History

    The Cross-Rivendell Trail was first proposed at a Project Co-Seed conference in 1998. The Rivendell Interstate School District (Fairlee, Vershire and West Fairlee VT, and Orford, NH) was still only a concept when Sally Tomlinson of Orford proposed a cross-district trail as a way to tie the four towns together physically. In December 2000, David Hooke of Vershire, who had long experience with the Dartmouth Outing Club and the Appalachian Trail, came aboard to lead the project. Jayson Seaman of Orford, then External Programs Coordinator for Rivendell, made the connections that permitted Rivendell Summer Trail Crews to begin construction on the trail. Grants obtained in 2001 allowed for construction of the Mt. Cube Section and the planning of the Vermont route, and with that the project was off and running. Additional grants have funded student trail crews each summer, such that most of the 38 miles are now complete and in service.



    The Cross-Rivendell Trail is managed through a unique partnership between the Rivendell Trails Association and the Rivendell Interstate School District, drawing upon the strength of each organization.  Rivendell School was well-suited to accept grants, hire and manage crews to build the trail, and oversee the other employment needs of the trail.

And, of course, the school is well-suited to developing the trail as a living laboratory for Rivendell classwork. The section of trail behind the Academy includes the Rivendell Outdoor Community Classroom, used for plant and animal cataloging, environmental studies, and other exciting learning activities.

    When it became clear that the District needed additional help to manage the trail over the long term, interested townspeople formed the Rivendell Trails Association in 2003. The RTA is a 501c3 non-profit organization charged with the mission to create and maintain the Cross-Rivendell Trail as an educational and recreational resource. The RTA oversees the trail, maintains insurance coverage for trail operations and landowners, sponsors events, publishes newsletters, and provides information to the public about the trail. The RTA has over 130 members (including the 55 landowners who have generously given permission for the trail) and a Board of 11, including 7 townspeople, 2 Rivendell teachers, and 2 Rivendell students.

    For the upcoming year, RISD and the RTA are pleased to announce the creation of a new, jointly-funded position of Trails Coordinator. Val Stori has replaced David Hooke as the RTA manager and has taken on responsibility for growing the educational use of the trail within the school. We are very excited about having Val on board for this new position. She will be the contact person in many of the trail endeavors.
 
 
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