COME CELEBRATE NATIONAL TRAILS DAY, JUNE 4, 2011, ON THE 19TH ANNUAL CROSS-ISLAND HIKE

What is the Cross-Island Hike?

Each year, the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank Commission observes National Trails Day – the first Saturday of June – by conducting a daylong hike across the island to expose people to the network of trails that connect the island’s many conservation lands and public properties. Hikes sometimes include stretches across private properties with the generous permission of the owners for the day of the hike only. This is a daylong, guided hike that differs each year and that is typically less than 20 miles in length. Usually, the hike will include sections along dirt or paved roads, and sections of overgrown vegetation (possibly including poison ivy) or steep grades.

What to expect...
Due to the length of the hike, the pace is briskly led. This is not a guided nature walk. Hikers are expected to walk at their individual comfort levels and most opt to walk only a portion of the route. The hike leader marks turnoffs and intersections with colored tape for hikers to follow. Most participants select only a portion of the hike’s itinerary to walk, using the Itinerary times and information in the Detail and Logistics section to plan their personal starting and ending points.

Hikers are responsible for their water and food needs and bring or arrange for their own lunch. The land bank provides fruit and water at a mid-morning and a mid-afternoon break. Sturdy shoes, water bottles, insect repellent and sunscreen (or rain gear) are recommended. Transportation to and from the hike, whichever the segment, is the responsibility of the participants. Parking is often very limited at starting and ending points, so contingency transportation plans are recommended (check the VTA bus schedules).

Details of the specific Hike...

By mid-May, the land bank posts notices in the island papers and calendar sections of the hike’s starting and ending points. At least a week before the walk, this land bank web page will post a hike itinerary identifying the hike's starting and ending times, as well as times of several checkpoints that may provide opportunities for individuals to start or end their hikes if they choose not to hike the entire length. There will also be details concerning difficulty of terrain, parking and other logistics specific to that year’s route.

We hope you will join us for all or part of this annual event.

The 2011 19th annual Cross-Island Hike is 14.6 miles long, starting at the southern tip of Sepiessa Point Reservation on Tisbury Great Pond and concluding at the Vineyard Sound at Wilfrid’s Pond Preserve. We pass along several ancient ways and eleven conservation properties.

9:00 am Depart Tisbury Great Pond shore at the southern point of Sepiessa Point Reservation

9:55 am Leave rear of ball field at West Tisbury-Edgartown Road Fire Station

10:25 am Proceed onto Old Courthouse Road leaving Old County Road (north of Red Barn
Gallery)

11:30 am Arrive at front of West Tisbury Public Safety Building (lunch break)

12:00 pm Leave Public Safety Building

1:35 pm Leave west end of Thimble Farm

2:25 pm Leave Mai Fain House at Tisbury Meadow Preserve

3:30 pm Finish at Vineyard Sound at Wilfrid’s Pond Preserve

Previous Cross-Island Hike participants take note: There will be no 15-minute morning break in this year’s hike. Plan your water and snack needs accordingly.

Maps

Map of Morning Route

Map of Afternoon Route

Map of Entire Route

2011 Hike Details and Logistics

The pace of the hike is brisk. Since not all participants have the same pace and hikers can get separated, colored tape is used to mark changes in the route’s direction. Even if you are following some other hikers, be alert for these markers, especially where trails fork or intersect with roads. A member of the land bank staff trails behind the slower hikers and, in addition, the hike’s leader pauses periodically to re-group. Nevertheless, please respect your physical capabilities. Most participants select only a portion of the hike’s itinerary to walk, using the Itinerary times and information in the Detail and Logistics section to plan their personal starting and ending points.

Some sections of the hike may contain overgrown vegetation (possibly including poison ivy) and some others will be along both dirt and paved roads.

Wear sturdy shoes, bring sunscreen (or rain gear), insect repellent and sufficient water.

Well-behaved dogs are generally welcome but must be leashed.

