CT-AMC Annual Gathering 2010

Transcription

1 VOLUME 31, NUMBER 3 AUTUMN 2010 A View From The Chair Here s an item of trivia to share on your next hike/paddle/ride/limb: The White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) sees more visitors eah year than Yellowstone and Yosemite ombined. When I first heard this from a Forest Servie ranger I was somewhat surprised. But on a reent rok-limbing trip to Cannon Mountain it seemed as though there were more visitors to the WMNF in that one weekend than the whole of the season at the two national parks. Every ampground on the Kank was full and every trailhead parking area was overflowing onto the roadways. With 7 or 8 rope teams eah on popular limbing routes suh as Whitney-Gilman and Moby Grape, and teams on Duet, Lakeview, and other routes, even the rok limbs on Cannon were seeing a lot of use. That was in sharp ontrast with the previous Friday when I was able to enjoy the solitude of a hike through the Great Gulf Wilderness before starting a weekend of volunteering at the Pinkham Noth Visitor Center information desk. From the trailhead on Route 16 to the intersetion of Sphinx and Gulfside trails, there wasn t a soul in view. I passed a few hikers on the way to the summit of Mt. Washington, and a party of two while desending Nelson Crag. There was no one on Wamsutta. Then, as I was headed down Great Gulf and bak to my ar, I started passing them the stream of hikers who were inbound for a weekend of amping in the Great Gulf Wilderness. The next two days on duty at PNVC were extremely busy. Even with three regular staff members working the main ounter and two volunteers at the info desk, it was non-stop from 7 am. We sold out of Presidential Range maps and had to make arrangements for a re-supply from the Highland Center. It was seriously razy. Visitor traffi eased in the afternoon, but it remained busy through to dinner. With so many people out on the trails, rivers and limbs, it s important that we be proative in the effort to avoid loving our natural resoures, inluding the WMNF, to death. To that end, AMC is an advoate of Leave No Trae (LNT) priniples. We inorporate these into our leader training programs and enourage all of our members to put them into pratie. Those two reent weekends in the WMNF provide a vivid example of why LNT is key to proteting the area for future generations (not to mention our own) to enjoy. If you ve never investigated LNT onepts, hek out: Or, even better, onsider attending our hapter s LNT eduation program. On behalf of the CT-AMC Exeutive Committee, I ordially invite you to join us at our 2010 Annual Gathering, November 20th, at the Roky Hill Marriott. Dave Bellemare and his Programs Committee have arranged a partiularly interesting seletion of workshops for us. We re very pleased to have Dr. Jessie Stone as our after-dinner speaker. It took a ouple of years, but we finally managed to oordinate shedules with her. It s going to be a great day. See you there! ~ Tim CT-AMC Annual Gathering 2010 ~ presents ~ Paddling Through Life: Where Kayaking Has Taken Me by Dr. Jessie Stone Saturday, November 20th, pm - 9 pm Roky Hill Marriott, 100 Capital Boulevard, Roky Hill, CT Silent aution, workshops, soial hour, dinner, meeting & presentation AMC Members: $40 Non-Members: $45 Please register by Friday, November 12th, 2010 Dr. Jessie Stone at Nile Speial, a highlight on the Nile River, Uganda, Afria. On Saturday, November 20th, 2010, the Connetiut Chapter of the Appalahian Mountain Club will hold its Annual Gathering at The Roky Hill Marriott. The event elebrates the outdoors and the people who love it. The day-long Annual Gathering provides an opportunity for more than 150 AMC members and non-members to get together, ondut hapter business, learn new skills, and disover new ativities. Attendees ome from aross Connetiut and represent a variety of outdoor interests. But the Annual Gathering is more than just a soial event. The Connetiut Chapter of the AMC will also hold its annual business meeting, and honor volunteers who donated hundreds of hours to AMC projets over the past year. The evening will be apped by a dinner and presentation by Dr. Jessie Stone, a medial dotor, professional whitewater kayaker, and founder and diretor of Soft Power Health. Dr. Stone s talk will over her adventures in paddling from New York City to the Nile River in Uganda and many plaes in between. Registration form and information on page 7 of this newsletter and on

