Opening them up to snowmobiles, as Montgomery County is considering doing from Amsterdam to the Herkimer County line, would ruin the experience for such users. It would also set a precedent that would make it harder for other communities to keep the machines off their trails.
This isn't the first time this section of trail has been in the news. In recent years snowmobilers in Montgomery County have ignored the clearly posted prohibition on motorized vehicle use, prompting the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which has responsibility for the Canalway, to erect barricades at various points. Snowmobilers' desire for ever more places to ride may be understandable, but the fact is there are places they shouldn't be allowed to, and a bike-hike trail is one of them.
In addition to their noise and noxious fumes, which disturb not only other users but also neighbors and wildlife, the machines are dangerous. They go fast, reaching speeds of 60 mph to 100 mph. That's a problem anywhere - as a recent string of accidents, including three on the Great Sacandaga Lake this weekend, show - but especially on a 10-foot-wide trail. The chances of hitting another user, or an oncoming sled, are too great.
With 8,500 miles of legal trails in the state, there are plenty of other, safer places for snowmobilers to ride. If the county and snowmobile clubs reach an agreement to open the trail, the Office of Parks and Recreation shouldn't approve it.