The old trail to the fire tower on Red Hill has served this community well. It has been a road to the old farms that struggled there in the 18th century. It has been, and still can be, a road to the fire tower. A small portion of it is used in winter by snowmobiles. And in summer it is a virtual highway for hikers intent on seeing what has been described as one of the finest views in central New Hampshire. Tourists have been drawn to Red Hill since the late 1800s, and while there are other paths on this landmark hill, it is the main trail that gets most use. Given the amount of traffic that has used this famous trail for nearly 200 years, it is amazing it is in such good condition. Yet, in places it is badly eroded. When the Lakes Region Conservation Trust bought the property from the Dane family, it knew it had a big job ahead of it. And that job has begun. In two work sessions this summer, volunteers worked under the direction of professional trail builder, Rubin Rajla, and LRCT Trustee John Oliver, to install water bars and dips to direct water off the trail. In another workday, planned for this fall, the Trust plans to bring in donated heavy equipment to work on the most eroded parts of the trail and to install steps or switchbacks to help keep the trail from being damaged further. The Trust now is the largest landowner on Red Hill, with significant holdings on the east, south and west sides and an easement on the north side. It is working to try to connect some of the existing trails so that hikers can traverse the mountain in several ways. Later this fall, with the trail work finished for the season and connecting trails identified, the Trust hopes to prepare and distribute a map of the trails. Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the Red Hill trail improvements or in the general work of the Trust, should call Kitty or Sue at the LRCT's Meredith offices, 603-279-3245.