Who's coming t o the AT 75th Anniversary Parade in Harpers Ferry?

[Lauriep]

Below is the line-up for our A.T. 75th Anniversary parade in Harpers Ferry on August 11. More details about the weekend festival (speakers, music, food, programs, kids activities, lodging and camping) can be found on another thread at www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?86412-A-T-75th-Anniversary-Celebration-in-Harpers-Ferry-August-11-12 (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?86412-A-T-75th-Anniversary-Celebration-in-Harpers-Ferry-August-11-12) and www.appalachiantrail.org/HarpersFerryATCelebration (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/HarpersFerryATCelebration).

Who else is coming?


1955
Lucy Seeds, on behalf of Grandma Gatewood (her youngest daughter)

Class of 1974
Karl Hartzell

Class of 1996
Junker

Class of 2005
Midnight

Class of 2007
Judo
Blissful
Ninja

Class of 2011
Deal
Steadee
Calculator
Kermit

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
Windtalker ('06)
Mom ('06)

National Federation of the Blind, Maryland Chapter


Most class years and organizations have someone who has volunteered to coordinate hikers for their year, so email me at [email protected] and I'll provide you with contact info. If you want to add your name or group to the line-up, want to help with a banner, or are 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].

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

There are no fees for the event itself, but, unless you arrive really early Saturday or are staying somewhere within walking distance, you probably will have to use the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (http://www.nps.gov/hafe) lot, and pay the $10 entrance fee (it's per car, and is good for three days). We are exploring shuttle options.


Laurie P.
ATC

[Dirigo]

I will be leading a group of Trail Dames in the parade. If you are interested in becoming a Trail Dame, please visit www.traildames.com

[pythonathiker]

While I was volunteering at the ATC today, Junker told me there would hikes led by the ridge runners during the festival. Do folks need to sign up in advance for the hikes?

[Rain Man]

Possibility that Turtle2 (aka Tooth Fairy for her thru-hike in '06?) and I might be able to schedule a stop on way to NH for a section hike.

Rain:sunMan

.

[Lauriep]

I have some more names to add to the list. I just learned that Grandma Gatewood's daughter Lucy will be wearing her own pair of Keds!

Rain Man, it would awesome if you and Turtle2/Tooth Fairy '06 could stop for the festivities on the way to your NH section hike. Keep me posted.


1955
Lucy Seeds, on behalf of Grandma Gatewood (her youngest daughter)

Class of 1974
Karl Hartzell

Class of 1983
Dick Potteiger
"Elf"

Class of 1996
Junker

Class of 2005
Midnight

Class of 2007
Judo
Blissful
Ninja

Class of 2011
Deal
Steadee
Calculator
Kermit

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
Windtalker ('06)
Mom ('06)

National Federation of the Blind, Maryland Chapter

Great Girl Scout Hike (Hiking the A.T. in Bits & Pieces to Celebrate 100 Years of Girl Scouting)

[Lauriep]

New names to add for 1951 and 2011.


1951
Gene Espy

1955
Lucy Seeds, on behalf of Grandma Gatewood (her youngest daughter)

Class of 1974
Karl Hartzell

Class of 1983
Dick Potteiger
"Elf"

Class of 1996
Junker

Class of 2005
Midnight

Class of 2007
Judo
Blissful
Ninja

Class of 2011
Deal
Steadee
Calculator
Kermit
Blaze

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
Windtalker ('06)
Mom ('06)

National Federation of the Blind, Maryland Chapter

Great Girl Scout Hike (Hiking the A.T. in Bits & Pieces to Celebrate 100 Years of Girl Scouting)

[Lauriep]

Smoky the Bear is coming!!

[Rain Man]

Looks like Turtle2 (Tooth Fairy on the AT) and I will be there for Saturday. She's class of '06, I think.

Rain:sunMan

.

[SawnieRobertson]

Not a member of any one class in that I think you mean people who completed the entire trail that year, however, I may drive up for the event. I am wondering about the schedule for the presentations. Upon occasion, the ones I most want to see/hear are scheduled for the same time. Awesome as I am, I'm not good enough to be two places at once.
How about it, Laurie, will you let us know the schedule in advance? Please. In any case, I am sure it is going to be a great rendevous for those who can make it.

