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  1. #1

    Default A.T. 75th Anniversary Celebration in Harpers Ferry, August 11-12

    ATC is hosting a celebration in honor of the 75th anniversary of the completion of the A.T. the second weekend in August. Highlights include a hiker parade, activities for kids, guided hikes, and programs and workshops by some legendary people in the A.T. community:

    • Gene Espy (GA-ME '51)
    • Lucy Seeds (daughter of Grandma Gatewood, GA-ME '55, '57, '58?-64, A.T. Museum Hall of Fame 2012 Inductee)
    • Larry Luxenberg (GA-ME '80, author of Walking the A.T., President of the A.T. Museum)
    • Leonard "Habitual Hiker" Adkins" (GA-ME '80-'81, '82, '84, '95-98, '07, author of Wildflowers of the A.T., A Visitors Companion to the A.T., Best of the A.T.: Day-Hikes and Overnight Hikes, and several other hiking books
    • Lauralee "Blissful" Bliss (GA-ME '07, '08-11, frequent A.T. presenter for REI, author of Blissful Hiking blog, PATC Maryland ridgerunner '12)
    • Tom Johnson, Past President of the Potomac A.T. Club, A.T. history researcher, A.T. Museum Board member


    We also have music from the following Trail musicians, as well as local favorites, bluegrass musician Chelsea McBee and Justin Starnes, and the Will Freed Band from Ohio:




    The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club will be having a display and leading guided hikes Sunday morning. They are also hosting an open house at Highacre House, "the crown jewel" in the PATC cabin system. All 5 PATC ridgerunners, from Shenandoah up to southern PA are participating and will be leading hikes. This year's crop of PATC ridgerunners are all thru-hikers, ranging from '96 to '11.

    We still need people to walk in the parade (starting 12:30 on Saturday)! We want to show the towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar that the A.T. is an important resource and the 75th anniversary of the A.T. is something significant to celebrate, so come with a banner for your class year, hiking club, or organization. Please email me at [email protected] if you're coming, so I can have a rough head count, add your affiliation to the website, and tell you when and where to stage and park. If you have a formal group, we'll ask you to fill out a registration form. The parade will start at the Bank of Charles Town and go 0.6 on hilly terrain to ATC.

    More details about the festival can be found on our website at www.appalachiantrail.org/HarpersFerryATCelebration. More info about the 75th Anniversary of the A.T. can be found at www.appalachiantrail.org/75. The press release about the event is attached.

    I hope lots of WhiteBlaze folks will attend our celebration!

    Laurie Potteiger
    ATC
    [email protected]
    Attached Files Attached Files

  2. #2
    AT 4000+, LT, FHT, ALT Blissful's Avatar
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    Hope you can all come out and celebrate the AT! I am doing the thru hiker workshop on Sunday.







    Hiking Blog
    AT NOBO and SOBO, LT, FHT, ALT
    Shenandoah NP Ridgerunner, Author, Speaker


  3. #3

    Default Who will be in the parade?

    For our parade so far we have:

    • 2011 thru-hikers
    • a 1974 thru-hiker
    • Potomac A.T. Club (tentative)
    • Blue Mtn. Eagle Climbing Club (tentative)
    • 2 blind hikers from the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland (they just day-hiked all of the A.T. Maryland last week)


    We hope to have as many class years and trail clubs represented as possible. Who else is willing to sign up to carry a banner or sign for their class year or trail club?

    Laurie P.

  4. #4

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    Sounds like a great event - have a good time!

    I'll be in California getting ready to start the JMT.

  5. #5

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    Thanks, Cooherhiker! We'll miss you. Enjoy the John Muir Trail!

    Laurie

  6. #6
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    Default

    Laurie
    Is there a list of campgrounds or other places to tent overnight. I would like to go, but hotel cost
    will probably be over my already stretched budget.
    Any info greatly appreciated.

  7. #7

    Default Camping options

    Tiquer,

    There are links for camping and lodging toward the bottom of the page at www.appalachiantrail.org/HarpersFerryATCelebration. At the moment, it's easy to overlook them because there is no space between that section and the "food" section.

    Anyway, here are the closest camping options:

    • Knoxville-Harpers Ferry HI Hostel - Knoxville, MD, 4 miles north, $6/night)
    • Maple Tree Campground - Rohrersville, Maryland, 10 miles north, very close to the A.T., wooded
    • Brunswick Family Campground - Brunswick, MD 7 miles south, along the Potomac River. Field camping is available at much lower rates, but not detailed on the website. We're checking on rates now.
    • KOA - Harpers Ferry, WV (1.6 miles from ATC) priced for RVs, not tent campers, cabins available.


    We are also looking into camping in a field on private property below the A.T. 5 miles south (no drinking allowed). Please email me [email protected] your contact information if you're interested, and put "75th Camping" in the subject.

    Sorry, but camping is against the ordinances of the towns of Harpers Ferry and Bolivar and against Harpers Ferry National Historical regulations.

    - Laurie

  8. #8

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    Mr Espy sure gets around. Good for him; I hope I'm that active when I'm his age.

