High school hockey alumni on Erie Canal ice.

It was good to see so many out today enjoying a beautiful morning on the Byway, at best the recreational resources around the heart of the Byway: the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve.  There were at least a dozen skiers, several runners, a few couples on snow shoes, several dogs on leashes, and a most exuberant group of high school hockey graduates on the ice near the Whipple Bridge entrance to the Preserve.

Winter recreation on the Old Town Road, Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve.

And what was I doing?  The Town of Clifton Park lent me an electronic mapping computer unit which includes a GPS and a PC.  The computer plots a map… a line drawing of where I pass.  Today I was on cross country skis.  With help from the town we will be able to map the trails within the Preserve with sufficient accuracy that the map can be used for search and rescue by the Vischer Ferry Fire Department and the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Good trail maps will also be available to some of our user groups including the Empire Orienteering Club, Shenendehowa Nordic Club, Volks-sports groups, bird watchers and other outdoors enthusiasts.

It is also hoped the the map will be used for existing conditions and planning for the trail and recreational improvements that will be constructed in the next few years.