ALDHA at Trail Days

Transcription

ALDHA at Trail Days

The Long Distance Hiker
The Newsletter of the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association
Vol. 27, no. 2
‘ALDHA News That Fits We Print Since 1983’
INSIDE THE
E-EDITION
GATHERING IS A GO
n
Everything you need to
know about the 35th annual
Gathering set for Oct. 7-9
at Williams College in
Williamstown, Mass., is in
this package. Pages 5-10
summer 2016
ALDHA at Trail Days
Behind scenes,
more was afoot
during weekend
By BILL O’BRIEN
Editor in Chief
robert sutherland
REMEMBERING JACK
n The unexpected death of
“Baltimore Jack” Tarlin has
prompted us to dedicate
the 2016 Gathering to his
memory. Page 9
KATAHDIN QUESTIONS
FIELDED AT T-DAYS
n People from the group
Friends of Baxter Park set
up a display in ALDHA’s
tent and fielded questions
at Trail Days. Page 11
NEWS & NOTES FROM
AROUND THE TRAIL
n The passing of a 3-time
thru-hiker, a school of
wizardry on the A.T., and
a photo gallery of ALDHA
members. Pages 18-19
The Hikers’ Muse
Registration Form
A.T. Hall of Fame
Children’s Museum
Meeting minutes
ALDHA Almanac
The ALDHA Store
2
3
10
12-13
14-15
22-25
26-28
29-33
NOTE: The deadline for the
next issue is Aug. 15, 2016.
bill o’brien
Thru-hikers chow down on the steps of Rock School during the ALDHA
Hiker Reception at Trail Days in Damascus. More photos on Pages 20-21.
this year organized by ATC and held
on the A.T. above 4,000 feet at the gap
at Scales, Va. (Photos, Pages 16-17.)
But this year there was something
else to all of that, and it was a series of
site visits to an educational training
center in neighboring Abingdon where
we hope to have our annual get-to-
gether in October of next year, 2017.
Classrooms, an auditorium and plenty
of tenting space are available just off
of Interstate 81. Details on this location
and whether in fact we will be there
next year will be in the fall newsletter.
Meanwhile, congratulations on another great Trail Days. []
Online newsletter wins national recognition
INDEX
Coordinator’s Report
There was something more going on
for ALDHA at this year’s Trail Days
that most were not aware of.
Yes, ALDHA put on another successful Hiker Reception at Rock
School on Friday afternoon. “Trailangelmary” and others put on a great
hiker feed featuring the usual staple of
sandwiches, fruit, drinks and specially
decorated cakes.
Yes, ALDHA had its big tent set up
on the Midway featuring the newly expanded ALDHA Store, our new merchandise trailer, exhibits on ALDHA
and the ALDHA Care program, and
the signup table for Hard Core.
Yes, ALDHA made room for the
folks from Friends of Baxter Park to
help spread the word to current thruhikers about the permit they’ll need to
summit Mount Katahdin this year.
And yes, members of ALDHA took
part in the annual Hard Core work trip,
The E-edition of The Long Distance Hiker has
won an Award of Excellence in a national competition run by Communications Concepts, a
group that helps to improve print and web publications.
More than 1,640 entries in 100 different categories were considered for the so-called APEX
Awards, which are given out annually to recognize the best newsletters, websites, annual reports and even
emails. The awards are based on excellence in graphic design, editorial content and the success of the entry — in the
opinion of the judges — in achieving overall
communications effectiveness and excellence.
ALDHA’s online newsletter, which runs 44
pages at times, wasn’t a Grand Award winner for
the electronic newsletter category that drew 137
entries, but it was one of only 16 to win an
Award of Excellence, a runner-up of sorts.
Not bad considering we were up against multinational corporations, multi-million-dollar nonprofits and
small clubs like ours that are just as passionate about their
group as we are about our organization. []
2
summer 2016
June 2016
Editor -in-Chief
bill o’brien
Vol. 27, no. 2
The Long Distance Hiker is published four
times each year by aldha, the appalachian long distance hikers association,
a 501(c)3 nonprofit registered in new
hampshire at 10 benning st., Pmb 224,
west lebanon, nh 03784.
membership is open to all. there are no
prerequisites to join. to sign up, fill out and
mail the form on Page 10, or go online to
www.aldha.org/join.html.
to contact us via email, write to us at:
[email protected]. our home page is at
http://www.aldha.org. For a list of key
email addresses, see Page 26.
ALDHA Coordinator
Jim sample
Assistant Coordinator
ron burger
Treasurer
luanne anderson
Membership Secretary
robert sylvester
Recording Secretary
Pete Passalacqua
At-Large Board Members
ron bungay ’16
ken bunning ’17
Justin burns ’16
Jim Chambers ’16
betsy kane ’17
Jim niedbalski ’17
Gathering Coordinators
betsy kane, program
Jim niedbalski, facilities
eric white, campsite
Outreach Coordinators
Jim sample, ron burger, Jim Chambers
2017 Companion Editor
robert sylvester
Webmaster
bill o’brien
Merchandise Coordinator
mike wingeart
ALDHA Care Coordinator
Jim Chambers
A.T. Museum Representatives
noel deCavalcante & bill o’brien
DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE: Aug. 15
mail items to [email protected] or to
181 highland ave., meriden, Ct 06451
No copy of this newsletter may be posted online
in whole or in part without the editor’s consent.
mike wingeart
Coordinator Jim Sample, right of center in white, at the ALDHA tent at Damascus Trail Days.
S
Already looking toward 2017
UMMER IS UPON US up and down
the Appalachian Trail. The highlight of
the trail corridor’s schedule of events —
the Damascus, Va., Trail Days weekend — has just ended. Much has happened
since my last column, and articles describing
those topics can be found in other places in this
newsletter.
ALDHA and the trail community have been
saddened to learn of
the passing of “BaltiFrom ALDHA’s more Jack” Tarlin.
Jack was a legendary
hiker whose heart was
always focused on
helping A.T. hikers, especially newbies, to become familiar with the planning for and the experience of having a successful hike. I last
spoke with Jack at our 2016 Southern Ruck.
Jack talked of the hiking dreamers and his concerns for the growing impact on them by nonhiking groups that are being drawn to the A.T.
I believe Jack was going to expand on this
topic at his annual Gathering presentation on
Planning the Dream. His wisdom and straightforward discussion on several topics prompted
much respect from me. Hike on, my friend!
We have had two changes to our board of directors. Recently, at-large board member Ron
Burger was elected by board members to fill the
vacant assistant coordinator position. I look forward to having him as my primary backup as
we move forward. Former at-large board member Jim Chambers has been elected to fill the atlarge vacancy left by Ron’s move. The
enthusiasm that both of these members bring to
our programs is most welcome.
ALDHA’s success at Trail Days this year
could not have occurred without the dedicated
involvement of the following members: Ken
Bunning (Trail Days coordinator), “Sly”
coordinator
Sylvester (membership), Mike Wingeart (merchandise), Jim Chambers (ALDHA Care), Ron
Bungay (boundary/trail work), Sydney Evans
(outreach), Noel DeCavalcante, Tom Evans,
Sue Spring (greeters), Mary Parry and her volunteer assistants (hiker reception) and others
whom I may have missed. ALDHA reserved a
large campsite at the Backbone Rock Recreation
Area in nearby Cherokee National Forest. All
together, more than 15 members camped at that
site or in adjoining sites they also reserved. It
made for a noticeable ALDHA presence and
good member interactions in the evenings.
Details are continuing to be firmed up for our
2016 Gathering at Williams College in
Williamstown, Mass. Highlighted by our three
evening speakers, “Farmer Chef” and his family, “The Bionic Woman” and “The Real Hiking Viking,” the program offerings are sure to
be well attended.
Work is underway for a site selection for the
2017 Gathering. ALDHA has been engaged in
locating a site that would be the farthest south
we’ve ever been. We believe these efforts will
be successful! Look to the fall newsletter for
further details. The 2017 Gathering will offer
some new and special offerings for attendees.
As we continue moving forward to the October Gathering general meeting in Williamstown,
I am anticipating there being several vacancies
to fill during the election part of the agenda. If
you have any interest in serving in a leadership
position in ALDHA and want to learn more
about these opportunities, please contact me at
[email protected].
For the good of the trail,
Coordinator
summer 2016
THE HIKERS’ MUSE
3
T
Oliver Twist vs. ‘Donate Button’ hikers
he first time I saw a Donate button
with a “Buy Me a Meal” tagline on a
hiking blog, I immediately thought of
that famous line from Dickens’ novel,
Oliver Twist. You know the one I’m talking
about. When Oliver was fed up (figuratively
rather than literally) with gruel, and after a bit of
nudging from his mates, gets up the courage to
ask for some extra food:
“Please, Sir, I want some more.”
After a wee chuckle to myself, it struck me
that aside from the fact
that these hikers and
Oliver are both requesting additional alimentation (or in the case of the
former, it could be beer,
coffee, straight out cash,
etc.), they actually don’t
have that much in common.
vIEWPOINT
So without further
CAM HONAN
ado, here’s the tale of the
“SWAmi”
tape. Oliver Twist vs.
“Buy Me a Meal/Donate Button” Thru-Hikers.
What the hey, for good measure, let’s throw in
the “GoFundMe” crowd as well:
Who?
Oliver Twist — Rail thin 9-year-old orphan
born into abject poverty.
Donate Button/Buy me a Meal hiker —
20- to 40-something middle-class bloggers ... occasionally older hikers get in on the act as well.
Where?
Oliver Twist — Oppressive workhouse, 19th
century England.
Donate Button/Buy me a Meal Hiker —
Some of the most beautiful natural surroundings
of America’s lower 48 states (fingers crossed).
Why?
Oliver Twist — Chronically underfed and
overworked.
Donate button/Buy me a Meal Hiker —
They haven’t saved enough money to fund their
trip themselves, so for the price of posting the
occasional paragraph and photo on social media,
they decide to ask complete strangers to chip in
and help pay for their holiday.
How?
Oliver Twist — Plate in hand and lump in
throat, Oliver approaches the exceedingly wellfed Mr. Bumble and quietly asks for a bit more
food.
AN APPALACHIAN TWIST
a total oF aPProXimatelY 8,000 thru-hikers regitered in 2014, 2015 & 2016.
there are aPProXimatelY 8,000 homeless on the streets oF atlanta tonight.
Donate Button/Buy Me a Meal Hiker —
From what I can tell, the process goes something
like this:
1. Read a hyperbole-filled long-distance trail
journal in which every chilly morning potentially
means hypothermia, and every warmish day
could result in severe dehydration and an intravenous drip. Or alternatively, just pick up a copy
of “Wild.”
2. Sufficiently inspired, convince yourself (but
not really) that you are doing something “out of
the ordinary.” That being the case, surely folks
will pay to help you achieve your goal … I mean
really, why wouldn’t they? It’s not like they have
more important things to put their money towards.
3. Embellish your back story as much as possible. Be sure to mention that you’ve worked
hard for years in order to realize your dream,
however, you’re just a little shy on the savings
front, and you sure would appreciate a helping
fiscal hand.
4. Be shameless ... #*!# it …. you’ve come
this far … why not go the extra cyber mile? Ask
readers to pay for town accommodation, flights
to trailheads, maybe even big-ticket equipment
items such as tents and sleeping bags.
Summary
I suspect that this post will get up some people’s noses (e.g. hikers with donate buttons, the
people who give them money, folks with no
sense of humor, Cheryl Strayed fans and maybe
the family of the old guy in the photo on my
website asking for $10).
However, after seeing a bunch of these donate
buttons and GoFundMe campaigns in recent
times, I couldn’t resist any longer.
