'Discovering the Long Path: Images of New York’s Greatest Trail' Exhibit Set to Debut at Trail Conference Headquarters this Fall

March 29, 2016
New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

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'Discovering the Long Path: Images of New York’s Greatest Trail' Exhibit Set to Debut at Trail Conference Headquarters this Fall

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Long Path: Sam's Point in Autumn. Photo by Steve Aaron

Photographer Steve Aaron and Long Path Race Series cofounder Ken Posner are partnering to create an interpretive photo exhibit that tells the story of New York’s great long-distance hiking trail, the 357-mile Long Path. The exhibit, titled Discovering the Long Path: Images of New York’s Greatest Trail, will include a selection of Aaron’s landscape photos together with maps and notes that explain the significance of each picture. Their goal is to spread the word about this trail and encourage more people to experience it.

"Completing the trail in 2013 was an incredible experience for me,” said Posner, who sits on the Trail Conference Board. “The Long Path is a remarkable trail, and more people need to know about it."

Ken PosnerSteve Aaron

Spanning from New York City to the John Boyd Thacher State Park west of Albany, the Long Path connects some of the Hudson Valley’s most beautiful natural areas, including the Hudson Palisades, Harriman State Park, Schunnemunk Mountain, the Shawangunk Mountains, and the Catskills.  It was first conceived of in the 1930s as New York’s own long-distance trail, and it was championed by Trail Conference founder Raymond Torrey.  Since then, it’s been routed, blazed, and built by the Trail Conference and its volunteers, 250 of whom are involved in maintaining the trail

"Having hiked many sections of the Long Path in the Palisades, Harriman, the Shawangunks, Catskills, and Thacher Park, I’ve always been fascinated by the geographic and scenic diversity of the terrain the trail encompasses,” said Aaron, a Trail Conference member. “I hope to be able to share the scenic beauty and diversity of the Long Path through our upcoming photo exhibit."

To fund the cost of producing the exhibit, Aaron and Posner will conduct a Kickstarter campaign running July 5 through July 31.  The campaign will offer people a chance to purchase some of Aaron’s images in either digital or framed formats, or arrange a personal photo shoot with him on a favorite section of the Long Path.  Other rewards in the campaign will be Long Path-blazed T-shirts, hats, and fleece vests.

The exhibit is scheduled to open Sept. 10 at Trail Conference Headquarters (600 Ramapo Valley Rd., Mahwah, NJ) and run through Jan. 13, 2017. Discovering the Long Path will move to the  Cunneen-Hackett Arts Center in Poughkeepsie from Jan. 14 through Feb. 18, 2017, and then travel to the Catskill Center Erpf Gallery, dates TBD,  as well as other galleries throughout the Hudson Valley.

For more information on the Long Path, visit nynjtc.org/region/long-path.