ISSN 098-8154 The Potomac AppalachianPotomac Appalachian 1 The Potomac Appalachian The Newsletter of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club 118 Park Street. S.E., Vienna, VA 22180-4609

Potomac Appalachian 1

The Potomac AppalachianThe Newsletter of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club118 Park Street. S.E., Vienna, VA 22180-4609

Volume 27, Number 10October 1998

ISSN 098-8154

Anaphylaxis—A Clear and Present Danger

In this Issue…Council Fire ................................... 2

Annual Meeting ............................. 3

Trail News Around the World. ....... 4

30th Anniversary ........................... 6

Forecast of Events .......................... 8

Towers Threaten Views ................ 12

Notices ........................................ 13

Annual Meeting ........................... 14

Maps Committee Chair ............... 15

PATC in Wartime ........................ 17

Pig Roast ...................................... 18

Trailhead ...................................... 19

Meet The Candidates For 1998

See Anaphylaxis, page 3

Anaphylaxis and insect stings

Anaphylaxis is a potentially life threatening,immediate response triggered by the

body’s own defense mechanism: an exagger-ated response by the immune system. Themost common cause is penicillin and the con-trast media used for x-ray studies. There areas many as 800 deaths per year due to thesecauses. About 50 deaths per year are due toinsect stings.

In sensitive people, the first sting does notcause the response but sensitizes the indi-vidual so that the next contact can be lifethreatening. Usually the person knows thatthey are sensitive due to a previous bad expe-rience in childhood. My only experience withthis outside the hospital was in North Caro-lina when a friend informed me that he wasstung by a wasp and that the last time thathappened he went unconscious and was takento the hospital “where he almost died.” Fran-tic, I found a policeman who raced us to thenearest town and called the owner of the lo-cal drugstore who raced over to open the placeand get epinephrine. My friend collapsed onthe floor of the store, but he immediately re-sponded to the medication. I told him aboutthe chance of a relapse and that we should goto a hospital so he could be observed for about

8 hours. He refused but we bought him an-other Epipen, and I ended up watching himall night.

This was a very dangerous situation but Ithink it scared me a lot more than it did thepatient because I was not in the hospital wherewe have all the medications and a team todeal with emergencies. However, the key todealing with the situation was getting myfriend help fast. Thank goodness for that cellphone in North Carolina! Some patients re-quire more than just a shot of epinephrine.

What do you doif you have a reaction?Anaphylaxis is not always predictable andsometimes does not automatically occur whena known allergic person is exposed. Henceextreme caution is the key. Usually the per-son stung feels an aura of impending doom-as with my friend. The initial bad sign is swell-ing around the sting site. So get rid of thatstinger, to prevent more toxins from enteringthe body. Usually you can flick it out withyour credit card, which is what I used in NorthCarolina. Next (and quickly), you will seemore swelling and a rash over the whole body.Now comes the really bad news—the airwaystarts to close. The person will be struggling

to breathe. At this point an intervention mustbe made.

The only thing that works is a shot of epi-nephrine, so anyone who knows they are al-lergic should have one, preferably in the formof an Epipen, with which it is easy to injectyourself, and keep it up to date. The one myfriend produced had expired 2 years before.If you are allergic, you must get instructionfrom your doctor on how to use either theinjectable or the auto-injector Epipen. Pa-tients younger than 12 require a smaller dose.Also epi, as we call it in the ER, can be dan-

ATC Membership Drive

The Appalachian Trail Conference has re-quested from PATC our membership list toassist them in a mail campaign membershipdrive. The purpose of the ATC is “the con-struction, permanent protection, andvolunteer-centered stewardship of theAppalachian Trail.” Per the Council’s ap-proval, PATC will provide the ATC with a listof our current membership who are not al-ready ATC members. This list is being pro-vided for one-time only mailing. You will notreceive frequent requests from ATC basedon this mailing list, nor will ATC provide otherorganizations with any part of this list.

What helps make PATC unique, andsuccessful, is the willingness of its

members to invest their time, special talents,and energy in the daily work of the club on asustained basis. PATC is doers making thingshappen, not just cash contributors. The can-didates recruited by the Nominating Com-mittee reflect this heritage.

