The Essex County Trail Association is dedicated to the preservation andmaintenance of open trails in our local communities for the purpose of passive

recreation and the benefit of the environment. The ECTA works to buildcoalitions with national and local associations, to serve as liaison between

membership and landowners, and to encourage responsible trail use.Visit www.ectaonline.org

Donald Curiale

Trail Maintenance What is the President’s favoriteproject? The answer is trail mainte-nance. It is our mission to maintain,preserve and protect trails througheasements, respect, and stewardship. In 2007, the Essex County TrailAssociation budgeted $50,000 for trailmaintenance - our highest budgetnumber to date! Our Executive Direc-tor, Carol Lloyd, Susanna Colloredo,Peter Britton and I worked hard tomake sure we did as many projects aswe could. We all made sure that theywere completed and done correctly.We did our job so well that we wentover budget for the FIRST time in thehistory of ECTA. The organization was able to get toa project faster and quicker due to theTrail Management Plan. The TrailManagement Plan allowed us to get outthere and do the work. As a result,ECTA did more trail maintenance thisyear than ever before. All this wonderful work has a finan-cial price. As of October 15th, 2007, asPresident, I had to stop all trail mainte-nance. We had run out of money. Wecould do no more this year. How can

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Fall 2007Volume 26 Number 4

President’s Report

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you help? Attend our fundraisers.Renew your membership early andgive a membership as a gift. Youcan make sure all your friends aremembers of ECTA. You can hold aBake Sale for us. You can ask yourfamily members to join your favoriteorganization. You can support ushowever you can! We truly appre-ciate it. ECTA would like to thank

Chairperson of the Board of Direc-tors, Susanna Colloredo, for hergenerosity. Susanna has offered topersonally pay for a new culvertbehind Pingree School to relieveflooding. She has also offered to payfor mowing in the same area. Onbehalf of the membership of ECTA,thank you.

Marie Morency and Morgan Sperry, both of Hamilton, held a bakesale in Hamilton Plaza on October 14 to raise money for ECTA. Itwas fun and a great success!! (Kristal Pooler)

ECTA Board of Directors

Susanna Colloredo, ChairDon CurialeEllen AldenSusie BantaLeslie BrooksAnn GetchellNady Peters

ECTA OfficersPresident Donald CurialeExecutive Director Carol Lloyd1st Vice President Katrina Redmond2nd Vice President Arlene MaginnTreasurer Liz WheatonSecretary Marianne LynchMembership Judy Gregg

ECTA Area RepresentativesEssex Kay Joseph 768-6275Ipswich Augusta Macrokanis 356-1047 Rolanda Dane 356-6524Hamilton Bea Britton 468-2733 Sue McLaughlin 468-7715 Susie Richey 468-4205 Arlene Maginn 468-4644 Lucy Pingree 468-7942Topsfield Abigail Jackson 887-6314 Elaine Robson 887-8789 Kathie Tremblay 887-8855Wenham Beverly Granz 777-3375 Deborah Stanton 762-8434West Newbury George & Nancy McGowan 363-1877 Felicity Beech

ECTA Board of AdvisorsStu Thorne Don GreenoughScott Solombrino Bruce CorwinNancy Merrill Al CraigJim MacDougall Lily Rice HsiaLois Cheston Barbara OstbergKatrina Hart Peter BrittonTed Raymond Heidi HargadonSusan Lawrence Don LittleGerry Kenney Camilla RichPeter Campot John Pingree David Santomenna Wayne Castonguay Rick Silverman

Trail Advisor Holly PulsiferLegal Advisor Dorothy StookeyNewsletter Pam Mansfield

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Joseph SandulliArlene MaginnKaty RedmondLeslie BrooksAbby JacksonKristal Pooler

