This column appears regularly in the North Star, the magazine of the North Country Trail Association. For gardeners winter is a time for ogling seed catalogs and dreaming of warm earth.
Runners splash and slide through messy slush or move to indoor tracks.
But whenever our hearts are fixed on an activity or project we find some way to keep in shape or in touch with the focus of our desire. Those of us who love trails are no different. Although bridge building or afternoon strolls in sneakers and shorts may not be possible, there are grant applications to complete, letters to congressmen to write, contacts to be made for trail development, and wonderful snowy walks with just a few more clothes involved in the preparation. The folks who have a heart for trails find ways to help trails, as well as ways to enjoy them. Here then, are a few more of our sole-full volunteers.