As a person that has spent most of his adult
life living, working, volunteering and traveling
in developing countries, I have seen more than
my fair share of extreme poverty. But at the
same time,
I’ve also seen countless cases of men and
women working their guts out 12-plus hours
every day, seven days a week, year after year,
just to put food on their families’ tables.
All jokes aside, the idea of comparatively
well-to-do long-distance hikers from[] first world
countries asking strangers to help pay for what
ostensibly is a multi-month walking holiday just
doesn’t seem right to my way of thinking. []
Reprinted with permission from Cam Honan’s
blog, The Hiking Life, at thehikinglife.com.
4
summer 2016
Inchworm’s
final words
show she lived
for 3 weeks
Lessons from
failing to find
a thru-hiker
W
Gerry Largay had to go, just like any other
hiker on the Appalachian Trail, so she veered off
the trail to find a private spot to take care of
business. When she went to return to the trail,
she never made it back. Reportedly possessed of
a poor sense of direction and prone to losing her
way even when she had a hiking partner, “Inchworm,” as she was called, kept taking a wrong
turn and became tragically — fatally — lost just
two weeks after having to hike solo.
She could not have picked a worse section to
get lost in, a 30-mile stretch of trail in an area
that is arguably more rugged and remote than the
Hundred Mile Wilderness farther north. An offlimits, top-secret military training base that is
dense with brush and thick canopy cover right
alongside the A.T. corridor makes the area even
more inaccessible.
Largay got lost off the A.T. somewhere north
of Orbeton Stream and kept plodding in the
wrong direction, going uphill ostensibly to find
cell phone reception in an area that is — quite
possibly on purpose — a dead zone because it’s
part of a Navy-run wilderness training school.
Flustered and combative whenever she made
mistakes earlier on her thru-hike, she finally
pitched camp and stayed put, remembering an
age-old lesson to sit tight if you’re lost. Rescuers
will eventually find you.
But they never did. And she died there, in her
sleeping bag inside her tent, apparently from
complications of starvation, thirst and exposure.
But she lasted for nearly three weeks, surviving longer than the search and rescue effort that
was launched to save her.
She kept a journal while she sat there, even
creating a rough calendar to track the number of
days she was there. Wardens finally released the
contents of the journal, and the entries tell a sad,
tragic tale of a woman who was in over her
head, likely suffering from panic attacks once
she ran out of the medication she was taking
while on her hike.
“In somm trouble,” she wrote in a text message that was never transmitted to her husband
for lack of service. “Got off trail to go to br.
Now lost. Can u call AMC to c if a trail maintainer can help me. Somewhere north of woods
road. Xox.” (It is actually the Maine AT Club,
not the AMC, that maintains that stretch.)
dottie rust
The last known photo of Geraldine Largay, at
Poplar Ridge Shelter in Maine on the morning of Monday, July 22, 2013. She was never
seen alive again.
She tried sending the same message 10 times,
all to no avail. The next day, at 4:18 p.m., she
texted: “Lost since yesterday. Off trail 3 or 4
miles. Call police for what to do pls. XOX.”
She sent it again four days later, but like all
the others it never got through.
Largay tried to fashion a flag out of a branch
and shirt and attempted to start a large fire to
draw attention to herself. Both efforts failed. She
created a bathroom spot away from the tent, and
had a Mylar emergency blanket in addition to
her sleeping bag. But because she had back troubles, she preferred not to carry extra items or
food that would have come in handy.
Her food consisted of Clif bars and tuna fish
packs among other things, and she did have
some Gatorade, based on the trash she kept in a
large Ziploc bag. She also had a rosary.
Among her final notes was this poignant realization of her fate:
“When you find my body, please call my husband George and my daughter Kerry. It will be
the greatest kindness for them to know that I am
dead and where you found me — no matter how
many years from now.”
On Oct. 18 last year, a week after her body
was found utterly by accident during a survey of
the Navy training ground’s boundaries, the
Maine wardens guided Largay’s family members
to where she spent the final weeks of her life. A
small cross was left with several notes, including
one in child’s handwriting that said: “I wish you
were here.”
hat is probably the final big chunk of
information to come out about the
Gerry Largay case, Maine wardens finally released the contents of the journal she kept
as she awaited rescue in the summer of 2013.
It was also revealed that
she managed to live for at
least three weeks after she
went missing on July 22.
Even as a search and rescue effort was underway
nearby — the largest in
Maine history — and helicopters and planes flew
nearby, Gerry Largay sat
vIEWPOINT
at her campsite, lost, alone
BILL O’BRIEN
and seemingly helpless.
There were many things she could have done
to help herself, like setting a fire to attract attention (apparently there were signs she may have
tried to light one). Or she could have gone downhill until she reached a stream or a trail or the old
woods road she knew was south of her.
But there were things the Maine wardens could
have done also, like fly loudspeakers overhead the
entire search area imploring her to go ahead and
start a smoky fire. Or they could have welcomed
experienced backpackers, in better shape than the
wardens, to look for places where a woman might
have sought privacy. Or they could have begged
the military to scour its top-secret training base.
After all, a human life was at risk.
SAR teams were not equipped to camp out
overnight. Instead, they had to get up before
dawn, drive hours in some cases to a rendezvous
point, drive to and hike into the search area, then
quit well before dark so they could get back home
or to a motel — every single day.
And then there were the assumptions about
how long a lost person could survive in the
woods. “Generally we find people 90 percent of
the time in under two days,” Maine’s Lt. Kevin
Adam said during the search. After about five
days, they turn from rescue to recovery. But even
the most ill-equipped thru-hiker is different from
the average missing hiker, and this was the first
time the Maine wardens had a thru-hiker missing
this long on the A.T., so everything they knew
was apparently wrong. They suspended the search
July 30. Her last journal entry was dated Aug. 18.
Gerry Largay, while having a flawed sense of
direction and other faults, was still an experienced
backpacker. And yet, unfortunately, we may have
failed her by giving up on her too early. []
summer 2016
35th ANNUAL GATHERING
5
Today's April 1st. April Fool’s Day. I was going to make a post stating my
intention to QUIT THIS HIKE. That I was going to quit hiking all together.
That I had accepted an offer I couldn’t refuse and I would take a job that
would put me BEHIND A DESK IN AN OFFICE working for “the man.”
I informed my mother of these intentions and she said that no one
would believe me. And she’s probably right. How could anybody believe
that I would give this up for FINANCIAL GAIN?
I’m as rich as I could ever hope to be, OUT
HERE.
Photo and teXt bY tom gathman, aka the real hiking Viking
GET RICH, AT THE GATHERING
Tommy Gathman, our
Sunday evening speaker,
summed it up best above.
Hear him and others at the
ALDHA Gathering as they
help renew, refresh and
reaffirm our common bond
through the simple act of
walking — on trails long
and short, during seasons
dry and wet, with partners
or solo. Workshops await,
your Trail Family beckons.
See the following pages . . .
6
summer 2016
ANOTHER NEW ENGLAND FALL CLASSIC
at williams College in williamstown, mass.
By BETSy kANE
Columbus Day Weekend, Oct. 7-9
Gathering Program Coordinator
Please join us for the 35th annual Gathering at
Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., on
Oct. 7-9. Established in 1793, the historic
Williams campus is situated in the heart of
Williamstown and was host of the Gathering in
2014 and part of the Gathering in 2011.
The Williams College venue is graciously
made available to us through sponsorship of the
Williams Outing Club, directed by Scott Lewis.
ALDHA does not have access to any Williams
College facilities until Friday at 5 p.m., so if
you do get to Williamstown early, please try to
hang out in town or at the campsite. All of the
weekend’s workshops and events will take place
on the Williams campus, with the exception of
camping, Friday afternoon registration, and the
Saturday evening reception, which will take
place a few miles off campus at the campsite on
the property of Eric White at 237 Oblong Road.
Registration
There is a $20 fee to attend the Gathering.
Sign up in advance online at aldha.org to be entered in the Early Bird Raffle for a chance to win
some great raffle prizes and gear or register in
person when you arrive.
The registration table will open on Friday,
Oct. 7, at 12 noon. When you check in, you’ll
receive the full Gathering program booklet with
details about workshops and presentations taking
place throughout the weekend.
Arriving on Friday between 12 and 5 p.m.?
Check in at the barn, next to the parking area at
the campsite (follow the directions on Page 8).
Arriving after 5 p.m. on Friday? Head to
the ’62 Center on campus at Williams College.
Registration will be closed from 5-9 p.m. for
dinner and the Opening Session, but will reopen
in the lobby of the ’62 Center from 9-11 p.m.
Arriving on Saturday? Check in at the registration table from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on
campus in Greylock Hall, which will be home to
ALDHA Central and the Hiker Fair.
Identify Yourself!
At the registration table, you’ll receive an
ALDHA neck wallet (name badge holder) and
wristband to wear for the weekend. These are
your ticket in the door for all Gathering events
and our way of identifying ourselves to the campus community, so please don’t remove them
until you depart.
Already have a collection of name badge hold-
“Crooked stiCks” h. dean Clark
The barn at Eric White’s home at 237 Oblong Road, Williamstown, where camping will
be provided as part of your Gathering fee. There will be a get-together in the barn on
Saturday night after the feature presentation at the ’62 Arts Center of Williams College.
ers from past Gatherings? Help us out by packing your old neck wallet to re-use at this year’s
event. We will have new neck wallets available
but won’t assume that everyone needs another
one.
While You Are Checking In…
At check-in, be ready to update your personal
contact information and list of trails you have
completed. It’s also helpful to let us know at
check-in if you will be presenting a workshop,
so we can verify your workshop time and site.
Did you just complete an A.T. thru-hike? Let
us know if you did when you check-in and we
will be sure you are recognized during the Friday night opening session.
The registration table is also where you can
purchase meal tickets, drop off desserts for the
Hungry Bear Bake-Off (by 5 p.m. Friday) and
submissions for the photo contest (by 3 p.m. Saturday), and sign up for Monday’s work trips.
Also, make sure to sign the banner for our 35th
ALDHA Gathering!
THE PROGRAM
Friday Night
Our opening night program will be jampacked this year with greetings from ALDHA
and the ATC, a special memorial tribute to “Baltimore Jack” Tarlin, guest presenters “Farmer
Chef,” “Mama Bear” and their children, who
will talk about their family hike on the A.T., and
our annual roll call of thru-hikers, where we
start with the class of 2015 and go back in time
to the last person standing. Finally we will call
for the members of the class of 2016 and SOBOs
of 2015 to stand up, and they will receive a certificate and patch from ALDHA.
Workshops
The heart of our annual Gathering lies in the
wonderful workshop sessions offered on a wide
variety of topics. Sessions begin at 9 a.m. on
Saturday and run throughout the day until 5
p.m., when we take a break for dinner before
our feature presentation.
Workshops resume on Sunday afternoon at
1:30 after ALDHA’s annual morning business
meeting. As many as 40 different workshops
take place throughout the weekend, with up to 10
offered simultaneously in each time slot so you
have options to choose from. The number of
workshop choices can be a bit overwhelming (especially to newcomers), so once you check in
and receive your copy of the program, it’s a
good idea to take some time on Friday night to
map out which sessions you’d like to attend on
Saturday and Sunday!
All daytime workshop presenters at the Gathering are unpaid volunteers who have taken the
time to put together a presentation to share, so
summer 2016
please be sure to show your appreciation.
volve A.T. corridor/boundary maintenance in
nearby Cheshire, Mass., and the other will be a
trail work trip on the A.T., near Mount Greylock. Both trips will meet at the campsite at 8:30
a.m., and work trip coordinator Ron Bungay
will meet the volunteers then. Cosmo Catalano
of the Massachusetts A.T. Committee, who has
been instrumental in getting us access to the
beautiful ’62 Center, will lead the work trip on
the A.T., which will involve clearing a view on
Mount Prospect in the Greylock reservation. Another committee member, Dave Pirog, will lead
the boundary work trip. A bag lunch will be provided for all work volunteers.
