Blizzard of '93

The Long Distance Hiker
Vol. 24, No. 1 ALDHANews That Fits We Print Since 1983

By BILLOBRIEN
Editor
The Newsletter of the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association
Spring 2013
Past coordinators: where are they now?

It was in March 1983 when hikers convened in Harpers Ferry, W.Va., and voted to create a new organization made up of long-distance hikers. They had gathered for the first time six months earlier to celebrate the bonds of the trail at the first Gathering, and it was there that the seeds of a new organization were planted. Then, six months later, ALDHA was born. We told the story of that meeting on our 20th anniversary and traced our history at the 25th Gathering. This year, as we turn 30, weve decided to take a look back at our 11 past coordinators and see what theyre up to today, starting with the most recent former coordinator and working our way back. Some have continued to be active in ALDHA, others have moved on to other interests but all of them remain hooked on hiking. Jojo Koby-Burley served three years in the job, from 2007-2010. As always, finding folks to volunteer for various tasks was a challenge. She was elected coordinator at the first Gathering ever held at Gettysburg College, and it was during her tenure that we returned there for a second and final time in 2009. She continues to travel, mostly out West and in Alaska, with her husband Frank, a former ALDHA treasurer. She has been to every Gathering since her term ended, and either she or Frank (or both) take a lot of photos of the weekend to help fill our newsletters, website and archives with memories for years to come. Where am I now? Mark Hudson asked, repeating the question he had just received in his inbox. Would it surprise anyone to find out Im working on the plans for this years hike? (The Benton MacKaye Trail). I cant get six months off every year to go hiking, but that doesnt mean I cant dream about it! Mark, who served from 2005-07, says his fondest memory of being an ALDHA coordiContinued on Page 20
By subscribing to the e-edition over the print version of the newsletter, you get about twice as many pages. Included in this issue is a review of The Way, a trail movie now out on DVD and available on Instant Netflix; a story about the Storm of the Century from 20 years ago; and stories and photos from the two Rucks.
Whats inside this edition
I implore you to take that step, you are among friends, we work together and help each other. Very respectfully, Mike wingeart
ALDHA is a great organization, we have gotten that way because of folks like you who have stepped forward to lend a helping hand. Look around and you see people doing lots things for ALDHA. Many have been dedicated to ALDHA for years because they love it, want to see it continue and want to be part of it; it is very self-rewarding. We talk about giving back to the Trail ... what better way than right here in the organization that we love.
My friends in ALDHA, we need your help and we need it now. Rick Hatcher, our new treasurer, has had to resign. This leaves us with no treasurer; so please, if you have any experience in this area will you step forward and volunteer?
aLdha NEEds a NEw tREasuRER
Sequester wont hit hard for a while yet

By BILLOBRIEN
Editor
Coordinator@aldha.org
The impact of the federal budget sequester that forced government to cut spending without regard to the impact on services is having little immediate effect on the Appalachian Trail, a unit of the National Park Service. It may be six months or more before any noticeable impacts develop, but what those impacts will be is in question, officials said. No gates will go up across the Smokies or Shenandoahs, the two national parks crossed by the A.T., nor will any national forests bar hikers. Thru-hikers already plodding their way north from Georgia have not seen any changes. The unofficial position of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is to wait and see. Currently, we do not expect an immediate impact on the Trail but there is still some uncertainty of how the indirect cost reductions will affect how we conduct business with our other agency partners, the ATC stated, referring to the Park Service and Forest Service. The ATC gets about one-third of its $6 million operating budget from the federal government.
Spring 2013
Spring 2013
March 2013
The Long Distance Hiker is published four times each year in March, June, September and December by ALDHA, the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization registered in New Hampshire, at 10 benning Street, PMb 224, West Lebanon, NH 03784.
Vol. 24, No. 1
To contact us via email, write to us at aldha@aldha.org. our home page is at http://www.aldha.org. If you need to contact the people below, find their info in the Directory, or see Page 23. assistant Coordinator kent Wilson Membership secretary Robert Sylvester at-Large Board Members Randy Anderson 13 Noel DeCavalcante 13 Jim Niedbalski 13 kip Redick 14 Sue Williams 14 Judy Young 14 2013 Companion Editor Robert Sylvester Recording secretary Sue Spring treasurer vacancy Coordinator Mike Wingeart
Membership is open to all. There are no prerequisites to join. To sign up, fill out and mail the form on Page 23 or do it at http://www.aldha.org/join.htm.
Newsletter Editor / webmaster bill obrien Gathering Coordinators kip Redick, program Mike Wingeart, facilities Chuck Wood, campsite a.t. Museum Representatives Noel DeCavalcante Mike Wingeart Outreach Coordinator Judy Young
dEadLINE FOR suMMER IssuE May 24 Send your items to bill obrien, 181 Highland Ave., Meriden, CT 06451 or email them to newsletter@aldha.org
TS SPRING! The Class of 2013 is already on Friday, May 17, at the Rock School. hiking the A.T. Many are getting ready to ALDHA will help co-sponsor Bob Peoples hike new trails. Those that support and proHard Core thru-hikers work trip during Trail vide services for hikers are excited and Days, Tim Messerichs RPHVC crew in July, anticipating this years hikers. And the Baltimore and the post-Gathering work trip. Ravens won the Super Bowl! Its going to be a Notebooks with info about ALDHA have been good year. sent to hostels along the A.T. with brochures and The SoRuck and NoRuck were well attended. current information on our activities and proPacks were Tuckerized, reunions and friendgrams. If youre a hostel owner/operator and did ships were renewed. See the stories and photos on not get one, please contact me. Pages 10-11 of this e-edition. Plans are being The ALDHA Spring Board Meeting will be at made to possibly have a Ironmasters Mansion Hostel Ruck in New England in on Pine Grove Road in 2014. It will be called the Gardners, Pa., on Saturday, NewRuck. As we put it April 13. We will be taking together, more information a tour of Shippensburg will follow. For now there is University on Friday, April just a Facebook page. 12, at 1 p.m. We will be Sly has put together the updating/revising the 2013 ALDHA brochure. ALDHA Bylaws, conducting Please download a copy from other business and planning the ALDHA website and disthe 2013 Gathering. ALDHA tribute it as you can. is going to need a coordinaBill OBrien and Sly have tor, assistant coordinator, put together a beautiful 2013 treasurer, recording secreALDHA Membership tary and three new board Directory. It has been sent members. If youre interestout in hard copy and PDF. ed, you should consider (See story on Page 23.) We attending this meeting. H. DeAN CLARk had 1,720 members at the Please let me know if you Martha and Mike wingeart at the end of 2012, and currently plan on being there. Northern Ruck this year. we have more than 1,830 The ATC Biennial will be members. And the South has retaken the top spot. in Cullowhee, N.C., July 19-26. ALDHA will be However, well lose some members because they there. On Saturday, July 20, ALDHA will host have not renewed. We are trying to reach the the Hiker Reception before the business meeting. 2,000-member level, so please check and see if You are all invited to attend. you are current. If you have not received your The 32nd Gathering will be at Shippensburg copy, please contact Sly. University in Shippensburg, Pa., on Columbus 2013 sees the printing of the 20th edition of Day weekend, Oct. 11-14. This will be a very ALDHAs Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers large event with Kip Redick as the Program Companion. (See Page 22.) If you would like a Coordinator and Chuck Wood as the Campsite free PDF copy, please contact Sly. Coordinator. I will be the Facilities Coordinator. ALDHA is sponsoring the 2013 Warrior Hikers Pre-registration may be needed for the dining on their thru-hikes of the A.T. this year. Kip facility to offer meals to us and that information wrote a nice article (Pages 4-5) to give you more will be provided when we have the details. Most information on it. As you meet these hikers on the certainly ALDHA will need everyone who attends trail be sure to thank them for their service. to pay the $20 registration (see form on Page 23). ALDHA has a new Outreach Coordinator, ALDHA and ATC will again give the A.T. Judy Gray Jay Young. She will attend many of Class of 2013, the SOBOs of 2012 and those the trail events and hiking many sections of the 2012 hikers who finished after the Gathering in A.T. to meet this years class. See the dates in 2012 their 2,000-miler completion certificates and the ALDHA brochure and Directory. ALDHA patches at this falls Gathering. will be at the ATKO, Dahlonega Trail Fest, April This year my Tuscarora PATC Shelter Crew Fools Trail Fest, Appalachian Trail Fest, Trail will join Henry Horns PATC A.T. Crew to build Days, National Trail Days at the A.T. Museum, another shelter next to Dicks Dome Shelter in A.T. Hall of Fame banquet, ATC Biennial and Virginia. We also have a little work to do on a Trails End Festival. Please stop by our booth and conex storage container and will install two more say hello. bear poles on the Tuscarora Trail. We can always Trail Days in Damascus will find the ALDHA use another hand, just let me know. tent in the same location as last year. It will house See you out there! our display boards, merchandise and the A.T. Museum. Please stop by, renew your membership Michael D. Wingeart and pick up some new ALDHA merchandise. Wing-Heart Trailangelmary and her ALDHA volunteers will set up the annual hiker reception and lunch ALDHAs Coordinator
Coordinators report
NEWS & NOTES AROUND ALDHA

