Rob met me at Rocco's place on Tuesday (Sept 4) early afternoon to show me the trail work the North Wayne Outdoor Recreation Club (NWORC http://www.nworc.org/) has been putting in on the old New York Ontario & Western Railroad bed (O & W). We were able to just unload Rob's UTV right there in the Vacation Inn parking lot and jump right on the connector trail--pretty convenient. After riding the trail down to one end where it now starts, Rob and I rode (Can you say you "rode" if you are in a UTV?) back up the trail Arlo's place to cop a roast beef sandwich for lunch.
Arlo's is just up the road or trail from Rocco's place, depending on whether you are riding the trail or in your car on the road. The point is you can get there either way, street legal or trail legal. That is also part of the point of what NWORC is doing with this trail. Connecting the communities and businesses to the trails to provide economic gain alongside trail opportunity is important to this club. They understand the value and they are doing it right. It is all private property and they provide insurance to protect the land owner. The trail is designed that you need to be compliant with the state, they push safety, they've signed the trail, and work to ensure enforcement is patrolling. Snowmobilers also use the trail, so they have even created a temporal separation to keep other types of recreation off the trail in the winter to prevent conflicts, maximize safety, and ensure the snowmobilers have a quality experience. Most important, they are all about everyone being able to use the trail, motorized or non.
Yamaha is helping them by providing a grant to make a cross connector trail which the club calls the Yamaha X trail. Way to go Yamaha. When you see it first hand on the ground, you appreciate the value of their grant program even more.
After lunch, we rode back down the Yamaha X trail to run the other way up the O & W trail to meet with the leaders of the NWORC at the Orson Country Inn, which is also connected to the trail. How cool is that? Best pizza I have had in a long time.
The meeting was good. These guys are "on it" when it comes to this trail and working to provide more. That was one of the big points of they made in their comments to me, they feel like they are kind of making this up as they go and feel like they could use some "how to" help. They also noted that more (and more current) smaller scale studies--both economic and environmental--for similar types of efforts would be hugely helpful for demonstration to the townships and landowners they are working with in seeking to improve the opportunity here. They are also frustrated by the false "image" that has been created by the anti-access folks about OHV recreation. When I say frustrated, I don't just mean "angry." Although there is a bit of that, what I mean is that false image literally frustrates their efforts. A few bad apples can sure spoil a whole lot of opportunity.
Note: On the "how to" comment, I think they could write the "how to" help. I have to say you've done and are doing a great job guys!