Nominated for:

President: Walt Smith. A member since1991, Walt has been President of the North-ern Shenandoah Valley Chapter since 1994.He is also overseer of the Tom Floyd Wayside

Shelter, the AT from the shelter to the 4-HAccess Trail, the Snead Farm Loop Trail inShenandoah National Park, and the Half-Moon Mountain and Look-Out trails inGeorge Washington National Forest. Previ-ously he held management positions in theArmy, the Loudoun County Government,and with Bernard Haldane Associates of Ar-lington. Walt expects that we will plan forthe future during 1999-2000.

Vice-President for Operations: George Still.George joined PATC in 1990 after attending

See Candidates, page 3

Potomac Appalachian2

Council Members, Chairs and Staff

OfficersPresident: Sandi MarraVP Operations: George StillVP Volunteerism: Tom JohnsonSupervisor of Trails: Peter Gatje

Email: [email protected] of Corridor Management: Bob ButtGeneral Secretary: Warren SharpGeneral Counsel: Randy MinchewMembership Secretary: Lisa StillTreasurer: Dick NewcomerRecording Secretary: Gerhard Salinger

Sections/ ChaptersMountaineering Section: Tony SandersSMRG: Randy RuppSki Touring Section: Katherine StentzelNorth Chapter: Steve KoeppenN. Shenandoah Valley Chapter: Walt SmithS. Shenandoah Valley Chapter: Lynn CameronCharlottesville Chapter: John ShannonWest Virginia Chapter: Jane Thompson

Standing Committee Chairs(Council Members)Blackburn Trail Center: Chris BruntonCabins: Matt OgorzalekCabin Construction: Charlie GrafConservation: Mary Margaret SloanCorporate Donations: Jack ReederEndowment: Bill LaddFinance: Blair StaleyHikes: Tom JohnsonLands: Phil Paschall & Eric Olson, co-chairsLegal: Randy MinchewMaps: Dave PierceMaryland Appalachian Trail Management

Committee: Charlie GrafPublic Affairs: Terry CummingsPublications: Jean GolightlyShelters: John AndrewsTrail Patrol: John Moore

Special Committees/Ongoing ActivitiesArchives & Library: Paula StrainTuscarora Trail Land Management: VacantCabin Reservations: Marilyn StoneDeputy Supervisor of Trails: Rick RhoadesFirestone Tract Management: VacantInformation/Sales Desks: Marguerite SchneebergerInternet Services: Andy HiltzLand Management: Ed McKnewVining Tract Management: Howard Johnson

Potomac AppalachianChief Editor: Bianca MenendezEmail: [email protected] Editor: Joanne EricksonForecast Co-Editors: Joe O’Neill

Email: [email protected]

HeadquartersTel: 703/242-0693Fax: 703/242-0968Email: [email protected] Activities Tape: 703/242-0965

StaffDirector of Administration: Wilson Riley (Ext. 11)

Email: [email protected] Management Coordinator: Heidi Forrest

(Ext.12) Email: [email protected] Manager: Regina Garnett (Ext. 15)

Email: [email protected]/Cabin Coordinator: Pat Fankhauser

(Ext. 17) Email: [email protected] Coordinator: Maureen Estes (Ext. 19)World Wide Web URL: http://patc.simplenet.com/

Council Fire

The Council held its regular meeting onAugust 11, 1998 at the Club headquar-

ters. The meeting was attended by 25 Coun-cil members, 1 Special Committee Chair, 3staff and 2 Club members.

The PATC membership stands at 6,111.There were 101 new members registered inthe month of July.

The Council permitted the PATC member-ship list to be given to the Appalachian TrailConference for a one-time use in a campaignto increase membership in ATC, the parentclub of the Trail maintaining organizations,

The Council declined to consider an offer topurchase the Club headquarters. The previ-ous move took several years to complete andrequired a large outlay of physical and intel-lectual resources.

The Council voted that PATC should becomeparty to a memorandum of understanding(MOU) regarding maintenance of the Appa-lachian Trail in and near the Harpers FerryNational Historic Park. This is one of a se-ries of MOUs defining the roles of the vari-ous partners in trail maintenance and im-provement. The partners are the NationalPark, PATC, ATC, and the Appalachian TrailPark Office.

Representatives of PATC will meet with rep-resentatives of the Shenandoah National Parkto inspect some of the cabins in the Park thatare maintained by PATC to resolve questionsabout PATC’s stewardship of the cabins.

The closing on the Oliphant property hasbeen delayed to allow for a resolution amongthree property owners of a prescriptive ease-ment on a roadway leading to the property.It is expected that the closing will be in Sep-tember.

