Dans Papers - June 8, 2007 - Take a Hike with Ken Kindler

This year looks like a bad year for ticks on Long Island Trails. The last two years we had a lot of rain causing the woodlands to grow at a tremendous rate. We've had several mild winters in a row, many trees are denuded by several years of successive caterpillar infestations giving the brush layer more sun than usual and there seems to be less maintenaince on the trails. If people were reading my articles, they wouldn't be showing up for hikes while so poorly protected against ticks.

Ticks are extremely simple creatures and therefore very predictable and easy to deal with. They don't have teeth or stingers and, compared to most insects, they move rather slow. There is no reason to allow a fear of ticks to interfere with your enjoyment of the trails.

There are some guidelines to follow when hiking Long Island's trails. Don't hike a trail that isn't cleared well enough so that you can't walk in the middle of it without having bushes or grass brush against your legs. Forget about walking a trail that is less than 2.5 feet wide. If the sides of a trail have grown together, call the land manager and let them know that they have an unsafe trail. Always stay on the trail and wear light-colored clothing so you can see if you are picking up these unwanted passengers. Wear tight-woven socks that you can tuck your pants into. I wear women's white knee-highs over my socks and pants. Tuck your shirt into your pants so if you are inattentive for a while, you can still catch them higher up. Treat your socks and pants with an insect repellent that has permethrin as the active ingredient and carefully follow the directions for application of the product. I've been experimenting with other products but haven't found anything yet that works as well. Check for ticks often. They catch their ride between sneaker and mid thigh, and then head upward. Pick them off your clothes and flick them with purpose and direction into the woods - not towards your friends. Check yourself before you enter the car. Check your entire body when you get home and shower. If one attaches to you, use tweezers to grab the tick as close to your skin as possible and pull it straight out. I've been playing in Long Island's woods for the last seventeen years and have yet to contract a tick-born disease. Obviously I have to make a disclaimer here. I can't guarantee that you won't have a tick attach to you, or that you won't get a tick-born disease. I can only relate my experience on the subject.

If we continue to entice tourists to visit the Long Island's beautiful network of trails, then it would be morally reprehensible if the land managers and volunteer groups didn't get together and figure out how to address this enormous maintenance issue cooperatively and quickly.

I suggest that you contact your local trails group and ask which trails are best maintained - Long Island Greenbelt Trail Conference 631-360-0753, Southampton Trails Preservation Society (STPS) 631-537-5202, East Hampton Trails Preservation Society info@easthamptontrails.org. The Southampton Trails Preservation Society has work outings every Thursday led by STPS Maintenance Chair Ken Bieger. He can be contacted at kbieger@optonline.net if you are interested in participating in an STPS trail work party. Last Thursday we moved a segment of the Paumanok Path (PP) and a bridge in Bridgehampton. To see our handiwork, you can park on the "island" where Stony Hill Road and Brick Kiln Road meet. If you walk south from the island about 150 feet along Brick Kiln Road, you will see where the PP comes from the west on what looks like a driveway, but is actually where Middle Line Highway crosses Brick Kiln Road. Look to your left (east) for the opening to the trail and follow it less than a mile to the section of trail we are presently working on. If you continue in this direction, the PP will take you to the Long Pond Greenbelt.

Next week, I will relate the interesting story behind the origins of a beautiful new little loop trail in the Dwarf Pine Plains in Westhampton. In the meantime, if you wish to walk this .06-mile trail, the directions are as follows: take Sunrise Highway to exit 63 south; the exit ramp enters Old Riverhead Road (County Road 31). Proceed south - you will see a large building on the left hand side of the road. Enter left turning lane and turn left into the Suffolk County Water Authority driveway. Parking is available on site.

Ken Kindler is a Trails and Open Space Advocate working to help the trails groups and land managers care for our "Natural Island." If you would like to learn more about our trails or help care for them, visit the Hiking Long Island website. www.hike-li.org