PDA

View Full Version : Backpacking Clinic & AT Celebration



Dances with Mice
02-25-2006, 23:00
Amicalola Falls State Park, March 4-5. http://gastateparks.org/net/calendar/details.aspx?calendarid=19364&s=74201.0.1.5

Saturday - Topics and special guests: Gene Espy (1951 thru-hiker), choosing footwear, stoves, cookware, water purification & sleeping bags, LNT, Laurie Potteiger of the ATC, and more.

Sunday is Whiteblaze Day! Speakers include Josh & Leigh Saint at 10am, Mowgli at 12:30, and some clown in between talking about how the GATC "juggles around future plans". Also Jolene & Frank Burley of the ALDHA, a female thru-hiker, a section hiker, and someone from REI teaching about backpacks and tents.

MOWGLI
02-26-2006, 08:40
Thanks for the PR Dances with Mice. I'm walking in to the Len Foote Hike Inn after my presentation Sunday afternoon. I'll be at the Hiker Hostel Monday night, and I'm speaking to the Mountain High Hikers (in Young Harris, GA) on Tuesday night. In between now & then I hope to hike the 36 mile Lakeshore Trail in GSMNP.

I hope to see some of you Whiteblazers at Amicalola.

Dances with Mice
03-04-2006, 21:53
I went this morning for a bit and heard JoJo Smiley & Nomad talking about ALDHA, then got to chat with them afterwards.

Gene Espy, the second AT thru-hiker, had to change plans. He was scheduled for today but will be speaking tomorrow. He kept his original equipment, it's now on display in the Amicalola Visitor's Center.

So tomorrow's lineup of speakers and topics looks something like this:

9 am -Whiteblaze member JoJoSmiley: "Female Thru Hiker"
10 am - Whiteblaze member Almanac: "Thru Hikers and Hostel Owners"
11:15 - Whiteblaze member Dances With Mice: "GATC"
12:30 - Whiteblaze member Mowgli16: "American Hiking Society"
1:30 - Gene Espy - "A Legend of the Trail"

Though that's not exactly the way the program was printed.

Sly
03-04-2006, 22:16
Awesome stuff happening in northern Georgia, too bad I'm working! Way to go guys and gals...

Tin Man
03-05-2006, 20:36
Dang, I wish I could have been there.

AbeHikes
03-05-2006, 20:47
Heck. I wish I'd known about this even though I had just as much fun with my kids at Red Top Mountain, Etowah Indian Mounds, and at my parents. Next time...

Dances with Mice
03-05-2006, 21:26
I got to the Park in time to set up then go to JoJo's talk, but my laptop wasn't talking to the Park's projector. I missed her talk, but I'd heard her & Nomad yesterday.

Josh & Leigh arrived with their backpacks and discussed hiking as a couple. Sometime during their talk the Park's crack technical team got the projector up and running, then I could relax and enjoy their presentation. The Saints had a great talk and answered lots of questions. I mean lots of questions, I think some members of the audience followed them out to their car as they tried to leave! It was really nice to finally meet them. Gene Espy sat in on their talk.

My spiel went well, I was surprised nobody else from the GATC attended. I was counting on having help to answer questions, but I winged it ok and recruited one new member for sure, don't know how many others follow through. Nomad helped more than he knew, he sat in back laughing at my jokes and fed me some great set up lines. Laurie Potteiger asked for a copy of my presentation to take back to the ATC so I guess it didn't come out too bad. She also snagged my only demo LNT bandana that Mountain Crossings is distributing to hikers in exchange for listening to a LNT lesson given by the Caretaker at Springer. But she left a generous donation to the GATC in exchange. She might as well have joined the GATC since she paid a year's membership dues for the bandana.

Mowgli's talk was relocated at the last minute but he still attracted a nice crowd. He showed some photos from the hike he just finished along the route of the Road to Nowhere and illustrated the damage that would occur to the area if road is built. His talk was mostly about the new connections being planned and made between the various hiking trails in the East to create a mega-network of footpaths. Then he left to hike out to the Len Foote Inn to do an encore presentation.

Then there was Gene! I hope I act that young when I'm that age. He kept the crowd laughing with tales of his walk, the second thru-hike of the AT. He showed off his equipment, taken straight out of the display case at the Visitor's Center. He was a lightweight backpacker before lightweight was cool.

Meanwhile REI had over half a dozen tents set up outside.

It was a beautiful day today. I was surprised but pleased so many chose to spend some of it indoors.

Meanwhile 12 thru-hikers registered and started yesterday according to the Rangers at the Visitor Center. The rush is on!

Maddog
03-02-2009, 14:05
see y'all there!

Maddog
03-02-2009, 14:13
march 7th and 8th, 2009 that is!!