For those who just can’t give enough, there
will be an additional work trip following the
Gathering on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 1112 in New Hampshire. ALDHA will be working
with the Dartmouth Outing Club to maintain
their local trail boundary. ALDHA will provide
food for this trip, and Dartmouth will offer one
of their cabins for housing.
Saturday Night Feature Speaker
We are excited to present special guest Niki
Rellon, “Bionic Woman,” as this year’s Saturday night feature speaker. After a tragic accident
in 2013 led to a below-the-knee amputation, Niki
made history in 2015 when she became the first
female amputee to complete an A.T. thru-hike.
Hear Niki’s story at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Saturday Night Barn Party
After our feature presentation on Saturday
night, head back to the campsite to enjoy a gettogether in Eric White’s barn! Snacks and drinks
will be available but feel free to BYOB as well.
Sunday Night
Tom Gathman, “The Real Hiking Viking,”
will join us to discuss his multiple thru-hikes in a
special Sunday evening presentation. Tom has
thru-hiked the A.T. three times, both with fellow
combat veterans and on his own (including a recent winter hike).
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Hungry Bear Bake-Off Contest
Friday night at the Gathering just got a whole
lot sweeter! Bring a homemade baked good to
share on Friday night after the opening program
for our new Hungry Bear Bake-Off Contest.
Desserts must be dropped off at the registration
table by 5 p.m. on Friday for contest entry.
Judges will select a favorite and the winner will
receive a carved wooden Adirondack bear.
Photo Contest
ALDHA board member Justin Burns is organizing this year’s Earl Shaffer Memorial Photo
Contest. Submit your photos at the registration
table by 3 p.m. on Saturday to be considered.
Winners will be announced on Saturday evening
and prizes will be awarded in five categories:
1) The beauty and grandeur of the Appalachian Trail.
2) Beauty and grandeur of another trail.
3) Wildlife/flora along the trail.
4) Humor of the trail.
5) The trail community (i.e., maintainers, trail
angels, etc.)
You may submit up to five 8-by-10 (or
smaller) photos, unframed please. ALDHA will
publish the winning photos in the winter edition
of The Long Distance Hiker. If you have questions, email [email protected].
Hiker Fair
The Hiker Fair will be set up in Greylock Hall
on the Williams campus, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m. on Saturday. Here you’ll find ALDHA
Central (the registration desk, ALDHA Store,
lost and found, etc.), ATC’s Ultimate Trail
Store, exhibits from various trail clubs, vendors,
authors and the photo contest. Gary Sizer is or-
7
LOGISTICS
Contributed
you can win this carved wooden Adriondack bear by entering the new Hungry
Bear Bake-Off Contest at the Gathering.
Drop off your homemade desserts at the
registration table by 5 p.m. on Oct. 7 for
contest entry. Judges will select a winner.
ganizing this year’s fair. Register online at
aldha.org to set up a table at the fair, or contact
Gary at [email protected].
Day Hikes
Two hikes in the same location on Mount
Prospect are planned for Sunday morning at 9.
The choices are a fairly strenuous 1.5-mile hike
(1,500-foot climb) and a 0.5-mile easier walk,
both leading to the Mount Prospect overlook,
where you can see Williamstown, the campsite
in south Williamstown, and north into Vermont.
Those interested should meet at ALDHA Central
in Greylock Hall at 9 a.m.
Elections
A number of current positions on the ALDHA
board will be up for re-election at this year’s
Gathering, and new members will be needed to
fill the roles of those who wish to step down.
Elections will take place on Sunday morning
at the annual meeting for a new assistant coordinator (1-year term remaining), three at-large
board members (for 2-year terms), a membership secretary (2-year term) and a treasurer (2year term). If you’d like to run or have any
questions about these positions, contact ALDHA
Coordinator Jim Sample.
Monday Work Trips
We will offer two options for work trips on
Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 10. One will in-
Dining & Meal Tickets
We will be able to dine at Whitman’s Dining
Hall in Paresky Student Center, which we also
utilized in 2014. Look for more details on buying campus meals coming soon on the ALDHA
website. There are many other dining options in
Williamstown, a short walk from campus.
Campsite
There will be plenty of tenting spaces in an
open field with beautiful views of Mount Greylock. Parking spots will also be available for
those wishing to sleep in vehicles. A short walk
from the circular drop-off area will allow access
to your tenting spot. For safety reasons, we will
not be able to allow cars in the tenting area.
Port-a-johns will be available in the tenting
area; showers will be on the Williams campus.
An evening bonfire will be set up away from
those wishing to go to bed early, but be advised
that sounds carry regardless. Pack earplugs.
Showers
Showers will be available during the weekend
at Lasell Gym, located on the corner of Spring
Street and Route 2, just a short walk from Griffin Hall, our main workshop venue. Hours will
be determined later and posted in the program.
Campus Parking
Parking will be allowed by permit in the parking garage on campus, located off Whitman
Street off Route 7 North. Vehicles taller than 7
feet cannot access the lower levels of the garage;
those should park on the uppermost level from
Whitman Street. Each car will receive one parking permit at the registration table. There is also
a public parking lot at the south end of Spring
Street, the main commercial thoroughfare in
Williamstown.
8
summer 2016
The best advice
on how to finish
the whole A.T.
One of the original purposes of the
first ALDHA Gathering in 1982 was
to help prepare hikers to successfully
finish a thru-hike of the Appalachian
Trail. That mission continues today.
Through a series of workshops
aimed at the needs of the folks we affectionately call “dreamers,” we try
to pass along the practical, useful and
emotional grounding you’ll need to
go from one end of the A.T. to the
other. Among numerous workshops
over the course of the weekend are
classes on how to choose the best and
cheapest lightweight gear, how to
avoid tick-borne diseases, and how to
get your head — and heart — in the
right place to succeed.
If you attend these workshops, you
will receive over the winter the
diploma at right. We hope it’ll give
you confidence that you can, in fact,
successfully hike the entire A.T.
How to find your way there
DIRECTIONS TO CAMPSITE
From the West via Upstate New york
take route 2 east to williamstown. at
intersection with route 7, turn right
onto 7 and go south. turn right onto
woodcock road, then right onto oblong. the driveway to the campsite will
be on your left in half a mile.
From Interstate 90 / Mass Pike
take exit 2 for route 20 north. keep
going north on route 7 to williamstown. after passing intersection with
route 43, look for woodcock road on
your left, the third road past mount
greylock high school on left. From
woodcock road, turn right onto oblong road, and the driveway to the
campsite will be on left in half a mile.
From Interstate 91
From north or south, take exit 26 for
route 2 — the mohawk trail — and
head west for 45 miles to williamstown. Pass through campus, go
around the rotary and take route 7
south. stay on route 7 and turn right
onto woodcock road, then right onto
oblong. the driveway to the campsite
will be on your left in half a mile.
GPS for the campsite:
here are the coordinates if using gPs:
+ 42° 41' 8.07", -- 73° 14' 46.37"
*
williamstown
PARkING ON CAMPUS
Parking permits will be issued when you
register, one per car. Parking will be allowed for free in the parking garage on
campus. From the campsite, go north on
route 7, and at the rotary, stay north on
route 7 (do not go east on route 2). in
about 0.1 mile, turn right onto whitman
street, then take the unnamed first right
into garage. note: the two lower levels of
the garage have a clearance of 6 feet,
8 inches. the upper level, which provides
the access to all levels of the garage, is
open-air, so tall vehicles should park there.
SPRING STREET PARkING:
at the end of spring street, the commercial
hub of williamstown, there’s a free parking
lot on the right. there won’t be a home
football game, but the lot still fills up fast.
bill o’brien
The ’62 Arts Center will be our evening venue Friday and Saturday
thanks to the efforts once again of Cosmo Catalano.
summer 2016
9
‘Baltimore Jack’ had an opinion on everything
— and everyone had an opinion on Jack —
35th Gathering
will be dedicated
to memory of
8-time A.T.’er
H
e failed on his first attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail and it
never let him go. Once
the trail gets its hooks in you,
you’re hooked for life, and that was
the case with Leonard Adam Tarlin, a guy who a childhood friend
recalls liked to walk all over Greater Boston while growing up.
Ironically, the guy we now know
as “Baltimore Jack” grew up in the
town where John F. Kennedy was
born. But if you ever ribbed him
about that, he’d be quick to point
out that he was born during the
Eisenhower administration. That
explained a lot about Jack, a man of
contrasts who had an honest, fervent affinity with the conservative
side of life but who was even more
passionate about the Red Sox and
even more passionate than that
about the A.T., which he ended up
hiking eight times.
Not a shrinking violet, Jack had
an opinion on everything and he
wasn’t shy to share it — everywhere. At Gatherings, at Trail
Days, on the trail, at a restaurant, a
bar or online. Indeed online. What
he wrote on the internet could fill a
couple of books. At times informative and helpful, other times angry
and very personal, he was nothing
if not impassioned about his views.
At Gatherings he was generous
with advice. Overly generous at
times. His workshop sessions were
all Jack, all the time, and they were
standing room only. When he attended other advice-type workshops, moderators were advised to
have a watch handy to make sure
Jack didn’t monopolize the conversation. He would if he could, and
Photos of Jack abound on the
Internet. For this piece we used
photos by Tripp Clark, Robert
Sutherland (cover photo), Bill
O’Brien, H. Dean Clark, and yahoola. The wooden bust of Jack,
at right, was carved by Tom
Logsdon for the A.T. Museum,
but at Jack’s request it was not
displayed when the museum
opened in 2010. The museum
manager, Joe Harold, put it out
after Jack died.
good luck finding a chance to break
in. He had honed his speech patterns so he never paused or took a
breath between sentences. He was
unique, fascinating, frustrating,
funny and infuriating all at once.
In short, he was a thru-hiker,
through and through. Controversial,
yes, but no one can deny his commitment to the Appalachian Trail as
well as to ALDHA, and to both he
never had anything but the best in-
tentions in his words and actions.
For his service to ALDHA and
the A.T., the board has dedicated
this year’s Gathering to the memory
of the late “Baltimore Jack” Tarlin.
— Bill O’Brien
10
THINGS TO BRING ALONG
You definitely don’t want to come all
the way to the gathering in williamstown and realize you forgot something back home. while this list is not
all inclusive, it will help to jog your
memory about stuff you really wish
you had with you last time.
Photos: bring your best trail pics for
our annual photo contest. Categories are beauty of the appalachian trail; beauty of another
trail; Flora and Fauna; humor;
and trail Community/maintenance.
Earplugs: the best guarantee of a
good night’s sleep. wherever you
tent, noise will find you so be
ready.
Coffee cup: once again we’ll provide the coffee and tea at aldha
Central in greylock hall. help us
save the planet: bring a cup.
Camera: if it’s on your phone or not,
you’ll want to have it with you.
Chargers: williams has
wi-Fi, so keep your batteries and
gizmos charged.
Headlamp: For finding your way at
the tentsite.
AT Passport: bring your passport or
get one at the gathering so you
can collect any stamps, like the
one atop mount greylock. Passports may be sold at the gathering. (they’re helping to raise
money for the a.t.)
Nametags: if you want to recycle
one of your favorite neck wallets
from a previous gathering, by all
means bring it along.
Poles, pegs, pad, pillow: You probably won’t forget the tent, so make
sure you don’t forget the rest of it.
while you’re at it, pack the ground
cloth, cot, pad and sleeping bag.