Members of the Executive Committee ofPATC met at Blackburn Trail Center on thefirst weekend in August to lay the ground-work for long range planning. The major is-sues related to structuring the Club to effi-ciently maintain its volunteer orientation.There is a concern that only about 10 to 15percent of the members are actively involvedin maintenance of trails, shelters and cabinsand other ancillary activities.

The letter detailing the development of thebudget for 1999 will be sent out by Septem-ber 8. The budget requests are due fromCommittee chairs by October 13. The bud-get will be developed and discussed with theExecutive Committee at their Novembermeeting. The vote will be December 8. Com-mittee Chairs will be asked to state how therequest addresses their long and short-termgoals.

The agreement with GeoTrek to produce aCD-ROM version of the Appalachian TrailGuides and Maps has dissolved.

The publisher of A Walk in the Woods has of-fered cash settlement for using a copy of aPATC map on the cover without permission.Future editions will credit PATC. ❑

–Gerhard Salinger,Recording Secretary

Reminder—New Cabin Rental Rates

Reminder: As announced in the July 1998issue of the Potomac Appalachian, Coun-

cil approved a simplified and adjusted cabinrental rate structure to become effective onOctober 1, 1998. See the July issue for a tableof the new rate structure. This notice servesto remind all cabin renters that the new ratestructure becomes effective for all cabins re-served at or after 4:00 p.m., October 1, 1998.This includes all cabins owned or managedby the Club. Shenandoah National Parkofficials have approved the new rate structurefor the six primitive cabins inside SNP.

The cabins owned or managed by the Clubare intended to provide unique outdoor rec-reational opportunities for our members.PATC currently offers 27 cabins for rent. Ofthese, 12 are available to the public, and 15are reserved for members only. Eighteencabins are located in Virginia, four each inMaryland and Pennsylvania, and one in WestVirginia. Five more are currently under con-struction. ❑


Anaphylaxis, from page 1gerous—especially in older folks—likeover 50. For those taking certain medica-tions, like Beta-blockers, which are com-monly prescribed for migraine headaches orhigh blood pressure, epinephrine can berendered useless. If any of these factors ap-plies to you, discuss it with your doctor.

Another alternative if you romp around thewoods frequently is to get desensitized. Seeyour family physician to get a reference toan allergist, who will administer allergy shotsand gradually desensitize you to any insectstings you’re allergic to.

What to do if you’re a hike leaderAll this boils down to some easy to under-stand concepts. If you are the person lead-

ing a group of hikers, you must find out ifanyone in the group is allergic to insect stings.If so, my advice is to ask about their Epipen-if they know how to use it, etc—because youare not trained to use the devise unless youare a medical professional. Even paramedicsin DC are not allowed to give it; the rule isthey can only “assist” the patient. As you cansee, there is some “gray area” here.

Remember that fire ants in addition to allkinds of bees can cause this problem, and thereare “mild” cases, those who are not truly aller-gic but have a reaction. These individualsexperience swelling around the sting site. Thiskind of reaction responds well to ice andBenedryl (diphenhydramine). It works formild bee-sting reactions but not for the seri-ous ones.

To prevent getting stungOf course, the best prevention is not gettingstung at all. Bees and other stinging insectsare attracted to brightly-colored clothing,confusing it with a flower. Avoid wearingthese colors, and stay away from areas whereyou know there are stinging insects present.

Learn to recognize the signs of anaphylaxisand be prepared to get help quickly if you orsomeone you’re with starts to show thosesigns. As with all emergency situation, pre-paredness is key to getting out of the situa-tion safe and sound. ❑

—Dr. John McNamara, MD, MPH,Assistant Professor of Physiology,

George Washington UniversityPATC Medical Committee Chair

three worktrips building Pinnacles Shelter onthe (then) Big Blue Trail near Gore, Virginia.After a short membership lapse, he rejoinedin 1992 and worked on the Shelters Com-mittee, taking an active part in every Shel-ters project and acting as District Managerfor Shelters in Maryland. George has workedclosely with PATC Special events. He as-sisted the Virginia ’95 Committee with theirATC conference, after which he was nomi-nated for the position of First Vice Presidentfor the 1996 term. Because of an office trans-fer to New York, he was unable to completethat term and resigned the office. Upon re-turning to the area in 1996, he resumed Shel-ter Crew work at the Per-Lee project, andwas “re-elected” to the new post of Vice Presi-dent of Operations for the 1997/98 term.He has most-recently worked with SheltersChairman John Andrews on trips to improvethe Park Service’s “rating” of structures withinthe Shenandoah National Park, and has beenactive with the Blackburn Trail Center reno-vation. This year he developed a FamilyHikes Program and led hikes for parents andtheir children. He is currently examiningfuture Cabins policy, bringing PATC-main-tained cabins within the park into compli-ance with SNP guidelines, and exploring thedirection PATC may wish to go with futureConcessions Agreements with SNP.

