WURTSBORO – Last Saturday’s early morning winter weather left a modest layer of snow on the O&W Rail Trail in Wurtsboro for trailblazers to leave their tracks while participating in the Sullivan O&W Rail Trail Alliance’s 3rd annual SnO&W Snowshoe Fun Run.

Before embarking on the 3-mile round trip down the trail, Town of Mamakating Interagency Coordinator, Kerron Barnes, briefed participants on the history of the New York Ontario & Western (O&W) Railway prior to their restoration as the public walkable trails available today. 

The railway was in operation from 1868 to 1957, running from New York City to Lake Ontario, splitting through Sullivan County. The route was mainly used to transport dairy products, coal, and people across New York.

Today, the O&W Rail Trails consist of six separate dedicated footpaths all throughout the county.

Keeping SnO&W Fun Run participants warm on Saturday with a fundraising booth selling coffee, hot chocolate, and goodies were Monticello High School Seniors and National Honor Society members Allison Weinstein and Michael Feltman.

The O&W Rail Trail Alliance hosts rail trail-centered events year-round, with plans already in the works for a “canine-friendly “dog days of summer” BowWO&W Walk planned for early August, and the Halloween themed walkthrough, HO&WL, set for late October.