Alpha Delta House, Hanover

 I had heard from NOBO hikers that you could stay at the fraternities at Dartmouth.  After a 18 mile day, getting lost on a DOC relo I arrived at dusk in Dartmouth.

I stopped a pedestrian and asked about a frat house and he said I was standing in front of one.  So I walked up to the front door, introduced my self as a AT hiker and was invited to sleep in the basement.  I stayed here for 4 nights while my boots were repaired.  I remember watching TV at the house and ate one dinner at Thayer Hall for $3 and ACE!

This is a shot of the AD House in December 1979 when I crashed here again on a driving trip, post graduation from Towson State University.  A few years later, I stayed at a rooming house before my Outward Bound Trip in the winter in the Whites.

I also stayed in Hanover with my professor during his sabbatical on my way to the Whites for some backpacking in the mid eighties.

Lastly, there is a pretty interesting history of the frat if you click here.

SERR 2022 hold the date

Greetings Recreation and Tourism Colleagues!

We invite you to mark your calendar for the 2022 Southeast Environment and Recreation Research (SERR) conference.

When: March 20-22, 2022

Where: Asheville, NC

What: Sessions at SERR include empirical, conceptual, or theoretical work related to:

Leisure and recreation behavior

Management of leisure programs and services

Methodological aspects of recreation and tourism research

Nature-based travel and tourism

Outdoor recreation and education

Park, protected area, and equivalent reserves planning & management

Parks, physical activity, and health

Recreation economics or policy

Who: Graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, agency planners, land managers, and researchers are all strongly encouraged to attend the conference and submit a proposal for an oral or poster presentation.

A call for abstracts will be made in the upcoming weeks.

We look forward to seeing you at SERR in 2022!

Best Regards,

Bynum Boley (Co-Chair) and Michael Bradley (Co-chair)

University of Georgia

Mt Mooselauke, NH

 This summit is probably my most climbed mountain in the Whites.  And in all seasons.  So let me just share some photos from my climbs in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. 

If correct, I hiked this mountain at least four times.  The winter shots were on an Outward Bound trip, where I learned how to winter camp.

Finally, here is a USGS map of the summit.

Cold and short backpack in the White Mountains

 On September 24th, 1974, I had a short hike "5 lousy miles" from Kinsman Pond LT to Eliza Brook LT.

Why? first it was cold.  25 degrees at 830 am and I had to thaw my frozen boots so I didn't break camp until 10 am.

Secondly, my right boot fell apart after reaching the shelter at 1 pm.

I did run into Benji, a north bound hike that I had met in Pearisburg.  While that picked up my spirts, the cold, rain and snow, plus the boot failure really got me down. So I planned to hitch into town the next day to try to get stuff to fix my boots.  I was pretty down on this day in 1974.

I hoped for a sunny day.

At Eliza Brook LT, I read by candle light.

Oh yeah, I went through 2 pairs of leather Vasque boots.

Reading on the AT

 Every once in a while I would find a paper back in a LT and grab it to read.  It was especially nice when I was alone at night.  Hiking alone during the day was no big deal, but I did miss company at night.

At Kinsman Pond LT, I picked up "The Day of the Jackal" by Frederick Forsyth.  Over the next couple of days I read the paperback, by candle light.  Sometime later, I saw the movie and today, I own a 16 mm print of the film.

Great Stuff.

NERR 2022!

a message from NERR:

Greetings! The National Environment and Recreation Research Association invites you to the 2022 NERR Symposium, scheduled for April 3-5, 2022 at the Graduate Annapolis Hotel in Annapolis, MD. 

The deadline for submitting presentation abstracts and scholarship applications is October 29, 2021. 

NERRA remains dedicated to providing a safe, in-person conference experience for its 2022 symposium attendees. COVID-19 protocols will be implemented as needed to comply with CDC and local jurisdiction guidelines. Stay tuned for more information regarding conference protocols as we get closer to the conference dates!

For more information, please visit the NERRA website at www.nerrsymposium.org.

We hope you can join us!

Sincerely,

--Diane

Diane Kuehn

NERR 2022 Conference Chair

Associate Professor

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

 

AMC Hut to Hut

 So, after Madison (caretaker) I stayed at Mizpah Spring.  From there it was 13.5 miles Zealand Falls and then on the 20th Sept I hiked to Garfield Ridge tent site and hung out with caretaker (Steve) and stayed dry in his large tent on platform for 3 nights.  On the night before I headed south, we summited Garfield for the sunset.

With snow falling around the fall equinox, despite hanging out at Garfield, I really needed to push south. Snow on Lafayette was part of the fun

The Presidential Mountain Range

 The AT spans much of the Presidential Mountain Range in the White Mountains, and I hiked from Madison Hut to Mizpah Hut (below) in one day.  

The weather was nice and I had a lot of great views, except for the crowds on Mt Washington.  In face, the crows discouraged me so much that I didn't take a picture.  I  did return in the early 80s to hike on a less crowded day.

And no bugs either.  

So back to 1974, here are a few shots along the mountain range.

The emergency Edmund's Col shelter has been removed.