Fundraisers Taste of IpswichOn October 2, 2007, ECTA and theYMCA hosted a Taste of Ipswich atTurner Hill. There were over 300people who enjoyed delicious foodfrom 16 local restaurants. Thesegenerous restaurants donated theirfood and time to the event. Guestssampled wines from all over the worldas well as well-made martinis. ECTA wishes to thank Turner Hill,the YMCA, the wine vendors, therestaurants, and guests for theirsupport. The Event raised approxi-mately $6000 for ECTA. Champagne Hunt On October 21st, 2007, Mr. RobertJohnston and Francesca Orsini hosteda Myopia Hunt and ChampagneBreakfast for ECTA. There were 28riders who enjoyed a 2 1/2 hour huntand, afterwards, feasted on shrimp,Shepherd’s Pie, champagne, sausagesand other delights. The event raisedover $9000. We sincerely thank Boband Francesca for their second,

successful, annual fundraiser forECTA. Kudos!!!! Poker RambleKay Joseph, Sue McLaughlin andtheir trusty volunteers held theirAnnual Poker Ramble throughBradley Palmer State Park. Over 81horses and riders and one walkerattended this fun event which raisedover $1,800. Thank you all for yourhard work. I am so grateful. Run for the Trails Carol Lloyd successfully hosted the3rd Annual ECTA Run for the Trailson Saturday, October 27, 2007. Therunners ran through Waldingfield andAppleton Farms in a 5 K and 10 Krace. It was exciting and fun for all.Once again, ECTA thanks the runnersand volunteers for their support.ECTA also thanks EBSCO, AJF andAssociates, Don Greenough,Manchester Athletic Club, GreenCoastal Grocer, Brinck Lowery, andSusie Banta.

Riding to the hounds through the Barrowy property to benefit ECTA.Photo by Emile Bellott. To see or order photos -www.dotphoto.com (username: emilephoto - guest password: pacifica)

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Champagne Breakfast Hunt Benefit at True Vine Farm

Subscribers to the Myopia Hunt and ECTA membersenjoyed a perfect October day for riding to the houndswhile also donating generously to benefit the EssexCounty trail system. Peak foliage, a clear blue sky, andmanicured lawns formed a beautiful backdrop for BobJohnston’s private Champagne Breakfast Hunt at TrueVine Farm, where riders in traditional hunt attireenjoyed a stirrup cup and a toast to the trails. Myopiahounds sang excitedly while the huntsman signaledthem to find the fox scent to Sagamore Hill andBioLabs, and along both public and private trails. Upon the field’s return to True Vine Farm, theriders followed the hounds over several natural jumpsconstructed for the hunt on land which once served asa polo field. The appreciative audience who had cometo join the brunch was delighted by the jumpingexhibition, and by the wonderful meal that followed onthe patio. This is the second year that Bob has graciouslyorganized a private hunt to raise funds for the ECTA.This fall, he asked ECTA to earmark the funds forrepairs to a specific trail in Bradley Palmer State Parkthat leads to the highest elevation in Bradley Palmer,Moon Hill. “The trail to Moon Hill is eroded and sorocky that it’s a serious safety issue,” Bob said.“Government funding doesn’t maintain these trails.Without private donations or non-profit organizationslike ECTA, we could lose these trails or have serioussafety hazards for people and animals.” The sharp rocky trials cause painful stone bruisesto horses’ hooves, not to mention making it difficult tofor hikers to walk. “Hikers, joggers and equestriansfind it extremely challenging going up the trail.” Bob has owned property in the Hamilton area formore than 20 years, and has been a Myopia subscriberand ECTA member for “as long as I can remember.” He purchased the farm abutting his previousresidence three years ago. He named it True VineFarm because, he says, “The location of the farm is animportant hub to the best trails in Essex County. To thenorth is Appleton Farms, to the south is Sagamore Hill,to the east is Myopia Hunt Club and to the west isGroton House the site of world class horse trials.” Thetrails eventually lead to Bradley Palmer State Park andthe many other trails that riders, walkers, and mountainbikers enjoy. Bob’s picturesque home and setting were en-hanced by the design skills of partner FrancescaOrsini, a noted New York City interior designer and

Top: Bob Johnston presents funds to ECTA presidentDon Curiale; Middle: Riders and hounds gatherbefore the ECTA banner on True Vine Farm; Bottom:Bob Johnston and Russell Clarke (past MFH) enjoycigars after Russell’s famous Lighthouse Punch.

Continued on page 6

Pamela Mansfield-Loomis.

Checking in before heading out on the trails, a horse stopsto greet ECTA Area Rep Rolanda Dane.

