AN News & ASP Updates

Allegany Nordic off-season updates- Nov 27, 2009
The 2009 off-season has been productive for Allegany Nordic. Below is a summary of our activities and priorities as we enter the 2009-10 season:

April social function. We sponsored a well-attended social function to thank Red House operations personnel and contemplate our priorities for the future (see post below “Trail & Grooming Priorities Identified”)
Trail workdays. Three volunteer workdays addressed trail drainage problems, vegetation cut-back and trail pick-up. 17 volunteers showed up to address trail issues at our 11/7 workday.
Advocacy with park management. We continue to maintain high visibility with park management. At a spring meeting we articulated concerns about grooming and trail management and requested attention to several important priorities. Our trail workday on 11/7 included a sit-down with Gary Quattrone, Red House Manager, to receive updates on our priorities, as well as park and state budgets and the upcoming ski season.
Advocacy with elected representatives. We initiated a strategy for our members to articulate their concerns about the state budget and park closings.
Publicity. We purchased $200 of advertising in the Ellicottville weeklies and issued press releases about our activities.
Operating funds and fundraising. AN has about $1700 in our checking account, as well as several hundred dollars worth of hats and toques. The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation stands ready to receive charitable contributions to Allegany Nordic should we undertake fund raising.
Despite all our work, much remains to be done. Below are updates on the status of our priorities:

Trail renovation & drainage. The park has taken no steps to address trail erosion and drainage problems. Only the work of Allegany Nordic members during our volunteer workdays in the last two years has kept the problems at bay. The biggest issues will require heavy equipment and park initiative.
Overlook restoration. The park has begun to reopen vistas in the park as part of a state-wide initiative. However, priority has been given to those vistas accessible by car, as they receive more visitors. Despite our advocacy for clearing the Christain Hollow overlook, its status remains uncertain at this time.
Ridge leanto. The leanto has been demolished. Again, we have advocated for its replacement but there is no clear plan to rebuild it. Volunteers to drive this priority are needed
Summit storage for grooming equipment. This remains a park priority but no funding exists. The possibility exists that a private initiative may be under way outside our group to build a storage garage. We are trying to confirm this and will update you as more information becomes available.
Grooming equipment. Again the park’s request for a new Scandic snowmobile has been declined. We have been assured the problem which side-lined the cat last year has been repaired and it is ready for the upcoming season.
Grooming quality. A number if problems were experienced last year including soft/unpacked trail shoulders, soft tracks, tracks set on top of previous tracks, washboard bumps, etc. Red House personnel have articulated a strategy to improve grooming in 2009-10. When new snow has fallen or when renovation is necessary, they will be using the cat for packing/renovation and the snowmobile will be following close behind pulling the tracksetter.
Trail signage to reduce/divert snowmobile and dog access to the Art Roscoe Trails. No progress has been made by AN. Volunteers are needed to create a signage plan and get it implemented.
Still other areas of AN activity need more participation. The website had considerable visitation last year (600 unique visitors in the month of January ‘09) but very few skiers posted trail reports. We took a big step in December ‘09 to facilitate better and more timely reporting by registering the alleganynordic.org URL and upgrading the website to allow skiers to post trail conditions directly to the site. The site will only work if skiers post trail reports.

Finally, as we look ahead, there is a great deal of uncertainty for the Art Roscoe Trials and the cross-country skiing program as our state government tries to deal with its budget crisis. We have struggled in our brief existence to restore the park’s focus to the rich history of skiing at ASP. Any reduction to the program may never be restored without additional heavy lifting by our group. If we incrementally widen our participation and volunteerism, cross-country skiing at ASP may be secure.

Trail & Grooming Priorities Identified- September 27th, 2009
At the 4/24 event, attendees contemplated and ranked trail and grooming-related priorities. Each person placed a “1″ next to their highest priority project, a “2″ next to their second highest priority, “3″ and “4.” Each “1″ was assigned 4 points; each “2″ was given 3 points, etc. and points were tallied. Below is a list of projects preceded by their respective points and followed by initials of AN members willing to help on each:

3- GIS mapping, culvert marking, etc. KC, MH
12- Trail signage prohibiting snowmobiles, dogs, snowshoing CW
40- Trail drainage- culverts, ditches WS, JT, AR, DP, KC, RV
12- Trail grading/leveling
18- Christian Hollow overlook restoration RW, AR, JT, CW, DP, TH
11- Vegetation cut-backs: Snowsnake, etc. AD, JT
0- Snowdrift plantings- Christian Hollow & Snowsnake AD
23- Rebuild Ridge Leanto TH, RW, AR, JL, CW, DP, LS, BB
0- Training ASP grooming staff- clinics, periodicals, in-services
0- Weld snow rudders on cat track setter DP
8- Roller for snowmobile packing (Fundraising!) BB, LS
20- Snowmobile renovation drag/GINSU Groomer (Fundraising!) BB, LS
8- Summit storage, fueling for equipment (Fundraising!) BB, LS
1- Incorporate

The following projects were assumed to be on-going or requiring little group effort and were included in the list above: 1) Resume skate grooming on Stone Tower and Snow Snake trails; 2) Christian Hollow overlook picnic table; 3) Trail workdays.