2 The Newsletter of the Connetiut Chapter - Appalahian Mountain Club Volume 31, Number 3, Autumn 2010 Editors & Publishers: Dary Witham, Maggie Grayson & Debra Rih Please send future newsletter submissions and advertising to: Editor: The AMC In CT, 71 Noble Street, Stamford, CT or tameditor@t-am.org Read online: Please send all address and orretions to: AMC, 5 Joy Street, Boston, MA or information@outdoors.org CT-AMC New Members Roast Beef Dinner Saturday, Otober 2nd, 2010 Odd Fellows Temple 3200 East Main Street, Waterbury, CT ~ presents ~ David Roberts Along the Niger River to Timbuktu MUST RSVP for this event Admission $12 David takes us on a journey headed northwest by bus to the old Frenh olonial town of Segou, the medieval town of Djenne with its huge mud-built mosque and olorful loal market, and the town of Mopti on the Niger River. He then travels by small riverboat along the Niger, amping on its banks, to the legendary ity of Timbuktu. AMC New Members, Old Members, and Non-Members are all welome to this event. You must RSVP for the event by: Monday, September 27th. Mail hek payable to: AMC CT Chapter and mail to David Bellemare, 91 Kendall Cirle, Waterbury, CT Non-Aloholi Soial Hour: 5 to 6 pm, Roast Beef Dinner: 6 pm, and Presentation: 7:15 pm. Diretions: Put Odd Fellows Temple, 3200 East Main Street, Waterbury, CT into GPS or Google Maps. Questions: Write to Programs@t-am.org or all David Bellemare at HIKE LEADERS - Like to be a Hike Leader? Contat David Roberts at: exursions@t-am.org. Get involved! - Conservation Committee: Conservation Get trained! - Get Out, Get Going - For more information - About outings, meetings, eduation, training, events and this year s entertainment, review listings in AMC Outdoors magazine and on the web at: Reeive Your Newsletter Eletronially - Opt in to reeive future CT-AMC hapter newsletters eletronially. To sign up online, visit or for detailed instrutions on how to update your newsletter delivery preferene. CT-AMC IS LOOKING FOR YOU! We are atively reruiting andidates for a number of hapter leadership positions inluding those of Chapter Chair, Chapter Vie Chair and Chapter Membership Chair. The tasks of these positions vary from year to year, but generally inlude: moderating meetings of the hapter exeutive ommittee, working with ommittee hairs to ahieve hapter and ommittee goals, meeting periodially with the hairs and vie hairs of the other hapters to brainstorm solutions to ommon problems and assist in setting lub poliy, ommuniating with the lub s professional and volunteer staff on program development and other matters, and working with loal and regional partners on ommon rereation and onservation goals. If you would like to assist the hapter in setting goals and formulating poliy, please ontat the hapter nominating ommittee, nominating@t-am.org. Celebrate the Famous Appalahian Trail with the Appalahian Mountain Club Join any of these events on Saturday, Otober 23rd, 2010 Hikes of varying lengths and speeds along the entire 52 miles of the Connetiut setion of the AT Road bike rides lose to the AT A river and trail lean-up along the AT and the Housatoni River Rok limbing pratie at St John s Ledges, near Kent A flat-water paddle lose to the AT All followed by a Grand BBQ at Maedonia Brook State Park, Kent at 3:30 pm. Only $5 per person, no reservation neessary Non-members welome Details of all events inluding loations, meeting times, et. at: or hair@t-am.org 2 -

3 The Bugaboo Group and Snowpath Spire ~ by Jesse Morenz Beep, beep, beep. My alarm goes off at 3:30 am, a fitting time for an alpine start. I get up, quikly get dressed and jump out of my tent. It is a beautiful night, a million stars twinkle from light years away unobsured by light pollution. In front of me, eerily illuminated by lunar light refleting off the surrounding glaiers, is my objetive for the day Snowpath Spire, an imposing granite monolith thrusting more than 2,000 vertial feet straight into the sky. I grab my pak, loaded the night before with all the gear I will need for the day, and my two partners and set off into the risp mountain night. Mountaineering, tehnial alpine limbing in partiular, has been a passion