[Lauriep]

Sawnie,

"Class of" is meant to be a loose category, not just for official 2,000-milers. For most people, it would be the year you thru-hiked; for a section-hiker, it could be the year a hiker finished, or the year a hiker spent the most time on the trail.

I imagine any organization in the parade would welcome more participants. We certainly are looking for people to be in our ATC contingent (many of our staff and volunteers are thru-hikers and trail club members and are waiting to see which group needs them most). Trail Dames is trying to get a group together, I can give you a contact if you're interested. I haven't yet heard from anyone in the Mt. Rogers A.T. Club--it would be cool to have a club so far away represented. ATC is hosting the A.T. Volunteer Leadership Meeting at the National Conservation Training Center near Shepherdstown almost concurrently with the festival, so if you know any of those folks you might check in with them.

The schedule is below; more information can be found at www.appalachiantrail.org/HarpersFerryATcelebration (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/HarpersFerryATcelebration).

SCHEDULE:

Kids Activities (10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
-Temporary tattoos
-14-state Mini-hike of the A.T.
-Climbing Wall by River Riders (2-5)
-Leave No Trace games and activities (1-4 pm, Tom Banks)


Parade (Saturday at 12:30 p.m.)
To register your class year, trail club, or organization, email [email protected] by August 1. Staging times will be assigned. Individuals are not required to register in advance.


Special Guest Speakers (Saturday at 1:15 p.m.)
-Mark Wenger, Executive Director, Appalachian Trail Conservancy
-Representative, Appalachian National Scenic Trail
-Rebecca Harriett, Superintendent, Harpers Ferry NHP
-Larry Luxenburg, President, A.T. Museum
-Harry Bridges, 50-year Potomac A.T. Club member
-Kweli Kitwana, A.T. Ambassador to Harpers Ferry-Bolivar
-Joe Anderson, Mayor of Harpers Ferry

Programs (Mather Training Center) Saturday 2 - 6 p.m.
2:00 pm - Gene Espy, 2nd Thru-hiker
3:00 pm - Leonard Adkins, Traversing Ancient Mountains: 2,000 Miles on the Appalachian Trail
4:00 pm - Lucy Seeds, daughter of "Grandma Gatewood," 1st solo female thru-hiker
5:00 pm - Wildflowers of the AT, Leonard Adkins

Music (Saturday 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm)
2:00 pm - Mary Sue "Southern Harp" Roach (Intro, iconic A.T. songs)
2:30 pm - Chelsea McBee (bluegrass)
3:30 pm - Randy "Windtalker" Motz (Native American flute)
4:15 pm - Justin Starnes
5:00 pm - Eric "Fiddler" Zimmerman and Stephen Cooley (bluegrass)
6:00 pm - Will Freed Band (rock/pop)


Saturday Evening Programs in Harpers Ferry (7:45 pm – 9:30 pm)
7:45 pm - A.T. Poems and Stories
8:30 pm - Night Sky Astronomy (ending 9:30)

Saturday Evening Program in Shepherdstown, WV
"From Idea to Icon: The Appalachian Trail at 75," by Larry Luxenberg at the National Conservation Training Center Byrd Auditorium, (7:30 p.m.)

Outdoor Exhibits (10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)
-Appalachian Trail Conservancy
-Potomac A.T. Club
-A.T. Museum
-"Appalachian Trail, Dream to Reality" Ethan Haskiell, 4th grader WV Social Science Fair 2nd place winner
-Walk A Mile in my Shoes" shoe drive, inspired by "Peace Pilgrim," the 1st female A.T. Thru-Hiker (bring your "gently-loved" shoes to be donated to a local charity)
-National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
-REI "The 10 Essentials" of Hiking
-Animals of the A.T. (Jeff Haas, Delaware Nature Society)

Special Events in Lower Town Harpers Ferry (12 pm - 4 pm)
- Open House at Highacre, hosted by Potomac A.T. Club (refreshments and tours)

SUNDAY

Outdoor Exhibits (Sunday 11 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.)

