November Annual Kick-Off Dinner & Dance Party. Saturday, November 11 th 7-11 PM. At the Stonehedge Restaurant 694 Broadway, West Park

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1 Volume 67, Issue VII Trail Sweepings The Newsletter of the Trailsweepers Snow & Sports Club, Inc. November Annual Kick-Off Dinner & Dance Party Saturday, November 11 th 7-11 PM. At the Stonehedge Restaurant 694 Broadway, West Park Join us for our annual start of the season party. There will be a four course sit down dinner, dancing with DJ Anthony Nardone till 11pm for $34. There will be prizes and a 50/50/ raffle. Make your checks out to TSSC and mail or give to: Janet Mihm 28 Mauro Court Saugerties NY jcmihm@hotmail.com Make your reservations by November 5 th No refunds after November 9 th Please fill out the coupon below and send out with your payment. This year we are looking for donations for our local animal shelter (old towels, blankets, as well as food and animal toys). Drop them off at the entrance. Thank you. It's Membership Renewal Time!! It's that time of year when the Farmers Almanac predicts our winter weather (cold and lots of snow!!) and when we do our membership renewal drive. Your membership gives you access to our trips, discount tickets and a whole host of club sanctioned and subsidized events. You can find a membership renewal form at the following link on our web site: trailsweepers.org/tssc Membership Form.pdf Please remember that we have a waiver to sign as part of your membership. It is on the back of the membership form, please be sure to include that with your renewal!! If you have already signed a waiver and we have that on file you do not need to file a second one. Contact Carol Tomassetti with any questions on membership at membership@trailsweepers.org TSSC Kick-Off Sign up by Nov. 5 th Name: Phone: Number of people in your party: TSSC: HVSC: Boneless Chicken with Sage Stuffing Boneless Pork Loin Sole Française $ Check included ($34 pp) No refunds after November 9th.

2 TSSC Roster Club Officers President Jean Pavone Executive Vice President Marla Brucker Administrative Vice President Jackie Olivet Secretary David Cardall Treasurer Dale Ziegenfelder Club Board of Directors Steve Ahladas (19) Mark Bailey (19) Katie Quick (19) David Wise (19) Sylvia Gersbach (18) Nick Mercurio (18) Jim Tomassetti (18) Diana Ziegenfelder(18) Committees Membership Carol Tomassetti Meeting 50/50 Jean Pavone Programs Jean Pavone NJ Ski Council Jim Culla Discount Lift Tickets Sharon Kenny Ski Racing Jim Tomassetti Kayaking Yvonne Baker John Hoefinger Fall Hiking Margaret McGrath Picture Scrapbook Rebecca Horner Media Facebook Carol Tomassetti Kate Henderson Trail Sweepings (Newsletter) Daniel Desmedt Web Site: Social Events After the Holidays Party Yvonne Baker Fall Kickoff Party Janet Mihm Spring Banquet Marla Brucker Sylvia Gersbach Mailing address TSSC, PO Box 3061 Kingston, NY Hello Trailsweepers. Thank you to everyone who came out for the budget vote last week. We made the quorum needed! And the budget passed! On November 14th, we will need a quorum again for the Special Election to fill two recently vacated Board positions. The past two meetings & programs have really brought out the club members. If you haven t been to a meeting lately, why not attend one this month! It was great to see Moe Keegan, Dave Bolles, Kevin Parker, Herb Gilmour, Ed Biro, John Macek, and Carol Fields, just to mention a few members. As Thanksgiving approaches we have another great lineup on the calendar. There are a couple of hikes still to do, and let s not forget the Kick Off Dinner and Dance on November 11th. Janet Mihm has been working hard to ensure we all have a fun night at the Stonehedge Restaurant. The Killington Ski Weekend will be here before you know it. Sign up with Rudy Firmbach, the trip leader. Rudy promises there will be snow on Killington Mtn for the weekend trip December 8th-10th! Great news! It looks like the After the Holidays Dinner Party will be happening again this year. Thank you to Karen Spinozzi for stepping up to chair this event. Also, many thanks to Yvonne Baker who chaired this party for the past few years. Hope to see your all on November 14. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Jean Pavone president@trailsweepers.org President s Corner After the Holidays Party On Saturday, January 13 By Karen Spinozzi Hello! I have agreed to take over the planning of the After the Holidays Party. Yvonne Baker has done a great job with this for many years and she deserves a break! It will be at the same great venue as last year, Ole Savannah on Kingston Waterfront. The price will be the same as last year, $35 before January 5 th and $40 thereafter. Further details will be forthcoming in December newsletter.