Vice-President for Volunteerism: TomJohnson. Head of the Hikes Committee andan active organizer of other activities, Tomis the incumbent. He’s been a member since1972, and is currently an AT overseer. Hehas led out-of-country excursions to Japan,England, and Costa Rica.

Candidates, from page 1 Supervisor of Trails: Pete Gatje. A membersince 1989, Pete has been serving as Supervi-sor of Trails (SOT) since 1997. He is alsoserving concurrently as District Manager forthe Northern Virginia Metro Trails and as anoverseer for the AT in the Central District ofthe SNP near Skyland. An avid hiker, he hashiked over 300 miles of the AT and submit-ted several articles to the PA. Pete helped co-ordinate the highly successful PATC ice stormrecovery effort this past spring for the SNPAT and side trails. As the SOT, he will beresponsible for supporting the efforts of the468 overseers, 12 District Managers, and 7Trail Crew Leaders who maintain nearly 1,000miles of trail. Additionally, the SOT is re-sponsible for the efforts of the Shenandoahand Massarock Trail Crews, who provide 10weeks of volunteer work each summer. Petehas enjoyed working with his highly dedicated,enthusiastic, and interesting group of PATCDistrict Managers and Trail Crew leaders somuch that he is willing to take on the chal-lenge of another two years.

Supervisor of Corridor Management: TomLupp. A member since 1986, Tom has spentmost of his time working with the NorthChapter. He served as chapter representativeto Council in 1994 and 1995. He recentlywrote the current North half of the TuscaroraTrail Guide. He also assisted with the Southhalf guide and the new J & K maps.

General Secretary: Warren Sharp. Warren hasbeen a Club member since 1975. In his earlyyears with the Club, Warren was active in Trailwork, including overseeing of a section of theAppalachian Trail in northern Virginia forabout twenty years. He was also active in the

Club’s shelters construction program for morethan a decade. Since the early 1980s, Warrenhas held a number of elected offices in theClub, including several terms as a vice-presi-dent, and then was President of the Club forfour one-year terms from 1986 through 1989.Subsequent to his tenure as President, he hasserved variously as General Secretary and asRecording Secretary. He currently is complet-ing a two-year term as General Secretary. Al-though now retired, Warren is an electricalengineer, whose professional career was spentmostly in technical and engineering manage-ment positions involving the ground-basedair navigation and air traffic control systemoperated by the US Department ofTransportation’s Federal Aviation Administra-tion. Warren’s goals during the period of1999-2000 include continuing to upgrade theheadquarters systems and staff capabilities tomore fully serve evolving Club needs as westrive to meet the challenges to trails that thenew millennium is certain to present.

General Counsel: Eric Olson. Eric moves tothe General Counsel position after serving asco-chairman of the Trail Lands Committeefor the past eight years where he has been in-volved in numerous land acquisition projectsthat provide additional protection to the landsand resources of the AT and Tuscarora Trail.Eric joined PATC in 1984 following his 1983AT “through hike” and maintains a sectionof the AT near Front Royal, VA.

Membership Secretary: Terry Cummings.Terry has been with the club since 1993 anda member of the council since 1994 when hetook over the public relations job. He was

See Candidates, page 4


Trail News From Around the World

responsible for the publicity and press rela-tions for Virginia ’95, the biennial meetingof the Appalachian Trail Conference inHarrisonburg. He has always been a strongadvocate of programs that bring value to one’smembership, especially with regard to fami-lies and children. He has two children of hisown that love the outdoors but need somepeople their age to share the experience with.One of his goals as the new membership sec-retary is to develop activities for different agegroups and cultivate a membership base forthe future that is interested in the steward-ship of our natural resources. He is currentlyemployed by the American Hiking Society asthe manager of the National Trails Systemprogram.