Sue Knowles and family opted for bike riding onthe trails this time.

Enjoing the sunshine on a mowed trail entering Patton’sGreen Meadow Farm.

Though riders went out individually, inpairs, or with just three or four riders,several groups seemed to come down thishill all at the same time. It was a beautifulride through some spectacular trails.

Stopping to drink in a pond along the way throughBritton’s property.

Sally Soucy hands out the first envelope with aplaying card to a pair of riders.

Crossing from Willowdale with policeassistance made it easier for those whorode the long route of 15 miles.

Reaching into the bucket for an envelopewhile mounted proved to be one of themost difficult tasks, but this horse pa-tiently obliged.

Poker Ramble a Ride in the ParkKay JosephThe weather was beautiful on Sunday, October 14th for the annual PokerRamble trail ride and walk at Bradley Palmer and Willowdale State Parks.Part of the ride was on private land with the permission of the Britton’sand the Patton’s. Thank you so much for this. We had 81 equestrians and two walkers as well as three bicycles for aday on the trails to raise funds for trail repair. There was a short loop offive miles in Bradley Palmer and a longer loop which was a total of 15miles including Willowdale State Park. This year we had a police officerhelping the riders cross Topsfield Road. Everyone appreciated this extrasafety measure. Coffee and donuts were served at check in and a lunch of friedchicken, salads, and dessert was waiting for everyone at the end of the event. Winners of the best Poker hands were: $40-Adam Cropper; $30- Janet

Egan; Writing set - Suzanne Kelly;Shaving Bag - Joe Sandulli,Cosmetic Bag - Paula Harmon;Lighted Key Chain - AnnaGarvel. Congratulations! Our Volunteers are the best.Rolanda Dane - trail markingand unmarking, AM checkout;Judi Milano - trail marking; RickLoomis - trailer parking;Deborah Stanton - morning trailcheck, unmarking; Ed Cugno -street crossing and bridgecrossing assistance; ElaineRobson - serving lunch,unmarking trails; Sally Soucy -poker judge; Sue Mclaughlin and

Kay L Joseph - Co-chairs. Special thanks goes to the donators to our event:Shaws Supermarket in Beverly, Essex Seafood, Pale Horse Designs, JoeSandulli, Karen & Bill DeNoia and Don Curiale.

Lunch is served while Sue McLaughlinhelps check for the winning poker hands.

The Wongs ride again - three generations represent the ECTA FamilyMembers.

Deborah Stanton (left) preparing to rideout for the second time to remove themarkers placed by Judi Milano (right)who marked the trails that made it such agreat day.

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So many ECTA members head southfor winter, we were curious to knowwhat are the trails like and why, forinstance, certain areas are so attractiveto our active members. What couldpossibly take them away from ourfrozen trails here in Essex County? Southern Pines, North Carolina areais the winter home of ECTA membersAmy Bresky, George and NancyMcGowen, and Maureen and JoeWurzel, as well as several others fromour area. Amy and the Wurzels pur-chased a farm together six years ago.While driving south this fall, Amyexplained, “What drew us there in thefirst place was that the area has areputation for being a great place tohave horses, but I didn’t quite knowwhy.” After visiting a friend who livedthere, she realized that once she turned

off the highway onto Youngs Road,she entered a completely differentworld of “farm after farm. Theminimum lot size for a horse farm isten acres, though there are a fewsmaller ones that were grandfatheredin.” There are deeded easementsbetween some farms and mostproperties have a perimeter fence.She often rides around and betweenthe farms, as most landowners arevery gracious about letting people ridethrough if they are not intrusive. But the main attraction for horsepeople is a conservation jewel. TheWalthour-Moss Foundation, with 3500acres, was purchased by a prominentlocal foxhunting family in the 1960s,and is preserved permanently just forhorseback riding. It is closed to all butthe hunt on three mornings a week,but otherwise frequented by riders

from the surrounding area. A keyadjoining 60 acre parcel on the edgeof the Foundation was purchased bythe Sand Hills Alliance Land Trust(SALT) through community donations,which is a similar organization toEssex County Greenbelt Association.Amy and the Wurzels can hack thereeasily from home, as it surrounded byfarms on all sides. The nearly perfect footing of sandand pine needles makes it possible forunshod horses to be ridden there.“I’m completely spoiled because thereare so few rocks,” said Amy, whorides practically every day – morethan she does when in New England,she admits. She also enjoys the WeymouthWoods, a nearly 900-acre state-ownedpark to which most riders contributefunds. The forests of longleaf pine

