A.T. Museum ~ Update

[Red Wolf]

Dear Friends of the Appalachian Trail Museum,

The first thumbnail with this email contains a recent news release about the
upcoming Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet and the hand-crafted awards
of walking sticks given to each of the inductees !

The second thumbnail is a printable Museum member/donor form for your
convenience to join us or renew your membership. If you are already a member
or have donated, please ignore. Thank you for your support, it is appreciated.

The third thumbnail is the Hall of Fame poster which should accompany the
Appalachian Trail Museum President's letter which follows:
********************************************

"Dear Friends:
The Appalachian Trail Museum is seeking sponsorships and donations to support the
2012 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Weekend to be held June 8–9, 2012.

The event, which recognizes a select group of notable trail personalities, begins Friday
evening, June 8, with a gala ­dinner at the Allenberry Resort Inn & Playhouse in Boiling
Springs, Pennsylvania. Among the two hundred who will attend will be dignitaries,
hiking club officials, community leaders, media and hikers of the Appalachian Trail.

The next day, Saturday, June 9, a series of public programs will be held at the Appalachian
Trail Museum in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Gardners, Pennsylvania. Some 15,000
people from most U.S. states and many other countries have visited the museum since
it opened in 2010.

If you would like to be a banquet sponsor and be recognized in the banquet program,
please respond by the end of May.

Respond as follows (BOTH steps 1 and 2) by May 30th:
1. Send an email to atmbanquet@gmail.com with the following information:
a) your level of sponsorship
b) how you want your listing in the program worded (complete name, company, etc.)
c) your contact information, including name, email address, mailing address, phone
number where you can be reached for confirmation of details. If you are choosing
one of the 3 higher levels, someone will contact you for additional details.
2. Mail your check to:
Hall of Fame Sponsorship
Appalachian Trail Museum
1120 Pine Grove Road
Gardners, PA 17324
Make check payable to Appalachian Trail Museum, and be sure to write:
"Hall of Fame Sponsorship" on the memo line.

NOTE: Check must be received by May 30th for your listing
to be included in the Banquet Program.
Thank you for considering sponsorship of the 2012 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Weekend.
Sincerely,
Larry Luxenberg
Museum Society President
phone: 845 - 708 - 5306 "
*********************
Tickets to the A. T. Hall of Fame Banquet are still available, but for a short time.
HAPPY TRAILS !
Robert Croyle "Red Wolf o'da Smoky's", A. T. Museum Membership Secretary
membership email: atmuseumfriends@gmail.com
volunteer email: atmuseumgreeters@gmail.com
WEBSITE: www.atmuseum.org

[Red Wolf]

REMINDER ~~ A. T. Hall of Fame Banquet SOON (June 8, 2012) !
The following is a recent email reminder from the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame banquet committee:
From Jim Foster, Chairman 2012 A. T. Hall of Fam Banquet
Date: Sat, 26 May 2012
If you were one of the 150 people who attended the first Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet,
I’m sure you agree that it was a unique experience. For me, there were two highlights. The first
was when Larry Luxenberg gave Thurston Griggs an award for his lifetime of service to the trail.
We’re so happy we were able to do it before Thurston passed away. The other highlight was when
Gene Espy accepted his hiking stick in person as a Hall of Fame honoree 60 years after he completed
his A.T. thru-hike.

We have more unique experiences in store for you at this year’s banquet, including the induction of
five more individuals into the Hall of Fame. THE WINDOWS IS CLOSING SOON TO GET YOUR TICKETS.
Please follow this link and order yours today:
http://atmbanquet2012.eventbrite.com/

--
Come to the second annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet!!
Friday, June 8, 2012, Allenberry Resort, Boiling Springs, PA
Follow this link to purchase tickets:http://atmbanquet2012.eventbrite.com/

Hope to see you there. HAPPY TRAILS !

Robert "Red Wolf o'da Smoky's" Croyle, A. T. Museum Membership Secretary
membership email: atmuseumfriends@gmail.com
volunteer email: atmuseumgreeters@gmail.com
website: www.atmuseum.org

[Red Wolf]

---- ~~Jim Foster, Chairman Hall of Fame Banquet, emailed Sat, 2 Jun 2012:

"DEADLINE TO ORDER A. T. HALL OF FAME TICKETS IS TUESDAY JUNE 5 !
Come to the second annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet!!
Friday, June 8, 2012, Allenberry Resort, Boiling Springs, PA
Follow this link to purchase tickets:http://atmbanquet2012.eventbrite.com/ "
Any questions shoud be directed to Jim Foster at atmbanquet@gmail.com .

I hope to see you there ~ HAPPY TRAILS !

Robert "RED WOLF o'da SMOKY'S" Croyle
Appalachian Trail Museum Membership Secretary
515 Pennsylvania Avenue, # 1403 / Savannah, GA 31404
membership email: atmuseumfriends@gmail.com
volunteer email: atmuseumgreeters@gmail.com
website: www.atmuseum.org

[Red Wolf]

2012 A. T. Hall of Fame inductees announced !

This evening Friday June 8th. 2012, at the annual A. T. Museum Hall of Fame
banquet, this year's slate of five inductees was announced. A more detailed
accounting will be given in the next day or two.

F. Y. I. ~ the five inductees are the following:
~ Emma "Grandma" Gatewood (1888-1973)
~ David A. Richie (1932-2002)
~ J. Frank Schairer (1904-1970)
~ Dr. Jean Stephenson (1893-1979)
~"Major" William Adams Welch (1868-1941)

Watch this thread for details soon.

Happy Trails !

Robert "RED WOLF o'da SMOKY'S" Croyle
A. T. Museum Membership Secretary
email: atmuseumfriends@gmail.com
website: www.atmuseum.org

[couscous]

Emma "Grandma" Gatewood (1888-1973) - After raising 11 children on farms along the Ohio River and at the age of 67, the grandmother of 23 became the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail alone and in a continuous hike. That was in 1955. Two years later, she hiked the Appalachian Trail again and later completed a third hike of the trail in sections. She is known for her legendary Keds sneakers that she wore instead of hiking boots and the laundry sack that she used instead of a backpack. Many call "Grandma" Gatewood the first thru-hiker celebrity. She appeared on the Today show and numerous other programs. She inspired two distinct movements in hiking - long-distance hiking for woman and the ultra-lite movement. She carried just a few items with her, each chosen carefully so they could perform multiple functions. Including food, water and equipment, she rarely carried more than 20 pounds.

