WHITINGHAM- It’s being billed as the “Best Dam Walk in Vermont,” and it may be the only walk in Vermont that’s worth a dam.

On Sunday, September 13, Deerfield Valley Community Cares, a local organization that provides fuel assistance to Deerfield Valley residents in need, is holding a walk to raise funds for this winter’s heating season. The trail, along the abandoned railway bed of the Hoosac Tunnel and Wilmington Railroad, or Hoot, Toot & Whistle as it was commonly known, offers some of the most captivating views of Harriman Reservoir. The route begins at the southern end of the reservoir, at the site of the dam and the famous “glory hole,” a funnel-shaped spillway adjacent to the dam.

To suit a wider number of potential walkers, DVCC has marked two distances, a half marathon (13.2 miles) walk that kicks off at 8 am, and a 6.6-mile walk that begins at 10 am. Both of the walks are round trip; participants will reach a turnaround point on the trail and head back to the starting point. Those taking the shorter walk will reach a point about halfway between the dam and the Medburyville picnic area at the northern end of the reservoir in Wilmington. Those taking the longer walk will continue until they reach a point almost a mile from Medburyville before turning around to head back to the dam. The cost of the walk is a $30 donation to DVCC for adults and $10 for kids from 12 to 18. Kids under 12 walk for free.

DVCC Chair Sue Spengler says the walk is the group’s latest fundraising effort, designed to replace a portion of the money that has been raised through the sale of the popular “Deerfield Valley Uncovered” calendars. This year’s calendar release party, at Dover Town Hall on Monday, September 28 from 5 to 7 pm, will mark the calendar’s fourth and final year. “This year’s calendar will be the last for a while,” Spengler says. “It’s time consuming, but successful. It brings in a lot of money.”

Eventually, Spengler says, she hopes the event will become a “sponsored” walk, in which participants will seek sponsors to raise money. This year, she notes, most people are electing to pay the entry fee themselves.

But it may be years before the walk can bring in anything approaching the $18,000 to $20,000 the calendar has. Other fundraising efforts, such as a fuel raffle, have met with moderate success, but DVCC still struggles to meet the need for fuel assistance in the valley. “We’re spending $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 per winter, depending on how bad the weather is,” Spengler says. “It doesn’t take long for the money to disappear. We usually end up with nothing; this year we ended up with a couple thousand left over.”

Although the location is attractive and historic, Spengler says one of the chief reasons the DVCC chose the old HT&W trail is because it’s one of the few flat trails in the valley. “If I can walk it with two artificial knees, anyone can walk it,” she says. “Elderly people and people with heart problems can walk it without straining themselves. And nobody’s timing it. People can turn around when they feel like turning around.”

For walkers’ safety, members of the Mount Snow Ski Patrol will be on the trail with ATVs, ready to respond to any medical emergency and provide transportation to a location where they can meet Deerfield Valley Rescue or Whitingham Ambulance Service. Water points will be set up along the trail so walkers can maintain hydration.

The route walkers will follow is one of the “newest” sections of the railway, built shortly after the completion of the dam in the early 1920s. Before the dam was built and the reservoir flooded the valley, the railroad tracks followed the Deerfield River from Davis Bridge in Whitingham, to Mountain Mills, and then to Wilmington. The rising waters of the reservoir swallowed the old railroad bed, as well as the village of Mountain Mills. The “new” line ran along the western side of the reservoir to Medburyville, where it crossed a trestle before reaching Wilmington Village. The line to Wilmington was discontinued in 1936, and the tracks were pulled up for scrap.

Since then, the road has seen limited use, mainly from hikers, mountain bikers, and the few people who own private camps in the area. “It’s a location that hasn’t been publicized,” Spengler says. “A lot of people, even those who live here, haven’t walked that trail.”

The hike follows Celebrate the Valley’s “Taste of the Deerfield Valley,” a food event held at Mount Snow on Saturday, September 12, from 10 am to 4 pm. For the admission price of $15 for adults and $5 for kids 7 to 12, visitors can sample gourmet offerings from local restaurants, inns, and local specialty food producers. (For more information visit www.celebratethevalley.com.)

Spengler says the walk is intended to complement Saturday’s event; DVCC is inviting people to feast, guilt-free, on Saturday, and walk off the extra calories on Sunday. For those who didn’t get enough on Saturday, however, DVCC plans to serve hot dogs, drinks, and snacks after the walk.

The DVCC is asking people to register before the walk, using a form available at dozens of locations around the valley. Spengler suggests those who don’t register before the day of the walk should arrive early, as they may have to wait in line to register. So far, she says, there have been about 50 registrations, most from people outside the area. Only three local residents have registered. “The locals are waiting. If it’s a beautiful day, we might even get 100 people,” Spengler says. “If it’s a lousy day, most people won’t show up.”