The chief operating officer of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has left ATC and is re-entering the private, for-profit work force. Steve Paradis is an honorary life member of ALDHA who served as membership secretary in 2004. Counting his time as a member of ATCs Board of Managers and Trail Stewardship Council, Steve has put in over 10 years with senior ATC management. We thank him for his service and wish him the best in his future endeavors. Pat Shaw, who ran Shaws Boarding House with her late husband Keith for many years in Monson, Maine, is in hospice care due to lung cancer. She moved from Maine to Oklahoma after the house was sold in Monson. Cards may be sent to Pat Shaw, RR 1 Box 16A, Chester, OK 73838. Emails may be sent to her daughter-in-law, Cathy Johnson, at johnson74@live.com. One of our nonagenarian members (hes in his 90s) wrote from upstate New York to say that hes still hanging in there. I am not active in the Finger Lakes Trail like I used to be as I am 95 and a little too old to go out and cut up deadfalls with a chain saw, Ed Sidote said in his note of Jan.14. I would like to attend Gatherings but they would be too much for me to handle at my age. Note: We believe we speak for all of ALDHA in granting Ed a waiver and thanking him for a lifetimes worth of service to the trail community. Well surely miss you at future Gatherings! Another of ALDHAs 90-year-old members, Mike Caetano, aka Cimarron, is attempting once again to hike the whole A.T. and become the oldest person ever to do a thru-hike. He has hiked the trail before (from 2003-2004), and in 2011 started a similar attempt to set an age record but fell short due to injuries. Hes having a hard time of it this year but remains determined. You can follow his progress at www.TrailJournals.com thanks to faithful trail friend Gary Buffington.
STEVE PARADIS
PAT SHAW
ED SIDOTE
Kip Redick, aka Hippy Kippy, will once again head up the program for the Gathering, which will be held this year in Shippensburg, Pa., Oct. 11-14. He replaces Kerry Smithwick, who had to step down after landing a new job offer. Kip will be joined by Chuck Wood, the campsite coordinator, and Mike Wingeart, the facilities coordinator, to bring you the 32nd annual Gathering at Shippensburg University. H. DeAN CLARk Kip thru-hiked the A.T. in 2011 and the Camino de Santiago in Spain in 2008. He was the program coordinator at last years GatherKip Redick, aka ing and is a current member of the board of directors of ALDHA. He hippy Kippy has also been a workshop presenter at past Gatherings, taking part in workshops on veterans and the trail (see his story on Pages 4-5) and the Camino. This will be ALDHAs first time at Shippensburg University, which is located right off of Interstate 81 in south-central Pennsylvania, so it should be an exciting Gathering. For the first time ever, we will have camping right on the campus of our host school. The field where well pitch our tents is within walking distance of indoor facilities, but we plan to have port-a-potties set up near the tents regardless. Most of the dayside programs will occur in the same building, making it easier to go from one workshop to the next during Saturday and Sunday. A wide selection of restaurants is available in town, as well as near the interstate. Well post more info on that in the summer newsletter, along with directions. In the meantime, please consider doing a workshop on either a trail youve hiked or an issue that is near to the heart of almost every hiker. Topics range from Lyme disease to lightweight backpacking. Demonstrate how to hang a bear bag, or make some tasty trail meals. Have a discussion on a hot issue like the new backcountry fees in the Smokies. The A.T. Museum already has its symposium lined up (see story about Ben Montgomery on Page 6). Check out a photo spread of past workshop coordinators on Pages 8-9, and tell us you dont want this to be you. HOW TO CONTACT KIP: You can email Kip at gathering@aldha.org, or write to him in care of ALDHA at 10 Benning St., PMB 224, West Lebanon, NH, 03784. His phone number is 757238-2716.
New program coordinator steps in for the Gathering
CIMARRON
JOHN FLETCHER
If you visited ATC headquarters between 2002 and 2010, chances are you wouldve seen John Fletcher quietly working at the computer, setting up an exhibit or taking a photo of hikers. John (trail name Apprentice Goat) died unexpectedly in early March at age 39. He was a long-distance ATC hiker and a friend of the trail as well as of the A.T. Museum, and he will be sorely missed. Weve reprinted a nice tribute by Laurie Potteiger on Page 16 of this newsletter. Johns father is also a hiker and is a member of ALDHA. John and his dad were one of those classic father-son hiking partnerships who did as
Stephen Longley, known as The Ferryman and son of a former Maine governor, died March 2 at age 56 in Solon, Maine. From 1987 to 2007, Longley operated the ATCs Kennebec River Ferry Service where the trail crosses the Kennebec River in Caratunk. During that time, Longley, known for his red canoe, transported more than 19,000 hikers safely across the river and was featured in numerous articles and documentaries. A registered Maine Guide and Wilderness First Responder, Longley often said he was inspired by his father, James Longley, who was Maines independent governor from 1974-78. He is survived by four siblings including former U.S. Rep. James Longley Jr. and former state Sen. Susan Longley.
STEVE LONGLEY
many hikes of the A.T. together as they could arrange, and on at least one occasion using attendance at A.T. Museum meetings as another excuse to get together and go for a hike. Our hearts go out to both him and his wife. You can write to Johns folks, Robert & Connie Fletcher, at 11145 Garland Road, Denton, MD 21629.
FATHER FRED
We received word over the winter that the Rev. Fred Alvarez, a priest with the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement at Graymoor Monastery in New York, died last May. He was 78. Many hikers who passed through that area in the 1990s will remember Father Fred as the benevolent friar who shepherded the thru-hikers staying at Graymoor during that time. He was also the driving force behind an extensive renCoNTRIbuTeD ovation in February 1996 that combined the fund-raising abilities of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference with the manpower abilities of ALDHA. The result was a rather fun-filled weekend of cleaning, painting, plumbing, scrubbing and repairing of the rooms in the old wing of the friary where hikers stayed. The great food, the weekend accommodations and most of all the jovial hospitality of Father Fred made it one of the most memorable ALDHA work trips ever. Father is now buried at Graymoor, so hell never be far from the trail he loved. S.R.
Spring 2013
Spring 2013
A new generation of veterans will try to walk off the waron the A.T.
HOSE OF US WHO HAVE ENGAGED in long-distance hiking, climbing mountains, camping in remote and wild places, fording rushing streams, and exposing ourselves to all kinds of weather know that such journeys involve more than a mere walk in the woods. We take to the wilderness for countless and divergent reasons. We hike our own hikes, but we share the bond of common experience. We may go into the woods for reasons unknown to each other, but we emerge from the mountains knowing each other and the places the trail takes us. Veterans have this in common with hikers. Those who join the military come from uncommon and varied backgrounds, but upon separation from the service they share a bond. Like long-distance hikers who return from months on the trail to a home where friends and family cannot relate to the journey, those who have separated from the military also return to a home where few can share the experience. A key difference and of primary importance to the point of this writing, we who return from the trail can look back on the journey as a time of healing, cleansing, transformation in short a positive life-altering experience. Those who return from military service may have performed great deeds of sacrifice, which may be positive for their country, but the trauma associated with this serv-
In 1948, Earl Shaffer became the first thru-hiker when he walked off the war. Now, others are following his footsteps.
ALDHABoard Member
By KIPREdICK
ice needs purging; the veteran needs transformation in order to become a civilian. A long-distance hike on the Appalachian Trail can provide such an opportunity. This need for healing is nothing new, veterans have returned from war since time immemorial. What is new would be the means and timeframe of that return. Up until our era of mass transportation, veterans spent weeks or months returning home; walking used to be the primary mode of travel. In addition, our pluralistic and increasingly urban society has in many cases jettisoned important rituals of healing, cleansing and transformation. Finally, our complex technological culture makes it difficult to find meaningful work when compared to the duty and honor-saturated experiences of those engaged in military service, where work might translate as a team struggling together in life-threatening situations. A long-distance hike on the Appalachian Trail involves each of these. The time spent on the trail makes room for cleansing, for purging the trauma, for transformation. When veterans return from places of conflict and arrive home after mere hours instead of weeks or months, there is no time for such purging. All of the emotions, thoughts and embodied experiences are thrust into a situation that has little resemblance to the dynamics of the place of conflict. Veterans are out of place, out of sync. The experience can be jarring and add to the trauma already present.
10th Mountain division soldier in afghanistan.
u.S. ARMY
Time spent away from both the military and a normal civilian life creates openness to reflection and perspective. In religious ritual this inbetween time is called liminality, after the Latin term for a threshold. Those engaged in ritual transformation are liminal. In a society where religious rituals have been waning, a long-distance hike can be experienced as a ritual of transformation, a spiritual journey. Walking in this threshold state becomes meditative and conducive to healing. In addition to being set apart in time, the Appalachian Trail also creates a space that is beyond both military and civilian worlds. The wilderness is a liminal place where journeys of
a warrior hiker on the appalachian trail.
SeAN GobIN
transformation become available. None of the artifacts of society present themselves to distract. The mountains, forests, rivers and meadows become places set apart from the hustle and bustle of human worlds. Even though these beautiful places in the wilderness provide tranquility, hikers still experience obstacles. Wilderness is beyond the rhythms of human-centered structure but presents great challenge. Those who have served in the military are most often people whose personality thrives on challenge. One veteran of Vietnam with whom I talked about thruhiking said that climbing those difficult and nearly vertical pathways along the Appalachian Trail required his full attention. As he huffed and
puffed, sweated and cursed all the way up the mountain, not a thought of the war came to mind. Those difficult parts of the trail purged him of the war, at least temporarily. On my own thru-hike in 2011 I came across a fellow Marine veteran at Lost Pond Shelter in Vermont. He had finished his 2,000-mile trek a couple of years before after having served in Iraq. Upon discovering that I was an older veteran he opened up and shared his struggles and the role the Appalachian Trail played in his own transformation. After his discharge from the Marines, he enrolled in college, only to fail miserably after a short time. He was prone to violent outbursts and abusing alcohol. He decided to thru-hike. The trail helped him gain focus, to find meaning. After completing the trail he gained admittance to another university and was at the time of our conversation nearly finished. On this particular trip to Vermont, he was introducing his girlfriend to the trail, trying to share his life-changing experience with her. He credits the trail with his healing and transformation. All of this rings so true for me personally as well. Months after my own discharge from the Marines I started a long-distance journey on the PCT, though I did not finish that trail, I spent a great deal of time immersed in the wild. My friend and brother Marine, John, convinced me to spend my disability money on backpacks and start a hike on the PCT, high up in the northern Sierras. Our long-distance journey lasted for several years and brought great healing. I ended up crossing the continent six times and lived on the North Shore of Hawaii, all the while living out of that backpack John convinced me to buy.
More than 20 years later I found myself up on the Appalachian Trail doing research to discover the spirituality of long-distance hiking. I wondered if John and I were among few or many who experience wilderness hiking as transformational. The place and the community of the trail manifested themselves as powerful and having great potential for persons seeking a spiritual transformation. I have been writing and conducting university classes on the Appalachian Trail and in other places for more than a decade now. Understanding the transformative and healing power of long-distance journeys has been the focus. A few months ago the ATC contacted me and informed me of the Warrior Hike and of their Walk Off the War program. In the summer of 2012 two Marine Corps veterans, Sean Gobin and Mark Silvers, completed a consciousnessraising thru-hike focused on eliminating the trauma and other negative effects associated with war. Their goal was, and is, consistent with so many other long-distance hiking veterans, but they have publicized the journey and seem to be getting the message out. In addition, they have started a scholarship program to help support veterans on long-distance hikes. It is my hope that ALDHA will stand behind both the Warrior Hike and the ATC in support of this program.
ALDHA has extended e-memberships for one year to the Warrior Hikers who are thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail this season (see list on Page 22). Progress reports will follow in the summer and fall newsletters, and completion certificates will be awarded at the Gathering.
ATC, ALDHA join others in backing The Warrior Hike

