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Trail RideNovember 27, 2007 What follows sounds rather dry for a blog, mainly because I wrote it for the Martha's Vineyard Times and the idea was to not only describe the event but to (a) recognize the people who helped out, and (b) work in some info about ongoing efforts to keep these trails open for public use. Oh yeah, and do it all in fewer than 700 words, which you know is a challenge all by itself. So here it is, for what it's worth and with no further apologies. Sunday's wondrous weather was preceded by Saturday's a-little-too-bracing cold and a Monday where it was either raining or about to rain. Ralph Stewart was there taking pics for the paper, so here's hoping we get some coverage in Thursday's Times. Under sunny skies on Sunday, Nov. 25, 16 horse-and-rider pairs mustered at the state forest headquarters off Barnes Road for a trail ride through the state forest's eastern portion. Volunteers wearing bright traffic-stopping colors and equipped with stop signs lent by Stuart Fuller, Edgartown highway superintendent, halted vehicles so riders could cross safely. Officer David Rossi of the Edgartown Police Department provided backup. When I arrived, late (as usual), most participants had already set out. Barbara Paciello, a veteran trail rider, was waiting to bring up the rear, accompanied by her daughter, Rachel Neville, and granddaughter Lily Neville. Linda DeWitt, an Edgartown trail warden and a horsewoman herself, came up with the idea: how about a trail ride the Sunday after Thanksgiving? The island's shotgun season would start the next day, keeping all but the boldest riders close to home for nearly two weeks. Robert Green and William "Boo" Bassett of the Edgartown Byways Committee lent their support, and Barbara Paciello and Susanna Sturgis of the Martha's Vineyard Horse Council helped with the organizing. The ride headed in a more or less east-southeasterly direction along the old Dr. Fisher Road, once the main east-west route across the island's midsection. The recent nor'easter had left its traces on this well-used trail, but volunteers had pushed and pulled and generally cleared the way for horseback riders, who need a few feet more clearance than most walkers and bicyclists. The footing was excellent, so my Allie and I trotted on ahead. Allie is an energetic horse who will go in any direction I ask but is generally determined to get there first. Where the Dr. Fisher Road intersected a north-south fire lane, our course headed north, the hoofprints of our predecessors providing reassurance that we were on the right track. I spotted a green riding glove in the sand and dismounted to retrieve it, sure it belonged to one of us. Many inquiries later, I determined that it didn't, so if you lost a green sport-type glove in a fire lane east of Barnes Road, give me a call. A "trail ride" sign marked the otherwise hard-to-spot turn off the fire lane; for a few yards the trail followed a driveway and then emerged on Tar Kiln Road, the only stretch of pavement on the ride. Three-Cornered Rock Road, a clear dirt track, wound along behind the Edgartown golf course and took us through a heavily wooded area. There I caught up with a group of riders that included Bob and Irene Hungerford and Lisa Rogers, who'd stopped to provide a photo op for an abutting householder. Two riders approached from the opposite direction, looking for a friend's house. This was undoubtedly the first equine traffic jam the Three-Cornered Rock Road has seen in decades, and despite the close quarters it was easily sorted out. Tar Kiln Road and Three-Cornered Rock Road are among the Edgartown special ways that the Martha's Vineyard Commission earlier this fall declared eligible for protection as a district of critical planning concern (DCPC). The Edgartown Byways Committee is currently developing regulations to ensure that these ways remain open to walkers, runners, cyclists, and riders. Once regulations are approved by the Edgartown Planning Board, Edgartown voters will decide in the spring whether to approve these special ways as a DCPC. Also included in the proposed district are Middle Line Path, Pennywise Path, and Ben Tom's Road. The course returned to the state forest headquarters via the Dr. Fisher Road. Organizers had provided refreshments for both horses and riders: carrots, apples, cookies, and bottled water. After much horsey talk, the group dispersed, some by trailer, others on the hoof. Organizer Linda DeWitt summarized the event for both riders and volunteers: "The horses and the people were all great!"
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