(You’re car-camping, remember!)
Camp chair: enjoy the view of greylock from outside your tent.
Cooler: there are no restrictions at
our campsite this year. and if you
want to pack your own food, it’s
good to have a cooler for that, too.
the saturday reception inside the
barn is bYob, so be prepared.
summer 2016
The Williams Outing Club
Sponsor of this fall’s 35th annual Gathering
the williams outing Club was founded in 1915
and was preceded by nearly a century of outdoor
activities leading up to its creation. so really, the
rugged traditions of williams
College go back nearly 200
years, to 1827 in fact when
the first mention was made
of mountain day.
the outing Club is once
again graciously hosting
the aldha gathering at
williams College. their sponsorship makes it possible for aldha to use the college
facilities at significantly reduced cost. and with the
generous offer by williamstown resident (and triple
Crown thru-hiker) eric white to once again let us
use his sloping fields on the outskirts of town for our
tentsite, aldha is feeling quite a bit at home these
days in the shadow of mount greylock.
be sure to thank scott lewis, director of woC,
and eric white for their generosity.
Membership and Gathering Registration
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How would you like your ALDHA publications delivered?
newsletter q PdF in email (with color) q Paper (b&w)
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or, register online at https://secure.jotform.com/form/10562609918
Questions? . . . email [email protected]
06/16
Summer 2016
11
Aaron Megquier, executive director of
Friends of Baxter State Park, gives a
presentation during Trail Days to explain the park’s new permit system.
bill o’brien
Permits now
available for
Baxter Park
By BILL O’BRIEN
Editor-in-Chief
Members of the Friends of Baxter State Park
came to Trail Days in Damascus, Va., to give
thru-hikers the latest information on the new permit system required for those finishing their A.T.
hikes on Mount Katahdin in Maine.
Aaron Megquier, executive director of the
group, gave a presentation at Rock School that was
fairly well attended although only a handful said
they were hiking north to Katahdin. Megquier
briefly outlined the history of the park and its
founder, former Maine Gov. Percival Baxter, and
explained how the rising number of thru-hikers has
put a strain on the park staff and its resources.
The now-famous letter in late 2014 from park
Director Jensen Bissell to the ATC laid out the
case for a possible future closure of Baxter Park
to A.T. hikers if several issues weren’t resolved,
namely the increasing number of thru-hikers and
the poor behavior of an albeit small percentage of
them.
No one wants to find out if Baxter Park could
really block the A.T. from entering its domain, so
in stepped the Friends of Baxter Park, which
formed a task force that’s been meeting since July
of last year to try to resolve the matter.
The biggest change confronting hikers this year
is the requirement of a permit to enter the park via
the A.T. at Abol Bridge. Dick Klain, Jaime Renaud and Megquier set up a small display in
ALDHA’s big tent on the midway at Trail Days,
and they handed out information and chatted up
hikers as they passed by each day.
One of the things they handed out was a waterproof sticker bearing three different messages.
Last year, Bissell helped the group devise three
simple guidelines for hikers to follow in the park,
and those three rules were used on the stickers,
which show a hiker reverently finishing an end-to-
Dan innamorato
Dan innamorato
Dick Klain and Jaime Renaud were at the ALDHA tent during Trail Days to meet with this
year’s current thru-hikers to explain the new permit procedure for summiting Katahdin. They
are both members of Friends of Baxter State Park.
end hike of the A.T. at the sign on Baxter Peak.
The three guidelines are:
Hike in Small Groups
Celebrate Quietly
Save the Alcohol for Later
For its part, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
this year fast-tracked the opening of a new visitor
center in Monson, Maine, the last trail town before the Hundred Mile Wilderness and Mount
Katahdin. The ATC says its visitor center will
help explain to hikers the rules in Baxter Park, but
it cannot issue the newly required permit (a copy
of which is seen above). Perhaps someday it will,
but for now, the permits must be acquired from
park officials. []
12
Summer 2016
PhotoS by Dan innamorato
Hall of Fame honorees or their representatives, from left, Larry Luxenberg, Maurice Forrester, Horace L. Kephart and Ron Tipton. Kephart accepted the Hall of Fame staff on behalf of his late grandfather and namesake, while the ATC’s Tipton accepted for the late Arch Nichols.
Hall of Fame honorees get their
walking sticks at annual dinner
By JIM FOSTER
A.T. Hall of Fame Chairman
GARDNERS, Pa. — The sixth class of Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame honorees are Maurice J. Forrester Jr. of Williamsport, Pa.; the late
Horace Kephart of Bryson City, N.C.; Larry Luxenberg of New City, N.Y.; and the late Henry
Arch Nichols of Asheville, N.C.
Luxenberg, founder of the A.T. Museum, was
profiled in ALDHA’s spring newsletter, so here
are profiles of the other inductees:
MAURICE FORRESTER has spent his entire
adult life advocating for and documenting the Appalachian Trail, as well as other trails in his native
Pennsylvania. From 1975 to 1992, he served the
Appalachian Trail Conference (now Conservancy)
as treasurer, newsletter editor and member of the
board of managers. He served as chair of ATC’s
1989 Biennial meeting in East Stroudsburg, PA.
From 1976 through 1989, he has served Keystone
Trail Association as president and newsletter edi-
tor. His quarterly column, “The View From
Cogan Station,” appeared in KTA’s newsletter
from 1978 through 1992. He has also served on
numerous trail advocacy boards and committees
in Pennsylvania. He was a founding director of
the Appalachian Trail Museum, leading the effort
to secure its home in the Old Mill building at Pine
Grove Furnace State Park.
Mr. Forrester is perhaps best known for his
writings. He served as editor of several editions
of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania. He is
co-author of “A Grip On The Mane Of Life,” the
definitive biography of Earl Shaffer, the A.T.’s
first thru-hiker. He also wrote the forward to Earl
Shaffer’s famous autobiography, “Walking With
Spring” and to Larry Luxenberg’s “Walking The
Appalachian Trail.” He was the lead author of the
history of KTA’s first 50 years.
HORACE KEPHART, a writer and outdoors advocate, was born in Pennsylvania in 1862. He
spent considerable time as a librarian in Italy and
St. Louis, Mo. In 1904, he moved to western
Terry Harley-Wilson, the past vice president
of the A.T. Museum Society, received this
year’s lifetime achievement award.
Summer 2016
At top, the scene in the banquet room at Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, Pa., just a stone’s throw from
the Appalachian Trail. The Hall of Fame banquet has
been held there since the start, but the future of the facility was in doubt until this summer when a group of
local investors came forth to buy the sprawling 1940sera complex. The buyers vow to make improvements.
At right, Emmitt, a descendant of Hall of Fame inductee
Horace S. Kephart, at this year’s banquet. He’s holding
the walking stick accepted by his family on behalf of
the late Kephart. Everything about the sticks is hand
made by John Beaudet, aka ‘Bodacious’ — from harvesting the sticks in the Tennessee mountains near
John’s home to the intricately detailed carving that personalizes the stick for each inductee. Samples of the
awards are on display in the A.T. Museum.
Below, Hall of Fame inductee Larry Luxenberg chats
with Rubén Rosales, a 2013 thru-hiker, member of the
ATC board of directors and a member of ALDHA.
banquet PhotoS by Dan innamorato
13
North
Carolina,
where he spent the
rest of his life. He
became a leader in
the movement to
preserve America’s
wild spaces through
the formation of national parks. In particular, Kephart and
his friend, photographer
George
Masa, spent decades advocating for the preservation of the mountainous wilderness along the Tennessee-North
Carolina border. That effort ultimately succeeded
when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
was chartered by Congress in 1934 and opened in
1940.
Kephart signed on to Benton MacKaye’s dream
of an Appalachian Trail in the 1920s. He played a
major role in laying out the 70-mile route that the
Appalachian Trail follows through the Smokies.
Kephart first wrote of his experiences in the Smokies in a series of articles in the magazine Field &
Stream. These were incorporated into his first
book, Camping and Woodcraft. His best known
book is Our Southern Highlanders, published in
1913 and expanded in 1922. He was killed in an
automobile accident in 1931, just as his proposed
Appalachian Trail route was being built. He was
68 years old. Just before his death, Mount Kephart
in the Smokies was named in his honor.
HENRY ARCH NICHOLS spent a long life in
devotion to the Appalachian Trail, particularly the
portion in his beloved western North Carolina. A
longtime
Forest
Service official, he
was given primary
responsibility for
developing a new
route for the A.T.
through North Carolina in the early
1940s. He was almost entirely responsible — after a
long crusade — for
securing Max Patch
for the A.T. He also served longer than anyone
else on the ATC board (1939-1948,1952-1979).
Beyond designing and building the trail himself,
Mr. Nichols attracted others to the trail movement.
He was a leader in the Carolina Mountain Club for
many years, and helped to develop the Tennessee
Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club. One of his
best-known recruits was the Rev. A. Rufus Morgan, who almost single-handedly maintained 50
miles of the trail for decades. Described by longtime ATC Executive Director David Startzell as a
“gentle giant” of the A.T., Mr. Nichols tirelessly
advocated for the preservation of precious trail
icons like Max Patch, Hump Mountain and the
Highlands of Roan. He died in 1989 at age 81. []
14
Summer 2016
Dan innamorato
THE CHILDREN’S TRAIL
With the fanfare of a ribboncutting ceremony, the Appalachian Trail Museum formally
dedicated its new Children’s Exhibit on the ground floor of the
historic 1700s Old Mill building
in Pine Grove Furnace State Park
in Gardners, Pa.
The ceremony coincided with
the Museum’s annual festival on
National Trails Day and featured
members of the A.T. Museum
Society, area trail clubs, ATC,
American Hiking Society, outgoing park director Joe Basil, and
representatives of the Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau.
Children were the focus of the
day, with a group of local youngsters — ranging in age from 2½
to 12 — doing the honors cutting
a purple ribbon to open the site.
There was a free cookout of
hamburgers and hot dogs, a table
of hiker-approved ingredients for
make-your-own trail mix, a bluegrass band from the area, a readaloud storytime for youngsters
and, of course, a few speeches.
Credit for the exhibit goes to
Gwen Loose, vice president of the
Museum, and Margy Schmidt,
former museum manager, who
wrote the text, collected the photos and secured the funding to
make it possible. They also got
help from Museum President
Larry Luxenberg and others.
The exhibit is kid-friendly,
featuring a yellow-brick road of
sorts that winds around panels
dedicated to each state on the
A.T. A few hands-on exhibits
and brain teases are in the mix.
The work of volunteers and a
graphics company made the space
a reality. ALDHA members Ron
Bungay and Mike Wingeart were
instrumental in transforming the
dingy cellar into a viable space. []
Dan innamorato
Margy Schmidt, left, and Gwen Loose present the door to the new children’s exhibit at the A.T. Museum in Pine Grove Furnace State Park,
Pa. The two collaborated on the project, part of which is seen above.
Summer 2016
15
Appalachian
Trail Museum
JOE HAROLD RESIGNS
AS MuSEuM MANAGER
Folks watch as youngsters help cut the ribbon at the grand opening of the Children’s
Exhibit at the A.T. Museum. Behind the door
a trail tree, at right, greets visitors.
Dan innamorato
the a.t. museum’s manager, Joe harold, who is a
familiar sight to any hiker
visiting the trailside museum in Pennsylvania, is
stepping down at the end
of the year to look at the
trail from a hiker’s perspective. he’s
been bitten by the bug and hopes to do
a thru-hike of the a.t. next year. We
wish him well and thank him for his
years of service to the museum.
that will leave a vacancy, which the
board has decided to split into two positions, a volunteer coordinator and a
museum manager. if you’re interested,
contact museum President larry luxenberg at [email protected].