By the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
HARPERS FERRY The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, in partnership with Warrior Hike, Operation Military Embrace, the Military Family Lifestyle Charitable Foundation, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association, has launched a new initiative called the Walk Off the War program. This program will provide 13 military veterans the opportunity to reconnect with the United States in a uniquely physical and psychological way a fully funded scholarship to hike the Appalachian Trail.
The objective of this program is to provide these veterans a self-directed, self-paced journey along the A.T. Hiking the Trail provides the opportunity to eliminate the negative effects of the war, through walking in nature, engaging with other hikers and experiencing the hospitality of the Trail towns along the A.T. In the end, the goal is to return these soldiers back into civilian society with the greatest opportunity for success in their personal and professional lives. All participating veterans are not required to hike the entire A.T., but rather experience the physical, psychological and spiritual benefits of the Trail.
FEEDBACK SOUGHT How do you feel about this program? Is it something ALDHA should be supporting? Send us an email at newsletter@aldha.org and we will post your responses for all to see on our website, at http://www.aldha.org.
TO LEARN MORE Information is available online including photos of the members of the Class of 2013 at the Facebook page of the Warrior Hike, at https://www.facebook.com/warriorhike. On that page you can find out how to offer your support, even if its just a few words of encouragement from one hiker to another.
Earl in the Pacific during world war II service.
eARL SHAffeR fouNDATIoN
During his third and final thru-hike in 1998, on the 50th anniversary of his first THE first thru-hike, Earl Shaffer reflected on what it was that had set him walking 50 years earlier. He had served in the military during and after World War II, spending three years in the Pacific Theater where he endured difficult conditions building airstrips and radar stations. His best friend from York, Pa., his soulmate since age 5, was killed on the beach at Iwo Jima. Hiking the Appalachian Trail was his way of pulling himself out of a post-war depression, as he explained to Michael Vitez of the Philadelphia Inquirer for a story during his final hike. When the war was over, I couldnt settle
First thru-hiker wouldve approved
down or do anything, Shaffer told Vitez. I told myself Ive got to do something. Why not do something thats never been done? It straightened me out, more or less. Today, the veterans who are taking part in the Warrior Hike program are following in Earls footsteps, and there is no doubt that Earl would have approved. Im sure he would be very pleased with the project, Earls brother, John Shaffer, says. The Earl Shaffer Foundation that John created just before Earls death in 2004 fully supports the Warrior program, John said, especially since Earls 1948 hike was a lot about getting over the World War II period of his life.
6
Journalist Ben Montgomery has spent the past year researching and writing a biography of emma Rowena Gatewood of ohio. It will be the first major book about the legendary grandma from Gallipolis who arguably did more to help publicize the appalachian trail than any other person before her. ben is an enterprise reporter for the Tampa bay Times and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize last year for a story that exposed decades of abuse at a Florida reform school for boys and helped bring about change. ben grew up in oklahoma and played defensive back for the wonder Boys of Arkansas Tech before entering journalism. for the past several months he has had quite a baptism in the ways of the trail, including a climb up katahdin last october. We first met ben last year when Grandma Gatewood was inducted into the a.t. hall of Fame. Well have an in-depth interview of him next March, around the time woman walking is published. And, we hope to have you meet him at this falls 32nd Gathering, where he has agreed to be the guest speaker at the appalachian trail Museums annual symposium.
Spring 2013
Spring 2013
On the trail of a LEGEND
Work trips lined up for the year, from Hard Core to Gathering
The next opportunity for us to give back to the trail is the Hard Core work trip with Bob Peoples. You can sign up at Trail Days like always or by writing in advance. Bob would appreciate some people willing to shuttle thru-hikers to the work project in the Roan Mountain area and then help get them back to where they left off on the A.T. Hard Core will take place Sunday and Monday, May 19-20. People will leave from Damascus early Sunday morning and head for the work site. ALDHA is once again donating toward the food that will be served to the crew afterward. Our second work trip will be in conjunction with the Appalachian Trail Museums Hall of Fame Banquet, which is June 7 in Boiling Springs, Pa. Our work might be a simple cleanup around Pine Grove Furnace State Park, or we might get to participate in the rebuilding
By KENt wILsON
Assistant Coordinator
Reporter traces the life of Grandma Gatewood
Bill OBrien
of the Darlington stone shelter near the A.T. Museum. This will occur June 7-9. July 12-14 will see ALDHAs return to RPH Cabin for the 14th annual work trip weekend and barbecue. Ongoing projects include painting Seth Lyon Memorial Bridge, replacing nine rotted-out water bars on Hosner Mountain and installing nine more log cribs on a washed out section of trail near the I-84 overpass. Our fall worktrip will be coordinated with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club on Monday, Oct. 14, at an A.T. section not far from the Shippensburg Gathering. Pete Brown of PATC and I need to know in planning this work trip if there are any USFS-certified sawyers able to attend. We could get a lot accomplished clearing trail on the Tuscarora Trail, which does not get as much attention as the A.T. Please get in touch with me if you are able to attend any of these work trips and/or if you are sawyer-certified. Email me at ktwgame@yahoo.com.
what prompted you to decide to research and write this book? I remember hearing stories about emma Gatewood from my mama, when I was growing up. (We have a loose family connection. She was my mothers great A portrait of writer Ben Montgomery by Kerry Vosler aunt.) emma was always this mythical character to me, this old, eccentric woman who struck out on have you ever gone on a multi-day backpacking trip? what's these crazy adventures for no known reason. I've always wonthe longest youve ever hiked? dered why she did what she did, at her age. Im a big fan of the outdoors. In fact, I was lucky enough to land In 2011, I wrote a story about an old, unsolved florida lynching a gig in college as editor of the Arkansas fish and Wildlife that got a lot of attention, and I was approached about doing a Magazine. Ive done big backpacking trips at big bend National book. I saw it as a great opportunity to go in search of the Park in West Texas, in the Catskills of New York, in the ozarks answers to my questions about emma. in Arkansas, and on the A.T. The best part of researching this book climbing katahdin with my wife. Not sure about the how has your experience as an investigative reporter helped longest Ive hiked; I'm not a miles guy. I did walk from Tampa to you with this project? St. Petersburg and back in a day for a story, a total of about 46 In my day job, I've spent no small amount of time digging through miles. microfilm in dusty libraries and begging county clerks to unearth old records. That experience helped a lot. I found stacks of news- what is it about Grandma Gatewood that youve found the paper clippings and ancient public documents that filled in lots of most fascinating so far? the missing details about Grandma Gatewoods life. beyond that, What few people know about Grandma Gatewood is that she was I know how to find people. emma kept the names of people she married for three decades to an abusive, oppressive, hard-fisted met along the trail in her diaries, and I was able to track many of man who nearly beat her to death several times. When the kids them down. And thank goodness they remembered her. Almost were grown, she finally divorced him, and thats when she started every one of them. walking. Im fascinated by the fact that she finally found her thing
http://kerryvoslerportraits.com
Museum tweaks daily schedule; once again offers Sunday events

The Appalachian Trail Museum has reopened for the 2013 season, our fourth year of operation! Howard Davis, museum manager, has developed expanded hours for the museums operation that will be more convenient for many visitors. This will require more docents, so anyone who is able and interested should consider volunteering as a docent. Contact Howard via email at atmuseumgreeters@gmail.com. We will begin renovations this spring with work on the outside ramps and the Deans Gap Shelter and, eventually, the interior and exhibits. The outside ramps will make access to the museum and a small section of the A.T. handicappedaccessible. The design will also create an informal ampitheater, allowing programs to be held outdoors if the weather permits. Once again our Sunday afternoon programs at 2 p.m. will be a major part of our education and entertainment outreach.
A.T. Museum Society President
late in life, and she made the most of it. If she were around today, what's the one question you would like to ask her? Id ask her if shed spare me a thousand more questions.
By LaRRYLuXENBERG
hOuRs OF OPERatION
May 11 to July 7 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day aug. 5 to Nov. 3 noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday July 8 to aug. 4 noon to 4 p.m. every day March 30 to May 5 Weekends noon to 4 p.m.
Id like to go to the South Pole, but nobodyll take me there. Theres no need for old ladies at the South Pole. I guess they have their own cooks.
It shows ben on the trail of his research, including his mandatory summit photo on Mount katahdin last fall, as well as a few nuggets he has dug up, like this quote from Grandma at a Rotary Club meeting after her second thru-hike:
YOu CaN LEaRN MORE about ben and the new book on his facebook page, which is at www.facebook.com/authorbenmontgomery.
A colorful program calendar is available on our website, www.atmuseum.org. We still need volunteers to put on these programs. Please consider signing up and helping to recruit others to come forward with their talents, knowledge and expertise. Contact Gwen Loose, A.T. Museum program chairperson, via email at hiker9976@hotmail.com, placing A.T. Museum Programs in the subject line.
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Carl Rush explains that bigger is never better when it comes to lightweight gear, at the 2011 Gathering.
Jim Foster took his fellow hikers along for his trek up Kilimanjaro at the 2011 North adams Gathering.
Judith McGuire did a couple of workshops at the 2012 Gathering, including one on hiking in Italy.
Inspiring you to get outside

Gatherings would not be Gatherings if there were no workshops, over the next few months offering to share their expertise this fall. As you look at the photos of some of our recent presenters, ask They are truly the heart and soul of every ALDHA Gathering.
Bob Peoples tells it like it is for fellow veterans at a workshop on how hiking the trail can help them.
the amazing Mary holmes treated folks to a feast in the open air at Concord university in 2012.
and there would be no workshops without volunteers coming forward
yourself, Why am I not in the picture? Get with the program and
Monty tam illuminates the subject of lightweight backpacking at a workshop in North adams, Mass., in 2011. Rush williamson Jr. loves to share what hes learned from his hiking trips. Listening are Jean arthur and Mary ann Nissley.
email 2013 Program Coordinator kip Redick at kredick@cnu.edu.
click this link to volunteer: http://snipurl.com/aldha-workshops. or
h O t O s
h. d
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L a R K
~ C
R O O K E d
t I C K s
denise Lady Bughill points the way at a workshop on the Buckeye trail at the 2012 Gathering in athens, w.Va. she was the first-ever female solo thru-hiker of that Ohio trail.
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Josh Amplexus Seehorn gives a presentation on the A.T. at this years Southern Ruck in North Carolina.
Southern comfort from winters wrath

By MiKE WiNgEART
ALDHACoordinator
EY, I AM GOING TO THE SORUCK. Whats a Ruck?? Its a gathering of hikers. Where would I rather be in January? So I call Bronco and we decide to go. Its taking me a little longer to get ready with bringing the ALDHA display and all so were going to meet in the afternoon. By the time Im ready it has started to snow lightly and it gets heavier the closer I get to Bronco. We link up and now its snowing pretty good as we drive down I-81. Bronco is leading and we stop for gas and a snack and its getting dark and now were in a full blown snowstorm. I remember passing the Wattskull Inn and thinking we should stop as the snow is accumulating on the road. But we drive on. We decide to stop at Daleville for gas and to figure out what were doing for the night. All of a sudden everything on I-81 comes to a stop. Were just sitting there doing nothing. Time goes by and were still not moving. I get out of my car and clean off a mile marker, were at mile 165. Daleville/Troutville is at 150. Were 15 miles from the nearest exit! An hour and a half later we start to move. Its late now and we pull into the Howard Johnson there. Check in and the snow is about a foot deep. The only place to eat is the Cracker Barrel, everything else is closed. They only have two servers and a manager and cook on duty. Takes a long time to order and eat. Back to the room, were thinking about turning around and going home in the morning because we dont think we can get through Sams Gap and into the NOC. I go online and see that Chase has posted that he is at NOC and its not snowing. How can that be with all the snow were seeing? Slept well, got up, called to see if the SoRuck was still happening and we were told to come on so thats what we did. They didnt plow the parking lot of the
motel and it was nice that we both had 4-wheel drive. We got gas and then on the road. We were going to eat in Wytheville but all four exits that we tried to stop at were closed. No power, could not eat, get gas or anything so on we went. Cars being towed out all the way down I-81. Some were into trees, guard rails and stuck all over the place. The tow trucks were out and really working to remove them. We drove into Damascus so I could leave some stuff at the Place but it was closed. Stopped and talked with Dave at MRO and got back on the road. Then we get to I-77 to Ashville and more cars were stuck all over but no tow trucks were seen. I quit counting at 20. We get to Sams Gap and the snow is not too bad. By the time we get to the NOC the snow is gone or it never hit there. Who would have thought? We check in with Sly, meet everyone and set up. Potluck dinner was good. Red Hat presented her John Muir Trail hike and a then we did a lot of socializing. Saturday morning breakfast was ready in the dining hall. Some went hiking. Soup and grilled cheese for lunch. Mellow Yellow of NOC gave a backpacking/ thru-hiking clinic. The women had a women hikers chat. Josh Amplexus Seehorn gave an A.T. presentation. Tuckerized Leah Knapps pack. Dinner was pasta and Bill Cooke gave his Colorado Trail presentation. I missed it at the Gathering and was really glad to be able to see it here. We had a raffle and ATC was given $175 and ALDHA was given $175. Thanks everybody. Sunday we had a Sunrise Service with Circuit Rider and Sherlock. Breakfast was biscuits and gravy. Mr. Blister and Sunshine Sister gave a presentation on the Florida Trail. People started packing up and leaving. That afternoon, Rabbit invited me to his house to watch the Ravens beat the Patriots. Boy, what a night. Thanks Rabbit. Monday morning found us packing up and saying our goodbyes. Great time; I will be back.
RUCKUS
ABOUT?
PHOTOS BY H. DEAN CLARK Crooked Sticks
WHATS ALL THE
Hikers, their wet shoes by the doorway, relax and chat at Bears Den Hostel in Virginia for the Northern Ruck.
Northern Ruck back in the Bears Den

