Times Union, September 12, 2025: “Out with the Jolly Rovers, the volunteer crew hewing Hudson Valley trails”
It’s easy to take for granted the perfectly placed stone steps at hiking spots in upstate New York. But the effort that goes into them is often unseen.
Around 8 a.m. on a recent summer morning, about 15 people gathered at the Anthony’s Nose trailhead in the Hudson Highlands. These were volunteers with the Jolly Rovers Trail Crew, which creates accessible pathways at Hudson Valley hiking spots by splitting, shaping and installing stones. This year, their main project is at Anthony’s Nose, in collaboration with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference.
After brief hellos, the crew hikes about 1.5 miles up to the worksite at the top of a steep rock scramble. The crew lead, Artie Hidalgo, pulls out gloves, hard hats, dust masks, ear protection and safety glasses from a supply box that stays on site for the season, for whoever needs them. Brief introductions follow. Some volunteers are here for their first season; others have been part of the crew for over a decade.
The Jolly Rovers’ season began on March 29 with a tool maintenance celebration. Since then, for one weekend a month, they’ve reported to Anthony’s Nose. That will continue until Nov. 15. It’s similar to their operations for the last few years, but the Jolly Rovers have come a long way…
