake.
The trails will also be accessible to hikers, bikers and horseback riders in the spring through fall, and will be marked with multi-use blue trail markers.
Tate Connor is a DEC forester who provided oversight for the construction project.
He said a key consideration of the project, per the State Land Master Plan enforced by the APA, was to build a trail appropriate and safe for snowmobiling that also had the characteristics of a foot trail.
An effort to achieve balance had trail architects looking to avoid wetlands, deer wintering areas and steep terrain.
In laying out the trails, Connor handled microbalance issues like keeping the trail high and dry, minimizing tree cutting and the need for terrain work, to create a sustainable trail.
Early in 2013, 20 of the trail’s 27 bridges will be complete.
The last seven bridges will be constructed between the Seventh Lake Boat Launch and the Moose River Plains Road.
With snow cover allowing materials to be transported in via snowmobile, temporary crossings are being constructed, and materials for permanent bridges are being carried in.
Assisting DEC personnel with the construction are laborers from around the region including Ray Brook, Warrensburg, Indian Lake, Cranberry Lake, Potsdam, and Old Forge.
Among them are volunteers representing the Student Conservation Association and regional snowmobile clubs.
Keith McKittrick, a member of the New York State Snowmobile Association’s trail committee, is one of those volunteers.
McKittrick said the new miles of trail will provide an important rerouting of snowmobile traffic which has been known to bottleneck in Inlet.
Jim Rolf of the New York State Snowmobile Association said the trails are actually replacing previously existing trails, but will reroute snowmobilers and other users so that they will be within a mile of vehicular roadways.
While Connor acknowledges existing controversy regarding whether multiple land-use policies should extend into motorized use, providing safe recreational opportunities while having minimal environmental impact is the goal which the DEC strives for, he said.
“This trail is a community connecter trail. It’s about the users—snowmobilers, hikers, skiers, mountain bikers, and hunters.”
A map of the changes in trail locations can be found on the DEC website under the heading: Moose River Plains Unit Management Plan, snowmobile trails.