  9. #9

    Default Discounted Camping Rate at Brunswick Family Campground

    The Brunswick Family Campground will give a discounted rate of $4 per person per night for Aug. 10 and Aug. 11 for the Potomac Field Open Area if you call and say you are with the ATC. Here's the link: www.potomacrivercampground.com.

    Here are some of the guidelines for use of the campground:

    Pet Policy
    Friendly pets are allowed as long as they are on leash at all times. Dogs must not be the type to bark much as it disturbs other campers. Please be sure and scoop up your poop!

    Quiet Hours
    10:00pm - 7:00am

    Alcohol Policy
    Alcohol is not permitted anywhere in the campground except within one's RV, trailer, or tent. Those who violate this policy will be asked to leave with no refund.

    Laurie P.

  10. #10
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    Default

    Laurie, that some good info, thank you!

  11. #11

    Default Ridgerunners leading hikes, class years

    This just in: PATC ridgerunners will be leading our Sunday morning hikes (Maryland Heights, Loudoun Heights, Weverton Cliffs, and the Town Loop/2-state hike). To participate in the hike, you need to register at the PATC booth Saturday between 10 am and 5 pm.

    All this year's PATC ridgerunners are thru-hikers, as are the caretakers at Bears Den Hostel and Blackburn Hostel. Most, if not all, of these folks will be in the parade.

    Here's the tentative parade line-up so far:

    2011
    Deal
    Steadee
    Calculator
    Kermit

    2007
    Judo
    Blissful
    Ninja

    2005
    Midnight

    1996
    Junker

    The class years 2007 and 2011 have people who have volunteered to coordinate hikers for their year. If you're interested in connecting with your fellow hikers ahead of time, want to help with a banner, or otherwise help give your class year a special identity, email me at [email protected] and I'll provide you with contact info.

    Also email me if you want to be added to the list and serve as a coordinator for your class year.

    Laurie P.

  12. #12

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    Wow! The 75th Celebration sounds like it is going to be GREAT! Unfortunately, it's unlikely that the OldDanvillians will be able to attend. Guess we'll have to wait for the 100th Anniversary Celebration in 2037.

  13. #13

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    REI has donated an REI Cirque All-Season Light 2 tent. We're doing a giveaway that all members (existing and new) will be able to win. We also have an ENO Hammock to give away. Drawing will be Saturday, August 11 at 6:00 pm.

    If you ever thought about becoming an ATC member, this will be the time to do it. You'll get a reduced rate, will be eligible for the above prizes, and will get a beautiful A.T. 75th Anniversary poster of McAfee Knob.

    We're having a membership drive over the weekend, and for the 75th anniversary celebration have a goal of 75 new members.

    Laurie P.

  14. #14

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    These participants have been added to the parade line up:

    • Smokey Bear
    • Harpers Ferry Middle School Band
    • The Mayor of Harpers Ferry
    • Ethan Haskiell, Appalachian Trail: Dream to Reality (4th grader and WV Social Science State Fair 2nd place winner)
    • Blue Ridge Watershed Coalition


    By the way, I learned the proper way to address the original Leave No Trace guru is "Smokey Bear," not "Smokey the Bear." Who knew?

    Laurie P.
    ATC

  15. #15

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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Lauriep View Post
    REI has donated an REI Cirque All-Season Light 2 tent. We're doing a giveaway that all members (existing and new) will be able to win. We also have an ENO Hammock to give away. Drawing will be Saturday, August 11 at 6:00 pm.
    Do you have to be present to win?! How does one enter the drawing?

    Rain Man

    .
    [I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35

    [url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]

    .

  16. #16

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    Rain Man, you do need to be present to win. The drawing is at 6:00 pm Sat. (Aug. 11) Raffle tickets are given to members at registration, and to new members when they join.

    Laurie P.

  17. #17

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    Thru-Hiker Ridiculous here. I'm looking for a ride as far north as I can get after the celebration. Here is a link to a thread I posted in the shuttles section: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...Ferry-to-Maine

  18. #18

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    Ridiculous did get a ride from someone who had been at ATC HQ, saw the post on WhiteBlaze, and returned to Harpers Ferry before heading north.

  19. #19

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    Harpers Ferry National Historical Park has been supporting our A.T. 75th Anniversary Festival in a big way. The maintenance crew set up the tent and some of our banners today and delivered a pallet of chairs. What a group of talented and hard-working guys who know tools and how to use them. 551175_4054399870875_2145407319_n.jpg427460_4054398910851_213571570_n.jpg424347_4054400630894_1546648739_n.jpg378198_4054427911576_1979466045_n.jpg

    We've also had awesome volunteers helping out, including Karl who's come from Oregon and Tiger Bomb who's been working practical every day for the last few weeks, Katahdin Kid, Calculator, Python, Dirigo, Lisa and Calista, Matt C. and many more to come!

    Laurie P.
    ATC
    Attached Images Attached Images

  20. #20

    Join Date
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    Well, Turtle2 and I leave Nashville in just a few hours. Look forward to seeing you, Laurie, tomorrow! What a nice coincidence and stop on our way to hike New Hampshire.

    RainMan

    .
    [I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35

    [url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]

    .

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