David A. Richie (1932-2002) - A man who neither sought nor easily accepted credit for his successes, David A. Richie "had more to do with the reality of today's Appalachian National Scenic Trail and its management than any other single person", in the words of David A. Startzell, longtime executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Six years after Congress adopted the National Trails System Act, which designated the Appalachian Trail as the first national scenic trail, Dave Richie successfully sought responsibility for the neglected A.T. when he accepted a new job as deputy director of the agency's northeast regional office in Boston. Eventually, he obtained approval for a separate A.T. Project Office, to report directly to Washington. Richie was largely responsible for developing the "cooperative management system" used to manage the A.T. today. All constituencies would have a place at the ATPO-ATC table, with the Forest Service brought directly into Richie's office. Richie's only firm rule was to act always in good faith, without detailed marching orders, and never compromise fundamental values.

J. Frank Schairer (1904-1970) - The very first white blazes for the Appalachian Trail ever painted on Mount Katahdin in Maine and through much of the rest of the Wilderness were done by the hand of Frank Schairer. That was during the summer of 1933. A cofounder of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, he helped to blaze several hundred miles of the Appalachian Trail through what is now Shenandoah National Park as well as the 100-mile Wilderness in Maine. He spent most of his adult life volunteering in one capacity or another on behalf of the Appalachian Trail, attending meetings and serving as treasurer and later supervisor of trails for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC), as well as secretary of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club and as a member of the Appalachian Trail Conference Board of Managers. But his favorite trail-related activity was building, blazing and maintaining the actual footpath. By profession, he was a Yale-trained chemist who was fascinated with the composition of rocks and minerals. This led him early on to backpacking expeditions in search of the prizes of his profession.

Dr. Jean Stephenson (1893-1979) - Her knowledge of the Appalachian Trail was encyclopedic. Her role as editor-in-chief of the Appalachian Trail guidebooks and the Appalachian Trailway News set enduring standards. Her involvement led to the trail being completed in Maine and the entire trail being protected by the federal government. Dr. Stephenson came to the Appalachian Trail project in 1933, more than a dozen years after arriving in Washington via Cornell University from her native Waco, Texas, earning a doctorate in law from National University School of Law, and settling into a position at the United States Department of the Navy. She worked closely with trail co-founder Myron Avery and took up his mantle to see the Appalachian Trail become a reality. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club made her its first honorary member in 1950.

"Major" William Adams Welch (1868-1941) - The Appalachian Trail Conference and the familiar Appalachian Trail sign and logo can be traced back to "Major" Welch, a Kentuckian and a direct descendant of U.S. presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams. Welch was instrumental in forming the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. He served as a general manager of Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks in New York State. He was called "Major" for his service from World War I. In the 1920's, his club routed the first New York footpath section of the Appalachian Trail, from which designed a square, die-cut copper marker with the Appalachian Trail monogram that evolved into the trail's most recognized symbol. In 1925, park groups in which he was active were among the sponsors of the first "Appalachian Trail Conference" and selected its first chairman.

Great evening of festivities .. and lots of sticky buns.

[teachergal]

My dad and I stumbled onto the public portion of this event yesterday and it was a lot of fun! I LOVED listening to Grandma Gatewood's granddaughter Lucy read her Diaries! I wasn't familiar with Gene Espy but am glad I am now, gotta get my hands on his book! What a great way to spend a few hours yesterday! It was fun surprise to be at Pine Grove for such a neat event!

[couscous]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Lucy Seeds is "Grandma" Gatewood's youngest daughter. Here's the notes about last year's inductees.

Benton MacKaye (1879-1975) - He is the person who first proposed the idea of an Appalachian Trail in his 1921 article, "An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning." MacKaye was responsible for convening and organizing the first Appalachian Trail "conference" in Washington, D.C., in 1925. That gathering of hikers, foresters and public officials embraced the goal of building the Trail. They established an organization, called the Appalachian Trail Conference (now Conservancy), and appointed MacKaye as its "field organizer." Without his vision and inspiration, the Appalachian Trail would probably never have been built.

Myron Avery (1899-1952) - Avery and five colleagues formed the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club in 1927. Avery was elected president, and remained in that position until 1941. In 1930 he became acting chairman of ATC, and in 1931 was elected to the chairmanship, a position he held until 1952. A dynamo of activity, Avery seized control of the Appalachian Trail and drove it to completion. If Benton MacKaye envisioned the trail, Avery built it. He knitted the trail clubs together into a cohesive group, communicating by letter to volunteers up and down the Atlantic seaboard. Avery had a hand in forming a number of trail clubs, and became the founder of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club in his home state. He was the first person to walk the entire trail, pushing his ever-present measuring wheel in front of him. His vision of the physical trail included a blazing system (he was responsible for the 2x6-inch white blaze), detailed maps and guidebooks, and wide publicity. He wanted the trail to be accessible to the "average tramper" (his words) -- it was to be a "people's trail."

Arthur Perkins (1864-1932) - An avid outdoorsman who, in the late 1920s, spearheaded the effort to make Benton MacKaye's dream of an Appalachian Trail a reality. After MacKaye's initial inspiration in the early 1920s, work on building the A.T. had largely stalled. Without Perkins' persistence, the A.T. might never have been built. Judge Perkins was also the second chairman of the Appalachian Trail Conference (now Conservancy), serving from 1927 to 1930.

Earl Shaffer (1918-2002) - While Benton MacKaye developed the Trail in concept and Myron Avery built the Trail, it was Earl Shaffer who pioneered the concept of thru-hiking. His notion of a 2,000-mile continuous wilderness expedition by foot was unheard of at the time, yet it went lengths to popularize the A.T. and propagate how the Trail is thought of today. Thousands of adventurers have since followed in Earl's footsteps, taking journeys that have in many cases changed lives and redirected priorities.