past Master of Fox Hounds (MFH) ofRombout Hunt. The home is gracedwith portraits of foxhounds and huntingscenes. The couple also subscribes tothe Cheshire Hunt and travel to Penn-sylvania to ride. Foxhunting is a very traditional sportthat, without the cooperation of somany neighboring landowners, Bobsays, couldn’t happen. The sight of thehunt, hounds working and the classicalbeauty of the horses and riders goingthrough the countryside is beautiful towatch. “We need the support of ourlandowners,” he said, “Or the EssexCountry trial system would disappear.” Prior to the Champagne breakfast,Bob presented to ECTA President DonCuriale over ten thousand dollars ofdonations from riders and patrons. Hethanked everyone for participating andthanked Donald V. Little, MFH of theMyopia Hunt for allowing the use of theMyopia hounds.

Goin’ South – Southern Pines, NC

He also thankfully acknowledgedthe landowners of Essex County fortheir generous cooperation in allowingequestrians to ride on one of the besttrail systems in America.

Champagne Hunt Benefits ECTAcontinued from page 3

Pamela Mansfield-Loomis

Champagne Breakfast - Photo byEmile Bellottwww.dotphoto.com (username:emilephoto - guest password:pacifica)

continued page 11

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In West Newbury, ECTA now holdsseven trail easements. These togetheradd about two miles of trails acrossprivate land to some fifteen miles oftrails on public property. The signifi-cance of our easements is bigger thanmight at first appear. Like other towns with a moremature trail network, West Newburyoffers some beautiful scenery and anumber of potential routes that couldbe built into a cohesive system. Thecommunity also has a record ofactively protecting its open space, andvoters continue to support the pur-chase of land for this purpose. Most recently this was evidencedin the joint purchase of 21 acres ofIndian Hill with Essex CountyGreenbelt Association. This wasmade possible through the executorsof Edward and Winifred Moseley (partof Maudslay’s Moseley family) whowanted to preserve its charm andprovide public access. This access willinclude trails that offer spectacularviews of rolling fields (mostly underconservation restrictions), maturewoodland and the Indian Hill Reser-voir. West Newbury’s Open SpaceCommittee is very active in identifyingtrails that traverse or could traversenew developments and the PlanningBoard routinely mandates trails to beincluded in the early stages of thepermitting process. Currently there arethree developments where trails totalingsome three miles will be required andwhere ECTA hopes to hold the ease-ments. The role of ECTA’s representativesin town has been that of educating landowners about the significance of thetrail links they might provide and thedifferent options for access that mightbe appropriate for their situation.According to Ellen Alden, boardmember “Our focus is on building linksthat connect with the town-owned

trails, primarily those atPipestave, Millpond andRiverbend. We are trying toconnect the dots! If we were ableto persuade just five morelandowners to agree to ease-ments, we could complete newloops around some of the nicestparts of town. After that,” shesaid, “Don Bourquard, ourresident expert on trails, past,present and future, has anotherten miles just waiting in the wingsfor an opportune moment to fit into our plan for a fabulous trailsystem.” From a distance, WestNewbury may appear to bemoving slowly but close up thereis a lot of action. Sometimes itfeels like one step forward, thentwo steps back when a landownerdecides “not now.” But withoptimism and persistence we arebeginning to see our vision appear onthe map. What else would we wishfor? More ECTA members in townto support our efforts.

West Newbury resident and ECTAmember, Cindy Foote with her dog onone of the public trails in the Millpondarea that is also open to horses.

West Newbury UpdateFelicity Beech, Area Representative

Attention riders- When you traileryour horse somewhere to ridePLEASE clean up all manure andhay when you leave the parking area.It only takes a few minutes and itmakes things more pleasant forothers using the area. Thank you tothe riders who have picked up afternot only their own horses but thedroppings that were left behind byothers. When walking on trails, keep aplastic grocery bag in your pocket. Itcomes in handy to pick up trash alongthe way or to clean up after your dog.