Madison Spring Hut

 After several Zero days at Pinkham, headed AT south to Madison Spring Hut, a route that I subsequently did in the winter and summer in the following decade.

The Hut was closed for full services, but a caretake collected a fee for sleeping and use of the kitchen.

This shot shows a helicopter hauling out human waster above the timberline.  I believe this was the first warning sign I came across in the Whites.

Pinkham Notch

 Worked for room and board at Pinkham Notch between 13 Sept and 17 September in 1974.

(Carter Notch)

Arrive 7:15pm after long day. The following days I rock climbed, went to Gorham and south to see Limmer's Shoe Factory (should have ordered a pair, but oh well), EMS and saw 3 Musketeers at movie theater.

One spectacular thing is that I saw the northern lights.  Here I a shot I got in Iceland forty years later.

To the naked eye, the lights look silver, but when photographed I got the green.

Should "Wilderness" areas have cell service?

 I have been reading lots of Appalachian Trail Memoirs, and the most recent, post 2010, utilize smart phones and tablet to stay connected for phone, web and (dread this) Facebook.

I raise this question now.

Should the "100 Mile Wilderness" on the AT be changed to sorta' wilderness?

Seems there is cell coverage, at least on peaks and some low areas.

And others have used a shuttle or hitch in and out of the area.

I am not knocking 2000 milers  for the use of cell phones necessarily, but can we truly experience wilderness while connected?

And for that matter what would Benton MacKaye say?  See

MacKaye, B. (1932). The Appalachian Trail: A guide to the study of nature. The Scientific Monthly, 34(4), 330-342.

Covid-19 and Applalachian Trail

 Yep.

Combined cramped lean-tos, un-sanitized privies, no masks and lots of un-vaccinated hikers and covid will spike along the AT.  In fact it has.

If you don't believe the world health scientists, your doctors and most sensible people get vaccinated for your family and friends.  

Do it for the world.

It is a global emergency.

Gentian Pond LT

 We were some of the first hikers to use this LT in NH.  The AMC trail crew was cleaning ups after building the shelter, just for us.  They left a bunch of fresh food to boot.  Life is good.

 

The next day, I hitched into Gorham and stayed at Stinson's for something like $3.15!

Mahoosuc Notch. 9 Sept 1974

 

You have heard about it, so here are some pictures.

Later that day, I crossed into New Hampshire.

More Relos on Appalachian Trail in Maine

 So dug out my old copy of the ATN to see the spring edition where they posted trail news.  Remember this is before instant news on the internet.

On this date in 1974, "I took the older route and did ok."

The newer route left Sabbath Day Pond LT and went over more mountains.  I was behind my goal of hiking miles, partly because I left later in the morning.  But at this point of the trip, I needed 10 hours of sleep to recover.

Here is the map of the southern route leaving west from the LT:

and now the same area from a newer USGS map showing the current route:

Isn't the USGS TopoView map really cool?

Rangeley, Maine and a wool jacket

On this date in 1974, (probably hitched) visited Rangeley to buy some food and bought a wool (red plaid) jacket for $16.75.  Then returned to trail to stay at Sabbath Day Pond LT.  Bought oatmeal since there was no granola in town.

Yesterday ran into some northbounders that I had met earlier in Virginia (Pearisburg) and a colleague of my brothers from an AYH training camp trip.  Small world eh?

More trail relos in the future.

From Saddleback Junior – The Horn and Saddleback Mountain in the background.

Last section of AT constructed here in 1937

 Hiking on the original section of the AT, after two days of warmth (38 degrees outside) we left Sugarloaf Mt and got to Saddleback Mt. 

Part of this section was the last trail blazed in 1937 completing the 2,000 mile AT.

The 1989 USGS (1:24,000) map shows the new trail crossing the valley and rejoining original AT along ridge north of Spaulding MT

But recall in 1974, the MATC relocated some of the trail to the west to steer clear of the ski resort development found north of Sugarloaf.  But I suspect some the the original 1937 trail is still in use.

Much of this text is from my memory since my AT books are packed, but earlier maps do not show the trail.

Oh yeah, stayed in Fire Warden's Cabin on top of Saddleback and captured this sunset of Rangeley Lake

Mt Sugarloaf and a zero

 Got soaked today in 1974 and decided to stay in the ski hut on top of Sugarloaf Mountain.

Yes, Sugarloaf.  A newly relocation west over Crocker was built but our NOBO hikers recommended following the older route.  (see the old route on the map below from

It was a nice warm and dry shelter.  We collected rain water off the roof.

Avery LT on AT

 On this date in 1974 (September 1st), I hiked 21 miles from East Carry Pond LT to Avery LT.  At that time, I had heard about Myron Avery, but really didn't know much about him.  There are several excellent books out there about Avery, and several about his role with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club.

Interested in learning more, I recommend "Blazing Ahead: Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery, and the Rivalry That Built the Appalachian Trail" by Jeff Ryan.

Now, getting back to 1974, my journal states:

"We hiked 21 hard miles. Am real tired, can't write much. Arrived @ Myron Avery LT.  Had a great view from Avery Peak. Just Beautiful"

Here is a shot from Little Bigelow Mountain toward Bigelow Mountain and Avery Peak on right.

Just spectacular eh?