Treasurer: Richard Newcomer. Dick New-comer has served as PATC treasurer for thepast four years. During that time he has en-hanced the Club’s reporting, coordinated theset up of accounts to control long term capi-tal projects, and has organized the Club’s firstaudit by an independent CPA firm. In reallife, Dick is a CPA and works as the CFO ofan international consulting firm. Other Clubinterests include hiking and cabins. Duringthe coming term, Dick hopes to use his expe-rience to date to assist in the long range plan-ning as the Club evolves into an ever largerorganization.

Recording Secretary: Gerhardt Salinger. Anincumbent, he has been a Club member foreight years and serves as a substitute on theSales Desk. He and his wife are overseers for

a section of the Bull Run Occoquan Trailand have hiked over 80% of the AT in sec-tions. Salinger was hikes chairman for theVirginia ’95 Conference. He was presidentof the Schenectady Chapter of theAdirondack Mountain Club and served aterm on the ADK Board of Governors, be-fore moving to Washington. He would usethis experience to help the Club develop along range plan.

MEMBER NOTICE

On Friday, November 6, 1998, PATC mem-bers will elect officers to the PATC Execu-tive Committee. See the article above forthe names of persons recommended by theNominating Committee. These officers willserve for two years starting January 1, 1999.Members in good standing may vote eitherin person, at the annual meeting, or by ab-sentee ballot. Those wishing to vote byabsentee ballot must request a ballot in writ-ing using the form below (or a photo-copyof the form). Ballots will be mailed begin-ning on October 22, 1998, the day afterthe cut-off date for receiving nominationsmade by petition. In order for absenteeballots to count, they must be received atClub headquarters in Vienna no later than5 p.m. on November 6, 1998.

Other nominations of a complete slate forthe Executive Committee, or of individualofficers, may be made by twenty-five mem-bers who are in good standing. The twenty-five members must sign their names andpost their nominations with Wilson Riley,

Director of Administration, at the Club head-quarters no later than 9 p.m. on October 21,1998. Nominations will not be accepted fromthe floor at the annual meeting. ❑

TO: Potomac Appalachian Trail ClubAttn: Ballot Request118 Park Street, SEVienna, VA 22180

Please provide me with an absentee bal-lot for the election of 1999-2000 PATCofficers. I will not be voting in personat the PATC annual meeting held onNovember 6, 1998.

A self-addressed, 32-cent stamped en-velope is enclosed if I need the ballotreturned by mail.

Ballots may be obtained in person atthe above address, during normal vol-unteer staffing hours, from October 22to November 6, 1998.

____________________________Printed Name______________________________Signature

The Recreational Fee Demonstration Pro-gram (a trial period for increased en-

trance fees at many national parks) has nowbeen in effect for a year. In a January reportto Congress, the agencies involved (NPS, U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service,and Bureau of Land Management) relatedthat the program has increased revenues, butpresented several challenges. Described in thereport were the results of a 1997 survey ofnational park visitors, indicating that over80% of respondents were satisfied with thefees or thought they were too low, and 96%said the new fees would not affect their plansto visit parks. The report also included a For-est Service questionnaire that stated that over60% of respondents thought the services pro-vided by the parks were at least equal to the

fees paid, while 24% said otherwise. Supportfor the fees was generally related to the ideathat the revenues would be spent within theparks and not returned to the U.S. Treasury.—from The Mountaineer, June 1998 (news-letter of The Mountaineers)

Two acres of woodland adjacent to the Appa-lachian Trail on Peters Mountain (in Penn-sylvania) were burned in an October 31, 1997fire. While the burnt area was relatively smalland out of direct sight of the AT, the fire willhave a negative visual impact for several years.Firefighters had to widen the trail in order toreach the blaze with their equipment, result-ing in a road-like appearance instead of a nar-row, winding path. Forest Rangers determinedthat a nearby campfire was the origin of the

fire. —from the Bushwack Bulletin, June/August 1998 (newsletter of the SusquehannaAppalachian Trail Club, Inc.)