of mine for the past five years. Yet even so I an t help reflet on how I ended up on a plane bound for Calgary, Alberta Canada with the goal of limbing in the Bugaboo provinial park. I love aseti mountains and the Bugaboos ertainly qualify. They are a olletion of granite spires that rise up from a series of massive glaiers. They make for exellent photos and it is likely from one of these photos that I got the idea to limb here. It seemed fate was on my side beause when I asually brought up the idea of limbing in the Bugaboos over beers after a day of limbing at the Gunks, two of my friends said they were interested and three months later we were off, bound for another adventure. The Bugaboo provinial park is loated on the Eastern side of British Columbia, Canada. Getting there is a matter of driving 4 hours from Calgary and then driving up 30 miles of dirt roads to the trailhead. From there we hauled our 70-pound paks up some 4,000 feet of vertial terrain to our amp, the so-alled Applebee Dome ampground and set up for a week of limbing in what an best be desribed as an alpine athedral. After a few days of alimatization and getting in some easier limbs the day arrived to limb the main objetive of the trip, Snowpath Spire. Snowpath is one of the more famous spires in the Bugaboo group for a number of good reasons. It is highly prominent, an easily be seen from amp, and offers fantasti limbing over a number of routes. My friends and I plan on limbing the easiest route up the mountain, the Snowpath Route, whih loks in at 5.8, grade IV and 17 pithes. A lofty goal to be sure and I annot help feeling a little nervous as we set out in the ool mountain night to reah the base of the limb by first light. We get on the route proper at 7 am and begin the tehnial limbing. My partners and I agreed to split the limb up into bloks. My friend Mark would take the first six pithes, I would take the seond six and my other friend Mark would take the last blok to the top of the spire. The limbing was thrilling, exposed, and over exellentquality granite. The Snowpath route took us right past Snowpath Spire s namesake, a permanent snow path that improbably sits right on the side of the mountain s fae year round. At about 5:30 pm we finally reah the apex of the spire, a thin rok fin that, unless you ount tightrope walking a hobby, you have to straddle. Now it was time to omplete the seond half of the limb, the desent. So far the weather had been spetaular, lear and alm under a sapphire sky. Even so, the desent is the most dangerous part of most limbs and this limb was no different. Eight 60-meter rappels (over a quarter mile) down the bak side of the spire and a heavily revassed glaier traverse lay before us. We finished the rappels, swinging over the bergshrund onto the lower glaier at midnight. After navigating a revasse field by moonlight and a short hike, we finally arrived bak at our amp. It was 2:30 am; I briefly looked up into the ink blak sky to see the same stars looking down on me that I had observed upon waking up that morning 23 hours before. I rawled into my tent and let Morpheus take me to the land of dreams. It had been a good day. Editor s Note: Jesse and the two Marks will be showing photos from their Bugaboo trip at one of the Annual Gathering workshops on November 20th. Photo: Snowpath Spire as seen from Applebee Dome amp. AMC s 2010 Fall Gathering AMC s 2010 Fall Gathering Sponsored by the Worester Chapter Otober 15-17, 2010 Sponsored by the Worester Chapter Prindle Pond Conferene Center Hilltop, Charlton, MA Otober 15-17, 2010 Prindle Pond Conferene Center Hilltop, Charlton, MA Join us for this lub-wide event hosted by the Worester hapter at Prindle Pond Conferene Center Hilltop in Charlton, MA. Explore Central Massahusetts by hiking, yling, paddling, rok limbing and more. Family-oriented ativities will be offered so bring your hildren and grandhildren! Enjoy the amaraderie of fellow AMC members in the evening starting with a soial hour followed by lively entertainment and a bonfire to wrap it all up! Everyone is welome! We ll see you there with boots on! Room pakages available, inluding meals, ativities, and registration fee. Register by September 30, See for more information and to register. - 3

