Hands on at Lyme Pinnacle

On October 13th from 1 to 3pm UVLT will hold a hike in celebration of Lyme Pinnacle, the community that loved it enough to protect and steward it, and an incredible group of volunteers who have worked all summer to make improvements.  UVLT staff will meet attendees at the new parking lot off of Highbridge Road for folks who want to walk to the top together. Those who know the trails can meet the group at the top if they choose. The celebration is complete with a bring-your-own picnic lunch and kite flying. Dogs are ok to bring but please keep them on a leash.

When the Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT) conserved Lyme Pinnacle and took on the management responsibilities of the property early this year they knew what kind of a project they were taking on. The property is well loved by trail users in the area with 4.5 miles of trails that lead to the stunning 360 degree view at the top. This kind of usage meant that the management of the property – for its trails, fields, view, and parking- was going to be intensive. Before conserving the property UVLT established the Lyme Pinnacle Stewardship fund to pay for active management of the trails and recreational features of the property.

The fund raised donations from over 100 area families and raised $150,000 to pay for the upgrades. But the money is only the first part of the stewardship equation. While snow was still on the ground UVLT Stewardship staff gathered together a group of residents-turned-volunteers to take down posted signs and put up UVLT boundary markers. As the spring warmed up, groups of volunteers assessed the needs of the trails and got to work.

Throughout the summer and fall volunteers brushed out and blazed the trail.One volunteer spent his time building new bog bridges to get through the wet areas of trail. Through UVLT’s Corporate Volunteer Program employee groups from Hypertherm and RSG cleared the view and built a new section of trail that creates a new loop on the property. Other volunteers removed encroaching branches from the hedgerow and mowed paths through the field. Perhaps the biggest change is the brand new parking lot that was built by Wayne Pike along Highbridge Road. This is the first time that visitors to Pinnacle have a safe place to park off the road.

UVLT’s volunteers are just as valuable as our donors. Our Pinnacle volunteers saw the need for many hands to make the work as light as possible and stepped up to that challenge. We have seen incredible strides at the Pinnacle property this summer and fall and now we are ready for a fun winter of safe recreation. We couldn’t have accomplished all this without such an incredible group of volunteers.