BuILDING FuND STILL
GOING TILL DEC. 31
Contributions to the a.t. museum’s
building fund are still being accepted,
through the end of December. So get
your donation in and your name will go
on the donors’ plaque. Visit the website
at atmuseum.org.
bill o’brien
A mom reads a trail-related book to her son
in the ‘Kids Corner,’ donated by Jay Sexton
in memory of his late wife, Katie.
The band Buc Hill
Aces, named for
the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching
staff, play for a
young bluegrass
fan at the 2016
Museum Festival.
They are Brian
and Nancy Lockman and Glenn
and Patty Carson.
Dan innamorato
Dan innamorato
another way to contribute to the building fund is to make a memorial donation in someone’s name. it could be to
honor someone who is important in
your life, or someone who has recently
passed away.
Speaking of which, memorial donations to the museum can be made for
both “baltimore Jack” tarlin and bert
Gilbert, alDha members who died
this year.
Donations can be made online through
the website, at this link:
www.atmuseum.org/support.html
you can also contribute to the current
landscaping fund to help make the new
ramp leading to the second floor look a
lot less obtrusive.
16
Summer 2016
One of the crew leaders from Konnarock on this year’s Hard Core work trip was ALDHA’s own ‘Cool Breeze,’ Joe Fennelly of Connecticut.
HARD CORE
2016
The ATC’s Andrew Downs, left, and Bob Peoples take a break during Hard Core. This was the first year the ATC headed Hard Core.
On the Hard Core work trip, ‘Bookworm’ Amy Sternheim nearly disappears below ground as she prepares a hole for a huge boulder that
will serve as a step on the A.T. as it wends downhill to Scales, Va., the
gap in background. The site was over 4,000 feet in elevation.
Summer 2016
17
PhotoS by bill o’brien
The big guys moved in to help drag a huge boulder into a hole dug by ALDHA’s ‘Bookworm’ on the A.T., above the gap at Scales, Va. The rock
had to drop in the hole just right so that its smooth, flat surface would face up, flush with the ground around it, to serve as a stepping stone.
18
Summer 2016
NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE TRAIL
Blurbs gleaned from emails, ALDHA’s
Facebook pages and elsewhere about folks you
know and love from your Trail Family.
bill o’brien
Sue Spring and Tom Evans at Trail Days this
year. Born within days of each other in two
hospitals only miles apart on the same street
in Manhattan, it would seem they were destined to be together, and the A.T. made it happen. Their story has been told in a magazine
article published in Connecticut this summer.
TRAIL PIONEER BERT GILBERT HAS PASSED AWAy
Bert Gilbert, 90, died in hospice care in
Hanover, N.H., on June 6. He was an honorary life member of ALDHA who hosted
many Trail Aid work trips at his beautiful,
rambling home, the Shaker-built Stone House
outside of Hanover. It included a bunk room,
a huge kitchen and stove for serving breakfast
to an army of trail workers, and a homemade
keggerator for post-work trip gatherings.
Bert’s trail work was mainly with the Dartmouth Outing Club but he also led ALDHA
work crews on projects like relos through
Vermont and New Hampshire and the construction of new shelters and privies.
Bert loved to hike. At a time when two
thru-hikes were considered a major feat, Bert
hiked the entire A.T. three times. He was the
first person at ALDHA Gatherings to stand
up during the roll call
of class years for three
straight years in a row:
1972, 1973 and 1974.
Orphaned at a young
age, he enlisted in the
Navy at age 17 and served in World War II,
Korea and Vietnam. He trained as a deep sea
diver and became an expert at underwater
ordnance disposal, teaching others how to
dismantle bombs in murky conditions underwater. For several years he was the naval
gunfire officer at Camp Lejeune. He spent
much of his off-duty time as a Boy Scout
leader, sharing his love for the outdoors with
underprivileged youth.
Donations in his memory can be made to
the A.T. Museum, at atmuseum.org. []
AN APPALACHIAN TRAIL LOVE STORy
Seasons Magazine, a quarterly publication in
Connecticut that’s hard to find on newsstands
but is available to read via a smartphone app,
ran a story on hikers in the state who’ve had
their lives changed from hiking the A.T. The
author, Steve Grant, who helped organize the
tag team thru-hike by five newspapers in 1995,
interviewed a few ALDHA members, one of
whom told him he should talk to Tom Evans and
Sue Spring of Salisbury, Conn. He did, and
their remarkable story became the lead-in to the
article. A photo of the trail couple formed the
main art for the piece. Search your app store for
“Seasons of Connecticut” to find the free app.
ALDHA WEBSITE NOW 20 yEARS OLD
It was on National Trails Day 1996 that
ALDHA launched its website, originally hosted
on a server called Connix. The creation of pages
began in late fall 1995 and were built from
scratch using raw HTML coding written by
hand. It was plain, simple and to the point, with
very few photos because most people were still
on dial-up Internet access. It was officially sanctioned by the ALDHA board at the spring meeting despite two votes against having any website
at all. It went live on June 1, 1996. It was totally overhauled in the spring of 2013.
BLACKBuRN NEEDS HIKERS’ HELP
Blackburn Trail Center in northern Virginia
has been an oasis to thru-hikers and other trail
lovers for years. Caretakers have gone out of
their way to help hikers. Just this past June, the
current caretakers put on a Thanksgiving feast
GREyLOCK HAS A LITTLE ExTRA TRAIL MAGIC
Pottermore.Com
you might have missed this while hiking through Massachusetts on the Appalachian Trail, but
then again, if you weren’t possessed of a little extra trail magic, the above castle-like school
would have been invisible to you. Turns out the North American version of the Hogwarts
School of Wizardry, made famous by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, is located on the top
of none other than Mount Greylock. Called Ilvermorny, the school has existed since the 1600s
when it was founded by a young witch who left Ireland to sail to America on the Mayflower.
The new story by Rowling was unveiled in late June on her website, www.pottermore.com.
We’re not sure how much she knew about the Appalachian Trail before she chose Greylock as
the setting for her story, but if you think about it, Greylock does sound like it has something
to do with warlocks (male witches). Maybe Salem, Mass., farther to the east really did have
witches after all. Good thing Rowling didn’t pick Mount Katahdin for her school of magic.
There’s already enough black magic up there; Jensen Bissell’s rangers don’t need any more.
for whoever was there during the peak of thruhiking season. ALDHA once held spring board
meetings there, and it financed a pavilion there
so hikers could cook and eat under cover.
Now Blackburn Trail Center needs our help
to ensure its healthy future. Officials are undertaking a significant project to modernize Blackburn’s waste management system, including
building a new privy system for the thousands of
day and overnight visitors. A real septic leaching field will have to be installed, and that requires heavy machinery and professional crews,
not well-intentioned trail volunteers. It will cost
money, but it will be beneficial to not only future hikers but to the environment as well.
If you’d like to contribute, send a check to
PATC, 118 Park St., SE, Vienna, VA 22180,
or go to patc.net/donate and select Blackburn21.
Summer 2016
19
ALDHA Family photo album
Dan innamorato
Mike Wingeart mans the grill during the
A.T. Museum Festival on National Trails
Day in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Pa.
It was also the grand opening of the new
children’s exhibit at the Museum.
bill o’brien PhotoS
‘Bearcharmer’ Sue Kanoy and ‘Jester’ Wolf Alterman lining up for the Trail Days Hiker Parade.
bill o’brien
Leonard Adkins, left, and Noel
DeCavalcante at the Museum.
bill o’brien
Martha Wingeart holds her dog Dakota while Dakota
makes a new young friend at the A.T. Museum Festival.
Dan innamorato
‘Nimbus’ Ken Bunning and his wife JoBeth and their dog at Trail Days in May.
Dan innamorato
Ron and Carol Bungay at the Museum
Festival in June.
20
Summer 2016
Dan innamorato
Summer 2016
21
Trail Days Travelogue
The weather was relatively tame for Trail
Days this year and good crowds turned out
for the weekend in Damascus, Va. This year’s
event marked the 65th anniversary of the day
when Gene Espy from Macon, Ga., walked
into town during his 1951 northbound thruhike and was treated like a king thanks to the
police chief. Gene was there again this year,
receiving a nice award to mark the occasion.
(See photo below.) On the facing page, see if
you can spot yourself in the parade if you
were marching this year.
billo’brien
united for life by the
A.T., trail friends need
no excuse to pose for a
family photo, above.
At left, Gene Espy accepts a plaque in his
honor at the Gazebo
during Trail Days, as his
granddaughter, Courtney, looks on.
Below, Bob Peoples
holds court, and Mary
Parry’s treats take the
cake as always.
bill o’brien
Dan innamorato
bill o’brien
John ‘Bodacious’ Beaudet surprised Noel DeCavalcante with a personally carved hiking
stick during the ALDHA Hiker Reception.
bill o’brien
22
2016 ALDHA Spring Board Meeting at
Bears Den Hostel, Va., April 2, 2016
— DRAFT Minutes
CALL TO ORDER. The meeting was opened by
Coordinator Jim Sample.
BOARD ROLL CALL. ALDHA Officers: Jim
Sample, Coordinator; Robert Sylvester, Membership Secretary; LuAnne Anderson, Treasurer;
and Peter Passalacqua, Recording Secretary.
At-large Board Members: Ron Bungay, Ken
Bunning, Ron Burger, Justin Burns, Jim Niedbalski, Betsy Kane (absent).
APPROVAL OF PROPOSED AGENDA.
MOTION: To approve the proposed agenda as
written. Motion made Jim Niedbalski and seconded by Ken Bunning. Unanimously approved.
Correction to agenda discovered during meeting. Upcoming Treasurer and Membership Secretary Terms end 12/31/18, not 12/31/19.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES (Jan 7,
2016). Read by Peter Passalacqua. Approved
by acclamation.
VISITOR COMMENTS: Brief comments will be
allowed during the meeting. Time limit to be at
the discretion of the Coordinator.
TREASURER’S REPORT (Luanne).
See attached reports.
Lots of discussion about The Gathering budget.
It is important that the Gathering Coordinator be
aware of how much is budgeted. In the future,
do not be fooled by the low cost at Williams College; other venues will cost more. This year the
Gathering should break even.
In 2016 the budget indicates we will run a
deficit. Should we move moneys from the lifetime memberships? Lots of discussion about the
proper use of these funds. The lifetime money is
currently in the TRPrice fund and a CD. It was
mentioned that an old newsletter stated that lifetime membership principal was not to be
touched, e.g., treat as a restricted endowment.
MOTION: To find how much interest and principal are in the accounts. Also, to find out the restrictions on these funds. Motion made by Ken
Bunning and seconded by Jim Niedbalski.
Unanimously approved.
Financial Review – It is estimated that a CPA financial review would cost about $3,000. Peter
mentioned how about doing an internal review.
Jim S. will look to see if we have any CPAs in
our membership. They could help us set up and
plan for an internal review.
Summer 2016
Meeting minutes
MOTION: To accept the Treasurer’s Report. Motion made by Robert Sylvester and seconded by
Peter Passalacqua. Unanimously approved.
ship software
Look on-line if we wish to review ATC’s 5 strategic goals.
Will check to see if Betsy’s printer is better than
current one
ATC Report (Laurie Potteiger).
Stewardship – ATC gives a big thank you to
ALDHA for all that they do
2016 Hiker numbers – Feb starters up anecdotally; more people are using the voluntary registration system which may be why the start dates
have been spread out; in general looks like
about a 10% increase in NoBo hikers.