4 The Harry Duren and Gregory Simons Memorial Fund Donations to the Harry Duren Memorial Fund provide sholarships to send one or two Connetiut teenagers to AMC s Summer Wilderness Adventures in the White Mountains. Over the last few years the Simons family has made signifiant ontributions to this fund in memory of Gregory Simons, a young man whose life was tragially lost several years ago. In reognition of their generosity, and in remembrane of Greg, the CT-AMC Exeutive Committee has approved a name hange of this fund to: The Harry Duren and Gregory Simons Memorial Fund. The fund is a wonderful tribute to a lost friend or family member who loved the outdoors. Eah of the teenagers who attend say that their Summer Wilderness Adventure was a life-hanging experiene and is one whih helps to produe a future generation of stewards of the outdoors. I hope you will onsider supporting this fund; after all what better gift an we leave? Contributions an be sent to: Harry Duren / Greg Simons Fund, /o Eri Stones, 72 Sunset Hill Road, Bethel CT Dear CT-AMC, Thank you so muh for the wonderful sholarship for the bakpaking adventure in New Hampshire. I made many friends on the trip. We helped eah other out all along the way, and the fun we had was extraordinary. Lastly, all the ampsites were amazing. On the first day of the trip, when we were all at the meeting plae, the ounselors had us get in a irle and we learned about everyone else. Soon it felt like I knew everyone right away. A boy named Sam and I disagreed about the Soer World Cup beause I liked Brazil and he liked Argentina. We settled our differenes, though. Another guy named Rory helped me out a bunh when I slipped and fell into Old Spek Pond. One of the girls, Annie, was a huge fan of my favorite band so we would hike together and sing. And of ourse, Rahel and I had a great time. The Mahoosus in Western Maine were seen on Rahel and Hannah s 7-day bakpaking trip. Photos submitted by Eri Stones. At the first ampsite, there was a liff. We all limbed up and found a HUGE revie in it. I limbed down to get my two head lamps and we took turns going in there. It was really ool, and at some parts we even had to make sure we didn t fall beause it was suh a long drop. The game we played at every site was Ultimate Ninja. It was so muh fun to beat the ounselors! All of the ampsites were amazing and beautiful. My favorite one was the last one, even though I had to sleep on a rok. Every night, no matter whih ampsite we were at, we always had dinner together and then the ounselors showed us where we were going the next day on the map. The food at dinner was amazing, whih says something sine we were in the wild. The ounselors ould really ook! I reommend AMC s Teenage Wilderness Adventure to anyone who loves the outdoors. On this hiking trip I got really onneted to nature, though I do wish the moose had not pooped all over the paths! Thanks again! Sinerely, Hannah 4 - Dear CT-AMC, My AMC Teen Wilderness Bakpaking adventure into New Hampshire s White Mountains was very fulfilling. First day preparations seemed endless, and time moved slowly with my exitement building as I ouldn t wait to get going on my trip to the first summit. And even though it seemed an endless wait, I realized later how neessary it was to arefully pak for a seven-day bakpaking trip. We had to make sure we had all our equipment and food, espeially our trail mix! Though I was really exited to go on this trip, I was not the only one who ould not wait to see the amazing views from the tops of the mountains. My group onsisted of ten teens, inluding me. Everyone seemed to get along and wanted to help eah other. I d never been bakpaking before and was really glad to have everyone else s support on the trail, as we had some hard hand and foot limbing. Who knew bakpaking inluded using your hands! We limbed many mountains inluding Suess Mountain, Goose Eye Mountain, and Old Spek Mountain. The views were amazing, and we ould always see the next day s mountain the day before. Looking up at the summit made me push harder when on the trail. The meals were, well, interesting. Some were great, like the oatmeal, stir-fry, and bagels with ream heese. Others were something I would not suggest, like ousous with heese. It was really mushy, but gave us lots of energy, so we ate without omplaining. I learned many things while on the trip. One was that when paking your