Alex Bernhard, a founder of the Friends of the Northern Rail Trail (FNRT) in Merrimack County, is stepping down from the FNRT Board of Directors this year. In honor of his work and contributions to the Trail, we talked with him and share his reflections here. This interview was edited for clarity.
1. What started the creation of the FNRT and what was the beginning like?
I am a railroad fan, and when we moved to the area, I realized I couldn’t bring the trains back, but I knew the trail could be a usable feature. I knew we needed a larger group of people, and Myra Mayman, Bob Ward, and I created the leadership group.
Our first project was to incorporate as a nonprofit and to receive a $20,000 RTP (Recreational Trails Program) grant to put stone dust on top of the ballast rocks from Potter Place toward Lawrence Street in Andover. We continued to apply for the grant every year for almost 10 years. We’d do about two miles every year as we worked toward Boscawen.
2.What’s an accomplishment you’re proud of from your tenure on the FNRT Board?
An accomplishment I am proud of is building the trail and finding the right stone dust. It took us about five years to do that. While working on a federal TEP (Transportation Enhancement Program) grant to cover eight miles to Danbury, we had a soil engineer design a custom specification that included a variety of sizes of stone that “locked together.”
What became our NRT trail mix has enough plasticity that the trail can heal itself. New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT) has adopted our trail stone dust “spec” for all the trails in New Hampshire. Some sections of the Trail are 20 years old and all we’ve done (for maintenance) is mow. It was a game changer.
3. What would you like the Trail users to know about the FNRT Board’s work?
First and foremost, it’s a working board, and that’s not always true for boards. It’s a cohesive board and we all share a common goal.
Myra Mayman and Lindy Heim, Co-Presidents, have been incredibly welcoming. Don Moyer, Vice President, has created his own group of volunteers and established a very good working relationship with the New Hampshire Trails Bureau. The volunteer experience is positive and people know they are making a contribution.
4. What is one wish for the Northern Rail Trail as you look to the future?
The one wish would be the success of the Granite State Rail Trail. That larger Trail, as imagined, will go from the Connecticut River down to the New Hampshire/Massachusetts state line, traveling through Concord and Manchester.
Long trails have a history of becoming successful and self-supporting. They tend to bring people in and it would be good for the Trail and the state. We are a piece of that; the Northern Rail Trail would be the biggest part of that Trail.
5. What is your favorite section of Trail?
That’s an easy one — Potter Place to Danbury, lunch at the Danbury Store, and back. As most people know, there is a grade to the Trail and on the return, feeling a little tired, you have “wings of fire” as you return with the downhill grade.