3 Hiking Corner by Margaret McGrath Catskill hiking can involve quick weather changes. The summit may be 10-15º colder than the parking area. For fall hiking, no cotton; appropriate synthetics or wool only. Carry rain gear that can be used as a wind shell, an extra long sleeve layer, a warm layer, hat and gloves. Wear hiking boots or trail shoes. Bring food and water. Follow this link to the DEC website and familiarize yourself with hiking safety guidelines: This links to the Catskills 3500 Club for hiking resources and information: The Hikers Responsibility Code is below. Go to for the Code and checklists. Follow the Hikers Responsibility Code. Remember, you are responsible for yourself and your group: 1. Have knowledge and proper gear. Learn about the terrain, conditions, local weather and your equipment before you start. 2. Leave your plans with someone. Tell them where you are going, the trails you are hiking, when you will return and your emergency plans. Sign in and out at the DEC trail register boxes. 3. Stay together. When you start as a group, hike as a group, end as a group. Pace the hike to the slowest person. 4. Turn back if it s necessary. Weather changes quickly in the mountains. Fatigue and unexpected conditions can affect your hike. Know your limitations and those of your group and postpone your hike if necessary. The mountain will be there another day. 5. Emergencies: even if you are headed out for just an hour, an injury, severe weather or a wrong turn could become life threatening. Don t assume you will be rescued; know how to rescue your self. Hiking Schedule by Margaret McGrath The Catskill hikes have a maximum of 20 hikers allowed by DEC, please RSVP to leader, also in case of weather cancellations. Sun Nov 5 Panther Mountain - Mary and Charlie Noone 6.6 miles elev 3,720 ft. elev. gain 1620 ft. We will climb 1.3 miles to Giant Ledge, with some of the finest views in the Catskills. The trail continues to the summit of Panther thru evergreen forest, 3.3 miles total to the summit with views of the Central Catskills. Round trip almost 7 miles. Meet at 9 AM at the Giant Ledge/Panther Mt. trailhead on Rte Daylight savings ends, you get an extra hour of sleep! Sun Nov 12 - Huckleberry Point Yvonne and Skip. 4.5 miles 650 feet elev. gain This hike is easy rolling terrain with great views down the valley. Meet at 9:30 AM at the McDonald's in Saugerties or 10 AM at the trailhead, at the parking lot for Kaaterskill High Peak on the north side of Platte Clove Rd, County Rte 33, on the right going uphill, just after it is no longer a seasonal highway. If you reach the Prediger Rd trailhead, you have gone too far. Hats, mittens, snacks, water and layers of clothing as the weather is what it is this time of year. We can be reached at if you have questions. There will be a pizza party afterwards for anyone who has been on a hike this year, location TBD. 6. Share the Hikers Code with others. Margaret McGrath mmcgrath55@msn.com or

4 Board News By Jackie Olivet First, thank you to all club members who came to our October 24 th club meeting for our annual budget vote and the program Jean, our President, had set up! It was a great turnout, great meeting, great program, and the budget presented by the Board was overwhelming approved by the members present that night. Thank you for the support! On October 10 th, the Board of Directors met for its regular monthly meeting. There were several items on our agenda starting with two recent resignations from the Board (due to personal reasons) requiring us to set up a special election for the two vacant Board seats. Please come out on November 14 th to a club meeting when we will be holding a Special Election for two vacant Board seats! We will need another quorum to hold this election and will really appreciate as many members as possible attending because it is important to have a full Board membership to conduct business. If our refreshment budget will allow, we will try and have some pizza again provided to members in attendance and there will be another 50/50 raffle too! There are two open seats, one expires this coming April, 2018, and the other in April, At this time, we have just one person interested so if anyone else wants to step forward and volunteer to help your club, please do and contact me prior to Nov. 14 th OR just come to that meeting! In other business, the Board decided to keep our New Jersey Ski Council status as a voting member the same and Sharon Kenny will share the responsibility of attending the NJSC meetings with Jim Culla, who has been doing this solo for some time now. Thank you to both of you for stepping forward and helping your club! Finally, the Board started its discussion on whether to increase the club s membership dues for next year, especially to decrease the club s reliance on a deficit budget and its cash assets and to minimize the rising costs of insurance through the years. It was noted that there has not been a dues increase since 2001, more than 16 years ago! Several proposals were initially discussed with a consensus to keeping single membership and couples as mutually equitable as possible. The board s next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on November 14 th at Tony s and as usual, it is open to all members to attend. Among other items on the agenda will be the continued (Continued on next page, left column) Special Board Election At the Nov. 14 meeting at 7:30 p.m. Please Consider Serving on Our Board! Quorum Needed for Election! At our regular meeting on November 14th, there will be a special election to fill two recent vacancies that have occurred on our Board of Directors. Due to a work commitment and personal reasons, two of our current members have had to resign their positions. One vacancy is to fill a term expiring this spring in 2018 and the other is to fill a term expiring in Nominations and the election will take place on the same night. Anyone interested in serving on the club s Board and helping our club out in a very important way, please contact Jackie, Administrative VP and chair of the Board, or any of our current Board members as soon as possible. The Board meets once a month on the 2nd Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at our meeting location, Tony s Pizzeria, before the club s regular meeting. Because there are times due to sickness, vacations/travel, work commitments, etc., some Board members can t make a monthly meeting, it is very important for the club to have a full contingent of eight Board members (our outgoing President serves as the 9th person on the Board), as we need a quorum to conduct Board business. Among other tasks, the Board approves the running of our many club activities, trips, and parties, approves the club s budget for presentation to our membership, assures the club is in legal and tax compliance, runs elections, reviews requests from club members & interprets the club s Constitution and Bylaws, when needed, and generally is expected to look out for the general well-being of the club and to proactively bring forward suggestions. You can be a newer member or a member of longer standing to serve on our Board NO prior experience is necessary and for newer members, it is a great way to really learn how much the club does and what is involved with keeping TSSC alive as a formal, organized club since the 1950s! So all members, please consider helping your club out and serving on our Board! Per our Constitution/Bylaws, we will need a quorum to hold this special election so please come on out on November 14th! Thank you. Jackie, Chair