Georgia – 5 or 6 ridge runners are now in place;
30 new campsites at Hawk MT Shelter site
Some hikers are planning on carrying a bear
canister from Springer all the way to Damascus.
ATC has develop a curriculum for a thru-hiker
workshop and have held dozens of them so far.
They are currently looking at ATC accreditation
for other organization’s workshops.
McAfee Knob – sometimes get 500 people a
day at the site. The local trail club is going to do
a team education program for a week, e.g.,
Leave No Trace.
Harpers Ferry – Flip-Flop Festival coming up in
mid-April; campsite building will be starting
soon. Will contact Ron Bungay when plans firm
up.
Baxter SP – We had a brief discussion about the
permitting process. Still seems a bit confusing.
OLD BUSINESS:
2017 Gathering Location Search (Jim S.)
Damascus – needs school board approval; is
auditorium big enough?
Highlands Community College - auditorium is
too small; no cafeteria
Mars Hill – Jim to visit
Mileage Reimbursement Proposal
MOTION: Allocate a total of $1,500 for six programs (ADHA Care, Outreach, Work Trips,
Leave No Trace, Search & Rescue, and Merchandise) at $250 max/program/year for actual
fuel reimbursement for program coordinators.
Motion made by Robert Sylvester and seconded
by Ken Bunning. Unanimously approved.
MEMBERSHIP (Sly).
As of end of March – 200 new, 500 non-renewals; 1,600 members at end of 2015
Sly to continue to look at Wild Apricot member-
DIRECTORY (Sly).
PDF will be ready in a week or so
COMPANION (Sly).
Doing well at ATC store
NEWSLETTER (Bill).
The winter newsletter featured the new ALDHA
storage trailer, the Southern and Northern
Rucks, the latest on how hiker behavior is impacting the trail, and a 25-year retrospective on
the 1990 murders on the A.T.
Going forward, I can’t publicize our activities in a
timely fashion, as past minutes and reports have
mentioned, unless I get the information from the
folks who are organizing these events.
The spring issue front page story is about the
speakers who have been lined up for the Gathering. Also included in the spring issue is a
package of stories I put together to further promote the Gathering: A story by one of this fall’s
workshop presenters, and a side story I wrote
about one of the books this presenter has written on “thru-hiking” the Adirondacks.
2016 NEWSLETTER DEADLINES
Summer 2016:June 15 newsletter to
printer.June 1 for submissions.
Fall 2016:Sept. 1 to printer.Aug. 15 for submissions.
Winter 2016:Dec. 1 to printer.Nov. 1 for submissions.The summer edition is where the bulk of
information about the Gathering must be published, so I’ll need everyone’s cooperation for
stories about workshops, details about dining
hall meals and prices (and tickets?), camping,
and so on.
The fall newsletter’s cover will be a special treat,
and a surprise, so you’ll have to wait to see
what it is.
The winter issue will be filled with photos and
stories about the Gathering.
Submit using simple text is best, not PDF
WEBSITE (Bill).
PDFs of every Gathering program going back to
2003 have been posted on the website.
This past week I found parts of the programs for
2000, 2001 and 2002, and I hope to find the rest
of them to get them added to the online
archives.
Summer 2016
Programs from 1996 to 1999 are on old format
media. If I cannot read these, I’ll have to put out
a call to ALDHA members to borrow theirs.
The next big project involves getting the online
store updated with new merchandise and new
prices.
More links were added on the front page, including one for Outreach services and another for
the Search and Rescue Team, but information
for the SAR page has not yet arrived. A new “donate” button was added to the front page, in
bright red.
WORK TRIPS (Ron Bungay).
Hawk Mount - Joint ALDHA/Georgia AT Club
Work trip, January 19 & 20, 2016
ALDHA contributed 185 hours of labor. Thirteen
tent pads and blue blazed trail were established.
Numerous locus trees were removed.
The ALDHA crew consisted of Mike Wingeart,
Rhea Patrick, Jim Chambers, Ron Burger,
Lynette and Aubrie Ansell, Carol and Ron Bungay, Odie “AT Yearbook” Norman and Crooked
Sticks
The Georgia club gave each of the ALDHA Volunteers a GATC T-shirt. In turn, ALDHA gave
each of the Georgia volunteers an ALDHA Work
Patch.
Dave Stelts of GATC allowed us to use their
cabin. That was much appreciated as both
nights the temperature was in the teens.
Future Work Trips-2016
April 20 & 21- Boundary Work, Northern Virginia. We will be staying at Blackburn Trail Center.
July 8-10 RPH Work trip. While this isn’t an
ALDHA work trip per say, we do contribute a
sum of money and Tim Messerich does give
ALDH credit for our contribution. They have
plans to do roof repairs that are contingent on
receiving a grant from REI.
October 10 The Gathering work Trip in Massachusetts. There will be trail maintenance and
boundary work for volunteers to choose from.
October 11 and 12- Boundary work trip in New
Hampshire. We will be assisting the Dartmouth
Outing Club along with ACT in maintaining corridor and monitoring the boundary.
Budget info in report.
TRAIL DAYS (Ken).
Reserved Campsites at Backbone Rock
ALDHA (Big 20’x20’ Tent) command post on the
Midway.
Within our tent will be: ALDHA Merchandise
(Mike), ALDHA Membership (Sly), Gathering
Table and display boards, ALDHA Care (Jim),
Leave No Trace/Endangered Services (Ron),
Appalachian Trail Museum (own table), Friends
of Baxter, own 6’ table and 2’x6’ banner within
the tent
Tables: We currently have three 6’ tables we are
23
looking to purchase 4 additional 8’ tables, (plus
additional tables for the hiker feed).
Preliminary meet-up time for setting up tent is
10:00 am Thursday
Hiker Campsite and greenway into town - Kiosk
along the greenway (8’x8’ canopy), if complete.
Hiker Reception: Friday, May 13th at 11-1300
Trail Angel Mary at the Rock School:
Trail Angel Mary posted a sign-up sheet for
goods and for help.
An additional 8’ tables needed
To be followed by Friends of Baxter at 13:00.
ALDHA advertisement:
Trail Days Hiker Brochure. Cost $135. 3,000
Copies Printed
ALDHA Greenway signs
HARD CORE (Jim C)
ATC is leaving the name “Hard Core” as is. Bob
Peoples and Jim C will be helping Andrew learn
how it was run.
This year’s project will be rock work at Grayson
Highlands.
There will be ALDHA signage at Sugar Grove
base camp.
ALDHA logo will be on T-shirt
Mt Rogers will provide funding.
ALDHA CARE (Jim C).
Care Packages – All hostels from GA to northern VA have been visited. Remainder to be visited after Trail Days.
Spring Cleanup- Holy Family Hostel in Pearisberg, VA is this year’s recipient. Will be done the
week before Trail Days.
Outreach – ALDHA Care to be at Trail Fest (Hot
Springs), Trail Days, and the Gathering. Patches
have been given out to hikers who help with trail
work along the trail.
Trail Work – Jim C to represent ALDHA at Hard
Core, Maine Trail Crew, Konnarock Crew,
SWEAT Crew, and Hard Core Base Camp.
LEAVE NO TRACE (Ron Burger).
Appalachian Trail Kickoff, Amicalola Falls State
Park Lodge, 3-6 March 2016. The “Hike in Harmony” theme was presented via a display board
containing the ALDHA posters: “Hike in Harmony”, “Endangered Services Campaign”, “Do
the Right Thing”, and “Be a Social Animal”
ALDHA’s Out Reach one hour presentation to
over 50 participants was a slightly condensed
and modified version of the ATC Leave No Trace
Practices provided in the “Thru Hikers Companion.”
The AT experience as we know it is incrementally being altered, largely due to the inability of
uninformed and misguided hikers to practice
“ATC LNT Practices”. For example, Hike your
own hike does NOT mean you can do anything
you want!
OUTREACH (Jim S).
The program is comprised of 11 activities which
are listed in the table below. Of these, ALDHA
was represented at three of these to date.
DATE / EVENT Lead Participants
Jan. 15-17 ALDHA Southern Ruck at NOC - Wesser,
NC — Sylvester, ALDHA Board
Jan. 22-24 ALDHA Northern Ruck at Bears Den, Bluemont, VA — Sample, Wingearts’ & Burger,
Mar. 4-6 AT KIckoff at Amicalola Falls State Park,
Dawsonville, GA — Sample, Wingeart, & Burger
Apr. 16-17 ATC Flip Flop Kickoff at Harpers Ferry, WV
— TBD
Apr. 15-17 AT Trail Festival at Hot Springs, NC 7 —
Sample & Burger
Apr. 22-24 Midwest Mountaineering Expo at Minneapolis, MN — Tentatively, Burger
Apr. 29-30 Erwin Outdoor Festival at Erwin, TN —
Sample & Burger
May 13-15 Community Trail Days at Damascus, VA —
ALDHA Board & others
June 4 AT Museum Hall of Fame Kids Festival at Gardiners, PA, June — (TBD)
Sept. 16-18 Millinocket Trails End Event, Millinocket,
ME — (TBD)
Oct. 7-9 ALDHA Gathering at Williams College,
Williamstown, MA — All ALDHA members invited
MERCHANDISE (Mike).
Took inventory of merchandise
Changed supplier to eliminate shipping charges
Placed an order to replenish supplies
Added 12 new items. See full report for details.
Deleted the green nylon jacket
Out of stock: Ceramic Mugs (will see if Bill V will
make some more)
Moved into the ALDHA trailer
Built a rack for displaying the merchandise first
used at the AT Kick-Off
Attended Events and Sales. See full report for
details.
Will set up Merchandise at Trail Days and the
Gathering
Will finish updating item descriptions for the
ALDHA website.
Will make a tally sheet for future events
Suggestions for products: Just one from Jim
Chambers a water bottle, Sly would like to see
“small” sizes in the inventory. Thoughts? Any
other ideas?
I would suggest ALDHA Board members consider wearing the polo shirt w/ or w/o the vest
24
Summer 2016
and ball cap when representing ALDHA at functions.
S&R (Mike).
There have been a few more articles about the
Largay case. Suffice to say there is a place for
this search team to aide in these cases.
At the SoRuck, Ken Bunning put together the
starting of ByLaws to govern the Team. See the
attached document. This is still a work in
progress.
Three more individuals have asked to join and
the ALDHA SAR Application was sent to them.
Ken has undertaken more SAR training and I
am hoping he will accept taking over the Team. I
can and will still be active, but wish to step
down.
I am currently writing an article with the history
of the ALDHA SAR Team for Bill to place on the
ALDHA.org website.
It would probably be a good idea to get the
Team together for training at this year’s Gathering. This could be done in a work shop type setting or a field exercise.
HOSTEL BINDERS (Peter).
Total of 78 ALDHA binders provided to hostels
We were successful this year in hand delivering
over 80% of the binders/updates.
Many new hostels (13) were added to the list in
2016.
Costs have been reduced compared to last
year.
In addition to the binders, ALDHA brochures are
being placed in the hostels using plastic
brochure stands.
FRIENDS OF BAXTER (Sue).
The monthly teleconference call was on Thursday, March 24, 2016. Four persons participated:
Aaron Megquier, FOB Executive Director; Jim
Sample; Bruce White, Baxter State Park
Ranger; and Sue Spring.
Trail Days - Aaron will bring the Baxter State
Park display model, folding table and chairs,
banner, stickers, and outreach material. Richard
Klain from FOB will also attend Trail Days.
BSP Permits. Weather-proof permit cards will be
issued to persons who indicate they plan to hike
100 miles or more in the area. The permits will
be handed out at several sites, although handing them out at the Monson visitor’s center is not
yet confirmed. The permits will be sequentially
number, and people will be allowed to keep the
card.