-Appalachian Trail Conservancy
-Potomac A.T. Club
-A.T. Museum
-"Appalachian Trail, Dream to Reality" Ethan Haskiell, 4th grader WV Social Science Fair 2nd place winner
-Walk A Mile in my Shoes" shoe drive, inspired by "Peace Pilgrim," the 1st female A.T. Thru-Hiker (bring your "gently-loved" shoes to be donated to a local charity)
-National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
-Animals of the A.T. (Jeff Haas, Delaware Nature Society)

Guided Hikes (8:30 am – 12 pm) Register Saturday at PATC booth, meet at ATC HQ Sunday. Hikes range from moderate to strenuous.
-Maryland Heights (8:30 am – 12 pm)
-Loudoun Heights (9:00 am – 12 pm)
-Weverton Cliffs (9:30 am – 12 pm)
-Historic Town/A.T. in 2 States Loop (10:00 am – 11:30 am)
-Historic Town/A.T. in 2 States Loop (10:30 am – 12 pm)


Programs Mather Training Center (Sunday 1 - 4 p.m.)
1:00 pm - Famous Women of the A.T. (Gwen Loose, A.T. Museum)
2:00 pm - The Appalachian Trail 75 Years Ago (Tom Johnson, PATC)
3:00 pm – Thru-hiking Workshop (Lauralee Bliss, AT thru-hiker, section-hiker, and ridgerunner)


Special Events in Lower Town Harpers Ferry (12 pm - 4 pm)
- Open House at Highacre, hosted by Potomac A.T. Club (Refreshments and tours)

Closing Festivities
4:00 – 5:00 (ATC or Mather Lawn)
A.T. 75th Anniversary cake and sparkling cider donated by Apple House in Linden, Virginia

[Lauriep]

Sawnie,

P.S. It would be awesome to see you!

- Laurie

[SawnieRobertson]

You can count on it. Ask Laurie a question, and you will get a well-thought-out, pleasant response. This sounds like a joyful little celebration. Probably it is a better idea to attend the ATs 75th rather than wait for its 100th. Why not both?

[Lauriep]

The York Hiking Club is sending a banner to the parade, but their would-be representative is attending our volunteer leadership meeting that is running concurrently.

Is anyone (or two people) willing to carry the banner to represent this official A.T. maintaining club in the 75th Anniversary parade?

The YHC maintains the A.T. in Pennsylvania from the western bank of the Susquehanna River to the top of Peter's Mountain at Route 225.

You'd need to arrive in Harpers Ferry around 11:45 on Saturday, August 11. The parade starts at 12:30. Email me at [email protected] and I'll tell you where you can park and where to stage.


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


Laurie P.
ATC

[woodsman]

Will be there for the weekend and hike the MD, WVa, and a portion of Northern Va section while in town the following week..

[Lauriep]

News flash! We will have Harpers Ferry-Bolivar's newly crowned fire princesses in the parade in their first public appearance! Fire trucks too!

Please come out to cheer on these young ladies, our local fire company, and Harpers Ferry/Bolivar's finest to show that hikers appreciate and support our local trail communities.

Our first out-of-town volunteer for the event arrived Sunday from Oregon. Karl Hartzell, 1974 thru-hiker, and amazing volunteer (he not only comes 1-2x/year for 10 days but GPS'd the A.T. in New Hampshire and Maine) is here for a week to help us out.

Hope to meet you, Woodsman. Will you be in the parade?

Laurie P.

[SawnieRobertson]

Laurie, In the unlikely event that I can drive up, I would have to have my well-behaved (mostly), sweet Standard Poodle girl with me. What are the limitations for her? Could she attend the talks with me? Also, since we would arrive just before 1:00 PM, where would be the best place to plan to park that would enable one to get to the talks on time? To make this shorter, Dogs? Nearby parking? I know that it will be worth the six-hour drive if we can make arrangements for someone to take care of my duties here while I'm up there. Thanks for all you do.

[Lauriep]

Sawnie,

Only dogs that are service animals are allowed inside National Park Service facilities. We also expect our visitor center to be so crowded that pets would not be a good idea.

Arriving at 1:00, all of the close parking is likely to be full, but if you park at the main Harpers Ferry National Historical Park lot (at the stoplight at the junction of US 340 and Washington Street in Harpers Ferry--brown signs direct you there whichever way you are approaching), you can get a shuttle from an ATC van. It will run approximately every 20 minutes.

Laurie P.

[SawnieRobertson]

Thanks, Laurie. Fleur and I are sort of joined at the hip so to speak. It is summer, too hot for her to remain in a vehicle just as one would not leave a child in one. Four of her littermates are guide dogs for the blind. Still, just as I would love to have the privileges in parking of those who have the wheelchair emblem, I am grateful for not deserving one. We'll drop by the ATC some other time.