bakpak, you must pak the things you need later at the bottom of the pak, like your sleeping bag and ooking things. Another thing I learned is that showers are not very important when you are hiking. You don t think about them when you are trying to limb a 4,000-foot mountain. We also learned how to ook food using a mini stove, and how to keep food from bears by putting it in a tree. I also learned that when you feel you an t make it to the top of the mountain, your friends are there to keep you going. Hiking in those amazing mountains will be an experiene I will never forget. I have hanged as a person, seen amazing things, and made long-lasting friendships. I faed many hallenges and they weren t just limbing mountains, but I got through them with help. If I ever have the hane again to go again I will not pass it up, and I enourage anyone who has the opportunity to experiene one of these trips to go. Do not hesitate; just go!! Rahel

5 Hitting the Urban Trail ~ by Ed Rihardson More Than a Bike Ride ~ by Carol Hassett An CT-AMC biyle ride is not always about distane and pae. On a sunny Sunday in May, Rik Merritt and Terri Pappagallo led a group of ylists from our meeting plae in East Hartford aross the Charter Oak Bridge to Hartford. Our route inluded the parks along both sides of the Connetiut River, Goodwin and Elizabeth Parks, and an Italian bakery in the ity s south end neighborhood. We were greeted by friendly folks all along the way. Rik knows a good deal about Hartford so we made frequent stops at many of Hartford s notable buildings. The day s most memorable experiene took plae on the ampus of the Churh of the Good Shepherd, whih was onserated in 1869 and funded by Elizabeth As the shadows lengthen, the hills grow steeper, and the trail surfae beomes more treaherous. Even the strongest hiker must slow down. Some years ago, if memory (what s that?) serves, John Cunningham of the East of the River group suggested that shorter, easier alternative hikes should be offered to address the needs of a rapidly aging hiking ohort. Suh hikes have beome a standard offering on the EOR s monthly listing. Urban hikes, with their flatter topography, more even walking surfaes, and varied attrations, fit well into this easier ategory. Typially offered on an oasional basis from April to Otober, they have attrated a onsiderable following. The photos inluded with this artile show different sights from the Wallae Stevens urban hike held on June 15th in Hartford. Thirteen granite monuments, eah insribed with a stanza from Stevens Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blakbird, and strategially plaed along the poet s daily 2.3-mile walk from his home to the Hartford Fire Insurane Company, were the main features of this 5.7-mile loop hike. Also featured were the new University of Hartford Arts Center, the Seyms House (whih is in the proess of being renovated), Bushnell Park, and definitely not least, the Legislative Offie Building afeteria, where hikers stopped to have lunh. LNT Trainer Course ~ by Dale Geslien The Eduation Committee s Leave No Trae Trainer ourse was onduted by Leave No Trae Master Eduators Dale Geslien and Leo Kelly over Trails Day Weekend, June 5th-6th and produed 5 new Leave No Trae Trainers. The weekend training was held at AMC s Northwest Camp and inluded a hike to the Sages Ravine Campground to review an example of how Leave No Trae priniples have been implemented. Colt, widow of Samuel Colt. Our group of 17 ylists rolled up to the parish house, where we were warmly welomed by the hurh s minister and parishioners. We were very grateful for the invitation to use their failities to freshen up, and the ongregation s hospitality ontinued to amaze us. A parishioner asked if we would like to see the ballroom in the parish house, whih was built in 1895 by Mrs. Colt as a memorial for her son Caldwell Hart Colt. Our visit onluded with a generous invitation from the parishioners to share refreshments with them at their offee hour. It was a great day. To learn more about the Churh of the Good Shepherd, one of Hartford s more noteworthy historial sites, visit CONSERVATION IS KEY ~ by Andrew May If my sattered memory serves me orretly, the dismal siene (i.e. eonomis) revolves around the entral tension between unquenhable human desires and sare natural resoures. As the