Good news for Appalachian Trail through-hikers: Woods Hole Shelter, just south ofSlaughter Gap on the Georgia section of thetrail, was officially opened on May 2, 1998 anddedicated to Tillie Wood and her late husband,Roy. For twelve years, Tillie has been housingthrough-hikers in her bunkhouse and treatingthem to a sumptuous breakfast. During lastyear’s season alone, 355 hikers enjoyed her hos-pitality. Woods Hole Shelter is the only log shel-ter on the Georgia section of the AT. —fromThe Georgia Mountaineer, June 1998 (newslet-ter of the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club)

(Continued on page 5)

Candidates, from page 3


On April 6, 1998, the National Park Servicepurchased 827 acres from the city of Roanoke,Virginia. Located along the ridge of CarvinsCove Reservoir, the purchase, in the form ofa permanent easement, protects four miles ofthe Appalachian Trail. These four miles werethe largest single stretch still unprotectedalong the entire AT. —from the Trail Blazer,Summer 1998 (newsletter of the RoanokeAppalachian Trail Club)

And for the health-conscious among us: In anew monthly column on Trail Medicine in theFinger Lakes Trail News, Bob Michiel, M.D.states that aerobic exercise (which you get whenyou hike and backpack) lowers your resting heartrate, blood pressure, blood sugar, and choles-terol, and improves aerobic metabolism. Thesum total of these benefits, he says, is that, byengaging in aerobic activity for at least half anhour three times weekly, you may live a longer,happier, and healthier life. (Your friendly re-porter would like to take this opportunity topoint out that engaging in the frolicsome sportof volunteer trail work provides all of the abovebenefits, plus camaraderie, free food, newfriends, etc., etc.) —shameless lobbying on thebehalf of trail crews aside, from the Finger LakesTrail News (newsletter of the Finger Lakes TrailConference, Inc.)

In May, a dozen Florida Congressmen askedthe House Appropriations Committee to in-crease funding for the Florida National Sce-nic Trail. If included in the Federal budget,the funding would increase the amount ap-propriated for the FNST by over half, andwould provide $1 million for land acquisi-tion for the trail in the St. Marks NationalWildlife Refuge. —from the Footprint (news-letter of the Florida Trail Association)

The effort to restore elk to the Great SmokyMountains National Park may be delayed byas many as three years, due to concerns aboutdiseases the elk carry. The plans are to bringin 40-50 elk from Elk Mountain NationalPark in Canada so officials can study the like-lihood of the elk’s long-term survival in thepark environment. Common reasons a spe-cies may not do well when reintroduced in-clude loss of habitat, changed environmentalconditions, increased human activity, anddisease. Elk populations frequently carry tu-berculosis and brucellosis; chronic wastingdisease, a relatively new disorder, has beendiscovered in Colorado and Wyoming elkpopluations. Elk will not be released in thepark until the healthiest-possible animals havebeen found, to avoid any chance of infecting

other wildlife or domestic animals. A briefprogress report on recently reintroduced crit-ters: river otters are doing well, as are per-egrine falcons, which have reproduced suc-cessfully in the park for the second year; thesuccess of the wolf reintroduction is still un-certain, though the park continues in its ef-forts. —from “Experimental Elk Release De-layed,” The Enterprise Mountaineer, August24, 1998 (NC local newspaper)

–Lynn Witwer

Maryland’s Rural Legacy Progam has madeits first grants for protection against develop-ment. $3.25 million dollars of $29 millionare going to Frederick, Montgomery, andWashington counties to protect 2,794 acresof farm land, Civil War battlefield sites nearAntietam National battlefield and on SouthMountain, and near the Potomac River, theC & O Canal, and the Appalachian Trail.

A 3,300 mile trail connecting the Atlantic,Pacific and Arctic Oceans is under construc-tion in Canada. Open to multiple users (hik-ers, cyclists, riders, etc.), it will use existingtrails, railroad rights-of-way, federal and pro-vincial parks, and private lands for whichright-of-way is granted. Headquarters of theTrans Canada Trail foundation is 5417 Cen-tre Crescent, Calgary, Alberta.

Newly constructed and altered outdoor rec-reation areas “will, with the publication ofnew regulations nearing completion, have tocomply with the 1990 Americans with Dis-abilities Act in providing accessibility. Clearly,any new foot trail will have to comply. It isnot clear whether a relocated section of analready existing trail that is not accessible tothe disabled will have to.

A marketing communications firm, SwensonRussell of Lincoln, Nebraska, reports in “AFinancial Profile of Backpackers, Campers,and Hikers” that hikers are more affluent thanone expects. While only about 10.9% of theadult population over 13 have hiked once inthe last year, 51.30% of that group live inhouseholds with an annual income of over$50,000. Only 37.4% of the total adult popu-lation have income at that level. Backpack-ers are slightly less affluent: only 47% of thosewho have backpacked in the past year havethe $50,000 income. The August AmericanHiker carries much more data from thisreport. ❑

–Paula Strain

Looking Back20 Years Ago this Month.... The PA offered kudos to JeanGolightly for publishing the newPATC guide Circuit Hikes in Virginia,West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsyl-vania. Today, a sixth edition of thisguide is being prepared.

