Letters of Recommendation |
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June 2007
Hans, What a pleasure it is to work with a dedicated group of trailsman. I marvel at the way the trails are laid out and then cleared, graded and banked using the topography of the land to the best advantage. I am amazed at how much a crew can get done in one outing. They are wonderful trials and you all have come a long way from when I discovered the trail off of Christmas tree Lane. I hope to draw on your knowledge of the surrounding trails in other towns and how we can connect to them in Richmond and how we can improve the trails we have. I hope we can create new trails as nice as the ones FOTW make. The session is going to be June 28th from 6:30pm to 9:30 pm in the library upstairs in Richmond. In the past two meeting they have had refreshments the first half hour. Sincerely, John Hammerslough Open Letter - Essex Town Rec Dear Landowner, The Fellowship of the Wheel has worked with the Essex Parks and Recreation Department on a couple of different projects within our parks. Last fall they designed and constructed three miles of non-motorized multi-use trails in Saxon Hill. Saxon Hill is a 95 acre parcel that was leased to the Town from the school department. Easements on the property restrict use to conservation education and recreation. During the designing and construction of the trail, the Fellowship worked closely with the Town to ensure that the trail had minimal impact on the environment while at the same time providing an enjoyable experience. Feedback from various users groups has been all positive. The Fellowship of the Wheel are good land stewards. In addition to developing new trails they work to protect existing trails. This summer the Fellowship came back to Saxon Hill to construct bridges and make other trail modifications in those areas that were wet. The Fellowship of the Wheel has also helped the parks and recreation department with maintenance work on trails at Indian Brook, another public park in Essex. To further protect the trails that the Fellowship builds, they maintain a list of those trails on their website and post trail openings and closings based on trail conditions. The development of these three miles of trail has been a great addition to the network of trails within Essex. The trail constructed by the Fellowship of the Wheel is included in the Trail and Recreation Guide that was published by the Parks and Recreation Department. We hope to continue working with the Fellowship of the Wheel in the future development of new multi-use trails and the maintenance of existing trails. Please feel free to contact me at 878-1342. Sincerely, Mark Berry Thank you so much for your generous support in helping us with our Plouffe Lane trails project in Charlotte. We are extremely appreciative of your efforts. The fact that the FOTW is willing to lend some muscle and expertise to a small community project speaks volumes as to what you are all about. More than just a mountain biking association, you are a community oriented organization. I found your organization to be highly sensitive to both neighbor interests and environmental factors. I have enjoyed and seen the success of a number of your other trail projects throughout Chittenden County and am very excited to now have your involvement in Charlotte as well. Thank you thank you thank you. Gary Franklin June 2006 On behalf of the Hinesburg Trails Committee and the Hinesburg Recreation Commission, please accept this letter with sincere appreciation for all of the efforts of the Fellowship of the Wheel to make outdoor recreation more accessible for the residents of our community. The members of your group have volunteered countless hours cleaning, preparing and constructing trails that are suitable for a variety of recreational activities, from walking to snowshoeing to cross-country skiing to mountain biking. In addition, the Fellowship has improved access to these trails in a number of ways, from clearing the parking areas designated by the town to installing kiosks that inform the public of the trail networks available for their use. These efforts have benefited Hinesburg considerably, both in terms of promoting outdoor recreation, but also by increasing the awareness of the variety of our trail resources throughout the town. For these efforts, we are truly grateful. Frank Twarog March 2004 Hans Jenny and the "Fellowship Of The Wheel",approached
me regarding the possibility of using my land for a bike trail. He has
been most respectful of my privacy, quick to remedy any problems arising,
and to implement any suggestions on my part. He sited the trail according
to my wishes and chose a route that was mindful of the fragile woods soils
