Walkers, hikers and runners might be surprised to learn about the outsized contribution Upper Valley Trail Alliance (UVTA) makes to the trails they love.

Matt Oscadal hiked trails that were designed, built and maintained by the Norwich-based nonprofit organization for years before learning about the UVTA. Now he’s a board member, event volunteer and occasional trail work volunteer.

“The more involved I get, the more I appreciate trails and everything it takes to keep them open and accessible,” Oscadal, of Hartland, said.

Building and maintaining trails is — as the saying goes — a heavy lift. First, community or organization stakeholders agree trail work is needed. Next, new trails or improvements are funded and designed.

Then rocks are moved, stairways and bridges are built; signs and markers are placed; and maps are created and distributed. Finally, to preserve the financial and sweat investment and protect hikers and environments, trails are maintained.

Throughout its 25 years of operation, UVTA has provided advocacy, design, building and maintenance expertise for 75 miles annually to trails all throughout the Upper Valley. Considering the work that goes into every mile of trails, it seems impossible that all that work is done by a staff that only recently grew from four to five people.

It would be impossible if not for the “A” in UVTA, the alliance of organizations, businesses and individuals that contribute financially and physically. To date, UVTA partners with more than 50 organizations and municipalities, has 25 corporate sponsors and 550 individuals are members. In 2023 alone, more than 200 volunteers contributed more than 1,900 hours of service on trails that are owned and managed by more than 50 towns and partners.

Mike Silverman, co-director of the Covered Bridges Half Marathon, saw the connection between his annual event and the year-round recreational resources UVTA builds. When he worked in outdoor programming at Dartmouth College, he witnessed the tangible benefits of getting people outdoors for their own and their community’s health. That’s why he got students involved in UVTA projects and why he continues to connect UVTA and half-marathon volunteers.

“How can the Upper Valley keep green spaces open and avoid becoming another suburb?” Silverman asked. “If we’re not getting people involved, especially young people, trails won’t be here in the long run.

“UVTA gives people a chance to get their hands dirty and understand how they’re helping keep green spaces open,” he added. “That work also builds community. However you are involved, it’s exciting to join together on a project and see the results.”

As resort experience manager at Lake Morey Resort, Paige Radney’s priority is making sure guests have a great time.

“Many guests want to get out in nature, and UVTA’s trail resources are important to that effort,” Radney said. “We give guests a guide to local and regional trails for every level of ability.”

Pointing guests to local trails is only one way the Lake Morey Resort and UVTA work together.

“We really see a congruency in our missions to expand regional recreation opportunities,” Radney said. “We open the Lake Morey skate trail every winter and get involved in UVTA’s Tour de Taste every year as a community service.”

Tour de Taste — often described as the only way to gain weight while riding a bike — is a pedaling picnic in which participants enjoy a scenic bike ride with food stops along the route. This event has introduced many Upper Valley residents to Lake Morey Resort as one of the culinary stops on the route.

“Tour deTaste riders see the resort as a possible wedding or conference venue,” Radney said. The Lake Morey Resort will also serve as the site for UVTA’s 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner on Nov. 14. “Our organizations support each other for everyone’s benefit.”

Individuals and families are a critical part of the alliance and, like businesses, their UVTA involvement has mutual benefits. For Kate Rohdenburg, Matt Oscadal’s partner, UVTA provided a way to build a social life in the Upper Valley.

“I didn’t have many friends in the Upper Valley when I moved back as a single, young adult,” Rohdenburg said. “Volunteering at Tour de Taste was a great way to have fun and meet people.”

Rohdenburg and Oscadal consider their UVTA engagement an important part of living in the Upper Valley.

“We committed to stay here to live and work because there is such easy access to hiking, skiing and watersports,” Rohdenburg said. “We realized that the community resources we really value and enjoy, like the Hartland winter trails and Mt. Ascutney trails, are only possible through community support. We have a responsibility to contribute.”

Karen Kaliski is an Upper Valley Trails Alliance board member. To learn more about UVTA and how you can become a member, visit www.uvtrails.org. To find a trail near you, visit www.trailfinder.info.