This summer, it seems like The Valley is busier than it has ever been with overflowing parking lots at swim holes, paths and trailheads. Obviously, some of it is a backlash against how cooped up we’ve all been during the COVID-19 pandemic and some of it is due to the fact that we’re having a gorgeous summer and people want to be here to relax and play.
Swim holes, paths and trails are being heavily used by locals and visitors, most of whom are being respectful of the fact that many of these recreational access points exist due to the generosity of private landowners.
Unfortunately, as Ross Saxton, executive director of the Mad River Path Association, pointed out this week, there are others who are being less than respectful. That lack of respect, combined with heavy usage is creating some serious issues that could result in all of us losing access to these places.
Saxton said that garbage, including used disposable diapers, takeout food containers, dog feces (both bagged and unbagged) were being left behind. Dogs are running off leashes. People are straying off designated trail areas creating side trails and damaging private land.
Consider the fact about 1% of the river access just south of the Waitsfield covered bridge is town-owned. This is where hundreds of people access the river every day. Ninety-nine percent of the land is privately owned including the parking lot, grassed lawns and beaches plus the Mad River Path. Those landowners are civic-minded enough and generous enough to let us use their land. They shouldn’t have to clean up after us.
This has been going on throughout the summer. Local select boards have been trying to manage the trash. Volunteers and those who own the land have been picking up trash – a lot of trash – on a daily basis. That’s wrong.
We need to police ourselves, all of us, residents, visitors and second-home owners alike. We can’t treat our beautiful swim holes and trails with such disrespect and we can’t treat those who let us recreate or have access to the river through their private property with such disrespect.
Can we please pick up after ourselves?