  Transportation and Parking
Please check VTA bus schedules. You may find it more convenient and it saves gas (i.e., your $$ and our air quality). Sometimes people are able to get rides from the finish point from other hikers, but you should not rely upon such a possibility and should have a contingency plan. If you have an available seat in your vehicle, please consider offering it to a fellow hiker.

Start
Allow time to travel the mile distance from the entrance of Sepiessa Point Reservation to the starting point at the Tisbury Great Pond. Hikers can be dropped off near the starting point but cannot park vehicles there. There is parking for about a dozen vehicles at the canoe trailhead, near the Tiah's Cove Road. A vehicle will shuttle hikers from this trailhead to the starting point until about 8:50.

Morning
Parking may be available at the ball field next to the fire station on Edgartown-West Tisbury Road.

Lunch Break
Parking is available at the rear of the West Tisbury Public Safety Building.

Afternoon
Limited parking is available at land bank trailheads on the Wapatequa Woods Reservation (via Stoney Hill Road – a very rough road) and Tisbury Meadow Preserve. Some parking may be available at signed locations at Tashmoo Springs (not the overlook).

Finish
Limited parking is available at the Wilfrid’s Pond Preserve trailhead.

Safety
Hikers have to cross roadways and frequently walk alongside some roads and bike paths. Be cautious and alert! Remember to walk on the left hand side of the road, against traffic. When on a side road with little traffic where hikers can safely spill out across the road, everyone should move to the left when cars do approach rather than line both sides of the roadway. Likewise, when the hike passes alongside a roadway and then crosses the road to venture away from the roadway, you should remain on the side of the road opposing traffic until reaching the point where the hike’s leader crossed the road. On bike paths, you should stay to the right, allowing for bicyclist to pass.

The morning contains a few roadside segments on low-trafficked roads and one crossing so use extra caution:

Short dirt portion of Tiah’s Cove Road
Cross Edgartown-West Tisbury Road [CAUTION – driver visibility not great]
On or alongside of bike path (0.8 mile)
Walk along Elias Lane (mostly dirt)
Along shoulder of Old County Road (< 0.1 mile)
Along paved portion of Old Courthouse Road (0.3 mile)
Cross State Road
Cross and along South Indian Hill Road (< 0.2 mile)
Cross State Road

The afternoon contains two road crossings where hikers need especially to exercise caution:
Cross Old County Road
Along Stoney Hill Road (dirt, < 0.1 mile)
Along Snake Hollow Road (dirt)
Cross State Road [CAUTION – poor visibility]
Cross or along West Spring Street (0.5 mile) [CAUTION – road has no shoulder along curve]
Cross and along several residential dirt roads
Along Herring Creek Road (narrow, dirt, < 0.9 mile)

Difficulty
Footing: Various sections of the hike pass over loose sand. Most of the route is compacted earthen paths or roads. The route passes along less than a mile-long section of bike path in the state forest and a third of a mile of sidewalk in the morning. In the afternoon, watch for roots on some newer trails.

Gradient: The hike is mostly flat terrain, with a couple of steep descents and ascents in the afternoon at Tisbury Meadow Preserve and Tashmoo Spring.

Vegetation: Not all trails are formally maintained. Some trails may be very narrow and difficult to avoid brushing against vegetation – perhaps even poison ivy. This may be particularly true setting out after lunch, when exiting Tisbury Meadow Preserve and at Tashmoo Spring.

Rest Breaks
About every hour or so, the hike’s leader will pause a few minutes. Some of these are checkpoints or road crossings posted in the Hike Itinerary. We take a half-hour for lunch, which is the responsibility of the individual hikers. The lunch break is in the West Tisbury business district where food and drink can be purchased from stores. There will be a 15-minute break at which the land bank provides fruit and water in the afternoon. Due to the relatively short length and route of this year’s hike, there will not be a similar 15-minute break in the morning. Plan your water and snack needs accordingly. Restrooms are available during the lunch break at the West Tisbury Public Safety Building and the afternoon break at the Tisbury Meadow Preserve.