Trail Tips toRememberSusan McLaughlin, Hamilton AreaRepresentative

Hunting season is here. Please beaware of the various types of huntingthat are allowed in certain areas whenyou are in the woods this fall. Stay outof areas that are posted. Hunting is notallowed on Sundays.

Trail Alert It has come to ECTA ‘s attentionthat many horseback riders are ridingthrough Appleton Farms and othertrails without the proper tags or notag at all. Please be warned that youmay be asked to leave the trail if thisis the case. If you need another tag,email Judygregg@aol.comPlease cooperate with thelandowner’s requests. Thank you somuch for your understanding andcooperation.

ECTA Fall Foliage Rideat Waldingfield(Ipswich, MA)

SundayOctober 28, 2007

Anyone who participated in this year’sPoker Ramble had the good fortune ofglimpsing how Judi Milano envisionsthe trails from her saddle. Judi plannedand marked the route that openedwhole new vistas for both memberriders and other participants, andexposed them to spectacular scenerymost had never seen. And, aftermarking trails the day before, shereturned on the day of the popularPoker Ramble to ride the trails againwith her 18-year-old Quarter Horsemare Shilah. Judi never tires of trail riding, oftengoing three or four times a week whenweather permits, or spending vacationsin Vermont traversing the GreenMountain Horse Association (GMHA)trails. She has ridden in the GMHA100-mile and the Maine 100-mile andhas made a lot of friends amongECTA members who also have yearsof riding memories in Vermont withher. “The joke is, we won’t trade inour saddle pads until we have fourthousand miles on them,” she says. Her passion was enough toinspire motorcycle enthusiast andhusband, Joe Dailey, to take ridinglessons and join her. Now he enjoysriding English on his paint, Tonto,and the couple aptly representedtrail riding and ECTA in thissummer’s fashion show at theFidelity Investments JumperClassic before a large audience.Judi represented the Western trailrider,and Joe represented the English. Showmanship comes naturally toJudi, who has ridden professionally inmany parades in the Boston area.After acquiring a sterling silver paradesaddle, she and a friend who also hada silver saddle would lead the GrandMarshall in the Needham and theWakefield Fourth of July Parades formany years. She also had the covetedjob of working on the legendarychildren’s television program,“Boomtown,” with Rex Trailer and thePalomino whose T.V. name was

“Goldrush.” Judi trainedand owned the youngequine star and leased himto Rex for all theBoomtown televisionshows and personalappearances from l969-l980. Judi showed thesame horse under his realname of Golden Dream onthe New England showcircuit, garnering three separte year endchampionships in Palomino PleasureHorse. Creative in everything she does, shehas taken her experience with Westernriding, and with art and fashion design, toa new direction, painting a succession ofmore than a dozen watercolors she hasnamed her “Cowboy Series.” Otherthemes over the years have includedoutdoor sports such as fishing andhorseracing, as well as botanicals andlandscapes. An exhibit of her paintings is

open to the public at Boxford VillageLibrary until January 5, 2008. A long-time artist and professionalframer, she has generously donatedseveral paintings to ECTA silent auc-tions, helping to support the organizationshe joined as soon as the applications formembership came out. Judi and friends “all joined rightaway,” she says, “when ECTA firststarted, and when it was originallythought to be crucial to save thetrails.”The friends she made when shefirst moved to Topsfield in the 1960s –Gail Wong and Bunny Nutter - intro-

duced her and her daughters to thelocal 4H. Judi has a gift for rememberingtrails, so can easily traverse thenetwork through Essex County.Years ago, everyone was wary ofgetting lost in Willowdale StateForest, “where every corner looksthe same and there are no land-marks.” She recalls a couple beinglost there once for seven hours.Now with the new maps andnumbered markers throughoutWillowdale, it is almost impossible toget lost. However, she still advisesriders to carry a cell phone, com-pass, map, and even GPS for longtreks. Judi and husband Joe havetraveled to ride on the trails aroundAiken, SC, Southern Pines, NC, aswell as the Memorial Weekend andFall Foliage rides at GMHA, butEssex County trails are home tothese Boxford residents who arealso active in the Boxford TrailsAssociation, BTA/BOLT. “ECTA has been instrumental inkeeping Bradley Palmer trails open.They’ve done so much recently, withall the work done on the trails thatused to be muddy and rocky. Nowit’s so wonderful for trailriders.bikers and walkers. Thebeaver deceivers have removedmuch of the water that coveredsome of the trails, and the gravelresurfaceing has made the trails ajoy to ride on.”

