A Decade-Long Journey
A Decade-Long Journey
Efforts Continue for the Ellicottville-Great Valley (EVGV) Trail
Ellicottville is magnificent in autumn. The hills, bathed in the glow of a changing season, are an impressionist painting - the beautiful background of our quotidian lives. As leaves fall to grass and sidewalks, caressing them with their color, the town comes alive with sunset hues. Warmed drinks are clasped in cold fingers, but the early morning crispness is more invigorating than any caffeinated beverage. The freshly fallen leaves and branches, coupled with a newly remembered frost, create a symphony of sound, our feet the musicians. Synesthetic, smells link with sights and tastes, feelings lodging deep in our bellies. This is the essence of the Ellicottville outdoors, a beautiful nostalgia that lingers on the wind.
In 2012, Ellicottville Times founder Jennie Acklin, bewitched by this very essence, had an epiphany. Inspired by the extensive trail systems in Colorado, she asked herself: “Why couldn’t we make this happen in Ellicottville?” Acklin formed a spearhead committee, raising enough money to hire a regional expert and develop a plan. The blueprint, truly a masterpiece, outlined an expansive graveled walkway stretching from the Great Valley Town Hall to the Holiday Valley Tubing Park, bypassing the busy Route 219. More than a typical earth-hewn hiking path, the EVGV Trail is designed for family promenades, cycling, dog walking, and general good-natured frolicking. The fun does not stop there: the EVGV Trail is set to merge with the Southern Tier Trail, linking Buffalo to Olean. From there, the trail system would extend to Albany and New York City. It would connect the entirety of New York State!
Building such a dream, however, is not an easy task. In the planning phase, a blueprint alone costs around $25,000. Depending on the complexity of the landscape, a trail can be priced up to $700,000 a mile!
“We started the first phase last summer,” says Mark D. Alianello, the project’s principal engineer and EVGV Board member. “As of right now, the trail extends from the Cornell Cooperative Extension to the Tim Hortons, about 3,200 feet.”
With assistance from local contractors Philip Vogt and Steinbroner Farms, the immense task of stump removal has been completed. Thanks to generous land donations from the Northrup family, EllicottVillas, Glen Burn Trail, and a mysterious Wyoming-based landowner, Alianello’s team has, slowly but surely, outlined a path in the complicated wetlands of Western New York.
“There’s so much that goes into a trail,” explains Alianello, founder of MDA Consulting Engineers in Ellicottville. “We have to contend not only with the physical environment and terrain, but property laws, endangered species, and environmental permits. The northern long-eared bat was a big concern,” he adds. “Wetlands are very delicate ecosystems and procuring permits from the DEC and EPA takes time. It has been very slow-going.”
Historically, trail-building teams prefer to utilize abandoned railroads as a ready-made trail framework, much like the Pat McGee Trail from Little Valley to Salamanca. This, unfortunately, is not an option for the EVGV Trail. The next piece of the puzzle? Bulk earthwork: a strange and slightly sinister term for leveling the ground and adding drainage. This step is the most time consuming and labor intensive.
“At present, we’re a little stuck,” admits Alianello. “It costs a lot of money to make this happen and the funding we were expecting this year was recently reallocated to pandemic relief.”
Despite the hurdles, the team persists, the generosity of local donors their main fuel. “Our final vision,” explains Alianello, proudly, “is a safe and family-friendly recreational opportunity that fits the theme of our wonderful Ellicottville community.”
The dedicated EVGV board - comprised of Ken Hinman, Amy DeTine, Scott Johnson, John Thomas, Katie O’Stricker, and Mark Alianello - have persevered wholeheartedly. “I would have loved to have something like this when I was raising my kids,” Alianello says, reminiscing. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for any community, especially for a place like Ellicottville.”
“The Board Directors and Committee members have been working so hard for so many years,” adds Kate O’Stricker, the Board’s Secretary. “I am just really excited that we are finally starting construction. All of our members believe that the trail will not only expand transportation options for everyone, but it will also provide a safe place for walkers and bikers of all ages and abilities. There are so many health, safety and economic benefits to having a trail system in the Ellicottville area; we hope that we are able to keep the progress moving forward.”
On Saturday, October 17th, the EVGV Trail Board and sponsors will be hosting a socially distanced Chicken BBQ fundraiser at the Ellicottville Town Hall. Starting at noon (until gone), stop by to enjoy some delicious food, chat with the volunteers, and share in the community vision. If you cannot attend the event but would still like to get involved, visit evgvtrail.org. There are tons of opportunities to contribute - from a donation on Facebook to joining the EVGV Board. The committee would love some fresh faces and new ideas. After all, it has been almost a decade … it is time to “get ‘er done”!