Aaron added that four people have been chosen
to be “ambassadors” along the Trail in the Baxter State Park area.
The sign at the Northern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail on Baxter Peak has been replaced, and is expected to last another six or
seven years.
Backpacks are lined up outside the Appalachian Trail Museum earlier this year.
A couple of related items not mentioned in the
phone call: (1) Jamie Renaud (“Navigator”) from
Millinocket will be joining Aaron and Richard
Klain at Trail Days; and (2) Friends of Baxter
(FOB) will hold a hiker information session on
Friday in the Rock School from 1:00 thru 2:30
after the Hiker Feed.
AT MUSEUM (Larry).
This year is the museum’s 7th season in operation
The opening of the children’s area in the basement will be on National Trails Day in June
Several things are finishing up: ramp, Earl
Schafer shelter, and Devil’s Race Course shelter
Sunday Presentations will be starting soon. One
of the highlights will be the Longwood Garden’s
Grandma Gatewood presentation. Contact Larry
if you have any ideas for other Sunday presentations.
Always need new docents
2016 GATHERING
Program (Jim S. for Betsy, Betsy’s Report)
Feature Speakers – Verbal confirmations have
been received for 3 speakers for the Gathering
and I’m currently working on paper contracts
Friday Night: Farmer Chef, Mama Bear and
family – a brief 30-45 minute presentation during
the Opening Session about their family adventure on the AT
Saturday Night at 7pm: Niki Rellon, Feature
Speaker – we are asking Niki to speak for 60-90
minutes with time for questions afterward, to discuss her journey as a first female amputee to
thru-hike the AT
Sunday Night at 7pm: the Hiking Viking – asking
him to speak for about an hour and share photos and stories from the trail
We offered Niki Rellon $500 and she asked for
$750 because of travel expenses.
Farmer Chef & family and the Hiking Viking will
each be given $250 for travel expenses.
Workshops – To date, I have 9 workshops already scheduled, including some trails in the
northwest, the American Chestnut Foundation,
and Squatch’s new movie on Iceland.
Volunteers at the Gathering – Based on the
number of helping hands and board members
who arrive early at the Gathering, it seems unnecessary for us to advertise a need for volunteers.
Photo Contest – I am looking for someone to
run the photo contest this year, if anyone is in-
Summer 2016
25
some shifts for who is working registration this
year, so the same few people aren’t stuck there
all weekend long.
Banner – My summer craft project: to make a
banner for this year’s Gathering.
Walking Jim Song – If anyone is musically inclined or knows someone else who might wish
to take this on this year, let me know.
Sunrise Service – Same thing, Kip had previously led this. I’m not sure if someone else
would like to step up.
Facilities (Jim N)
The facilities planning for Gathering 2016 at
Williams College is on track. We will use the
same facilities and rooms as we did in 2014 for
our various activities/events.
Sunday evening presentation by The Real Hiking Viking will be held in the Brooks-Rogers
Recital Hall which has a capacity of 250.
Friday and Saturday evening events will again
be in the ’62 Center.
Agreed to have only one event for the Saturday
night social. It will be the Barn and Campfire at
the campsite, not The Log bar.
Campsite (Jim S. for Eric White)
Like the idea of having a greeter at the end of
the driveway
Parking area to be the same as two years ago
Hiker Fair (Ron Bungay for Gary Sizer)
JOE HAROLD
terested in taking this on. We will have prizes
this year!
Apple Contest – It sounds like we will forego the
contest in 2016 after low participation and some
feedback about it taking away from Saturday
night’s presentation.
Giveaway Items - I was really hoping to find a
place that would print our logo onto small stuff
sacks/dry sacks for a giveaway item that people
could use on the trail, but so far, I can’t find anyone who does that. I will be looking to order
giveaway items and nametags earlier this year
(over the summer) now that I know what we
need!
Wristbands – I think the wristband system
worked well last year and we will continue it
again for 2016 unless anyone objects. We will
probably need to order another box of these too.
Certificates/Diplomas – I’m not sure if a question
was added to the Gathering registration form
(and if not, can it be?) to try to collect information about 2016 thru-hikers who will be attending
the Gathering earlier on, but we will try to do
better with creating certificates for Thru Hikers
and acknowledging each individual hiker this
year. It seems like there is little interest in the
Diploma earned for attending certain workshops
though, so we may do away with that program.
Registration Table Shifts – I’d love for us to plan
Only two requests so far. This is not unusual.
NEW BUSINESS.
Standing Committees (Jim S).
Active discussion about how to form standing
committees and membership of committees.
Motions were made and subsequently withdrawn. No conclusions were formally agreed
upon. Our Bylaws are a bit confusing and can
be interpreted to contradict each other on this
topic of committees. This will addressed at a
later time.
Suggested committees were Nomination,
ALDHA Awards, and Gathering Site Selection.
There is currently an ALDHA Awards group:
Noel, Woodchuck, Mike W., and Bill.
The 40 Annual Gathering Initiative – 2021 (Bill)
th
Should plan for funds for a special celebration
activity, e.g., a barbeque
Perhaps put $500/yr in budget starting in 2017
Something to think about for the future.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Waynesboro Shelter Donation (Jim S.) – The
$2,000 donation can be applied towards The
Gathering
Kennebec Canoe Donation (Jim S.) – We received a thank you from ATC (Hawk Metheny)
Board and Position Vacancies (Jim S.) – Discussed the vacancies as presented on the
agenda. Note that the Treasurer and Membership Secretary terms run through Dec 31st.
Insurance Coverage (Jim S.)
General liability insurance. Policy’s anniversary
is in October. I would like authorization to replace that policy with like coverage from State
Farm Insurance which has local agents throughout the country, and therefore more accessible
to ALDHA officers wherever they may reside.
The premium cost should be in the same ballpark. New policy proposal acceptances will be
subject to board of directors’ approval. If approved this change will be made in a timely
manner so there is no lapse in coverage between policies.
Trailer Contents. I have requested policy availability and cost for $10,000 coverage. Since this
overage would be linked to our liability coverage, or purchased as a stand-alone Inland marine (scheduled) policy I have not pursued this
further pending your decision to retain or
change the above liability coverage policy when
it comes up for renewal in October.
Treasurer Bonding. LuAnne and I have completed organization and position questionnaires
for State Farm relatively to our request for a proposal for financial bonding coverage for the
Treasurer. Some questionnaire items prompt me
to recommend that we review our procedural
practices and documentation before submitting
the questionnaires for approval.
Awards Advisory Group (Bill) – There will be no
Honorary Life Membership Award for 2016
2016 Hiker Feed in Connecticut (Bill) – Decided
not to have a feed this year based on the current culture issues. Also, it was not effective in
bringing in new members.
ATC Biennial (Bill) – ATC wants some ALDHA
workshops, e.g., light weight backpacking; will
we do the hiker reception again?
The Gathering Long Distance Hiker Diplomas
(Bill) –The diploma has been redesigned
CLOSING REMARKS: We need to shorten the
time of the meeting. Written reports do not need
to be totally re-read. Perhaps time slots on the
agenda can be tried.
Propose putting this in 2017 budget
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned
in a motion made by Ken Bunning and seconded by Ron Burger. Unanimously approved.
ALDHA Position Stipends (Jim N)
Peter Passalacqua
ALDHA Recording Secretary
Establishment of Trail Work Fund (Jim N)
Jim will prepare a proposal for our Oct 2016
board meeting
Respectfully submitted,
26
Summer 2016
ALDHA ALMANAC ~ Part I
New assistant
coordinator
Back on the
ALDHA board
Ron Burger, aka “Gray
Beard,” has been appointed to fill the vacancy
for the No. 2 job on the
ALDHA board. He has
coordinated ALDHA’s
Leave No Trace program
and was on the 2014
search for Gerry Largay.
Jim Chambers has been
appointed to fill Ron
Burger’s seat as an atlarge board member after
Ron was elevated to assistant coordinator. Jim
served on the board previously and is the coordinator of ALDHA Care.
Where to email officers, other key people
ALDHA Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Sample . . . . . . . . . “White Sidewalls” . . . . [email protected]
Assistant Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron Burger . . . . . . . . . . “Gray Beard” . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . LuAnne Anderson . . . . . “Tigger” . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Membership Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Sylvester . . . . . . “Sly” . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Recording Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Passalacqua . . . . “Chenango”. . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Gathering Program Coordinator . . . Betsy Kane . . . . . . . . . . “Sunflower” . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Gathering Facilities Coordinator . . . Jim Niedbalski . . . . . . . “High Octane” . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Gathering Campsite Coordinators . . Eric White . . . . . . . . . . . “Mini Mart” . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Companion Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Sylvester . . . . . . “Sly” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Newsletter Editor & Webmaster . . . . Bill O'Brien . . . . . . . . . . “Sprained Rice”. . . . . . . [email protected]
Work Trip Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron Bungay . . . . . . . . . “Yellow Shoes” . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Merchandise Coordinator . . . . . . . . . Mike Wingeart . . . . . . . . “Wing-Heart” . . . . . . . [email protected]
Outreach Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . Ron Burger . . . . . . . . . . “Gray Beard”. . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
ALDHA Care Coordinator . . . . . . . . . Jim Chambers . . . . . . . “Just Jim” . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
A.T. Museum Representative . . . . . . Noel DeCavalcante . . . “Singing Horseman” . . . . [email protected]
A.T. Museum Representative . . . . . . Bill O’Brien . . . . . . . . . . “Sprained Rice” . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]
Search and Rescue Coordinator . . . Ken Bunning . . . . . . . . . “Nimbus” . . . . . . . [email protected]
Leave No Trace Coordinator . . . . . . . Ron Burger . . . . . . . . . . “Gray Beard”. . . . . . . [email protected]
The official A.T. guidebook
ALDHA’s
four-fold
statement
of purpose
The cover of the 2016 A.T. Thru-Hikers’ Companion makes it official: It’s
the official guide for long-distance hikes of the trail.
Information is gleaned fresh every single year by a host of volunteer field
editors — most of them former thru-hikers themselves — and their information is buttressed and supplemented by updates from paid full-time staff of
the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s four regional districts.
It also includes the latest, most up-to-date trail mileage from the current
year’s Databook. And let’s not forget the profiles of the trail. These are the
only trail profiles in a guidebook that are not purposely distorted to fit the
convenience of a page’s layout. They are factual, true profiles that adhere to
a scale grid. It truly is one heck of an A.T. guidebook.
I
To represent
and promote
the welfare of
the Appalachian
long distance
hiking
community.
II
To provide
service in a
cooperative
spirit with other
Appalachian
hiking
organizations.
III
To provide education on the
use and
preservation of
Appalachian
long distance
trails.
IV
To provide
opportunities for interaction and
camaraderie within
the Appalachian
long distance
hiking community.
2016 Directory
should now be
in your hands
The annual booklet was delivered to all those eligible to
receive one during May. If you
still did not get one, contact
Membership Secretary Sly
Sylvester (email in box at left).
If you received your copy
and found something that
needs to be updated or fixed,
contact Sly at the same email
address.
If anyone would like to volunteer to lay out the Directory
in the future, email Jim Sample at [email protected].
Knowledge of Quark or InDesign is needed.
Key dates
Oct. 7-9
ALDHA’s 35th Gathering at
Williams College in
Williamstown, Mass.
July 8-10
Ralph’s Peak Hikers Cabin
work trip in New York. Contact
Crew Leader Tim Messerich
at bascomgrillmaster@
yahoo.com.
Oct. 10
Post-Gathering work trip. The
Monday following the Gathering will see two separate work
trips at two venues, one for
trail maintenance and the
other for boundary monitoring
work. Contact Ron Bungay at
[email protected].