world s population is projeted to grow and more people are improving their living standards, this tension promises to grow worse. The key to avoiding this Malthusian trap (overpopulation leading to deprivation) is onservation through innovation. As a Marh 2009 National Geographi artile entitled A Carbon Redution Plan points out, By investing in new tehnology or adopting approahes already available, we ould ut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by three billion tons a year, offsetting inreases expeted by Your CT-AMC hapter is taking steps to make this goal a reality. Aording to 2006 data from the Department of Energy, Connetiut uses more energy for residential usage than any other state (approximately 33% of our energy goes to residential usage). Therefore, the Conservation Committee has foused our initial efforts here: Purhased a home energy monitor and reorded the results for people to see. Members an benefit from member Bob Andrews experiene monitoring energy usage in his house and how he redued his ost. We also expet to aution this useful devie at CT-AMC s Annual Meeting. Purhased four Kill-O-Watt meters, available for members to borrow and monitor energy usage of individual applianes in their house. Obviously, we hope that one people see how they an save money, they will take steps to save eletriity. Thanks to the work of Russ Charest, we promote energy onservation through his homemade Energy Conservation Board: om/user/meridenmt?feature=mhw4#p/a/u/1/rlk0ttep0o. We have displayed this eduational tool several times this year around the state. While we an feel good about these efforts to help the planet, our ountry, and our wallets, there is muh more to be done. We need your help! Some ways that you might onsider getting involved: sign up for the Connetiut Conservation Yahoo group at org/onservation, sign up for the Club s Conservation Ation Network (CAN) at and/or attend an upoming Conservation Committee meeting. If you have any questions or omments, please do not hesitate to ontat me at onservation@t-am.org. I would be happy to help in any way that I an. Summer Leadership Shool 2010 ~ by Dale Geslien 15 enthusiasti partiipants ompleted the Eduation Committee s Leadership Training Session on June 27th, 2010 at Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden. Partiipants expressed an interest in beoming Hike, Flatwater and Trails Work Party leaders. Leave No Trae Master Eduator Keith Spaar made his teahing debut as the newest member of the Eduation Committee and joined instrutors John Crist and Dale Geslien to ondut the training. - 5

6 Sitting Pretty! by Dave Boone, Trails Chair After nearly ten seasons of effort, the Trails Committee has ompleted a long-term effort to help protet the Appalahian Trail environment, and groundwater quality in partiular. The last moldering omposting privy was onstruted in July at the Ten Mile River ampsite, ompleting a goal to onvert old style, hole-in-the-ground outhouses to the more modern waste disposal method. In 2000, the Trails Committee made a ommitment to ultimately onvert our Connetiut AT privies to a omposting design originally proposed by the Green Mountain Club. The effort began with an inventory of our failities, (we have 24 seats of various types on the CT AT), and a rating system reated whih ranked the urgeny of replaement, based on ampsite use and environmental sensitivity. Those loations with higher numbers of overnight stays, high groundwater elevations, and shallow depth to ledge beame the priority loations for replaement. In 2001, we began the multi-year privy replaement tour of the CT AT, with our first molderer onstruted at Stewart Hollow. It was designed by Birge Dayton and Walt Daniels, and was a modifiation of the GMC s original design. Our first efforts also inluded the addition of red worms to more rapidly break down wastes. This pratie eased as it beame reognized that the red wiggler worms were not native speies. Sine then, we have onverted to molderers at all of the most popular overnight areas. All materials had to be arried in. The more remote the loation, the more work days were needed simply to arry in the onstrution materials. We learned that lesson at Brassie Brook and Mt. Algo. We were fortunate in 2008, through a signifiant donation from the Durr family, to atually airlift by