On the Hudson Trails, which link NYC to the Adirondacks, CommuniTyler marked trails, cleared trails, created guide maps and prepared the area for future nature−lovers to enjoy
In NYC, we teamed up with Hudson Trails in their effort to build and map trails connecting over 800 miles between the High Bridge in New York City to Mt. Marcy in the Adirondacks. Our task involved a three-mile stretch where we marked the trails, cleared the trails, and made guide maps (we quickly discovered Bryan and Charity are amazing cartographers). Clearing everything from huge trees to old tires filled with mystery liquids brought everyone together quickly and good conversations started to flow. Our guide, Bob, was one of the main reasons I pursued this project. I knew from our first conversation about him having too many kids due to long, cold nights in an unheated cabin, that he and Ty would have loved each other. All day he told us amazing stories about his life’s adventures and everyone kept commenting “Man, Ty would’ve loved this dude!” He had a very similar love for life and thirst to get to know everyone around them. After a couple of very cold weeks in New York, it was amazing to have such a beautiful day in such beautiful scenery to remember such a beautiful soul.
Afterward, we gathered at The Watering Hole, a karaoke bar in Union Square where Ty has done some epic performances of “Hopelessly Devoted” (his partner was a large man whom we believed was in the mafia) and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” We all did the dance to both! We exchanged amazing stories and ended up making friends with another group, who joined in on our game of flip cup. All in all, a great day and a great way to honor Tyler.
−Kacey Ronaldson