Gene Espy (1927- ) - In 1951, Gene became the second person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. His recent book, "The Trail of My Life -- The Gene Espy Story" has inspired many to follow in his footsteps. Gene is almost unique as a trail pioneer who is still alive and able to personally receive the honor of a place in the charter class of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame.

Ed Garvey (1914-1999) - He thru-hiked the A.T. in 1970, when it was still fairly rare to do so. The popularity of his 1971 book, "Appalachian Hiker," arguably did more to raise the awareness of thru-hiking than any other single event. In his book, Ed carefully explained his preparations and gathered useful information along the way that would be of benefit to those who would follow in his footsteps. Mr. Garvey also volunteered countless hours helping to build the trail while working in Washington, D.C.

[teachergal]

"Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Lucy Seeds is "Grandma" Gatewood's youngest daughter."

Thanks for the clarification! My dad and I were confused, we were both sure that she'd been introduced as Grandma Gatewood's grandaughter, while her age, and how she referred to Grandma Gatewood as "Mama" suggested that she was her daughter.

Thanks for the info about last years inductees! :-)

[Red Wolf]

2012 A. T. Museum Hall of Fame & Weekend Activities

Dear Friends of the Appalachian Trail Museum,

Last weekend's spectacular 2012 A. T. Hall of Fame Banquet, followed by the A. T. Museum's Saturday and Sunday activities were enjoyed by all in attendance ! Many thanks to all the many volunteers who made this past weekend such a great success for the Appalachian Trail Museum, as well as for the broad hiker community. Through your support, you have insured the continued success and growth of our A. T. Museum and its mission to preserve our A. T. history.

The weekend began with the 6 p.m. Reception of the Second Annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet. There was "standing-room" only for the crowd; music was provided by the New South Mountain Ramblers; Mark Wenger, the new executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, was featured. At 7 p.m., the banquet dinner was served. At 8 p.m., the evening's remarks, presentations, and the induction ceremonies of this year's five A. T. Hall of Famers began. The presentation to Jean Cashin for her years of work at Harpers Ferry was received by her representative as she was unable to attend the ceremonies. Mark Wenger, our new A. T. C. Director/CEO was introduced and his remarks were well received. He was followed by the announcement of the Class of 2012 A.T. Hall of Fame ! The families or the representatives of all five inductees were introduced, given the ceremonial walking-sticks, and spoke of the achievements of the inductees.

The official A. T. Museum news release by Joseph Patterson, A.T. Museum Media Contact, is in the first attachment to this email. The second attachment is the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony Program.

There were many touching moments as the families and representatives spoke about the inductees. For one example, the following is just an abbreviated text of Lucy Seeds speaking about her "Mama" and our "Grandma" Gatewood:
"She did what she did when they said that she couldn't. She showed the whole world that she could. That a woman can do what a man said she couldn't. That's the story of Emma Rowena "Grandma" Gatewood (1888 - 1973, age 85).
She was the first person, man or woman, to through-hike the A. T. two times (1955 & 1957) and the first to complete three A. T. hikes (third was a sectional hike in 1964 at age 76). In addition, she hiked a number of other trails (the Oregon and the Buckeye among them) !
In 1955 Grandma Gatewood's first through-hike, the news media began to follow her in Virginia. When she completed the entire A.T. the news media (TV, local papers. radio, national magazines including Sports Illustrated, etc.) were covering her accomplishment. She made appearances on the Groucho Marxx Show, the Art Linkletter Show, the Today Show hosted by Dave Garroway, the Smiling Jack Smith Show, and many local TV and radio shows.
As a result of the wide-spread national publicity, the general public took a new interest in the Appalachian Trail, resulting in improvements long needed (marking, etc.). She was always an Appalachian Trail good-will ambassador!"

Saturday's activities centered on Pine Grove Furnace State Park and the A. T. Museum. The newly installed "Founder's Exhibit" received much attention and praise. This exhibit features Benton MacKaye's felt hat and typewriter, and displays Myron Avery's much used measuring wheel (made from a bicycle tire) ! The Museum was open early in the day; the presentations by the inductees began at 1 p.m. with Lucy Seed's, followed by Gene Espy's recollections of his 1951 through-hike (the second A. T. through-hike) ! Lunch was available at Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel. Earlier that morning, the A. T. Museum Board had a very productive meeting.

Sunday's activities centered again on the Museum, with the afternoon Sunday Program (2 p.m.) about "Mountains, Metal, and Men: A Story of Pine Grove Furnace, 1764 - 1895". This was a tribute to the overseerers and workers of the 18th. and 18th. centuries who worked the area's iron industry. I was up at Kings Gap State Park (six miles via the Buck Ridge Trail for those who wish a fine hike) to help man an A. T. Museum info table at the "Outdoor's Activities" featured up there by the Friends of Kings Gap State Park. Two A. T. Museum volunteer docents, Zach and Janet also helped man our Museum table. Meanwhile, my good Carlisle/Boiling Springs friend, Mike Gelinas played his folk music guitar selections to the appreciation of all who passed bye our A. T. Museum table. Many representatives of various local clubs or groups also had information tables. All
afternoon, clouds of bubbles provided by the home-made bubble machine of Mr. Bubbles blew through the entire event as the wind directed them ~ many kids of all ages following! There also was one vendor selling drinks, ice cream, hot dogs, etc. Kings Gap State Park sits astride South Mountain and offers a panoramic view of the Cumberland Valley. The entire grounds were open free for the day. Activities included a dozen organizations, children's activities, fly-fishing demonstrations, nature films in the visitor center, and Smoky Bear made an appearance ! King Gap State Park has 14 hiking trails, with the Buck Ridge Trail connecting to Pine Grove Furnace State Park and the A. T. Museum.

The third attachment is a printable membership / donation form for your convenient use. We depend on your support for our continued growth and the preservation of our Appalachian Trail history. Donations are appreciated.

HAPPY TRAILS !

