Jamie’s Trail at Pond Mountain Trust
Jamie’s connection to nature was deeply rooted in the woods of Kent and Pond Mountain.
From a young age, this landscape helped shape who he became. At age 7, he completed the 7-mile ridge loop at Macedonia Brook State Park — a hike that left a lasting impression on everyone who shared it with him. Those early days in the woods built the foundation for a lifelong love of the outdoors.
By age 14, Jamie had climbed all forty-six Adirondack High Peaks. But that journey began here — on these trails.
If you find yourself at Pond Mountain Trust, we invite you to walk Jamie’s Trail. Jamie's trail crosses streams, passes through fields full of wild flowers and mature hardwood forests, and connects PMT's trails to the loop trail in the state park.
Creating Jamie's Trail
In Jamie’s memory, we worked to protect a parcel of land and connect it to Pond Mountain Trust, making it possible to create this trail.
This effort was made possible by an extraordinary outpouring of support. Together, we raised over $350,000 through the generosity of more than 100 donors, ensuring that this land would be preserved and accessible for years to come.
The trail itself was built by friends, family, and community members who spent countless hours clearing paths, carrying materials, and working together in the woods. From the trail layout to the bridge, every part of it reflects care, effort, and shared purpose.
A Community Effort
This trail exists because people showed up and offered their love and support.
Some gave financially to help preserve the land. Others came out into the woods to help build it. All of it meant so much to us.
To everyone who contributed — thank you.
A Living Tribute
Jamie’s Trail is more than a path through the woods.
Visitors continue to build cairns, bringing stones from meaningful places across the country and beyond. Friends and family return often, walking the trail, sharing stories, and staying connected to Jamie in a place he loved.
A Place for Reflection
For some, the trail is a place for quiet reflection.
For others, it is a place to gather, to remember, and to feel connected — to Jamie, to each other, and to the natural world.
Continuing the Legacy
“We find great comfort being in the woods, enjoying nature, and thinking about him. Katie and I would love to honor Jamie by continuing Myra Hopson’s legacy.” — Mark Pener
The preservation of this land ensures that Jamie’s love for nature continues to have an impact — giving others the opportunity to explore, reflect, and build their own connection to the outdoors.
Ash Monitoring
While working on the trail, we discovered hundreds of dying ash trees—victims of the invasive emerald ash borer. It was heartbreaking to witness, and the destruction of those trees became a kind of metaphor for grief—slow, relentless, and hard to make sense of. We began to ask difficult questions: Do we remove them all? Is it better to intervene, or to let nature take its course? Then we learned about a nonprofit working to identify “lingering ash”—trees that show signs of resistance. By monitoring and breeding these survivors, they hope to restore ash trees to our forests someday, and that gave us a sense of hope. So in 2024, we worked with Monitoring and Managing Ash (MaMA) to host a workshop on Jamie's trail and start a monitoring plot. We’ll return each year to see if any trees are holding on, and which may someday contribute to the preservation of this species. It’s a small act of stewardship, but it reminds us that even in the face of loss, there is possibility. There is renewal.