Are there other high priority projects? Networking? Development? Legislative?

How do you interpret the point values? Are some projects related?

17 Volunteers make 11/7 trail workday a success
Allegany Nordic made a strong showing Saturday 11/7 for trail work and a pow wow with Gary Quattrone, Red House Manager. Teams walked every trail expect the lower portion of Snow Snake, removed trail debris and cut back vegitation.

Left to right: Andy Dickson, Ray Valeri, Bert Schweigert, Robin Valeri, Bill Scherman, Gary Quattrone, Shawn McKane, Jacl Luzier, Chuck Walker, Richard Kendall, Rob Walk, Jerry McGinty and Aaron Rimmer. Missing from photo are Karen Schweigert, Garth Johnston, Bradley Schottin, Doug Price and Allen Knowles.

Second Trail Workday Scheduled for Saturday 7/25
Lots more remains to be done around the trail system. Face-slappers and drainage need attention around most of the trail system.

Bring a picnic lunch, bike, frisbee, fly rod and family. After our morning work we’ll enjoy each other and the rest of the day around the Red House area.

First Trail Workday A Walk in the Park
A walk on Patterson and Sweetwater trails, to be exact. Allegany Nordic sponsored its first trail workday of the 2009 season on Saturday, June 13th. Six Allegany Nordic members turned out to restore drainage and cut back vegetation on Sweetwater and Ridge Run trails of the Art Roscoe Trail system at Allegany State Park.

Allegany Nordic members [left to right] Steve Abdella, Chris Smith, Robin Valeri, Aaron Rimmer, Jack Luzier and Andy Dickson.

April 24, 2009- Allegany Nordic Thanks ASP Employees
Allegany Nordic thanked the Red House employees for their contributions to the 2008-08 ski season with a picnic dinner at the Warming Hut on Friday 4/24.

About 20 park employees and 20 Allegany Nordic members enjoyed the summer-like afternoon. Rob Walk and “sous Chef” Doug Price worked their magic on the charcoal grill. Among the most notable contributions was Robin Valeri’s chocolate cake complete with the Allegany Nordic logo.

As a token of our appreciation we gave AN hats to ASP trail groomers Chad Herrick, Dan Butcher, Bob Howard and Pat Halterman, as well as Red House Manager Gary Quattrone.

Thanks to AN stalwarts Steve Abdella, Bud Brooks, Kevin Casey & Melissa Kiss-My-Klister, Jack Luzier, Aaron Rimmer, Larry Scherer, Bill Scherman, Bert & Karen Schweigert, Janet Chew, Robin & Ray Valeri, Betsy Price, Chuck & Edna Walker, Rob & Jean Walk, Mary Lou Dietrich and Joe Tocke. Special thanks to Chris Smith who has reported for more AN activities than most and has yet to ski the Art Roscoe Trails in the last year.

January 20, 2009- AN Declined for Parks & Trails NY Grant; Receives Anonymous $3,000 Gift
Although Allegany Nordic did not receive the $3,000 applied for through Park & Trails NY, we received a generous gift of the same amount from an anonymous Olean-area benefactor. Proceeds of the gift will be used to fund start-up expenses for the organization.

Oct 31, 2008- Allegany Nordic Applies For Capacity-Building Grant
Thanks to the heads-up of Lisa Schmidtfrerick, we were able to submit a $3,000 capacity-building grant application on behalf of Allegany Nordic. Jack Luzier and Rob Walk rounded up letters of support from various chambers of commerce and helped get the application out. Grant awards will be made 1/12/09.

Oct 5, 2008- Allegany Nordic Skiers Restore Art Roscoe Trails
Eleven members of Allegany Nordic volunteered their time and effort on Saturday, October 5th, to restore the Art Roscoe Trails at Allegany State Park. Trail wash-outs were remedied and plugged drainage culverts were dug and unclogged.

Saturday’s effort was the second volunteer trail work day sponsored by Allegany Nordic this fall. Additional work will be scheduled by the group in October and November. Volunteers came from Edinboro, PA, Jamestown, Olean, Fredonia and Buffalo, Great Valley and Cuba.

Volunteer trail restoration work has been necessary to remedy damage resulting form heavy rains and deferred maintenance. Work has been performed primarily on Ridge Run and Patterson trails.

The group has located and mapped 50+ drainage culverts around the trail system. It has also provided numerous hours of volunteer service clearing fallen debris from dead or dying trees and cutting back encroaching vegitation.

Mar 28, 2008- ASP Acquires New Gooming Equipment!
ASP has acquired a Sno-Razor 72 and two track-setters. Equipment has been purchased, assembled and is ready to use.