Robert "Red Wolf o'da Smoky's" Croyle
A. T. Museum Membership Secretary
membership email: atmjuseumfriends@gmail.com
USPS Mail address: 515 Pennsylvania Avenue, # 1403 / Savannah, GA 31404
volunteer email: atmuseumgreeters@gmail.com
phone: (717) 486 - 8126
Appalachian Trail Museum / 1120 Pine Grove Road / Gardners, PA 17324
website: www.atmuseum.org

[Red Wolf]

Appalachian Trail Museum ~ VOLUNTEER OPORTUNITIES

Dear Friends of the Appalachian Trail Museum,

Volunteers have been essential to the success of the Appalachian Trail Museum,
which opened in June 2010 at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, in Gardners, PA.,
near the mid-point of the Appalachian Trail. In its first two seasons, the museum
received nationwide publicity for its grand opening, attracted 16,000 visitors from
48 states and 13 countries, and hosted several special programs. None of this
would have been possible without the efforts of the dedicated individuals who
spent uncounted hours renovating the historic mill building that houses the museum,
and the equally dedicated group who spent more than 4,000 hours staffing it during
operating hours. Just as the Appalachian Trail depends upon the efforts of its many
and varied volunteers for continued maintenance and protection, the A. T. Museum
needs a growing core of dedicated volunteers to build upon its initial success to
expand exhibits and programming.

In 2012, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the Museum will be open daily.
After Labor Day, the Museum will be open only on weekends. Hours of operation
are noon to 4 p.m., with extended hours during special events at the park. Special
museum events and programs will be offered throughout the season.

The Appalachian Trail Museum is located in Pine Grove Furnace State Park.
address: 1120 Pine Grove Road, Gardners, PA 17324.
website: www.atmuseum.org
phone #: 717/486-8126
volunteer's email: atmuseumgreeters@gmail.com
membership email: atmuseumfriends@gmail.com


VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

* GREETERS

The most volunteers are needed to serve as greeters (also known as docents) to staff
the Museum during hours of operation. Greeters welcome guests to the Museum and
provide basic information in response to visitor questions. They provide a friendly
presence, they are people who enjoy meeting other people interested in hiking, the
outdoors, fitness, conservation, and the Appalachian Trail. Love of the outdoors is
helpful, but you do not need to be an expert ~ no special knowledge is required.
Being a greeter is a great way to make new friends, give something back to the
community, learn more about the things that interest you, and share stories and
experiences with others.

Everyone is welcome to volunteer: outdoor lovers, hikers, educators, history buffs,
students. Volunteers under 18 years of age need to be accompanied and supervised
by an adult.

You may volunteer to serve shifts, bi-monthly, once a month, or even for a block of
several days in a row, if you are planning an extended visit to Pine Grove Furnace.
All new volunteers will have their volunteer orientation scheduled as needed when
they sign on.

For more information and to volunteer, contact Howard Davis (Manager) at
atmuseumgreeters@gmail.com or by phone at 717-486-4083.


* MUSEUM MAINTENANCE

Building Maintenance: Several individuals skilled in carpentry, plumbing,
electric, or with general handyman experience, are needed to help with routine repairs
and maintenance as the need arises.

Cleaning: While light housekeeping is performed daily by the greeters, one or
more individuals are also needed to take care of more thorough cleaning on a monthly
basis.

Landscape Maintenance: One or several volunteers are needed throughout the
Museum's season through October.

To volunteer for interior or exterior maintenance, contact Howard Davis at
atmuseumgreeters@gmail.com or by phone at 717-486-4083.


* PROGRAMS

The Museum offers weekly programs, generally Sundays at 2 pm, through September,
with the goals of educating the public, inspiring young people, entertaining children,
preserving the Trail's natural environment, spotlighting our history, acknowledging our
pioneer hikers ~ generally celebrating all those who contribute to the AT community.

Volunteers are needed for the Programs Committee to help with planning and set-up,
and to serve as hosts/hostesses for the program presenters.

The Program Committee is also looking for presenters. If you have a talent, skill, story,
or passion related to the AT, we would like to hear from you.

To volunteer to serve on the Programs Committee or to present a program,
contact Gwen Loose at info@yorkcountytrails.org or phone: 717-891-9967


* COLLECTIONS CATALOGING

Help is needed to consolidate, organize and catalog the Museum's extensive collection
of artifacts, currently in storage.

If you would like to assist with this process, or if you have items you wish
to donate, please contact our Collections Coordinator, Larry Knutson, at his
email: larry@penntrails.com or phone # 717-486-4455.


* FUNDRAISING

We are looking for a fundraising chair as well as people to help out with creative ideas,
contacting potential donors and/or grant writing.

If you are able to help with this important effort, please contact Larry
Luxenberg at: info@atmuseum.org or phone #: 845-708-5306.


* BECOME A MEMBER OR MAKE A DONATION

Your support financially helps us to preserve our Appalachian Trail history, our A. T.
Museum's operations, and our Museum's planned expansion. The A. T. Museum is
an independent, 501-C-3 not-for-profit organization. It is not affiliated with other
trail or government organizations. The A.T. Museum will NOT sell or share ANY
personal information with anyone. Please make use of the printable attachment for
your 2012 Appalachian Trail Museum Society Membership or to make a donation.
NOTE: All donations of $20 or more receive a one-year membership (and
a 2012 A. T. Museum membership card will be sent to you).

HAPPY TRAILS !

Robert "Red Wolf o'da Smoky's" Croyle
A. T. Museum Membership Secretary
membership email: atmuseumfriends@gmail.com
address: 515 Pennsylvania Avenue, # 1403 / Savannah, GA 31404
Museum website: www.atmuseum.org

[Red Wolf]

RECENT ARTICLE RE. 2012 A. T. HALL of FAME by Jim Foster, A.T. Museum Hall of Fame Chair

Jim Foster had published the following excellent, in-depth article about this year's Hall of Fame ~ F.Y.I.

" Saturday, 09 June 2012 06:20 The 2012 Class Of The Appalachian Trail Hall Of Fame

Written by Jim Foster

It’s my honor to be the Chair of the selection committee for the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame. Last night we announced the 2012 Class, which includes five inductees. Here is how we introduced the members of the 2012 Class at the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet, last night at Allenberry Resort.

I was very pleased with the six members of the Charter Class that the Hall of Fame Committee chose last year. But, I did feel that something was missing in that class. There were no women in it. I am thrilled to tell you that not only have we fixed that with this year’s class of 2012, we have fixed it twice.

