Out of concern for the health and safety of our communities, our region’s trail organizations – Fellowship of the Wheel, Mad River Riders, Richmond Mountain Trails, Stowe Trails Partnership, Trapp Family Lodge, and Waterbury Area Trails Alliance – have made the joint decision to keep our trails closed to all users during the COVID-19 pandemic until further notice. Thank you for respecting these closures and for your continued support.
For Stowe Trails Partnership, this means Adams Camp, Cady Hill Forest, and singletrack trails in Sterling Forest are currently closed to all users.
We based this difficult decision on the following factors:
- The Governors Stay-at-Home Order: Do not travel to other communities as the health resources in those communities could be challenged.
- We do not want to encourage travel beyond 10-miles from your home: Many visitors come from all over the state and country, including hot spots like New York and Boston, but also in-state communities such as Burlington and Brattleboro. Typically, we love to host our out of town friends, but right now, that would be part of the problem, not the solution. Asymptomatic people could be carriers and bring the virus to our community. We feel that having our networks closed prevents this from occurring.
- Social distancing will be a challenge at trailheads and congregation points on the trails: Our parking areas and congregation points (such as the top of Flo, various trail intersections, the Green Chair, etc.) do not currently allow for proper social distancing and could increase your chances of exposure. Observing the challenges that our neighboring ski areas had with uphill ski traffic with much larger infrastructure to support it, we do not feel that our smaller trailheads or singletrack can maintain proper CDC recommendations for social distancing.
- Injuries will be an unnecessary burden on our health care system: Even conservative riding and hiking can have accidents, and these injuries put unnecessary stress on medical systems that need all available resources to fight the virus.
- The Governor has determined that trail maintenance is a non-essential activity: As soon as the snow melts each year, trail volunteers and paid staff put in hundreds of hours to get the trails ready for the summer season. Currently, we are unable to perform those activities under the stay at home order.
- Riding, walking, running on unmaintained trails is not safe & can damage the trails: Without being able to perform our spring maintenance, the use of the trails can be both dangerous, as well as cause permanent damage to the trails.
- Wet trails and mud season: Our trails are usually closed through early May, and for a good reason. Riding/Walking/Running on soft trails causes permanent damage that requires both volunteer time and possibly paid work to repair. Just like any other year, it’s a good time to get in shape by gravel riding and get your bike adequately tuned for when the trails are ready to open.
What is STP Doing?
- Planning in the time of uncertainty: STP has been and will continue to work tirelessly to get our trails ready for spring riding and hiking. From the very beginning of this pandemic, we have been planning and preparing for another season of (socially distanced) trail work and riding that will keep the stoke alive and everyone safe.
- Keeping you in the Loop: We are working closely with our partners and landowners including, the Town of Stowe, VMBA, and other Chapters, Vermont Trails and Greenways Council, the Department of Forest, Parks, and Recreation to monitor this situation. We will be in touch regularly with updates as they become available to us.
What Can You Do?
- Stay Home & Don’t Travel: Please follow the Governor’s stay-home/stay-safe order and stay within a 10-mile radius of your home for all essential travel, including for exercise.
- Don’t Ride Secret Stashes: Please consider refraining from riding non-sanctioned and non-VMBA Chapter maintained areas, so we don’t crowd or damage other trails.
- Give Back: Give blood. Support your local food bank. Buy local. Donate N95 masks, medical and industrial-grade, or surgical masks can be brought to your nearest police station.
- Become a Member: With early-season events canceled and the loss of sponsorship revenue, your membership dollars will go directly to funding trails and our organization. If you have the means to become a member, please consider supporting us through a 2020 VMBA and STP Membership.
Thank you for your patience and support for this difficult decision. We are fully aware that trails offer both physical and mental well-being during these difficult times for our community members. Everyone at STP is dreaming of our first ride out on the trails, but out of concern for the health of our community, we are resolved to wait until it is safe to do so in 2020.
Updated on April 14, 2020