heliopter the materials for the Riga Shelter onversion. In one half hour, we moved what had taken us six days to move in to Brassie Brook. Moldering omposters are built above grade, upon two large bins. As one bin beomes filled, the seat or privy building gets moved to the other bin, allowing the first bin to ompost and break down wastes, exatly in the way your bakyard garden omposter degrades. In a few years, the first bin will have onverted the waste to non-pathogeni garden variety ompost! It is very important that no garbage or other solid wastes go into the bin. Throw a handful of duff (dried leaves) down the hute following use. Contrary to what other lubs may advise, we don t mind if you pee in the molderer, as a ertain amount of moisture is needed for the deomposition proess. Thanks to everyone who helped with this long-term (and sometimes frustrating) effort. Thanks to those who slogged the materials to the sites (remember the water hazards on the Mt. Washington Road?), and speial thanks to the hard-ore hammer wielders: Birge Dayton, Walt Daniels, Bob Poitras, Ted Cowles, and Russ Waldie in partiular. SPELUNKING & STORYTELLING ON THE TUNXIS TRAIL ~ Debra Rih, Family Ativities Co-Chair Family hikers at the Indian Counil Caves this summer in Barkhamsted. Kids thought this group of aves nothing short of COOL! They were also treated to wild blueberries found plentiful along the trail. Stopping to explore the Tory Den ave in Burlington. In addition, kids got to limb giant rok boulders at the Mile of Ledges. With snaks aplenty and the ompany of other kids, even the youngest hikers barely notied that they had hiked four miles! Caves have aptured the imaginations of kids for generations. There s just something awesome and primeval about being surrounded by massive slabs of anient glaial rok. You an almost hear the voies of ages past in the eerie, hollow quiet of the aves dank walls. Suh is the stuff of myths, legends, and lore. The Tory Den and Indian Counil Caves are part of the famed Leatherman s Caves. Kids and families hiking the Tunxis Trail in Lithfield County this summer with CT-AMC Family Ativities got to explore these aves, plus hear the true story of the mysterious Leatherman who, lad from head to toe in leather, roamed the Connetiut and New York woods in the mid-1800s. No one knows who the Leatherman really was. Some say he was a Frenhman by the name of Jules Bourglay. But aording to loal legend, he ompleted the same 365-mile iruit between Harwinton, CT and Westhester County, NY every 34 days without fail, sleeping in aves, never speaking a word. People grew austomed to his unanny puntuality and would wath for his arrival. Some onsidered it luky to feed the Leatherman and would leave him food, tobao, or mathes. He roamed the woods like a speter for several deades, through hot summers and harsh winters. However, the Blizzard of 1888 would take its toll on the aging Leatherman. He vanished that winter and was never seen or heard from again. His remains were reovered from a ave in 1889 and are interred at the Sparta Cemetery just south of Ossining, NY. Cooler days are here again! So pak up the kids, pik up the grandparents on the way, and hit the trail this fall with the CT-AMC. There will be foliage hikes on the AT, pleasant walks through the woods, and seasonal hiking play dates for young hikers of all ages and abilities. Who knows, maybe we ll even see the Leatherman s ghost! Here s what s on dek this fall: Saturday, Otober 9th, Family Hike, MCann Family Farm, Somers Monday, Otober 11th, Columbus Day Family Hike, Bear Mountain, Salisbury Saturday, Otober 23rd, AT Day Family Hike, Maedonia Brook SP, Kent Saturday, Otober 30th, Family Hike, Miller s Pond SP, Durham Saturday, Otober 30th, Family Halloween Hike, Sleeping Giant SP, Hamden Sunday, November 21st, Family Hike, Hidden Valley Reservation, Washington Saturday, Deember 18th, Family Holiday Hike, West Rok Ridge SP, Hamden Sunday, Deember 26th, Family Hike, Wadsworth Falls SP, Middletown We re already planning for next year! To reeive a 2011 family hike shedule, family hike announements and more, please join our list by going to the Family Ativities page at and liking on Yahoo! Groups. Or, send an to FamilyAtivities@t-am.org and we ll add you to the list. Happy Hiking! 6 -