5 (Continued from page 4, left column) discussion/proposals on dues and also whether to decrease the size of the Board. Blast From the Past: Board News On June 14, 2001, the Board met with Sylvia Alles, John Brooks, Steve Clausen, Rudy, Pat Marsh, Margit Meyer, Jim T, & Dale Z present. There was a discussion about sanctioning events and how it should be done prior to being publicized in the newsletter or meetings. There was some discussion about using a new form for events that involve no cost (was this ever done?), about adding addresses to the membership distribution list, a sanction of John Brooks club organized participation in the Catskills Escarpment local trail run by a TSSC volunteer water/refreshment station on the top of Blackhead, and continued discussion on several bylaw changes including limiting summer meetings to once per month, changing wording on married membership category to couple residing at the same address membership, and increasing the dues. Looking Ahead By Jean Pavone NJSSC Fall Expo The New Jersey Ski & Snowboard Council will be holding their annual fall Expo on Friday, November 3 rd from 7 PM 10 PM. The Expo will take place at the Hanover Marriott Hotel, Route 10 East, Whippany, NJ. Admission to the Expo and parking is free! Attendees get to mingle with New Jersey & New York ski and snowboard club members and visit with representatives of major ski resorts and ski, board and bike shops. For more information please call Joe Harvis at Warren Miller Movie: Line of Descent 7:30 PM on November 9 th & 10 th The movie will be shown at the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY. Cost is $24 at the box office. Call the Warren Miller Group Tickets office at and get $3 off each ticket. You can order any number of tickets needed even one or two tickets as long as you identify yourself as being a member of NJSSC. You MUST remember to say you are a member of the New Jersey Ski and Snowboard Council to receive the discounted price. The discounted tickets can only be ordered by phone and are available until 5:00 PM MST 48 hrs before the show date. For more information: Palacealbany.org or warrenmiller.com John Burroughs Hike Report By Diana Ziegenfelder It almost didn t happen because of rain but with a two hour delay, 7 diehard women hikers (Jackie, Jean, Janet, Kathleen, Arlene, Sharon K, and Diana) visited Slabsides and trekked around the various trails. On our way to the waterfalls, we stopped by the pond and Janet and Kathleen posed for a photo. Unbeknownst to them, a 2 foot snake had wrapped itself around Kathleen s ankle. Wow, were those gals quick to fend off that snake. Kathleen did some quick leg and body rollovers and that snake disappeared into the pond. Other than wet feet and a cut on her elbow, (which was given first aid by the hike leader Diana), both ladies escaped to tell the tale of their ordeal. The hike ended on a happy note with ice cream at the Frozen Rainbow. HIKE LEADERS: Be prepared for anything and don t forget your first aid kit.