and slopes.He and the Fellowship have proven to be incredibly Sally Fellows, (Williston, VT) January 2002 Hans Jenny, and the Fellowship of the Wheel, a local group of Mountain Bikers has worked with the Williston Conservation Commission to form the Williston Trails Council, a group that is dedicated to opening primitive path trails in Williston. The Trails Council has been assisting the Conservation Commission in meeting its goal of a town-wide primitive path system as outlined in Williston’s Town Plan. Primitive paths are trails that will only be improved to the extent needed to allow for safe passage and minimize trail erosion. They will be multi-user trails for non-motorized uses such as walkers, runners, dog-walkers, mountain bikers, snow shoers and cross country skiers. With specific permission, trails may also be used by horses and/or snowmobiles. Landowner input will be an integral part of trail design. With the permission and oversight of the Williston Conservation Commission, Hans and the Fellowship of the Wheel designed and organized the trail work to open the Mud Pond Country Park trail. Prior to the establishment of this trail this piece of town land, on the East side of South Road adjacent to Mud Pond Conservation Area, was only accessible by trail along the VAST snowmobile trail network. This 2 + mile loop trail is now open as a multiple use trail. Reports from users and neighbors about the new trail have been positive. The Fellowship of the Wheel is also involved with other towns in developing primitive path networks. To maintain this increasingly large network, Hans has been recruiting individuals to maintain specific sections of trails under a "Adopt A Trail" program. This system will ensure that a local person, who uses the trail on a regular basis will be in charge of ensuring that maintenance concerns are identified and addressed. In addition, Hans has taken training courses with the IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) Trail work Crew to learn the “best practices” for building primitive trails. More information about this program is available at www.IMBA.com. Some trail systems developed by the Fellowship are on large tracts of private land. Hans has kept in close contact with landholders regarding trail status and usage via personal communication and e-mail newsletters. In addition, he has ensured that users recognize the generosity of these landowners and respect the private land they are using. Jean Kissner September 2003 Our experience with the Fellowship
of the Wheel has been only positive. Sleepy Hollow is a three year old
mountain bike facility during the summer months. During our initial summer
season, the very first mountain bike trails built on our property were
by the Fellowship. They have been back every year with our permission
adding to our network. The Fellowship is a responsible and respectful
group that has done us a great service. Sleepy Hollow has seen the evolution
of the Fellowship from a group of like-minded mountain bike enthusiast
into a group involved and dedicated to help foster the responsible growth
of mountain biking in our area. Eli Enman October 2003 I was very pleased and excited about the possibility of the Fellowship being more involved in the Saxon Hill Mountain Biking Trails. My experience with the Fellowship at Mobbs farm in Jericho has been particularly positive and I wanted to share my perspectives. I lived in Jericho for 9 years, from approximately
1991 - 2000, just off of Milo White Road. I quickly discovered the University
of Vermont Research forest off of Tarbox Road and gained permission to
x-country ski, walk, and mountain bike there. I lived in Jericho because
of the "country" experience and to be closer to nature. In this
part of Jericho, access to nature was easy and enjoyable, but it was enjoyed
by few people and could be characterized more as poaching than partnership. I hope to see more partnerships, mutual benefits and access through the work of the Fellowship. I live in Vermont because of access to Nature, and I know that through groups like the Fellowship, this access can be enjoyable and beneficial to everyone. Sincerely, August 2003 I just returned home after another bike ride on the trails at Mobbs Farm. What a great neighborhood resource! It is so nice to have the opportunity to enjoy the woods on a trail so close to home. Thanks to you and all the volunteers who devoted time to making the trails. My neighbors and their kids also use the trails occasionally for biking and hiking. I appreciate the fact that the trails are minimalist in design, and that you have obviously made efforts to alter the landscape as little as possible. I know that when the leaves fall, the unsigned trails will disappear until spring. Low impact recreation resources like the Mobbs Farm trails definitely add value to our community. Thanks again. The trails represent a true rural recreation investment. Regards, Hans, Courtney and I both want to thank you and the other members of the Fellowship for all the help Thursday night. Your doing great stuff with the Fellowship, Courtney and I both came away very impressed with the group as a whole as well as their willingness to work. We would like to become members, please let me know how we sign up and who we send the check to. Thanks again,
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