40 Years Ago this Month.... Orville Crowder reported that Harp-ers Ferry National Monument hadthree new trails: the Island Trail, theJefferson Rock Trail, and the LoudonHeights Trail. Mr. Crowder expressedthe hope that a restoration of the Ap-palachian Trail route to Harpers Ferrymight soon follow.

60 Years Ago this Month....William Appel, of the EquipmentCommittee, reported on an innova-tion to increase the comfort of downsleeping bags. He inflated cylindricalballoons and inserted them into pock-ets in the bottom of his sleeping bagto create an “exceedingly warm, com-fortable bed even on stony ground.”

PatronsCapital Hiking ClubCenter Hiking ClubPotomac Backpackers AssociationSierra Club, Washington Outings ProgramWanderbirds Hiking Club

Corporate SupportersBlue Ridge Mountain SportsCampmorCasual AdventuresDuronHewlett-PackardHudson Trail OutfittersOutdoor AdventureREIThe Outfitter at Harpers FerryThe Trail HouseWilderness Voyagers

Do you Know??Where is the first point south ofKillington Vermont on the AppalachianTrail where the height of 4,000 feet isreached?

Answer on page 18.


30th Anniversary of the National Trails System Act

October 2, 1998, is the 30th anniversaryof the National Trails System Act signed

into law by President Johnson. The Act is thereason that the Appalachian Trail is a feder-ally protected resource. The Act also affectedthe direction of our Club. It’s why we’re whowe are as the PATC.

As Club members, it’s important for us tounderstand what the Act is and how it cameabout, if not to appreciate the hard work oforiginal PATC members, then to wonder atthe AT’s very existence at the turn of thismillennium.

The Appalachian Trail (AT) was first com-pleted as a continuous hiking trail on August14, 1937. Protecting the AT was recognizedas important from the Trail’s very conception.While its location was more or less protectedon public land, albeit at the whim of officialmanagers, about a third of the Trail was onprivate lands, with only handshake agree-ments to ensure its continued existence.

In the 1940s, Congressional RepresentativeHoch (PA) introduced a bill to protect theAT. The bill went nowhere. In October 1956,G.F. Blackburn wrote an article in thePotomac Appalachian Bulletin entitled, “TheChanging Appalachian Trail.” In it,Blackburn discussed the problem of repeatedrelocations making it necessary for someoneto always be monitoring the length of theTrail. The purpose of all those relocations was“to avoid some interfering situation or de-velopment.” Those soft code words meantnew roads and highways, and developmentof camps, resorts, and country clubs “havingno compatibility with a wilderness foot trail.”

Blackburn also talked about the problem ofhikers (PATC or non-PATC) damaging theprivately held lands over which the trail wasmarked, causing the landowners to preventfurther hiking on their lands. So Blackburnstressed in his newsletter article that PATChikers should do everything within reason topromote friendly relations with landownersbecause “Whether on privately or publiclyowned land, the stability and even the con-tinued existence of the AT depends to a largedegree on good will.”

In 1956, the AT essentially had no protec-tion from anyone. The Trail and the hikerswho loved it were at the mercy of everyone’s

good will. On May 20, 1964, SenatorGaylord Nelson (Wisconsin) introduced a billto protect the Appalachian Trail. By January1966, President Johnson was mentioning thename of the Appalachian Trail in his AnnualMessage to Congress concerning extendingFederal support to the “hiking path fromMaine to Georgia.”

Then, in 1968, the tide turned. The historicbill, known as the National Trails Act, estab-lished Federal protection for a nationwidesystem of trails, two of which were specifi-cally listed: The Appalachian Trail and thePacific Crest Trail. Fourteen more trails werelisted for possible inclusion, among them theContinental Divide Trail, the Potomac Heri-tage Trail, the Lewis and Clark Trail, theNatchez Trace Trail, the Oregon Trail, theSanta Fe Trail, the Mormon Trail, andMorman Battalion Trail, and five short trailsin Alaska known as the Gold Rush Trails.