During the past year we have moved several steps closer to having a physical Hall of Fame at the Museum. We are well on our way toward the expansion of the Museum that will make this possible. I strongly urge those of you who can do so to make a generous contribution to the Museum, so we can complete this important work.

Once again this year we will give each honoree a custom made hiking stick. These were again carved by John Beaudet, an AT thru-hiker from Tennessee that many of you know by his trail name “Bodacious”. [show one] Aren’t they great? Unfortunately, Bodacious is unable to be with us tonight. Please thank him when you see him. He has carved a sixth stick for us which we will keep on permanent display in the Museum.

The story of our first honoree is surely one of the best stories of a Trail filled with wonderful stories. This woman was born near Raccoon Creek, Ohio and spent most of her life on farms along the Ohio River. One of fifteen siblings, she married and raised eleven children. She was resourceful. She could handle most medical emergencies, cook up a storm, and knew many plants and animals.

By 1954, when she was 66, she had lived a full and meaningful life. Her children were grown. She had 24 great-grandchildren to spoil. Most women would have been content to live out their days in comfort and relaxation. Not this lady. She had read in the National Geographic magazine about a trail stretching for 2,000 miles along the Appalachians from Georgia to Maine. She had an idea. That year, she started hiking the Trail; however she didn’t get too far. But the next year, 1955, she started out again from Mt. Oglethorpe, where the A.T. began then. That year she made it, hiking in her legendary Keds sneakers with a laundry sack over her shoulder and a shower curtain to sleep on. She became the first woman to thru-hike the A.T. by herself and in a continuous hike. In 1957, she did it again and later completed a third hike in sections. Over the span of 18 years she hiked more than 14,000 miles.

Many call her the first thru-hiker celebrity. She appeared on the Today show and numerous other programs. She inspired two distinct movements in long distance hiking. One group, of course, is comprised of the many thousands of women who have hiked the A.T. and other long distance trails. The other was the ultra-lite movement. She carried just a few items with her, each chosen carefully so they could perform multiple functions. Including food, water and equipment, she rarely carried more than twenty pounds.

After a truly remarkable life, she passed away in 1973. The next time you visit the Appalachian Trail Museum, be sure you look at the band-aid box in which she kept her tools, a pair of Keds she wore when hiking and the hiking guide given to her and autographed by A.T. Hall of Famer Ed Garvey. As the display there says, she was truly a hiker for the ages. Her name is,of course, Emma Rowena “Grandma” Gatewood.

Our next honoree was a man who neither sought nor easily accepted credit for his successes. According to Dave Startzell, longtime executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, this man “had more to do with the reality of today’s Appalachian National Scenic Trail and its management than any other single person”.

He came to the Appalachian Trail at age 42 with degrees in political science and the law, as a former Marine Corps jet pilot, a former prep school teacher, former assistant superintendent of Mt. Rainier National Park, and former superintendent of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. Six years after Congress adopted the National Trails System Act, which designated the Appalachian Trail as the first national scenic trail, this man successfully sought responsibility for the neglected A.T. when he accepted a new job as deputy director of the National Park Service’s northeast regional office in Boston. Eventually, he obtained approval for a separate A.T. Project Office, to report directly to Washington. He was largely responsible for developing the “cooperative management system” used to manage the A.T. today. Under his plan, all constituencies would have a place at the ATPO–ATC table. His only firm rule was to always act in good faith, without detailed marching orders, and never compromise fundamental values.

He found ways to fulfill the National Trails Systems Act’s unfunded mandates for a trail crossing countless federal, state and local jurisdictions with 70 percent of it on roads or private lands. He saw the potential of the volunteer corps of the ATC, and he knew how to work the bureaucracy without ever appearing to be bureaucratic himself. ATPO moved to Harpers Ferry just as Congress passed amendments to the Trails Act to crank up the A.T. project. Our honoree argued for another central office, this one focused on A.T. land acquisition. The agency’s most experienced lands specialist, Charles Rinaldi, became its chief, and its offices were also located in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle.

The notion that the A.T. was something different within the park system was not finished. In 1984, the department would take the unprecedented step of delegating to a private nonprofit organization the day to-day management of more than 100,000 acres of the federal estate. Throughout the process that led to that, our honoree stood with ATC’s leaders in reassuring Congress, standing up to opponents, charting the revitalization course ATC itself needed to take, and then securing agency reimbursements for ATC that today make up a quarter of its budget.

A year before he retired, he completed his section-hike of the A.T., accompanied on the last segment by his daughter, a future thru-hiker. At his retirement, he was awarded honorary membership in ATC, the organization’s highest recognition. After retirement, he served for a time as interim administrator of the ATC land trust, the formation of which he had encouraged in 1981. As Dave Startzell noted after our honoree’s death in 2002, “He was a visionary, a tireless ambassador of the Trail project, and a prophet of partnerships long before the concept of partnerships became politically fashionable.” His name is David A. Richie.

Our next honoree helped to blaze several hundred miles of the A.T. through what is now Shenandoah National Park as well as what is now the 100-mile Wilderness in Maine. He spent most of his adult life volunteering in one capacity or another on behalf of the Appalachian Trail, attending meetings and serving as treasurer and later supervisor of trails for Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, as well as secretary of the Maine AT Club and as a member of the ATC Board of Managers. But his favorite trail-related activity was building, blazing and maintaining the actual footpath.

He was born in Rochester, NY, on April 13, 1904. By profession, he was a Yale-trained chemist who was fascinated with the composition of rocks and minerals. He was considered a genius in the field of chemistry and mineralogy and was awarded numerous accolades during his life, including the Roebling Medal. In 1948 he was awarded the President's Certificate of Merit, a precursor to the Medal of Freedom, for his work on a project toward the end of World War II -- no, not the atomic bomb, but the development of a stellite-lined barrel for a new .50-caliber machine gun that could fire 30 times as many rounds as would ruin ordinary steel barrels. The new barrels became the standard of the War Department and were put into use for the rest of the Pacific campaign in 1945.