HE NORTHERN RUCK, which used to be the PA Ruck, was held again at Bears Den Hostel in Virginia on Jan. 25-27. And because this was the second time this Ruck was at Bears Den and will probably be there for more years to come, the name was changed. Amy Forinash and Delee Smith put it together and they did a mighty fine job. Thanks, you two! This was an interesting week as I left the SoRuck Monday morning. I had a really nice ride home talking with G-Roll who needed a ride back home. But because the Ravens won on Sunday night my son, Jason, was calling me trying to get me to buy tickets to the SuperBowl. The NoRuck was the next weekend, which meant I had to get everything cleaned up and reorganized quickly. Flatlander and Mama Lipton were coming in Thursday so I worked really hard to get ready. On Friday, I was packing up and then we had to wait for Martha, my wife, to get home from teaching so we could all travel together. Bronco left early and as we drove, he kept us updated with the snow levels at Bears Den. And yes, it started snowing there about 2 p.m. This time the snowstorm wasnt nearly as bad as it was for our trip to the Southern Ruck and we arrived without incident. We had a really nice spaghetti and meatball dinner and it was fun meeting everyone. Lots of new and younger hikers were there. And it was a reunion for a group of A.T. hikers and it was fun hearing their stories. By bedtime the hostel was full. On Saturday, we had a really nice blueberry pancake breakfast with all the fixings. Some went for hikes, many more hikers showed up. Nice lunch and then some Tuckerizations and a good thru-hiker bull session. That night there was a nice potluck dinner, I gave a pres-
By MiKE WiNgEART
ALDHACoordinator
Music and food and lots of talk occupied those who attended the Northern Ruck. Kristin McLane, at right, is thru-hiking the A.T. as Siren.
Mike Wingeart talks about ALDHAwhile Keith Wolf Kimball listens.
entation on ALDHA, and Pop-Tart gave a Leave No Trace talk. Lots of socializing and a late-to-bed night. Sunday we cleaned up and said our goodbyes. Stopped by the Kiosk on the A.T., updated the ALDHA information and went home. What a great week. Two Rucks in two weekends and a nice time meeting the A.T. Class of 2013. Good luck and HYOI.
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REVIEW BY BILL OBRIEN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ELIXIR FILMS
Martin Sheen and fellow cast members in scenes from The Way. it is rated Pg-13 for mildly strong language.
A.T. thru-hikers will quickly recognize the underlying themes that make this story about hiking long distances with people who are complete strangers such a universally understood journey of self-discovery. Youre somewhat distrustful of the people you first meet on the trail, then after living and walking together for a few days perhaps within a single day, perhaps in an instant you learn to trust them enough to
JOURNEY oft TAKEN

A
You dont choose a life, you live one.

let them enter your life, taking down one small wall at a time from a lifetime of building walls. Tom, played by Sheen, meets fellow pilgrims whove come from all corners of the globe to walk the Camino. As so often happens, he falls in with a few of these other international hikers each one unique and colorful and mostly entertaining and after initial resistance, bonds with them like you know they inevitably must. It is, after all, his Trail Family; yes, it is your Trail Family, warts and all. Each and every pilgrim has his or her own reason for undertaking the walk. Some are on a spiritual mission, others on a more physical one. They are not all seasoned long-distance hikers. Toms reason is entirely accidental and intensely personal, and it is his journey of discovery that forms the underlying theme to the movie, which is, in the words of his son (played by real-life son Emilio Estevez), finding the difference between the life we live and the life we choose. THE SCENERY IS BEAUTIFUL, shot without too much fuss over whether the skies were blue or the sun was shining, just the way it is on a real trail and this was the real deal. Charming scenes include Tom taking a break along a stone wall while being entertained by a kitten, with an appropriate James Taylor tune playing on the soundtrack in the background. Another
has the three males doing what males have to do occasionally along the side of the trail, while their female comrade stands guard with her back turned toward them. Then the roles are reversed, with the three guys forming a sort of privacy hedge for their female friend from Canada. Fellow hiker Joost from the Netherlands is both funny and sad, and proves to be an excellent listener, not just a big eater. He is part Scarecrow, part Cowardly Lion in this Yellow Brick Road pilgrimage, with Tom as Dorothy trying to find the way home. Speaking of the soundtrack, it is beautiful, too. For me, any film with Nick Drakes Pink Moon in the score is an instant classic. YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE CAMINO while watching this film, including how hikers are given a passport at the start that they need to get stamped at certain locations along the route. (A sample of a stamp is used as an illustration at the very start of this piece.) You also quickly learn to recognize the iconic shell that serves as the trails marker (see image below). Ive watched it a few times now, and there are scenes that get me each time. Its steadily, very subtly climbing my list of favorite stories, on film or in book form a list that includes such diverse works as Huckleberry Finn, Travels With Charley and The Searchers. They all, not so surprisingly, have something to do with personal journeys. Tom encounters trials and tribulations familiar to any long-distance walker, from losing his pack in a stream to losing something even more precious at the hands of a Gypsy boy, a would-be street urchin, from whose father Tom learns a valuable lesson about children. Through it all the elements, the unfamiliar language, the initial wariness toward strangers, the snoring in hostels our pilgrim finds his way. We hope to offer a workshop on the Camino de Santiago at this falls Gathering, and were also working on getting permission to show this film.
ver the course of last summer, Kevin Reardon recommended I check out a film called The Way starring Martin Sheen. A few months after he first told me about it he asked if I had gotten a chance to see it. He was sure I would love it. It was available to watch instantly on Netflix, so I really had no excuse. Besides, when Slider tells you to check out something, it must be good. So I finally settled down with my laptop on my lap and watched this beautifully shot trail flick about hikers seeking their Holy Grail on a path thats more than a thousand years old. Slider was right. I loved it.
Martin Sheen and the other actors walked about 200 miles of the 500-mile Camino for the making of the movie. A few years earlier, he drove its length with his grandson, Taylor, and it was that trip that inspired his son Emilio, Taylors dad, to write a script with Sheen in the lead role. The crew and cast of 50 hauled little equipment, treading the route reverentially.
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Set your clocks back 20 years, yes 20 years, to March 1993 when the storm that swept across the entire eastern half of the continent north to south, from inland Canada to the Gulf Coast wreaked havoc among hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Those in the Smokies had it particularly rough, as youll see from this firstperson account that ran in The Long Distance Hiker in late 1993.
Airlifted out of the Smokies in The Worst Storm of the Century