Member Profile – Judy MilanoPamela Mansfield-Loomis.

Middle photo - Judi and Joe atGMHA. NKG Photo.

A trail inPingreeReservationshowingnaturallyformed eskers.Article andphoto courtesyof EssexCountyGreenbeltAssociation.For a map ofPingreeRservation,visitwww.ecga.org

136 acres protected in 1992

The Pingree Reservation was oncepart of the Pingree Estate, one ofseveral “Great Estates” established inthis area during the late 19th and early20th centuries. The former estatehouse is now a private, co-ed dayschool. Several trails traverse theproperty, leading visitors through alovely forested upland of beech treesand pines. A red maple swamp boastsvibrantly colored leaves in the fall andserves to support the surroundingwetland and Black Brook.

The Essex County Trail Associationheld a 25th Anniversary/SilentAuction Cocktail Party on December1 at the home of Josh Lerner andWendy Wood in Hamilton. Many,many thanks to Josh and Wendy fortheir hospitality. The party was our majorfundraiser for the year. We desper-ately needed this type ofmember support in order to increaseour trail maintenance budget for nextyear. Our heartfelt thanks to our won-derful members for their support andgenerosity, and our thanks to SenatorBruce Tarr for joining us and pre-senting ECTA with a special citationfrom the State Senate. Thank youalso to the many people and busi-nesses who donated items andservices. The photos show just how cheer-fully ECTA supporters came tocelebrate the 25th year of their trailorganization. These are the faces ofgenerosity and the spirit of ECTA,which is to preserve, protect, andmaintain our local trails. Photos will be posted soon onwww.ectaonline.com. Wishing you all a happy holidayseason and a bright and cheerfulnew year, our 26th is just ahead!

continued trees, with tall ramrodstraight trunks and high branches,require controlled burning to removeundergrowth and improve the soilnutrients. The pine needles – some-times as long as 18 inches - get verydeep and are often removed and usedin gardens, instead of bark mulch. Thesandy soil can also be very deep, andcan easily be eroded by the rain. TheFoundation has installed water bars toslow and redirect the running water tothe sides of the trails, easing erosion.

There is a sense of community sharedby the neighboring equestrians of everydiscipline, with a page of the Sundaypaper devoted to equestrian activities.While most trails remain open tohorses, occasionally they are closedwhen a new owner moves in, in whichcase a neighbor might reroute the trailto their property. “Whenever a pathneeds work, someone might go up tothe homeowner and offer to clear it,”says Amy, who says she found herself“immediately comfortable around the

horse people. And I didn’t even get totell you about the Carolina Horse Park.It’s just a twenty minute drive andthere are a lot of activities there aswell, from big horse trials and dressageshows to fun schooling days.”If you’re missing trail riding this winterand can’t get away to Southern Pines,The Walthour-Moss Foundation,Weymouth Woods, and Carolina HorsePark all have websites to visit fromhome.

Pingree Reservation hosts aremarkable series of eskers. Theseuncommon glacial formations may atfirst look like a strange arrangement ofrailroad embankments. Actually, theyare ancient riverbeds, formed when themountains of ice melted, creating riversalong weak zones. Silt and rocks werelaid down along the rivers’ narrowpaths, and eventually streambeds werebuilt up above the level of round onwhich the glaciers rested. After theretaining ice walls melted away, thesestreambeds were left behind, recogniz-able as the raised winding ridges we seetoday.

Goin’ South continued from page 6

Pingree Reservation

ECTA SILVERAnniversary Party

ECTA SILVER Anniversary Party

Essex County Trail AssociationPost Office Box 358Hamilton, MA 01936

Inside:

Senator BruceTarr presentsECTA with a Cita-tion from the Mas-sachusetts StateSenate at the 25thAnniversaryCocktail Party