But it's for his trail work and good-hearted nature that we remember him today. In 1927, he joined with friends holding similar views and formed the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. They started blazing trail near Harpers Ferry and worked south through Virginia. Under his supervision the club constructed and blazed about 260 miles of the A.T. from 1928 to 1932. Their work contributed to the formation of Shenandoah National Park, which had been authorized in 1926 and was established on December 26, 1935.

He undertook a similar trailblazing expedition in 1933 with several fellow PATC members in Maine -- THE expedition of all expeditions, since that trip was the one that laid out the route of the trail through what is now the 100-mile Wilderness, considered by many the best stretch of the whole trail. Those who've traversed the Wilderness can only imagine what it must have been like without a trail already in place, but that was the job our honoree, along with Hall of Famer Myron Avery, Walter Greene and Albert Jackman, among others, undertook for themselves. In all those iconic photos of Avery in Maine with his measuring wheel -- on the summit of Katahdin marking for the first time the northern terminus of the A.T., in the middle of Rainbow Lake in a powerboat, fording the West Branch of the Pleasant River on a makeshift raft -- that's him with the ever-present pipe in his mouth and usually a can of white paint and a paint brush (if not a fishing pole) in his hand. In fact, the very first white blazes for the A.T. ever painted on Katahdin and through much of the rest of the Wilderness were done by his hand during that summer of 1933.

Photos of him on the Appalachian Trail show a man equally at home with academics and Appalachian mountain people alike, having the time of his life. By all accounts, he truly did. He died while swimming in Chesapeake Bay on Sept. 26, 1970, at age 66. His name is J. Frank Schairer.

Our next honoree was famous for setting standards. Although the formats have changed, the standards she set for ATC guidebooks, when she took over from Myron Avery the effective role of their editor-in-chief in 1933, have endured. The standards she set for the Appalachian Trailway News when she became its founding editor in 1939, endured throughout its sixty-six years, even though she relinquished her editorial role after the first twenty-five. Her standards as a writer and an editor extended to all publications of the organization, but her influence far exceeded those public channels. Her knowledge of the Trail was encyclopedic and her perspectives on its development and nature from the early 1940s seem as fresh today as when they were written.

She came to the A.T. project in 1933, fifteen years after arriving in Washington via Cornell University from her native Waco, Texas, earning a doctorate in law from National University School of Law. She held a full time job at the Department of the Navy during most of the time she was active with the A.T. The Trail had been essentially completed in the South by then, but Maine was lagging behind the other states. She joined the founders of the Maine A.T. Club and enlisted in Myron Avery’s intense 1935 expedition to mostly finish the route there. She remained active in the Maine club almost to her end, serving for a period as its treasurer. After the passage of the 1968 National Trails System Act, she aggressively lobbying timber companies and other major landowners in Maine to contribute to a new corridor for the footpath.

It is clear from Myron Avery’s papers that our honoree was in many ways a shadow chairman during most of the quarter-century he was effectively at the helm of PATC, the Maine AT Club as well as ATC itself. In Avery’s final year, for example, as his health declined, she took over the detailed preparations for the conference that would elect Avery’s successor. For most of the next decade after Avery, it is clear she, without title, was holding the headquarters of ATC together and assuming his role as liaison to federal agencies and counselor to the board.

Our honoree was awarded PATC’s first honorary life membership in 1950. Beyond her trail activities, she was active in the national genealogical organizations. She published books and articles in that field that are still cited today by professionals and amateurs alike. She became the first president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists when that field of history was first recognized as a profession. That, after all, was what she did—set standards and keep the faith alive. She passed away in 1979. Her name is Jean Stephenson.

Our last honoree for 2012 was the first general manager of the New York–New Jersey Palisades Interstate Park Commission, a position he held for twenty-six years. It was a paid position directly related to his role as the first volunteer chairman of the Appalachian Trail Conference. However, neither “first” captures the pivotal, pioneering role he played in the history of public recreation in America.

A descendant of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams born in Cynthiana, Kentucky, he earned his engineering degrees from Colorado College and the University of Virginia. He spent his early career working for the federal government in the Alaskan territory, designing railroads in Central and South America, and then, after a bout with yellow fever, working privately for renowned landscape architects John and Frederick Law Olmsted.

After five years at the new Palisades Interstate Park Commission, beginning in 1912, he took a leave for what turned out to be the last two years of World War I. He was given the rank of major and served in the Signal Corps in the Pacific Northwest as manager of production of lumber for airplanes. It is for this service that he is almost always referred to as “Major” in trail lore and the records of ATC. By the time he returned to New York, already a million people a year were going to his fire-scarred and overhunted Palisades Park.
Without precedents to guide him, Welch embarked on aggressive infrastructure investments to combine public recreation with conservation, stressing reforestation, lakes and lodging and food-service facilities, wildlife restoration, campgrounds targeting urban youth, and the roads and bridges and other utilities needed to deliver the visitors. Although he spent a lifetime refusing news interviews and lived quietly in a hidden cabin near Bear Mountain, his work soon attracted the attention of state parks directors, also new to their roles. Much of that attention came as a result of his speech in 1917 to the first “national parks conference” organized by founding National Park Service Director Stephen Mather. Soon, he would be touring the new national parks—then all in the West—to provide advice. Later he would accept Mather’s invitation to help select eastern sites, ultimately choosing the Great Smokies and Shenandoah.

It was in 1922—the same year he hosted the second national conference on state parks that included many A.T. proponents—that Welch’s connection to the Appalachian Trail, just proposed the previous October by Benton MacKaye, would begin. Two years earlier, he had been invited to meet with a walkers club to discuss ways to involve the park’s trail system. By 1922, that club had been renamed the New York–New Jersey Trail Conference and began routing the first footpath section of the A.T., from the Hudson to the Ramapo River. For that section, Welch designed—and had his park crews make for six cents each—a square, die-cut copper marker with the A.T. monogram that evolved over the next decade to the diamond marker that endures as the Trail’s most recognized symbol. Parks groups in which Welch was active were among the sponsors of the first “Appalachian Trail Conference” in 1925 that gave birth to the organization of that name and selected him as chairman. Although he would cede that position two years later to G. Arthur Perkins, he continued for a dozen years as honorary chairman or honorary president and was repeatedly called upon to preside over the conference’s periodic meetings, especially when controversy was expected.