in her journal: Cried once, as it began to get dark. I had been crawling on my hands and knees over the drifts, praying my weight would be supported and I would not once again sink deep into the snow. I was exhausted. There was no end in sight. The temperature was dropping and the wind was picking up. I had snow in my boots. I was hungry. For one minute I let myself panic. I wailed hysterically and began to hyperventilate. I thought I was going to die. ...
i, TOO, WAS ExHAuSTED, weary and worn out By WALTER PAWLOWSKi
Written in March 1993
M SITTING BACK IN THE WARMTH OF the Duckett House Inn, Hot Springs, North Carolina, after a great breakfast (Brian makes great breakfasts), and contemplating my latest experience on the Appalachian Trail. A thru-hike adventure is one most hikers quest for, and if time permits, one that will never be forgotten. I was probably not in the safest spot in Tennessee for the storm of the century the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They called it the bomb, the Blizzard of 93, the worst storm ever in Tennessee and one that the East Coast wont soon forget. Whenever the twain shall meet, survival is in order. This is my story, from my first steps and thoughts to my airlift out. The requiem of a hiker. On Friday, March 12, at midday, I checked in with a park ranger, protocol, before my planned five-night trek through the Smokies. At the time, he strongly suggested I stay at Fontana Dam shelter, the Hilton of shelters with warmth, water and hot showers. Big storm moving in Were expecting up to two feet down here, and at higher elevations... He paused as he looked suspiciously up into the mountains. I, not having a care in the world outside of a sense for adventure, quickly assured him, Ill stay at Birch Spring shelter for a couple of days if it looks bad. I have plenty of food. No problem. The snow began to fall as I crossed the dam. I spotted a doe, rambling into the brush. This is why Im here, I thought. Natures bounty. Just two hours before dark I reached Birch Spring, the first shelter northbound on the A.T. in the Great Smokies. The snow had accumulated four inches; an inch an hour. I introduced myself as Water to the six hikers already huddled by the fire and, realizing we might be there for a while, I began collecting more wood. Night arrived. The Crazy Kiwis, a couple from New Zealand, had a blaze of a fire roaring.
The fire was started by Padre (temporarily without the pooches), a Catholic priest from Laurel, Md. The Wildflowers (Susannah and Courtney from Bangor, Maine) were cooking up an aromatic dinner. Tom, the Colonel Snuffy Billy Yank Smith, was huddled by the fire. We were all thru-hiking. At the time, little did we know the seven of us were on the brink of experiencing something powerful yet simple. In these times when everyone is in search of the ultimate thrill (sky diving, bungee jumping, etc.), we were embarking on a unique adventure. We spread out about the shelter for a cold nights rest; the temperature dropped below 20 degrees that night and the wind was roaring. Yet I felt safe as snow piled up outside. Before too long morning arrived. Gary, the male Kiwi, was already up and focused on renewing the blaze from the night before. Wildflower Susannah was out filling the five-gallon water jug from the piped spring (miraculously still flowing through ice!) directly in front of the shelter. Shouting her usual mantra, Its BEEEAUTIFUL! She warmed our hearts and made us laugh. We all shared our hearty breakfasts with Padre and the
Walter Pawlowski, left, and The Colonel Tommy Smith at ATCon May 19, 1993.
Colonel as they were traveling with no stoves and dry food only. The WhisperLites were singing their cooking songs as I made three pots of coffee from my percolator for me and my fellow travelers. It was a cozy morning. Later in the day, Tom, Gary and I left the security of the shelter to find wood. We dragged branches, picked apart falling trees and ripped a few dead trees out of the ground ourselves. After three hours of gathering, breaking and chopping in a steady snow, concern turned toward the group and each individual in the group, a tendency that led me toward my professional calling teaching. I could not sleep pondering the risks involved in leaving our safe shelter. I spent most of the night in front of the fire. I did manage to capture a few hours of sleep snuggled safely between the Kiwis and a Wildflower. breaking camp had us humming. Some of the more ill-equipped among us were busy making gaiters out of garbage bags. Sadly, these gaiters lasted only a few minutes in the snow drifts.
MORNiNg DAWNED. THE ExCiTEMENT of
Twenty years ago this year, we had the Storm of the Century, and it wreaked havoc all along the Appalachians. Snow drifts were as high as 35 feet in the mountains, where scores of hikers were stuck. Even parts of the Florida Panhandle saw 4 inches of snow. We began by hiking in a train with each person in front for a 10-minute turn plowing through the heavy deep drifts. The lead work was exhausting and horribly demoralizing. It was slow moving. The Colonel, impatient with the group and stronger physically, broke away and did most of the leading. At noon, the rest of us caught Tom, who had stopped for lunch. We calculated that we had made between two and three miles. We were proud of our efforts; our spirits were high. Tom led for the rest of the afternoon. We were lost many times and much valuable daylight was lost in search of the trail. The trail blazes are far and few between in the Smokies, and in four-foot deep snow, the trail was often impossible to navigate. Several hours later we reached Tom as he was cockily leaning against a trail signpost. My first thought was Hurray, the shelter trail at last! Fire! Warmth! Food! As we moved closer we were able to read the sign and the smirk on Toms face: = = > MOLLIES RIDGE SHELTER 2.3 = = BIRCH SPRING SHELTER 2.5 <
My brain did not believe my eyes, my body did not believe my brain and my eyes did not believe the faces of my companions. It had taken us eight hours to hike 2.5 miles. A long silence followed, an intimidating silence . . . We must continue, I said, before the sun goes down. It was 4 oclock. We had to move fast. We took turns in the front of the train line again. Tom was disheartened and he now felt the pains from his earlier work. A half-hour later we heard the sounds of a helicopter. I thought, Im not turning back, Im plowing on. So I hurried away from the noise and windy turmoil the machine was creating. A man was dropped from the sky. Tom spoke briefly with the man and continued on. Padre continued on as well. The Kiwis and the Wildflowers engrossed themselves in a long conversation with the could-be rescuer. The chopper continued to hover over us all spraying us with ice chips from the treetops. The man was lifted and no one was lifted with him. We were a determined team; we would stay together. As nighttime approached our difficult adventure became agony. Wildflower Courtney writes
from the cold, but my spirit was willing to hike. My left snow shoe fell off, and I fell down on my face. As I moved around to best position my body to reconnect the snowshoe to the boot. I noticed something great. I was walking on the surface of the snow, and if I sunk in, it was only 6 inches. I realized it was due to the thin sheet of ice on the snow. I removed my other show shoe and tied them to my pack. Gliding across the snow, I passed Tom. He laughed and said, Looks easier without snowshoes. Tom removed his snowshoes and we were off. The next thing we noticed was a chopper flying overhead, following us as we headed north. For 45 minutes we were baffled, but as soon as the second chopper arrived we knew they were coming for us. We really did not want to have to leave the park. We began walking faster. But shortly we had to stop and check the map. We lost the trail. One chopper started to lower itself right above us, causing a great turbulence of wind. Tom and I ran for cover behind a tree. As I covered my head for protection, I asked myself, What are they doing? I would soon find out as my pack was removed by an Army soldier. He said, Time to get out of the park. Feeling threatened by this implication, Tom said Hold it! Do we have a choice? No choice. The park was closed. Tom was airlifted first, and I was next. The soldier, sensing our frustration, said If it is any consolation, youre the last two to be rescued. As I rode the wire hook up to the chopper, I suddenly felt a great sense of relief.
i DONT KNOW WHAT POSSESSED uS to move on from the security of Birch Spring. I dont know why we didnt take the first helicopter to safety. All seven of us certainly had different reasons. But I feel confident that all of us, years down the road, will have moments of reflection. A spouse, a friend, or even a grandchild will ask what we are thinking about. We will reply simply, perhaps holding back a tear, The Great Smokies, the Blizzard of 93, and my thru-hike.
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IN MEMORIaM
OHN FLETCHER, a former ATC employee and a volunteer for both ATC and PATC, passed away unexpectedly in early March. He was just 38. If you sent emails to ATC, called, visited ATC, or had your picture taken there between 2003 and 2010, there's a good chance you would have interacted with John. John began his career with ATC as a full-time information volunteer in 2002, and was hired the following year as information assistant. He was one of the few ATC employees ever hired who was a life member at the time. John became quite knowledgeable about the A.T. and went to great lengths to research answers to information inquiries while at ATC. As Amoeba once noted on her TrailJournals site, John knows everything. He was also very handy, envisioning and realizing the renovations downstairs that now serve as our hiker lounge off the back of the visitor center space. In 2005, John took unpaid leave so that he could help GPS the A.T. in New Hampshire and Maine with volunteer Karl Hartzell. The effort provided ATC with highly accurate data for mapping and numerous other Trail-management and recreation purposes. In recognition of the considerable effort and logistics required for the project, which involved not only hiking the A.T. but setting up temporary base stations along the A.T., John and Karl were awarded the Robert B. Williams Conservation Award. John was usually serious and quiet, but had a lighter side brought out by children and pets. When ATC introduced stuffed shelter mice into its inventory, John signed out two mice. One he named Benton and the other Myron, after the A.T.s most legendary early figures. Benton and Myron would appear in nooks and crannies and odd places throughout the office. Once Benton was mysteriously found in a block of ice in the freezer. John couldnt pass up an opportunity to make a play on words, and when telling a pun, the normally restrained John couldnt hold back a smile. In 2010 he left ATC to become selfemployed, but continued to volunteer his skills to preserve and convert recordings and video in the ATC archives to digital files. While an employee at ATC he converted footage of Myron Avery and early PATC trail workers in
ALWAYS A HELPING HAND

Appalachian Trail Conservancy
By LauRIE POttEIGER
HIKERS MUSE
that you tried is all that truly matters in the end
The late Walkin Jim Stoltz coined this term when he did a workshop at the 2009 Gathering where hikers could share stories, poems, songs or other musings. Weve added this feature to the digital newsletter, so send your creative output to newsletter@aldha.org. We would also be happy to share links to your creative hiker blogs and/or songs and videos.
The junco hardly stands out among the birds that call the Appalachian Trail home. It is small, plain and quite humble. It cannot measure up to the explosive red of a tanager, the haunting calls of an owl, the wondrous wingspan of a pileated woodpecker or the heart-stopping retreat of a ruffed grouse. Yet none of these feathered creatures can lay claim to the one title held by the junco, and that is this: Of all the birds from Georgia JAMeS AuDuboN to Maine, only one will accompany hikers almost every step of the way on their 2,186-mile trek the junco, or snowbird. Other birds come and go, according to their respective ranges. Some are seen only in the South, others only in New England. And some are canopy dwellers that you may never see at all. But the junco is everywhere, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to the very edge of timberline on the slopes of Mount Katahdin. So think of him as a companion. And when you see one flying away up ahead, dont watch where it goes, look where it flew from. You might just find the cup-like nest of Bill OBrien this hiker-friendly mascot of the Appalachian Trail. book Four Against Everest got me out to seek adventure. Those at this event needing similar accolades should chill and learn how to write about their own adventure. So Bryson counts, however you look at it. So why here and now should I reflect on this? Well, Millers book title has always given me a smile and chuckle. AWOL is a military term for absent without leave. Miller had reached a point doing all the responsible things and questioning being irresponsible, doing something for himself. Leave his job, family and hike the A.T. for himself ... ooooh, bad! Back in 1980, I found myself in the same situation. For me, however, my job was the pits, my living conditions horrible, coworkers near impossible and relief nowhere to be found. Irresponsibility was my only recourse. So March 15th I left my job and started the A.T. on the 17th truly AWOL from the U.S. Navy. By October I finished the A.T. and L.T. The noise inside quieted. I finished another 4 years in the Navy (with some brig time) and have an honorable discharge in spite of 200-plus days AWOL. Journeys dont always come in a preconceived idyllic vision or package. Whether you finish them or not, you just may come to realize that it is the adventure that matters. You tried! You tell a story and are financially successful congrats! You may have planted a seed for someone else to seek change. Irresponsible or not, it all counts! Bryson counts just as Miller counts. Finishing, irresponsibility, AWOL or not, is irrelevant. Hike your own hike as Jamie of the Northwoods Morris often reflected in his 1980 A.T. hike. My story? Well, my father pointed to a sign some 50 years ago in Franconia Notch. Mount Katahdin is a couple hundred miles that-a-way (gesturing north). Mount Oglethorpe almost 1,700 miles this-a-way (gesturing south). A seed was planted. About 40 years ago the seed was watered with Four Against Everest by Woodrow Wilson Sayre. The adventures continue and I dont need or care to write about any of it. Im too busy painting those days in my mind about my journey. Just remember, they ALL count. They ALL count! Mark Sanbourne, aka Gilhooley Canaan, N.H.
CELEBRatING thE sNOwBIRd
his off hours. More recently he jumped at the opportunity to videotape Gene Espy and Lucy Seeds (Grandma Gatewoods daughter) at the A.T. 75th anniversary festival in Harpers Ferry last summer, and also videotaped the speakers and the parade. John maintained a 2.5-mile section of the A.T. on the Virginia/West Virginia border just south of Harpers Ferry, and was co-overseer of the Pine Knob Shelter in Maryland. For his work he received a volunteer service award from PATC. By academic training John was an electrical engineer. He knew computers inside and out, but disliked them and most modern high-tech electronics. He never owned a cell phone. He was an amateur ham radio operator; one of the highlights of his tenure at ATC was meeting a thru-hiker who was stealthily carrying a ham radio with the goal of making contact with other hams in every Trail state. The encounter between John and Dennis Blanchard at ATC headquarters is described in the recently-published A.T. memoir Three Hundred Zeroes. Electrical car enthusiasts were in awe of Johns restored 1985 GMC Griffon van, which he nicknamed Electron Guzzler. John had a lifelong love of the A.T. that started with day-hiking trips as a youngster. His first backpacking trip on the A.T. was with his father when he was 13. John and his father, Bob, continued to backpack together,
Ready to pitch in whenever needed, John Fletcher is seen installing a sign with the new logo of the appalachian trail Conservancy in this undated file photo.
CouRTeSY of THe APPALACHIAN TRAIL CoNSeRVANCY
both working on their goal of section-hiking the A.T. Their novel approach of walking in opposite directions, and swapping keys in the middle allowed them to take just one car and save the expense of a shuttle. Some may remember meeting John, who went by Apprentice Goat on the Trail, or his dad, Rassilon, but few would have met them together. John must have used their road trips together to propose the numerous fix-it and carpentry projects at ATC Headquarters that Bob drove more than 2 hours from the Eastern Shore of Maryland to work on. The A.T. was a bond shared not only by John and his father but by Johns sister Robin and her husband, Rob Lahnemann. Robin met Rob on the A.T. in Pennsylvania, and returned to the Windsor Furnace Shelter where they met to hold their wedding. Johns lovely black and white photo of the bride and groom in front of the shelter on their wedding day provided one of the most memorable covers of A.T. Journeys. Several of Johns photographs appeared in books published by ATC. In his quiet way, John enhanced the Appalachian Trail experience for thousands of hikers and helped preserve significant elements of Appalachian Trail history. He will be especially missed by the many ATC staff members and volunteers to whom he was so helpful. ATC has dedicated a Volunteer In Memoriam page to him where comments can be made. Visit http://snipurl.com/john-fletcher
You want to know a secret? It ALL counts. After the holidays I finally had a chance to read the winter newsletter. Near the back, I read the article on David Millers book, AWOL on the AT going to audible books. Near the end of the article it mentioned Millers book is the first of the first-person A.T. books to be available on audio. And in parentheses, it said We dont count Bill Brysons. Hmmmm, I thought ... Bryson is a professional writer or, ahh, Bryson did not do the entire trail. Flashback ... my ire came back in a moment. Some years back Bryson was a no-show as keynote speaker (personal reasons from what I know) at one of the last Dartmouth Gatherings. Bill OBrien had the unfortunate job of moderating the event. The rather unruly crowd had a few bones to pick with Bryson. This revolved around the fact that Bryson did not do entire A.T. but did manage to sell a financially successful story about it. (Just to remember, Brysons book closed with: We did not walk 2,200 miles, its true, but heres the thing: We tried. So Katz was right after all, and I dont care what anyone says. We hiked the Appalachian Trail.) So after an hour or so of nauseating rhetoric bashing Bryson at this event, I had to throw my two cents in. I pointed out Bryson never claimed to have done the entire A.T. Bryson had just done his job as a writer to capture the spirit of an A.T. adventure. Being financially successful was irrelevant and maybe there was a twinge of envy about that success. I further noted that like Brysons book, W.W. Sayres
Editors note: Just to be clear, the comment about Bill Brysons book in the last newsletter was by the editor, not by David Miller. On a related note, the film version of Walk may finally be getting serious. See story on Page 18.
keep sending us your stuff. email items to: newsletter@aldha.org
Deadlines
for the next 2 issues of The Long Distance Hiker May 24, 2013 q aug. 15, 2013
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Brysons book may finally be put on film

