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members network
We’d like to hear from you.Write to “Members
Network,” Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, 2121Ward
Ct., NW, 5th Floor,Washington, D.C. 20037.
Or e-mail: magazine@railstotrails.org.
Letters may be edited for publication.
High Marks
With reference to the question about the
highest bridge on a rail-trail (“Members
Network,” Winter 2012), the Kelly
Creek trestle on the Route of the
Hiawatha at the Montana-Idaho border
is 230 feet high.
John Stamm
ST. REGI S, MONT.
In theWinter 2012 issue, we challenged read-
ers to help us determine whether NewYork’s
Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic
Park, at 212 feet above the Hudson River,
is the tallest bridge on a rail-trail. Thanks
to John’s research, it appears the Kelly Creek
trestle takes the crown!
Down East Correction
I enjoyed the article about the Down
East Sunrise Trail and may make plans
to bicycle the trail. I believe the “Getting
There” directions under “Travel Facts”
are wrong as it says the trail’s southern
terminus is in Ayers Junction, Maine
(two miles outside of Ellsworth). I
believe that should read Washington
Junction as Ayers Junction is at the
north point 85 miles away.
Martin Gangloff
MADE I RA BEACH, FLA.
On the Right, Right?
Isn’t it accepted trail etiquette that unless
a trail is specifically marked otherwise,
all traffic stays to the right except when
passing? And yet, there on the cover of
the Winter 2012 issue is a handful of
skiers on the lefthand side of the trail.
What are the proper rules of use on the
Down East Sunrise Trail?
John Tripp
WESTERVI LLE , OHIO
John, we posed your question to Charlie
Corliss, trail manager for the Down East, and
he concurred with you. Users are advised to ski
on the right and pass on the left. In all cases,
motorized users yield to non-motorized users.
Canadian Miscount
Thank you for documenting the Canadian
people’s amazing accomplishment in near-
ing completion of the Trans Canada Trail.
Even the distance conversions in the story
help to bring home the magnitude of that
effort. The story converted kilometers to
miles using a factor of .6 when the actual
conversion is .621371. So it is not 13,500
miles but nearly 13,981 miles. Having
spent many hundreds of hours maintain-
ing 56 miles of the Appalachian Trail, I am
sure the volunteers who are working on
the missing 481 miles are well aware of the
effort required.
David Dirlam
C INC INNATI
Well said, David, and thank you for the wor-
thy nod to the countless hours of dedication
required to build each mile of rail-trail!
Winter Warrior
I hadn’t been on a bicycle in almost 40
years when I took up riding again at the
age of 44. In 1995, when I was 52, I
installed an odometer on my bike and
began tracking miles. Since that time,
I’ve ridden 80,000 miles, with an even-
tual goal of 100,000. But what I’m most
proud of is that I ride all year long. And
I live in Minnesota. If you’re looking for
a challenge in life, try biking during a
Minnesota winter.
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and
St. Paul are being recognized for their
many great biking trails, and more people
are commuting to work. Twenty years
ago, when I first started biking in winter,
I don’t think there were more than a
handful of us doing it; now there are
hundreds, or more, in the metropolitan
area. I’m also proud to think I was at the
vanguard of this cycling phenomenon.
Gary Jenneke
ST. PAUL , MINN.
We couldn’t agree more about the hearti-
ness of Minnesota’s all-season trail users. So
stay tuned for the Winter 2013 magazine,
which we hope will capture the cold-weath-
er zeal of Minnesota’s trail community!
Words of Wisdom
One of my pet peeves while riding trails
is the cyclists who pass my wife and me
without a courteous word of warning.
I’m in my 80s and don’t go as fast or
hear as well as younger cyclists. When
they blow by us, it gripes me that they
are so insensitive. Just such an event
happened on the Grand Teton Bike Trail
this summer. A faster cyclist whizzed by
us without warning, and in my frustra-
tion and anger, I yelled, “Thanks for the
callout!” as he rode on. Within three
miles I found him by the side of the
trail, dead from an apparent stroke or
heart attack. He was 72, I later learned.
My point is that we must always be
careful of what we say to others as they
leave our personal space. The last human
voice that man heard was mine, raised in
anger and cynicism. We must be keenly
aware of our last words to friends, loved
ones and others as we part. What you
say may be the last words they ever hear.
Happy trails, and remember to be
courteous to the old guy you pass. It
could be me.
Bill Erdman
MAITLAND, FLA.
John Stamm