The North Country Trail Association calls for award nominations each spring for a variety of awards given at the Annual Conference. This year Cliff Stammer was nominated by Lorana Jinkerson for the Trail Maintainer of the Year Award as well as the NCTH Chapter Honor Award.
The nomination read: Some members join the North Country Trail Hikers Chapter but are never seen at meetings, outings, or trail maintenance/building days. Cliff Stammer has not been that kind of member. Instead, Cliff jumped into all activities but has starred as the Trail Boss.
As the Trail Boss, each year for the past three years, he has arranged all work maintenance outings and with his lead, we have successfully maintained 100% of our 120+ miles of heavily wooded, rocky and remote trail. Cliff’s philosophy for trail maintenance is simple: The Trail must be cleared and blazed so hikers can enjoy their experience.
Many chapters leave trail maintenance to the trail adopters. In the North Country Trail Hikers Chapter the Trail Boss, Cliff, works with adopters, many who are in their late 60’s, 70’s and even 80’s, to identify dates when a trail crew can go out with them or if the trail adopter goes out alone, they notify Cliff of any special work like chain sawing, heavy lifting, etc. they need help with. Cliff then arranges for the trail crew to go out, usually at a time convenient with the trail adopter to do the work. Sometimes the trail crew is a small as two while other times as many as twelve. Regardless, Cliff is always there.
I don’t believe there has been a trail crew workday in the past three years that Cliff has missed. Normally we work twice a week during the maintenance season, Wednesdays and Saturdays, but I know that Cliff has also worked whatever day was most convenient for others. There is not another member who has committed so much time and effort to our trail maintenance.
Last September our chapter held a Volunteer Adventure (VA) to build a segment of new trail. Cliff was instrumental in this effort, scouting for the new trail, helping prepare the campsite, working each day of the VA and going back after the VA was over to get the new trail blazed.
In addition, Cliff has been our primary sawyer (I should say “only”) and weed whacker operator. He often is a driver to our work location, utilizing his truck to haul the equipment. In the fall of ’09 we were given a “new to us”, but used DR mower and Cliff worked through the winter planning on how we could utilize this new tool to the best advantage in some of the very rough, rocky terrain that we maintain. (Note that we had never had a mower before.) He has become the primary operator of the mower.
Not only does Cliff do all the of the above, but he leads our scouting crew to find a path to connect where we have road walks and a big missing section. He is extremely good at locating the best location to route new trail through some very rough, hilly, terrain.
He has put together a trail blazing crew that is in the process of going through our trail to blaze it consistently across all adopter’s segments.
Cliff is always punctual as well a positive and upbeat, often asking the crew if they are having fun yet. Always smiling, he is a tireless worker, often putting in 12-14 hour days, much to the chagrin of his fellow trail crew members. Yet, he is sensitive to the needs of his crew. The segment of trail assigned to the North Country Trail Hikers Chapter would not be in the condition it currently is without the dedicated efforts of Cliff Stammer and his trail crew.
And, not only, does Cliff do a spectacular job as Trail Boss, but he also serves on our Board of Directors, the Landowners Committee, attends General Membership Meetings and social events. He has earned the 100, 200, 500 & 1000 Volunteer Hour Awards from the NPS. He is a willing helper in whatever the needs of the Chapter. For all this and more, Cliff highly deserves the 2010 NCTA Trail Maintainer of the Year and the NCTH Chapter Honor Award.
