A “THANK YOU” TO WESTMINSTER, VT, FIT BODY BOOT CAMP

Sarah Dumont, Owner, of Westminster VT, Fit Body Boot Camp, organized an Earth Day Cleanup challenge:
if 50 bags of trash were gathered, they would make a $500 donation to the Walpole Conservation Commission.
They gathered over 300 bags and the check was presented at our September meeting. They also adopted
two miles of road in Alstead, and completed that cleanup at the end of September.

FANNY MASON IS BLAZED IN YELLOW!

I addition to wood signs we had placed awhile ago, we now have yellow blazes on trees at points
we thought would clarify the path; and, in some cases, simply reassure.

Let us know your thoughts, your wishes, your ideas. Your email will not be shared or sold.

EARLIER NEWS

HELP OUR TRAILS DAY

On May 4, 2024, the Walpole Trail Committee sponsored its 2nd Annual Help Our Trails (HOT) Day. Twenty-four HOT Day volunteers gathered at Town Hall, split into small work teams, and spread out to do maintenance on the trails at Mill Pond Sanctuary, Fanny Mason Forest, and the Cheshire Rail Trail. On all the trails, they clipped back encroaching vegetation, cut and cleared fallen branches, and removed litter. At Mill Pond, the trail workers also repaired bridges, installed signs, and did erosion control. On the rail trail, leaves and silt were cleared from drainage ditches and culverts.

EARLIER TRAIL WORK

FANNY MASON FOREST BRIDGE BUILDING

All photos, © France Menk except where noted, November 2023

DRAINAGE WORK ON THE CHESHIRE RAIL TRAIL

All photos © Wendy Grossman, October 2023

SEE WALPOLE RAIL TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS

Rail Trail Project Completion: The 2023 project to improve drainage on the Cheshire Rail Trail in Walpole is complete! Drainage ditches have been dug out, culverts have been cleared, and/or the trail surface has been raised at a few of the very wettest areas along Walpole’s rail trail. Users should find a much drier trail year-round, though there will still be some wet spots (especially when it rains.)

Visit the Rail Trail: We would encourage any interested walkers, bicyclists, equestrians or other non-motorized users to check out the renovated portions of the Walpole rail trail. Remember, no motorized vehicles are allowed on the rail trail except for snowmobiles. Maps of the rail trail are available on our website walpoleoutdoors.org/maps/and in Town Hall.

Thanks: Thanks to all who’ve made this project possible, including the Recreational Trails Program, the Walpole Conservation Commission, the Walpole Selectboard, trail builder Lew Shelley of Snowhawk LLC and nine volunteer trail workers. Thanks also to all those in the Walpole area who’ve cheered us on.

You can send any questions or comments to walpoletrailhelpers@gmail.com

Wendy & Will Grossman
Walpole Rail Trail RTP Project Managers
Walpole Trail Committee

MAPS