7 CT-AMC 2011 Exeutive Committee Slate Chair: Tim Linehan Vie Chair: Wayne Tursi Seretary: Darlene Dunbar Treasurer: Al Puhes Biyling: Rik Merritt Conservation: Jamie Lee / Andrew May East of the River: Nany Mann Eduation: John Crist Exursions: David Roberts Fairfield County Group: Tom Carruthers / David Roberts Family Ativities: Debra Rih / Janet Ainsworth Flatwater / Coastal Paddling: Jean Trapani Member at Large: Paula Zimbrean Member at Large: Open Membership: Open Mountaineering: Art Morenz / Jesse Morenz Newsletter Editors: Maggie Grayson / Debra Rih Newsletter Publisher: Dary Witham Northwest Camp: Rod Parlee / Tom MGrath Programs: Dave Bellemare Trails: Dave Boone Webmaster / AMC Outdoors Liason: Jim Sheef Whitewater: Mark Shappert / Dennis Wigg Young Members: Chris Rees Nominating Committee: Brue LaRohe, Chair Barbara Bekerman Skip Frey George Shott Continued from page 1... Please join us Saturday, November 20th for CT-AMC s Annual Gathering 10. Silent Aution, Workshops, Committee/Sponsor Exhibits, Soial Hour, (w/ash bar), Brief Business Meeting and Presentation. Annual Gathering Shedule Silent Aution 1:00 to 5:00 pm Soial Hour 5:00 pm Committee/Sponsor Exhibits 1:00 to 5:00 pm Dinner 6:00 pm Afternoon Workshop Shedule 1:00 to 5:00 pm Annual Business Meeting 7:00 pm 7:45 pm Evening Presentation by Dr. Jessie Stone Afternoon Workshop Shedule Salon A 1:15-2:15 Living Off The Grid Bill Kelsey 2:30-3:30 Hiking Around The World David Roberts 3:45-4:45 Climbing In The Canadian Bugaboos & The Italian Dolomites Jesse Morenz Salon B 1:15-2:15 Fae Time With Jessie Stone Dennis Wigg 2:30-3:30 CT Community Boating: Conneting Kids With Their Coastline Environment Chris German 3:45-4:45 Climate Change Rev. Thomas Carr Salon C 1:15-2:15 TBD 2:30-3:30 Winter Camping 101 REI - Cary Henderson 3:45-4:45 A Connetiut Ridge Runner s Tale REI - Tessa Bondi Driving Diretions From Hartford: 1-91 South to exit 23. Turn left off exit and go one blok to the hotel. From 1-91 North: Take exit 23, turn right and go one blok to the hotel. For those with GPS: 100 Capital Boulevard, Roky Hill, CT VOLUNTEER Would you like to be a volunteer at the Annual Gathering? There are many opportunities. Please ontat Dave Bellemare: or write to programs@t-am.org ut here CT-AMC Annual Gathering Reservation Form: First and Last Name AMC Member # Meal Choie Amount Enlosed 1 $ 2 $ 3 $ Dinner Choies: Grilled Salmon Sampi Chiken Marsala Mushroom Total $ Grilled Flat Iron Steak Vegetable Lasagna Roulade Members $40, Non-Members $45. Registration due by: Friday, November 12th, To register, send a hek payable to: AMC CT Chapter. Mail to: David Bellemare, 91 Kendall Cirle, Waterbury, CT For more information, visit lik on Programs then on Annual Gathering. You may also ontat David Bellemare, telephone at , or Phone # address: - 7

8 Appalahian Mountain Club Connetiut Chapter 71 Noble Street Stamford, CT Autumn 2010 Inside this Issue: Conservation Is Key Harry Duren Fund Celebrates Hitting the Urban Trail Sitting Pretty More Than A Bike Ride Bugaboo and Snowpath Spelunking and Storytelling CT-AMC Annual Gathering Registration Coming Events: September 25th - FCG Annual Pini, Redding Otober 2nd - New Members Dinner Otober 12th - FCG Speaker Dinner, Bethel Otober 15th-17th - Fall Gathering - Worester Chapter Hosts Otober 23rd - AT Day 2010 November 19th-21st - Leadership Training Shool November 20th - CT-AMC Annual Gathering Leadership Training Shool in November 2010 ~ by Dale Geslien November 19th - 21st, Thinking about beoming an AMC leader? Register for the CT Chapter Leadership Training Shool. Learn many aspets of being a leader suh as managing group dynamis, when to use different leadership styles, and aident sene management whih are ombined with experiential eduation (role playing). There is limited enrollment so register soon. The ost of $50 for AMC members and $60 for non-members inludes instrution, handouts, lodging, and meals. The training is held at White Memorial Conservation Center on the shores of Bantam Lake in Lithfield, CT. See org/eduation for the registration form and more information. Contat Dale Geslien, Eduation Chair at eduation@t-am.org with questions. WEBSITE PROJECT Do the words Drupal or Joomla mean anything to you? If they do and you would like to help on a new website projet, please ontat Jim Sheef at webmaster@t-am.org. 8 -