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Bill Brysons book, A Walk in the Woods, may finally be turned into a motion picture, with shooting starting possibly as early as this fall. It has long been on the backburner of actor/director Robert Redford, who originally had in mind Paul Newman as his costar. But after Newmans death, the project seemed to slide farther into the background. The Times reports that director Richard Linklater has been signed to helm the project, with Redford starring as Bryson opposite his longtime friend, Nick Nolte, as Katz. Linklaters previous directing gigs include Dazed and Confused, Slacker, School of Rock, the Before series and Bernie, which garnered star Jack Black a Golden Globe nomination for best actor. Say what you will, and theres been plenty said, Walk is the all-time best-selling book ever written about the A.T. If anyone ever hears youve walked the Appalachian Trail, chances are theyve asked you if youve ever read it. And I wouldnt be surprised at all if someone on the staff of former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford read it at some point, and possibly even Sanford himself may have thumbed through the pages on one of his long flights to South America during the extramarital affair that brought down his governorship and spawned the first-ever water-cooler jokes about the A.T. Other directors have toyed with the idea of bringing Walk to the big screen, including Barry Levinson and Chris Columbus, but Redford has long wanted it and he is producing this independently financed project. He hired Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Russo as the screenwriter. A Walk in the Woods is the kind of movie that has something to say but can also be really commercial because its just so funny, Redford told the Los Angeles Times. Lets just hope he folds in the respect that the Appalachian Trail deserves. And lets pray that it doesnt lead to a stampede of Katz-like hikers on the A.T. when it finally Bill OBrien hits theaters.
tRaIL wORK
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the ongoing adventures of Boots McFarland . . .
april 13 ALDHAs annual spring meeting, Ironmasters Mansion Hostel in Pine Grove furnace State Park, Gardners, Pa. april 19-21 Appalachian Trailfest, Hot Springs, N.C.
sPRING / suMMER datEstOREMEMBER
tRaIL CREw OVERsEERs: the observation platform atop Kennedy Peak in Virginia offers 360-degree views of the mountains and valleys.
MIke WINGeART
May 17-19 Damascus Trail Days in Virginia; events sponsored by ALDHA include the annual hiker feed at Rock School auditorium. June 1 National Trails Day, organized by the American Hiking Society
Weeklong trip planned for tower work in Virginia

By MIKEwINGEaRt ALDHA Coordinator
June 7 Appalachian Trail Hall of fame Induction and banquet for the Class of 2013, Allenberry Resort Inn, boiling Springs, Pa. July 19-26 Appalachian Trail Conservancy biennial Conference, Western Carolina university, Cullowhee, N.C. sept. 13-15 Trails end festival, Millinocket, Maine
Visit bootsmcfarland.com to see more of Geolyn Carvins cartoons
My PATC Tuscarora Shelter Crew will be rehabbing the Kennedy Tower (see above) this summer in the Lee District of the George Washington National Forest, on the ridgeline of Massanutten Mountain in northern Virginia. This will be a weeklong trip involving hauling the material to the site, possibly with mules or donkeys. The dates have not yet been set but it will be during the summer sometime. More information will be posted on http://www.aldha.org and printed in the summer newsletter.
If you would like to help out, please contact me at coordinator@aldha.org. Kennedy Peak is a relatively easy walk via the Stephens Trail and Massanutten Trail. It gives hikers similar views to the ones seen in Shenandoah National Park, but with a fraction of the crowds. It is a multi-use trail, so you may encounter horses. If you just want to hike to the top of the peak, you can start from either Edith Gap or Camp Roosevelt. The route from Edith Gap is around 5 miles. From Camp Roosevelt, its 7 miles. Both routes are very easy hikes with a great payoff in the view.
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liamentary procedure, and he oversaw the launch of the A.T. Thru-Hikers Companion (see story on Page 22). He also was the first ALDHA representative to win a seat on the ATC Board of Managers, further helping to improve relations with Harpers Ferry.

feet active in ALDHA, presenting memorable slide shows at past Gatherings, including one that traced their epic end-to-end traverse of the Continental Divide. Their kids, Sierra and Bryce, are all grown up, and theyve started sharing their talents at Gatherings as well. Cindy now roams the world for a travel marketing magazine, but also for long-distance cycling, hiking and paddling opportunities with her family. It is the 20th anniversary of our family beginning the 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail, so we are heading to the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juans this summer to hike a commemorative 100-plus miles, she writes. Her book, Journey on the Crest, will be brought back into print this fall by The Mountaineers Books press. She is also in the process of writing a new book about how I used the whole world to raise and educate my children. It will be illustrated by her son, Bryce. The most memorable of my times as coordinator is realizing how we are all family a unique adventuring, restless family who craves adventure and moving through the wilderness, and how important the support of ALDHA is. And, of course, none of that support from ALDHA would be possible without ALDHA in the first place, and the one person who can claim credit for that is the founder and first coordinator, Warren Doyle, who was elected at that Harpers Ferry meeting he convened in 1983 and served until the Gathering in 1987. As anyone who knows Warren can appreciate, he has lived his life without blinking, always ready to kick up some duff and keep moving forward. To say that he and the late Myron Avery have a lot in common is an understatement, one that he should get a dual sense of pride and amusement from. It is also safe and fair to say that there has hardly ever been a dull moment when Warren is in the room, as anyone on Whiteblaze or Facebook can attest. Warren continues to offer his advice to long-distance hikers and dreamers, speaking at trail festivals and running his Appalachian Trail Institute (going on 24 years) and what he calls Smart Start (for the past two years). He has also led eight A.T. expeditions over the past 40 years in which folks hike the entire A.T. on a strict schedule (the first day off is technically not until Hanover), all with the help of a support van and the love and support of fellow hikers in their circle. Another group is set to step off in 2015. Warrens 1973 speed record for the A.T. (66 days) has long since been broken, but he still holds the record for the most end-to-end hikes, which now stands at 16. He hopes to add a 17th
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in 2015. He also annually climbs Mount Katahdin, which he always refers to, quietly and reverently, as the holy mountain. These days his feet have another love, and that is dancing. He recently founded the Appalachian Folk School at his new home, up the road from Damascus, warren doyle at Va., where dancing the end of a 1975 workshops and gather- thru-hike in Maine. ings are often held. It is a special place to gather, learn and celebrate. And it will be my last hurrah, he says. Reflecting on all of his accomplishments with ALDHA, Warren noted three things. My most proud moments are: organizing/convening/coordinating the first Gathering at the Appalachian South Folklife Center in 1982 where I proposed the idea behind ALDHA; organizing/coordinating the Harpers Ferry meeting in March 1983 where ALDHA was born and being the chief architect of its mission/goals statement and purpose; and, enthusiastically serving as ALDHAs first coordinator for five years before voluntarily stepping down because of increased job and family responsibilities. A new coordinator will be elected this fall. Mike Wingeart, ALDHAs 12th coordinator who has been serving since 2010, will not seek re-election, generally in keeping with Cindy Rosss one-term tradition. Mike, who will actually have served three years in the job, is looking forward to getting back to hiking as well as doing more of the maintenance work he so loves, on the A.T. of course, but also on the Tuscarora Trail where he has been building shelters for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. (Well have a longer look at Mikes term in office including his list of accomplishments in the winter newsletter.) Anyone interested in joining the club of coordinators is more than welcome to have their name entered at this falls Gathering. If youre thinking its something youd like to do someday, now is the time to start getting the experience youll need. Consider running for the board or serving in another capacity. And, best of luck to whoever the next coordinator is.
Photos by H. Dean Clark and Chris Woodside, and other photos courtesy of Frank Krajcovic, Frank Logue, Bill OBrien and Kirk Sinclair.
Coordinators: Where are they now?