Fiften months into retirement, he died in May 1941, just before the last meeting of the Appalachian Trail Conference before World War II convened, at his Bear Mountain Inn. A memorial tribute said of the quiet Kentuckian: “He wrought a miracle of transformation. By his magic touch, forests grew in waste spaces, lovely sheets of water appeared in valleys long since gone dry, roads and trails threaded the woodlands, the deer, the beaver and the elk returned to their ancient haunts in the Highlands, and camps on the banks of lakes echoing the laughter of innumerable children. He loved Nature and used her treasures to make humanity happier.” His name is Major William Adams Welch.

These are the five inductees for 2012 into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame. If you’d like to read about the six members of 2011’s Charter Class, follow THIS LINK.




Published in Hiking Around Midstate PA and Beyond: A community blog

[Red Wolf]

A. T. MUSEUM'S JULY SUNDAY PROGRAMS SCHEDULE ~ EXOTIC TRAILS THIS SUNDAY !

Dear Friend of the Appalachian Trail Museum,

Last year we created an email group of local friends, those within sixty miles of the A. T. Museum. This select group, being about an hour's drive from the A. T. Museum, will receive emails of our most current news, weekly program flyers, Museum activities, and special notices.

Larry Luxenberg, A. T. Museum President, just sent me an updated Appalachian Trail Museum program schedule. The first attachment is this July 2012 Sunday Program Schedule. Following is its listing for this Sunday afternoon's program at the Appalachian Trail Museum:

" July 1: World-wide Trail Trekking ~ Rick Revegno, former Cumberland County Commissioner, shares experiences as a world traveler of exotic trails "

Your support is always appreciated and helps us to not only have activities like the Sunday Programs,but also many other activities to preserve the history of our Appalachian Trail. The second attachment is a printable membership / donor application form. Many thanks.

HAPPY TRAILS !

Robert "Red Wolf o'da Smoky's" Croyle
Appalachian Trail Museum, Membership Secretary
515 Pennsylvania Avenue, # 1403 / Savannah, GA 31404
membership email: atmuseumfriends@gmail.com
volunteer email: atmuseumgreeters@gmail.com
website: www.atmuseum.org

[Red Wolf]

THIS SUNDAY'S PROGRAM ~ JULY 8th. ~ at the A. T. MUSEUM

July 8: The Magic of the A.T. : A talk on the history and basic information of the A.T. and stories about how volunteers started the A.T. Museum. Speaker: Larry Luxenburg, A.T. Museum Society President.

For all the Museum's Sunday afternoon programs, see the attachment ~ F.Y.I.
************************************************** ******

EVERYONE,

HAPPY 4th. of JULY ! ! !

~ Robert "RED WOLF o'da SMOKY'S" Croyle

[Red Wolf]

[QUOTE=Red Wolf;1306860].................................................. .................................................. ......................................

July 8: The Magic of the A.T. : A talk on the history and basic information of the A.T. and stories about how volunteers started the A.T. Museum. Speaker: Larry Luxenburg, A.T. Museum Society President.

(Quote) NEW INFO : Erich Shellenberger, a 1973 thru-hiker, will join Larry and tell stories about what the Trail was like 40 years ago.

HAPPY 4th. of JULY ! ! !

~ Robert "RED WOLF o'da SMOKY'S" Croyle

membership email: atmuseumfriends@gmail.com
website: www.atmuseum.org

[Red Wolf]

100th. ANNIVERSARY of GIRL SCOUTS ~SPECIAL ACTIVITIES at A. T. MUSEUM !
A.T. Museum Welcomes Mama Boots & Girls Celebrating the 100^th Anniversary of Girl Scouts in America. This weekend, July 14-15, Pine Grove Furnace State Park and the A.T. Museum will host a visit from Girl Scouts participating in the “Great Girl Scout Hike.” Girl Scouts of the USA are marking their 100th year by hiking the Appalachian Trail in sections, making sure that every mile of the more than 2,100-mile trail is covered by at least one Girl Scout during the organization’s centennial year. Scouts will converge on Pine Grove Furnace this weekend to participate in the Mid-Summer, Mid-Trail MEET, a “round-up” of girls celebrating Girl Scouting’s 100^th anniversary at the mid-point of the Appalachian Trail.

With them will be a Girl Scout and Trail celebrity, Mary Sands, affectionately known as “Mama Boots.” As a Girl Scout troop leader, Mama Boots began in 1965 and spent 16 years section-hiking with 135 different Girl Scouts to complete the entire Appalachian Trail.

Saturday, July 14, 10-12 Noon and 2-4 PM: Mama Boots will be at the A.T. Museum to meet and greet Girl Scouts and the general public. She will be signing 100th Anniversary editions of her book Appalachian Trail in Bits and Pieces. Joining Mama Boots will be two girls who hiked sections of the Trail with her.

Sunday, July 15, 2 PM: The A.T. Museum will offer a free, public program celebrating the 100^th anniversary of Girl Scouts of the USA. Barbara Duerk, a member of Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline and a Roanoke troop leader who conceived of the “Great Girl Scout Hike” and Marie Steinbacher, one of the scouts who hiked with Mama Boots, will provide a lively discussion on the 100^th anniversary.

For additional information on the Great Girl Scout Hike:
www.gshike.org or http://www.roanoke.com/news/roanoke/wb/311335

For additional information on the A.T. Museum:
volunteer email ~ atmuseumgreeters@gmail.com
membership email ~ atmuseumfriends@gmail.com
website ~ www.atmuseum.org

HAPPY TRAILS !

Robert"Red Wolf o'da Smoky's" Croyle

[Red Wolf]

The following was sent to me to publish ~ F. Y. I.
********************************

Gardners, PA -- Public Programs at Pine Grove Furnace State Park

The following programs at Pine Grove Furnace State park are free and open to the public.
For more information on these or other programs, please contact the park office at 717-486-7174
or view the calendar of events online at www.visitpaparks.com

A Sunset Stroll Thursday, July 19 at 6:00pm
Join in the twilight hike up to Pole Steeple and learn a few fun facts about the park! There’s no doubt
that you will be awe stricken at the top. The hike is a total of 5 miles from Fuller Lake. Please wear
sturdy shoes for hiking. Meet at the Fuller Lake bath house/ concession stand.

