3/10/26 Community Chat

We had roughly 20 attendees, with KT staff (Interim Executive Director Georgia Gould, Trails Manager Orion Campbell-Wolk, and Trail Crew member/Volunteer Coordinator Tom Seymour), a KT Board member, several KT Landowners, local residents and local business owners.

TRAILS

Georgia Gould (KT Interim Executive Director) shared an overview of trail projects KT hopes to accomplish in the coming months. This is in addition to all the typical maintenance the KT trail crew does all year- early season drain clearing, leaf blowing, repair of pump tracks and excavated trails like the Village Pump Tracks and the Kitchel zone, mowing, brushing and bridge repair.

East Haven maintenance will be stepped up this year:

•Stormin’ Norman will get a spruce-up

•adding culverts, repairing puddles, adding and replacing armoring

•Lower Black Bear will get some resurfacing

New Builds

   •NEW Downhill trail on Darling Hill starting at Sleigh Ride and joining into East Branch (East Branch was spruced up in

November) 

   •NEW connector from the top of Sugarhouse Run to the Burklyn Trail (eliminating .5 mile of road) 

   •NEW connector from Moose Alley/Butter Tubs junction to Dashney

Several Sustainability Upgrades

•Rerouting a steep hill on Lower Pond Loop

•Rerouting a section of River Run that often floods   

•Fixing lower switchbacks on Dashney Loop so the trail can be open all season

VOLUNTEER DAYS

Tom Seymour (KT Volunteer Coordinator) mentioned that 2026 volunteer dig days are posted on the KT website.

•This year, KT will offer a few weeknight volunteer days in addition to the typical Saturdays 

•Several school groups also volunteer throughout the season (Burke Mountain Academy, St. Johnsbury Academy, NICA) 

•Feedback is always welcome.

BURKE MOUNTAIN

•There was a question about the relationship between KT and Burke Mountain

    •Georgia and Orion said that a strong partnership is forming: there has been open 

communication between the 2 organizations and they share many of the same trail-related goals.

MISCELLANEOUS

•Orion Campbell-Wolk (KT Trail Manager) was present and received positive feedback for quality of the trail maintenance.

•A local business owner asked if KT has plans to move the Welcome Center out of East Burke, and Georgia responded that KT does not have plans to move at this time. Several business owners shared that they hope the Welcome Center remains in East Burke village.

•A Pudding Hill trail Landowner asked about potential for connecting the Pudding Hill area back to Darling Hill. Georgia responded that it is a goal, but is complicated due to loss of a VAST bridge that was a critical part of the proposed connection.

•Trail Crew received more positive feedback from multiple people about the nordic grooming this year.