Continued from Page 1
Henry Edwards had the fortune (or misfortune!) of hooking up with Bill OBrien on his first long-distance hike on the A.T. in 1992, from Delaware Water Gap to Mount Washington, and was soon recruited into all things ALDHA. He quickly made his mark with his funny wit and willingness to help out, serving as Companion editor before being elected the last coordinator of the 20th century. (He served from 1999-2001.) Still teaching at a private school in suburban Washington, D.C., and loving life with his wife Marissa and their daughter Sophie, he and his family make an annual pilgrimage
Stacy Mikkalsen-Boone served two terms, from 2001-05, longer than anyone except founder Warren Doyle. The long-distance hiking community continues to be a part of Stacys life, although in a less podiumoccupied manner. She stepped away from the organization after the 25th anniversary celebration and began to pursue a more direct interaction with individuals who wanted to acquire hiking and backpacking skills. Understanding that many people have a desire to step out but not necessarily have the confidence to do so without guidance and support, she and Grizzly opened Step Outdoors in 2010. The business operates in southwest Colorado and northern New Mexico. When not guiding trips, Stacy and Grizzly can be found enjoying the view from their offgrid home, tending to the garden in their newly constructed grow dome or walking the kids (doggies Saca, Sequoia and Kyia). This year Stacy and Grizzly will be celebrating their 10th anniversary a grand remembrance from the wedding at the Gathering complete with bug net veil, the pageantry of a hiking-stick arch and Grizzlys reminder to always get the water.
nator is the same thing that keeps bringing him back to ALDHA the people. The amount of work that gets done for this all-volunteer organization is astounding, and the fact that the members arent aware of most of the glitches because theyre taken care of so well and so quickly behind the scenes. Id like to thank everyone who has helped this organization become what it is!
Noel DeCavalcante, Singing Horseman, served as coordinator from 1995-97 and oversaw a lot of changes in ALDHA, not the least of which was moving the Gathering to a new location for the first time since 1990. Except for a brief respite, he has served on the ALDHA board since 1991 and is also a charter member of the A.T. Museum board and A.T. Hall of Fame selection committee. What he remembers most vividly during his tenure as coordinator was the Sunday morning of the Gathering at Carlisle in 1996, when Earl Shaffer gave a slide show of his thru-hike in 1948. Unfortunately, Noel never got to see it. During the briefing someone had to answer our phones and direct others to the presentation, and as the coordinator, I could not bring myself to ask anyone to volunteer to do it, he recalls. So, I answered the phones, was the receptionist, and spent the presentation in the
And speaking of Bill OBrien, since Im the one writing this piece, here goes: I served as coordinator from 1997-99, then as membership secretary and later as an atlarge board member. I coordinated several Gatherings, served on the ATC Board of Managers, have laid out most of the Directories as well as many of the programs for the Gathering and currently am newsletter editor and webmaster. One of my favorite memories of a Gathering was the time in 1993 when I had spent the year recruiting a team for Warrens Trail Jeopardy contest, consisting of Weathercarrot and Stats Godric. Final Jeopardy involved guessing the clues to three Indian names in Maine and then correctly spelling them. The Scorched Earth Gap Trio, as we were called, nailed it! I was proud to have been nominated for coordinator by the late Ed Garvey and have always tried to live up to his example of trail service. I continue to be inspired by all of my predecessors and peers in ALDHA, folks like Frank Logue, Chuck Wood, Warren & Albie, Larry L, JohnO, Walkin Jim, WC, Mike and especially the Horseman. Im looking forward to doing more trail maintenance, starting with this years Hard Core. And, coming full circle, Im back to being a Dreamer again: I hope to do another A.T. thru-hike someday.
north that always includes a day hike on the A.T. with his fellow Traveling Garvey, Bill.
Frank Logue served as ALDHA coordinator from 1991-93, then studied at seminary to become an ordained minister. Today he is Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia. He and his wife Victoria (a former ALDHA newsletter editor) and daughter Griffin live in Savannah. Prior to joining the bishops staff in 2010, Frank served as a church planter and was the founding rector of King of Peace Episcopal Church in Kingsland, near St. Marys. He has written seven books with his wife, including The Guide to the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Appalachian Trail Hiker, and other outdoor and driving guides. During his tenure as coordinator, Frank expanded the merchandise for ALDHA to include things like a T-shirt and coffee mug. He and his wife designed and created the I Brake for Trail Crossings bumper sticker, and he is the one who created our present-day logo. Frank formalized the tradition of having a hiker reception at ATC Biennials, he was a whiz when it came to running meetings by par-
Ron Keal, the Kentucky Traveler, served as coordinator from 1993-95 as ALDHA entered its second decade. One of the big issues that arose during his term was hiker behavior on the trail and in towns, with several episodes in which town services were discontinued because of a few bad apples. In one case, the pavilion in Dalton, Mass., was closed to hikers after someone broke the rules. So at the 1994 Gathering, Ron moderated a discussion of the issue, then appointed a committee to find ways to educate hikers. Thats what led to ALDHAs Endangered Services Campaign, which continues today. Before becoming coordinator, Ron served as membership secretary, and after his term in the top job ended, he went back to being membership secretary, producing one last Directory in 1996, which he did without the benefit of a digital database sorting program, the last time that has been done. Today, Ron is married to the former Teresa Yancey, also from Kentucky, who served as Rons recording secretary when he was coordinator. They are still living in Kentucky, where Ron works in construction.
hallway. He and his wife Peggy are enjoying life in sunny Florida that is, between football games at Penn State and sunsets at Key West.
Frank Krajcovic is proud to say he was the Millard Fillmore of ALDHA, but unlike the president few folks remember, the Merry Slav has left an indelible impression from his time as coordinator from 1989-91, including funny antics at the podium involving a puppet. His other fond memories include playing the Jeopardy song on his Bowed Psaltery during Warrens trail trivia contest, playing Ultimate Frisbee in epic matches that once were a highlight of the Gathering, hosting a hilarious contest called the Databook Game that involved blowing bubbles, and putting on skits that were often written on the fly. The most famous skit, performed at the 1989 Gathering, was a lampoon of trail characters like Ed Garvey, Warren Doyle and Jean Cashin that included cameo appearances by Elephant Mary and the devil. Frank is now living in Colorado Springs. He teaches English, language arts and creative writing for a local school district, mostly to atrisk kids. My long-distance hiking has been curtailed I keep meaning to, but I enjoy being a grandpa and always miss the family if I am gone away too long, he says. He is proud of helping to normalize relations between ALDHA and ATC, which had periods of frost in ALDHAs earliest years, and in helping to get more people involved in leadership positions.
Cindy Ross is one of the people Frank was referring to in terms of opening up leadership positions in ALDHA. Cindy was not only the first woman coordinator but also the first coordinator not named Warren Doyle. The founder of ALDHA had served five years in the job he created, and having someone like Cindy waiting in the wings made it easier for him to step down at the 1987 Gathering. Cindy was a logical choice to take the reins. As one of the cofounders of ALDHA, she was at the first Gathering in 1982 as well as that Harpers Ferry meeting 30 years ago this year. Cindy set a precedent of sorts by serving only one two-year term, from 1987-89, a tradition that has for the most part been followed ever since. (Other than Warren, only Stacy Mikkalsen-Boone has served two full terms.) Over the years, Cindy and her husband Todd (also a cofounder of ALDHA) have kept their
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Companion 1994
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A.T. Companion marks 20th edition

It was during the summer of 1993 when then-ALDHA Coordinator Frank Logue asked fellow Georgia residents Joe and Monica Cook to oversee the compilation of a new guide for A.T. hikers. It would be called the Appalachian Trail Companion and it would be made up of reports from a slew of volunteer field editors who lived up and down the general A.T. corridor. The Appalachian Trail Conference (now the Conservancy) had been publishing a guidebook for A.T. hikers since The Philosophers Guide by Darrell Maret in the early 1980s. It continued publishing a guide when Darrell handed over editorship to Dan Bruce. In 1993, Wingfoot decided to publish a guidebook on his own, so ATC cast about for a new editor to continue its publishing tradition. Enter Frank Logue. The ALDHA coordinator had just been chosen for a new at-large seat on ATCs Board of Managers in the summer of 1993, so the folks at ATC asked him if the members of ALDHA would be interested in taking on editorship of a guidebook for thru-hikers. He didnt have to be asked twice, and so the first Companion was created
ALDHA ALMANAC
Where to email officers, other key people
aLdha Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mike Wingeart . . . . . . Wing-Heart . . . . . . . coordinator@aldha.org assistant Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . kent Wilson . . . . . . . . Tent-N-Kent . . . . . . assistant@aldha.org treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vacancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . treasurer@aldha.org Recording secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sue Spring . . . . . . . . . Mama Lipton . . . . . recording@aldha.org Membership secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Sylvester . . . . Sly . . . . . . . . . . . . . membership@aldha.org Gathering Program Coordinator . . . . kip Redick . . . . . . . . . Hippy Kippy . . . . . . gathering@aldha.org Gathering Facilities Coordinator . . . . Mike Wingeart . . . . . . Wing-Heart . . . . . . . facility@aldha.org Gathering Campsite Coordinator . . . . Chuck Wood . . . . . . . Wood Chuck . . . . . campsite@aldha.org Companion Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Sylvester . . . . Sly . . . . . . . . . . . . . companion@aldha.org Newsletter Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bill o'brien . . . . . . . . . Sprained Rice . . . . newsletter@aldha.org work trip Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . kent Wilson . . . . . . . . Tent-N-Kent . . . . . . worktrip@aldha.org Merchandise Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . T. Scott Dowling . . . . . Pilgrim . . . . . . . . . . merchandise@aldha.org Outreach Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Young . . . . . . . . Gray Jay . . . . . . . . . outreach@aldha.org webmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . bill obrien . . . . . . . . . Sprained Rice . . . . webmaster@aldha.org
the first edition of the A.T. Companion was compiled in 1993.
with the help of 16 field editors. The name has since been expanded (its now the Appalachian Trail ThruHikers Companion), and the format has changed (from a tall, spiral-bound booklet to its present shape, able to fit in a quart-size plastic baggie), and it has had an impressive run of editors (three of whom went on to become ALDHA coordinators). The book continues to prosper under current editor Robert Sly Sylvester and has proven to be a solid confirmation of the evolving partnership between the ATC and ALDHA. So happy 20th edition!
ANN GeRCkeNS
Welcome! ... or Welcome back!

Paul & kathy Abdis Rayana Adra Dan Amich Robert Anderson Matt Arens Joe & Lea ballard Sharon batt Adam bautz [w] Rod belshee Thomas bennett Michael bernhardt Jim bledsoe David boyd Jeffrey boyer David brantley Michael briggs Alyson browett Michael brown Chuck brown Nancy burnette Cody burton Dave butcher Rob Carmel [w] edward Carta Steve Clendenning [w] Charles Cunningham Stephanie Cutts [w] John Dehope Maureen DeMartino Sara Dhooma Jeb Dominick Harold Dossett Dick erwin [w] David eveland Gary ewin [w] Malcolm ezekiel Dave fleischman L.e. frazier Christian frye Chris Galemore [w] Thomas Gathman [w] Hannes Gerhardt bob Gessner Jack Gilbert Nicole Gladfelter Gerri Graham William Guill [w] Stephen Hahn Irene Hall ** Jeff Harper [w] kathy Harper kenneth Harris Alan Hatcher Scott Iceberg Wayne & kazue Ingle Lee Holloman barb Jackson & kimberly Theiss Gary Jonus betsy kane Timothy kenney Claus kielburger Donna kirkwoodbarnett Leah knapp Doug knox Thomas Leach James Leigh Wilton & frances Lewis Theodore Liedle James Marshall Don Martin Russell Mattson Darryl McDonald Stephanie Morris Carl Morrison Gitali Mukherjee Chuck Myers Loyd Nease III ** Justin Neumann & katherine Woodward Thomas Niccum Ross Nicholson Tom Nolette Harold odom Wally & Jacob osterhoudt Sarah Parrish James Phillips Jeff & Jennifer Phillips Christy & Jonathan Presler Michelle Pugh Janice Ramirez Laura Reder kevin Reed [w] Wilson Reese James Reilly Lacinda Riesland Jason Roberge Simon & Jivani Rodriguez Jarod Rutliff Sarah & Aaron Safford Matthew & Sydnee Saunders Sharon Shellenberger Terry Sitler & family Dan Smart Rob Smith Sharon Smith [w] Garry Smithwick Dave Stawicki Cynthia Stevens Jim Stewart Murray Stovall Tim, Jenn & brayton Tetz Andrew & Lauren Tilley edward Tokash Tony udell Cody umphress [w] Stan Vann Linda & Rick Walker Doug Walter Dennis Whitten Nikki D. Williams brendan Wiltse Jackie Wolfe Charles Work Carl Zimmerman thru-hiker ** New life member tax-deductible donations received since last time:
[w] = Warrior Hike
Alphabetical list of those whove joined or renewed since last newsletter, through March 15:
Jeanna Chapman John Dennis Sydney D. evans Dave fleischman Maurice forrester John Graybill Jason Henschen Anna Huthmaker David L. Johnson Thomas klocek edward Mackey Jim & eliza Mann J. Paul Miga bruce Nichols Nancy oDonnell Denny & Lois Rhodes Jim Sample ** Jenn Schaeffer edward J. Sidote Marc Sierzega Christopher Thyssen Steve Toulmin Mark Wray
Its time to renew. Please note your expiration date on the mailing label. In order to keep receiving The Long Distance Hiker and the annual Directory, please renew promptly. This is the final notice before we purge our rolls of unpaid members. Dues are only $10 per year and the form is available on Page 21 or at www.aldha.org/form.htm. Whether youre a print or digital subscriber to the newsletter and directory, you can renew online at this shortcut: http://tinyurl.com/bn5a6e8
RENEwaL REMINdER
The 2013 Membership Directory was published in February and features an illustration of a hiker in Mahoosuc Notch on the cover that was drawn by Ann Gerckens, a former assistant editor of this newsletter. The directory lists the trail names, addresses, hiking resumes and other info of each member, making it a valuable resource in the hiking community. Visit aldha.org/directory.html for more info.
We know where you live
aLdhas statement of Purpose