Amphitheatre program: Survive! Friday, July 20 at 8:00pm
Do you know what to do if you are lost? Or how to best be seen by rescuers? Take a survival quiz to see
how you would fare and learn how to think like a rescuer. With a few simple tips, you can make the right
decisions and stay safe in the outdoors. Meet at the campground amphitheater.

AT Halfway Hike: Saturday, July 21 at 10:00am
Hike with a professional! Appalachian Trail Ridgerunner, Brian Snyder, hikes for a living and helps
to keep the A.T. looking good and hikers safe. He will be sharing his knowledge of the Appalachian Trail
with a guided hike to the halfway point on the A.T. and a trail shelter. Participants will meet at the
Furnace Stack Pavilion and carpool to a parking area on Michaux Road. The hike will be 2.5 miles.
Please dress appropriately and bring water and snacks.

A Woman’s Story of Super-hiking: Sunday, July 22 at 2:00pm
Join Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Thomas, a triple crowner (hiked the A.T., Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail)
who currently holds the woman’s record for an A.T. unassisted thru-hike (80 ½ days) for her amazing stories.
Meet at the Appalachian Trail Museum.

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park
your plan. With at least three days notice, interpreters for people who are deaf or hard of hearing are available
for educational programs.

Tara Gettig | Environmental Education Specialist
Pine Grove Furnace State Park
1100 Pine Grove Road | Gardners, PA 17324
Phone: 717-486-7174 |
www.visitPAparks.com | www.dcnr.state.pa.us

HAPPY TRAILS !

Robert "Red Wolf o'da Smoky's" Croyle
Appalachian Trail Museum Membership Secretary
email: atmuseumfriends@gmail.com
website: www.atmuseum.org

[Red Wolf]

DEAN'S GAP SHELTER (stone) BEING MOVED ! -> -> ->
~ ~ ~ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ~ ~ ~

"On Friday, July 27 and Saturday, July 28, Larry Knutson will be disassembling the
stone walls of the Dean’s Gap shelter, palletizing them and then moving the pallets
of stones to a storage location adjacent to the AT Museum. The stone pallets will be
moved from the site via skidsteer, then by flatbed truck to the Museum location.

Larry could use the assistance of 2 people on Friday, between 830 and 400.
Then, on Saturday, we currently have 3 volunteers for all day (8:45 to 5:00) and would
like 3 more to join us as well.

If you can help either day, please email Larry Knutson at larry@penntrails.com and he will then be in touch with further details for the project."

[Red Wolf]

Deans Gap Stone Shelter Relocation Project
Wed. July 25 thru Sat. July 28

• Wednesday, July 25 and/or Thursday, July 26 - Brush access corridor, begin bringing pallets into site.
• Friday, July 27 - Begin stone cuts, shrink wrap and palletizing.
• Saturday, July 28 - Finish palletizing, move pallets with skid steer to flat bed truck, truck pallets to storage at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, clean up and remediate shelter site per SGL permit.

• Penn Trails will bring our summer trail crew on to the site, Wed. July 25 and/or Thu. July 26, to accomplish the brushing and bringing pallet materials to the site.
• Skip Klein said he will assist me on Wed.-Fri., so my hope is I can start disassembling the stone with the generator powered chisel hammer on Friday.
• We need five volunteers to help palletize stone, assist with loading and then unloading, plus myself and the equipment operator, to accomplish the work tasks as outlined above for Saturday, July 28. Plan on the shelter site work to take about 6 hours. Then, the drive to Pine Grove Furnace iwll take about 45 minutes. Unloading and storage will take about 45 minutes and require the operator, myself and one or two other folks. As of today (July 22), I have heard from two people (below) who have indicated they will help to palletize the stone, assist loading to the flatbed and then unload at Pine Grove Furnace State Park.
  
  • Rob Halstead
  • Ron Bungay
  • Rob and Ron ~ Many thanks!!!!
  
  
• Jim, Karen, Larry, Robert, please see if you can raise three more volunteers please.~ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
  Folks working on Saturday should plan to meet, per the schedule below, at the intersection of Deans Gap Road and Mountain Road.

• I will arrive at approx. 0845 with the Penske flatbed, as I cannot pick it up until 0800.
• Skidsteer and operator will probably arrive around 0900.
• Karen will arrive at the base of Dean Gap Road and intersection of Mountain Road, to meet volunteers at 0830.
• 8:30am - continental breakfast for volunteers, coordinated by Karen.
  2:30 pm - lunch, coordinated by Karen
  all day long - water, powerade, cold fresh fruit, and snacks, coordinated by Karen
  Karen is also going to handle documenting the project and I believe have someone to do video as well.

• My contact info this week is; larry@penntrails.com and 717.253.0141 (cell)
• A FEW VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED ~ CONTACT: Larry Knutson at larry@penntrails.com or 717-253-0104 cell
  
  HAPPY TRAILS !
  Robert "RW"

[Red Wolf]

Deans Gap Stone Shelter Relocation Project
Wed. July 25 thru Sat. July 28

• A FEW VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED ~ CONTACT: Larry Knutson at larry@penntrails.com or 717-253-0104 cell
  
  HAPPY TRAILS !
  Robert "RW" ..............

.......................Larry Knutson wrote this morning the following:
"Good morning everyone (July 24). We are all set now for Friday and Saturday, with a full size crew and support team. Keep your toes crossed the weather holds for our project. Thanks! Larry K."
Thanks to all,
Robert "RW"

[Red Wolf]

? ~ Why move the Dean's Gap Shelter ? ~ F. Y. I.

Response from A. T. Museum President:
".......why the A.T. Museum is moving the Dean’s Gap Shelter to the Museum grounds? This is the last remaining shelter that Earl Shaffer built. We have one at the Museum and all the others have been destroyed. When the A.T. was relocated decades ago, this shelter was isolated over a mile from the A.T. It has fallen into disuse and hasn’t been used for years. We are trying to preserve it as a good example of the stone shelters built by A.T. pioneers more than a half century ago."