Oct. 11-12
New Hampshire fall boundary maintenance work trip,
using one of the Dartmouth
Outing Club cabins for
overnight accommodations.
This work trip will occur immediately after the postGathering work trips in the
Williamstown, Mass., area.
Contact Ron Bungay at
[email protected].
Summer 2016
27
ALDHA ALMANAC ~ Part II
Hike In Harmony
Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association
Keeping the Appalachian Trail a good neighbor
Epitomized by the bumper sticker at left,
and now a set of wicking T-shirts (see
Page 27), the Endangered Services Campaign of ALDHA has sought to get hikers to
follow the rules as they would the white
blazes so that services — and the trail itself — is still here after they’ve gone.
The Yahoo AT Services Group was created by ALDHA a decade ago to enhance
contact among A.T. service providers such
BOOTS McFARLAND
as hostels, stores and other groups. The
list is private, invitation only, and free. It
has been used to communicate about
problem hikers, extreme weather, trail closures, lost or overdue hikers, and sometimes just good news.
If you’re a service provider and would
like to join the list, contact its creator, former ALDHA Coordinator Mark Hudson, at
[email protected].
Benefits of
membership
As you can see from the display created by
Coordinator Jim Sample at right, your annual
$10 dues goes a long way in ALDHA. You get
the following perks if you join:
n Quarterly issues of The Long Distance
Hiker, the newsletter of our organization,
which you’re reading now.
n Annual Membership Directory listing trail
names, locations, email addresses, trails
hiked and other info about our members.
n Free digital copy of the Appalachian Trail
Thru-Hikers’ Companion, the official guidebook for hikes of any length on the A.T.
n Invitation to attend any and all ALDHA
events, like the 2,000-miler reception at the
ATC Biennial Conferences.
n The chance to buy stuff with the ALDHA
logo from our newly expanded ALDHA Store.
n
1
2
3
For Boots McFarland-related items, visit www.bootsmcfarland.com
What is the
name of the
new 235-mile
trail that runs
roughly south to north
in New York state?
One of the
museum’s
newest additions is a
metal plaque from
which part of the A.T.?
Where in
Georgia did
soldiers from
the Army’s 5th
Ranger Training Battalion build tent sites?
n Your dues — but more importantly, your
volunteer help — go toward a growing list of
trail-related activities that benefit the users of
the Appalachian Trail — your fellow hikers.
4
Where can
you read the
actual journal
kept by Earl
Shaffer during his A.T.
thru-hike in 1948?
5
Which country
aired a documentary about
the A.T. that
led to an influx of hikers from that nation?
1. THE TRANS ADIRONDACK ROUTE. 2. DELAWARE WATER GAP, PA. 3. HAWK MOUNTAIN. 4. THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION WEBSITE. 5. GERMANY.
Test your
memory of
the previous
issue of the
newsletter:
Free patches for ALDHA trail crews.
28
Summer 2016
ALDHA ALMANAC ~ Part III
iPhone
Android
Our thanks to ALDHA’s newest life members.
William Garlinghouse
& Mary Yocum
Anna Huthmaker
Lloyd MacAskill
Search & Rescue
Team invites all
ALDHA continues to develop
its Search and Rescue Team
and welcomes any member to
sign up.
The only mission so far was
a weeklong search for missing
hiker Geraldine Largay in May
2014. Her body was not found
until this past fall after having
gone missing in July 2013.
Since then the coordinator of
the group, Mike Wingeart, has
taken training courses toward
certification, created a patch
(above) and a blaze orange
wicking T-shirt for use in the
field.
If you’d like to know more,
contact Mike at 410-472-4951.
Thanks for your support
THE AT HIKER APP
Guthook’s Guides and ALDHA have
teamed up to bring you a new way to
plan and carry out your hike along the
Appalachian Trail using an
app for either the iPhone or
Android platform. It taps into
the latest info from ALDHA’s
A.T. Thru-Hikers’ Companion
and all the technical info you
will need from actual GPS measurements of the trail by the app’s creator,
Ryan Linn, aka “Guthook.” A portion of
the proceeds support ALDHA’s trail programs. Scan the QR code above or visit
www.sierraattitude.com/athikerapp/
William R. Mayes Jr.
John O’Shea
Pat Young
— Many thanks
It costs a one-time fee of $200 to never have
to worry again about paying your $10 annual
dues. (The cost of the Gathering is separate;
that is $20 per individual.) See the registration
form on Page 10 and check the life member option when sending in your information.
DONATIONS
ALDHA is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, and
donations above and beyond dues are tax
deductible. You can use the form on Page 10, or
use this link for an online form via PayPal.
Thanks to the following people who donated
to ALDHA since January:
Tim Case
Maurice Forrester
Irma & Tom Graf
Chris Heald
Laurie Johnson &
Kathleen Reeves
Norman V Keith Jr.
William R. Mayes Jr.
Jim Niedbalski
John O'Brien
Laurie & Dick Potteiger
Kandace Yaretz
— Gracias!
Give someone the gift of a membership in ALDHA and help our organization grow. It’s only $10, and the recipient may become a member for life.
This is to certify that
a Gift Membership in ALDHA
for
Has Been Entered for One Year
Presented by
#
ALDHA SHARES
Print out and trim this
certificate, fill in the
names and put it in a
No. 6 3⁄4 envelope as a
gift to a friend or family member who would
love to learn more
about hiking.
(Be sure to send us
the recipient’s information and pay for the
gift. See Page 10 for
the form as well as an
online option.)
APPALACHIAN LONG DISTANCE HIKERS ASSOCIATION
VISIT OUR ONLINE STORE
Shopping for summer, fall
Baseball hats, stickers,
ALDHA polo shirts, etc.
Click this link & pay online: www.aldha.org/store
New Merchandise
B.
A.
A. Hike in Harmony Wicking T-shirt
Thanks to Ron Burger, the ALDHA Endangered
Services Campaign has its “Hike In Harmony”
message on 3 colorful T-shirts, all made of wicking
material. Available in gold, lime green (above), and
bright blue. The name “ALDHA” is on the back.
Available in S, M, L, XL. $20. 2XL. $22.
C.
B. ALDHA Tote Bag
The forest green tote bags that were part of the
Gathering in 2015 are available for sale. The bag is
12½'' wide by 13'' deep (not counting handles). $3.
D.
C. ALDHA Care T-shirt
The coordinator of the ALDHA Care program, Jim
Chambers, has created a new T-shirt to show your
support for ALDHA’s efforts to help low-cost hiker
hostels on the A.T. White lettering on black shirt.
D. ALDHA Work Crew T-Shirt
Work trip coordinator Ron Bungay has come out
with a new blaze orange work crew T-shirt.
E. ALDHA Structured Hat
Structured hat retains its shape all the time. Off
white, black logo, dark green trim and visor. $15.
E.
F.
F. ALDHA Stocking Hat
Perfect for winter, a warm pullover hat, one size fits
all. Gray and black knit, with white logo. $12.
Shop and pay online at
www.aldha.org/store
Page 30
Polo Shirts, Bandanas & Vest
A. Hunter Green Polo Shirt
This polo-style shirt in hunter green
features the ALDHA logo embroidered
in khaki-colored thread. Great for casual
work settings. 100% cotton.
Available in Men’s and Women’s sizes.
S, M, L, XL. $30. 2XL. $32.
B. Royal Blue Polo Shirt
This polo-style shirt in royal blue features
the ALDHA logo embroidered in white
thread. Perfect for wearing to work in
informal settings. 100% cotton.
Available in Men’s and Women’s sizes.
S, M, L, XL. $30. 2XL. $32.
A.
B.
C. White Polo Shirt
Same as others, but white
with green embroidered logo.
100% cotton. Available in
Men’s and Women’s sizes.
S, M, L, XL. $30. 2XL. $32.
C.
D.
E.
D. ALDHA Bandana
100% Cotton ALDHA Bandana in 10 different
colors. Choose red, royal, yellow, gold, gray,
green, orange, light blue, light pink or purple. $5.
E. Cozy Fleece Vest
Gray fleece vest with black piping and
embroidered black ALDHA logo.
Hats & Accessories
F.
F. ALDHA Ball Cap
This ball cap is perfect for the trail or around
town to show off your support for ALDHA.
It is Pigment-dyed color, 100% cotton twill,
lightweight, low profile, unstructured with
an adjustable slide closure so one size fits all.
$15.
G. Hat/Lapel Pins
Available in gold, black or silver. $4.
Page 31
www.aldha.org/store
G.
Our Favorite Tees
A. & B. These great-looking Tees are soft and comfortable
and come in either short-sleeve or long-sleeve. Made from
100% cotton, with the familiar ALDHA logo printed on the
front left and back.
Short sleeve (Sage Green) in S, M, L, XL $16. 2XL $18.
Long-sleeve (Heather Gray) in S, M, L, XL $20. 2XL $22.
www.aldha.org/store
A.
C. Moisture Wicking T-Shirt
Fast drying and odor resistant, this Navy blue
T-shirt is made of moisture-wicking material
and has the ALDHA logo embroidered in white.
B.
C.
D. 30th Anniversary Reissue of the
First Official ALDHA T-Shirt
A reproduction of the original ALDHA
T-shirt that came out in 1991. Same
cream-colored shirt with design in dark
green, only the circular image is on the
back this time, and a plain, smaller logo
is on the front left-breast area.
Available in S, M, L. $16. XL. $18.
D.
Stickers & Decals
Hike In
Harmony
E.
F.
Hike In Harmony
Leave no trace in trail towns, not just in camp.
Follow the rules as you would the white blazes.
G.
Help keep the Appalachian Trail a good neighbor.
The Endangered Services Campaign
E. “Hike in Harmony”
bumper sticker. $2.
F. Window decal with
the ALDHA logo on an
orange background. $2.
G. “I Brake for Trail Crossings” bumper sticker. $2.
Page 32
Benchmarks, Patches & Pins
A. Springer Mountain Benchmark Paperweight
A 3¼'' diameter replica of the U.S. Geological Survey benchmark atop Springer Mountain in Georgia, southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
Cast in fine pewter. Felt backing with soft fleece
pouch. Comes in a clear viny-covered box. $39.
A.
C.
B. Mount Katahdin Benchmark Paperweight
A 3¼'' diameter replica of the U.S. Geological Survey benchmark atop Mount Katahdin,
northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
Cast in fine pewter. Felt backing with soft fleece
pouch. Comes in a clear vinyl-covered box. $39.
C. Springer Mountain Benchmark Pin
A 1'' diameter replica of the USGS benchmark
on Springer Mountain. Cast in fine pewter
with a military clutch back. $10.
B.
D.
D. Mount Katahdin Benchmark Pin
A 1-inch-diameter replica of the USGS benchmark on Mount Katahdin. Cast in fine pewter
with a military clutch back. $10.
E. F. G. ALDHA Patches
The classic ALDHA patch is the perfect way to
show everyone you meet on the trail you are a
member of ALDHA. At 3 inches in diameter,
it is the ideal size for putting on your pack. $4.
E.
F.
G.
Pads & Coasters
H.
H. ALDHA Mouse Pad
Mouse pad with the ALDHA logo imprinted
on it. Now available in black on white; black on orange;
black on lime green (shown); and white on black. $11.
I.
I. ALDHA Coaster
Absorbent Sandstone coaster, 4¼'' diameter with the
ALDHA logo imprinted in black on white. $11.
Visit our online store at www.aldha.org/store
Page 33
GATHERING
35TH ANNUAL
WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS.
COLUMBUS DAY WEEKEND, OCT. 7-9, 2016
WWW.ALDHA.ORG

ALDHA at Trail Days

Transcription

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