Adopted on March 5, 1983
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.
2013 Membership Renewal and Gathering Registration

Address ______________________________________________ Name(s) ______________________________________________
v Please print clearly ~ If no change, write SAME v

Current Member Yes q No q
Renew online quickly and easily:
Trails completed and years they were hiked _____________________________________________________________________________________ I would like to help ALDHA with: The Gathering q Companion field editor q Trail Work q Publications q Publicity q ALDHA Care q
Trail name(s) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone (with area code) _______________________________
City, State, Zip _____________________________________________________ email address ____________________________________________________
Date ________ / _______ / ________
Im inspired to send a donation today after receiving The Long Distance Hiker Vol. 23 No. 4 via email PDF. FANTASTICISSUE! Bruce Nichols, Birdman 2002
As you can see from the list at left, folks are kicking in a few extra bucks to help ALDHA. While we dont actively seek donations, its nice to see folks doing it anyway. ALDHAis a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, so contributions are tax deductible on your federal tax returns.
tax-deductible donations
If youve already renewed, THANKS!
Memberships are $10 per family per calendar year or $200 for lifetime membership. Memberships filed after Sept. 30 will also include the following year. Lifetime membership $200 (Does not include yearly Gathering registration fees.) Children under 13 free! = Number of years _______________ x $10 per year = $_______________ how would you like your aLdha publications delivered? Newsletter q PDf in email (with color) Membership Directory q PDf in email (with color)
Gathering Preregistration is $20 per person, only $50 for families of 3 or more
Amount of donation: $ ______________
Donations to ALDHA, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, are tax deductible. total enclosed: $_______________
$_______________
Go Green: PDFs reduce clutter and save money and trees.
q Paper (b&W)
q Paper (b&W)
Gracias!
Questions?. . . email membership@aldha.org . . . You can also register online, at https://secure.jotform.com/form/10562609918
If attending the Gathering, please mail your payment no later than sept. 1 to aLdha, 10 benning St., PMb 224, West Lebanon, NH 03784
03/13
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APPALACHIAN LoNG DISTANCe HIkeRS ASSoCIATIoN

TM
THE ALDHA STORE

Nothing says spring like a baseball cap
Sage green ball cap has the ALDHAlogo stitched on the front in black. Lid is sage blue. Available from the ALDHAStore for $15 plus shipping.
the 2013 Companion
The 20th edition of the A.T. Thru-Hikers Companion is now available for sale. Its not only essential for thruhikers but it also comes in handy for day-trippers and section-hikers. The paperback book sells for $14.95 and proceeds benefit both ALDHA and the ATC. for more information about the Companion, see Page 22.
Phone ____________________________________
City _______________________________________
Address ________________________________________________________________________________ email _____________________________________ State ___________ ZIP _____________________
Name __________________________________________________________________________________
ORDER FORM
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QuaNtItY
(fill this in)
ItEM
Womens royal blue polo Mens hunter green polo 30th anniversary T-shirt Mens royal blue polo shirt
S, M, L, XL, 2XL
sIZE
PRICE
$28.00 $28.00 $28.00 $28.00 $16.00 $21.00 $36.00 $35.00 $16.00 $19.00 $15.00 $11.00 $11.00
suBtOtaL
(fill this in)
Womens hunter green polo
our popular bumper sticker, at left, and window decal, at right, have been replenished and are once again available for sale at $1.50 each.
Old faves back in stock
Gray fleece vest, black trim Green nylon jacket Short sleeve T-shirt Long-sleeve T-shirt ball cap Coaster n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
shIPPING ChaRGEs
Wicking navy blue T-shirt
Mouse Pad
katahdin paperweight katahdin pin Springer pin Springer paperweight ALDHApatch
$39.00 $10.00 $39.00 $10.00 $3.00 $4.00 $4.00 $4.00 $1.50 $1.50 $14.95 Subtotal: $ Total: $ $1.50
http://www.aldha.org/store
Visit http://www.aldha.org/store to purchase any items online. We accept MasterCard, Visa, American express, Discover online. All online transactions are secured through PayPal. You do not have to join PayPal to use your credit card. If you prefer to order by mail, print out the order form on the next page, fill it out and mail it with your check or money order to ALDHA, 10 benning St. PMb 224, West Lebanon, NH 03784.
Ordering online
ALDHAhat pin - black
ALDHAhat pin - Silver
ALDHAhat pin - Gold
Harmony bumper sticker I brake bumper sticker ALDHAmember decal
Ordering by mail
2013 Thru-hikers Companion
For questions regarding merchandise or purchasing, email merchandise@aldha.org
To purchase any of the items shown in the ALDHA Store, visit the new online store at http://www.aldha.org/store or print out a copy of this form, fill in quantity, size (if applicable), subtotals and total, and mail it with your check to:
hOwtOORdER
Subtotal
aLdha 10 Benning st. PMB 224 west Lebanon, Nh 03784
$0-$3 . . . . . . . . . $1 $3.01-$14. . . . . . $4 $15-$30 . . . . . . . $8 $31-$50 . . . . . . $11 $51 and up. . . . $15
Shipping
Shipping: $
Make check or money order payable to ALDHA
COMING JUNE 1st

The long-anticipated redesign of the ALDHAhome page.
Look for it on National Trails Day.
GATHERING 2013
ALDHAs 32nd Gathering will be Oct. 11-13 at Shippensburg University
https://secure.jotform.com/form/10562609918
Program coordinator . . . Kip Hippy KippyRedick Campus coordinator . . . . Mike Wing-Heart Wingeart Campsite coordinator . . . Chuck Wood Chuck Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . campus@aldha.org
Old Main, Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pa.
SHIPPENSBURG PENNSYLVANIA
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR . . .
Fill out registration form online at
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . gathering@aldha.org
DIRECTIONS TO 2013 GATHERING

INTERSTATE 81 OR PA. TURNPIKE WILL GET YOU TO THE COLLEGE
From the North: Take I-81 south to exit 29 (King Street). Turn right at the end of the exit ramp onto PA 174. Travel 2 miles to a T intersection. Turn left onto King Street (U.S. Route 11). At the 3rd traffic light, turn right onto North Prince Street. Proceed 1/2 mile to main entrance of the Shippensburg University campus.
Take the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Exit 16/226 (Carlisle). Follow U.S. Route 11 north to I-81. Take I-81 south to exit 29 (King Street). Turn right at the end of the exit ramp onto PA 174. Travel 2 miles to a T intersection. Turn left onto King Street (U.S. Route 11). At the 3rd traffic light, turn right onto North Prince Street. Proceed 1/2 mile to main entrance of the Shippensburg University campus. From the West: Take the Pennsylvania Turnpike to Exit 15/201 (Blue Mountain). Turn left onto PA Route 997. At the Y intersection bear right onto Route 696. At the town of Newburg, watch the signs carefully and stay on Route 696 (requires a left turn followed by an immediate right turn). Continue on Route 696 south another 8 miles to Shippensburg. Entrance to the campus will be on the left.
From the East:
www.aldha.org
Take I-81 north to Pennsylvania. Continue to exit 24 (Fayette Street). At exit ramp, turn left onto Route 696 and travel 2 miles to a T intersection. Turn left onto Fayette Street and proceed to another T intersection. Turn right onto King Street. At 3rd traffic light, turn left onto North Prince Street. Proceed 1/2 mile to the main entrance of the Shippensburg University campus. Follow signs to the campsite when you reach campus.
From the South:
Sunday, October 7, 2001 had a great time at the Gathering in Hanover this weekend. I figured ALDHA was too big an organization to have a family feel to it, but I was wrong. The common love of hiking really brings people together. I met hundreds of people there. Many had read my journals or otherwise followed my progress. They made me feel like I was a really special honored guest.
This morning at 8 a.m. I gave a talk in Cook Auditorium. I had no prepared presentation, but I answered questions from the perhaps 200 people in attendance. It was wonderful to see so many people in one place who cared so much about my grand adventure, and the ovation at the end of my talk brought a tear to my eye. It appears that I have sparked many imaginations and touched many hearts on my journey. I could hope for no more.
Flyin Brian Robinson, writing in his journal inside the Firewarden Cabin on the A.T. atop Smarts Mountain in New Hampshire, the night he left the 2001 ALDHA Gathering in Hanover. Twenty days later he would summit Katahdin and thus finish the first-ever Calendar Triple Crown thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail 7,371 miles in less than 10 months.

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The Long Distance Hiker

Vol. 24, No. 1 ALDHANews That Fits We Print Since 1983

The Newsletter of the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association

Past coordinators: where are they now?

Whats inside this edition

aLdha NEEds a NEw tREasuRER

Sequester wont hit hard for a while yet

The Long Distance Hiker

The Long Distance Hiker

The Long Distance Hiker

Vol. 24, No. 1

NEWS & NOTES AROUND ALDHA

New program coordinator steps in for the Gathering

The Long Distance Hiker

The Long Distance Hiker

10th Mountain division soldier in afghanistan.

a warrior hiker on the appalachian trail.

ATC, ALDHA join others in backing The Warrior Hike

Earl in the Pacific during world war II service.

eARL SHAffeR fouNDATIoN

First thru-hiker wouldve approved

The Long Distance Hiker

The Long Distance Hiker

On the trail of a LEGEND

Reporter traces the life of Grandma Gatewood

Museum tweaks daily schedule; once again offers Sunday events

The Long Distance Hiker

The Long Distance Hiker

Inspiring you to get outside

and there would be no workshops without volunteers coming forward

email 2013 Program Coordinator kip Redick at kredick@cnu.edu.

click this link to volunteer: http://snipurl.com/aldha-workshops. or

The Long Distance Hiker

The Long Distance Hiker

Southern comfort from winters wrath

WHATS ALL THE

Northern Ruck back in the Bears Den

Mike Wingeart talks about ALDHAwhile Keith Wolf Kimball listens.

The Long Distance Hiker

The Long Distance Hiker

REVIEW BY BILL OBRIEN

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ELIXIR FILMS

JOURNEY oft TAKEN

You dont choose a life, you live one.

The Long Distance Hiker

The Long Distance Hiker

Airlifted out of the Smokies in The Worst Storm of the Century

The Long Distance Hiker

The Long Distance Hiker

ALWAYS A HELPING HAND

that you tried is all that truly matters in the end

CELEBRatING thE sNOwBIRd

CouRTeSY of THe APPALACHIAN TRAIL CoNSeRVANCY

The Long Distance Hiker

Brysons book may finally be put on film

The Long Distance Hiker

the ongoing adventures of Boots McFarland . . .

sPRING / suMMER datEstOREMEMBER

Weeklong trip planned for tower work in Virginia

Visit bootsmcfarland.com to see more of Geolyn Carvins cartoons

The Long Distance Hiker

The Long Distance Hiker

Coordinators: Where are they now?

The Long Distance Hiker

Blizzard of '93

Blizzard of '93

City, State, Zip _ email address

Date ____ / _ / ______

Address __________________________________________________ email _ State _ ZIP _________________