6 Program Reports by Jean Pavone. Adaptive Sports Foundation with Chris Brower Keith Holmquist The Pro Ski N Ride On October 10 th, Chris Brower from the Adaptive Sports Foundation presented a program at our club meeting. Not only did Chris talk about the great work the Foundation does yearround in helping those with disabilities to enjoy the great outdoors, but he brought in some of the creative modified ski equipment to show. It was truly inspiring to hear how dedicated the staff and volunteers are in helping to bring a lot of joy to many individuals and families! In Chris own words: While there are many potential accommodations that can be made to help an individual learn to ski or ride, we strive to minimize those differences and to teach a great ski/snowboard lesson. A "good turn" looks the same across the spectrum of our participants and skiers in general... A few Trailsweepers already volunteer with the Adaptive Sports Foundation. We also learned that there are many other volunteer opportunities available besides helping on the slopes. Volunteers are needed to help with preparing lunch, setting up the lunch room, driving the bus from the parking lot to the building, helping staff to fit the participants with the proper gear, etc Thank you to everyone who attended. We certainly filled the room! And thank you to Chris Brower for a great program and putting together a great Gift Bag for the free raffle at the end of the program. Congratulations to Rob Fletcher on having the winning ticket! Last Hurrah! By Kayak John Keith Holmquist, Owner and Master Boot Fitter, from The Pro Ski N Ride located in Hunter NY, presented a program October 24 th on the new Apex Boot system, the latest in ski bindings and ski poles. The Apex Boot has a kind of ski boot liner that adjusts and tightens and is warm. The tongue opens wide for easy foot access. It has a sole that is made for walking right from your car or hotel room. When you reach the slope, just slide your foot into the hard skeleton like shell, snap close three buckles, and you are ready to ski! Truly on the forefront of technology. Of course, Keith had an expert description of this new boot. Keith also showed bindings that adjust to raise or release your boot heel while the toe remains clipped in and collapsible ski poles. All were cool to see! There were many great questions from club members on foot beds and orthotics too. After the program, there were two raffle give-aways. Thank you to Keith for providing two pairs of ski goggles for the raffle. Everyone who attended the program also received ski ties for securing your skis together. October 1 st marked the end of this year s kayaking season. We had a great year paddling the many routes scheduled; the most challenging of all was the Great Swamp paddle early in the season. It was long and wet for the author. The last trip was launched from the Beacon kayak launch site heading south towards Bannerman s Island and then meandering up Fishkill Creek. There were 12 boats and 20 participants at the year-end picnic held at Riverside Park in Beacon. Adult beverages, homemade salads, desserts, and of course beautifully cooked hamburgers and dogs were served to hungry paddlers as they got off the water. Thanks to all that engaged in paddling this year; the club for financing the picnic, and all those that helped make the season happen. Stay tuned for announcements concerning the 2018 schedule; it promises to be a doozy!!! If you have any fresh ideas about kayaking trips for next year, please submit your thoughts to Yvonne or Kayak John. Happy paddling!!

7 Killington Weekend December 8-10, 2017 Staying at the Northstar Lodge (on Killington's Access Road) With heated outdoor pool, saunas, bar, fireplace lounge. Includes: Two day lift ticket and two nights lodging. Party Friday night 8:30pm. Double:$255 pp Seniors (65-79) $ : $155 Triple: $235 pp Young Adults $15.00 less than adults. Quad: $225 pp Children 12 & under $ in same room with two adults (max. 2 kids). Trip Deposit $145 at sign up. Balance due Nov. 1 st, Cancellation Date Nov. 1 st, Options: lessons, equipment rental, junior tickets. Trip leader: Rudy Firmbach, Jr Killington Mid-Week January 7-12, 2018 Staying at the Northstar Lodge (on Killington's Access Road) Heated outdoor pool, sauna, bar, fireplace lounges. Five day-lift tickets and five nights lodging. Party Sunday night, pizza Tuesday night, dinner Thursday night. Double:$515 pp Seniors (65+): $475. Triple: $440 pp Seniors 80+: $315 Quad: $400 pp Young Adults 13-18: $22 less than adults. 2, 3 & 4 Day options (starting on Sunday) Deposit $200 at sign up. Second payment $200 on December 15 th, Balance due December 31 st, Cancellation Date: December 15 th, Options: lessons, junior tickets. Trip leader: Rudy Firmbach, Jr Happy Hour A few times a month, the club members meet at an area bar or eatery. Join us for a couple of hours of libation and friendly conversation. Check for last minute changes on our Website at trailsweepers.org/calendar.html November 3 Hickory Barbecue, 743 Rt 28 Kingston 17 The Beverly Lounge, 224 Fox Hall Ave Kingston Upcoming Events Check for last minute changes on our Website at trailsweepers.org/calendar.html Regular Meetings: At 7:30 PM on 2 nd and 4 th Tuesdays of the month at TONY'S PIZZERIA, 582 Broadway, Kingston. May vary during holiday months. November 5 Panther Mountain Hike. 11 Annual Kickoff Dinner Dance. 12 Huckleberry Point Hike. 14 Meeting: Special Election Night. 28 Meeting December December's meeting dates are changed due to the holiday season. 5 Stella's Restaurant, North Front Street, Kingston. Holiday Dinner Meeting. Sign up with Janet Mihm before it sells out. Pay at the door, $22pp. Family style dinner, tax & tip included. 19 Tony s Pizzeria, 582 Broadway, Kingston. Holiday Cookie Bake-off Meeting. So, bring out Grandma s old recipe book and bake a dozen of your favorite holiday cookies and win prizes. Please reach out and welcome the following new members to join Trailsweepers! Gael Alba Rich Partridge