A jubilant John Oliphant reported the sign-ing in the October 1968 Potomac AppalachianBulletin. “At a glittering ceremony on Octo-ber 2, President Johnson, accompanied by hiswife, Lady Bird, signed four landmark billsthat will bring to fruition many of the longsought hopes of outdoor enthusiasts. They arethe Redwood National Park, North CascadesNational Park, Scenic River System, and lastbut not least the National Trails System Act,which gives scenic trail status to the Appala-chian Trail.”

A quote in President Johnson’s speech: “Our his-tory of wise management of America’s nationalforests has assisted us in designating the initialelements of the National Trails System. TwoNational Scenic Trails, one in the East and onein the West, are being set aside as the first com-ponents of the Trails System: The AppalachianTrail and the Pacific Crest Trail.”

At the end of Oliphant’s October 1968 article,he goes on to say that the PATC’s responsibili-ties, if anything, would increase. To secure fundsfor buying land, the PATC would need to dem-onstrate that hiking is a popular sport. And whilethe new Trails Act would add to the increasinguse of PATC facilities, which were already diffi-cult to manage, Oliphant accurately prophesied,“...we had best be thinking about [how to man-age the AT] and not make the mistake of de-pending on the Federal Government to do thewhole job.”

While the 1968 National Trails Act was a le-gal victory for all those hikers and environ-mentalists who wanted to see Federal protec-tion for hiking trails across the nation, in prac-tical terms, the bill was frustrating. PaulaStrain, PATC President 1970-1972, suc-cinctly summed up the problem. “The TrailsAct passed in ’68 created the possibility ofhaving trails. We fought awfully hard for it.But while the Park Service was told to putthe [Appalachian] Trail together, it was givenno money.” The lack of money was inherentin the bill according to Fred Madison, thelegislative assistant to Senator Nelson. Hewrote in January 1969, “The legislation alsostresses the idea that land is to be acquiredonly if all else fails. It is hoped that agree-ments can be worked out with landowners toprovide the necessary right-of-way.”

And so, even though the 1968 Act createdthe idea of Federal protection for the AT,problems with the private landowners per-sisted. Strain says, “The Club had problemsin certain locations, such as Pennsylvania. Theprivate landowners kept throwing the AT offtheir land and the ATC couldn’t do a thingabout it because they didn’t have any money.”

The government’s support of the existence ofthe AT in theory was not enough. The ATneeded to be owned by the ATC, the Federalgovernment, or both. Allowing the AT toexist on private lands meant continuing prob-lems with private land developers and capri-cious private land-owners.

An editorial entitled, “Securing the AppalachianTrail, Haste Being Made Slowly,” by AlexanderKiefer in November 1973 marked the end of atwo-year period during which the federal gov-ernment had left it to the state and local gov-ernments to acquire the necessary protection forthe AT right-of-way. By that time, Virginia andMaryland had enacted the necessary authoriz-ing legislation, Pennsylvania and West Virginiahad not. While Maryland had actually acquiredonly 1.83 miles of the AT with 4.16 miles pend-ing, there is no mention of any land acquisitionin Virginia. Kiefer went on to encouragePATCers to “seize every available opportunityto assist in acquiring land or easements for theAT wherever it is or could in the foreseeablefuture be threatened by private development.This requires money.” The current balance ofthe land acquisition fund in September 1973was $7,008.


Our heartfelt THANK YOU to those members who have given additional donationswith their dues renewal fee to the individual funds listed below. Our mission of pro-

tecting the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and side trails throughout Virginia, West Vir-ginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, is assured through generous donations from you. It alsohelps greatly to insure that these protected trail lands can be enjoyed by future generations.

Donations received in JuneFunds: G - General; T - Trail Lands; S/C - Shelters, Cabins, Cabin Lands; HQ - HeadquartersCapital Repair; E -Endowment

Donations

Donna M. Brother THarold Brown S/COlivia E. Carolin TCoralie Farlee HQ

Judy and Randy Flynn S/CDyanne Lathan S/CJohn F. McCrea TCharles and Elsie Ziegenfus T

Congratulations to our two newest Life Members: Nancy Merritt, Life Member since July15, 1998 and John R. Williams, Life Member since August 7, 1998. Life Memberships canbe obtained by sending $500 in one sum, or you can make four monthly payments of $125each. Don’t forget that the spouse of a current Life Member can obtain Life Member statusby paying $250, which is half the regular Life Membership fee. All Life Member paymentsgo directly into the Endowment Fund.

–Pat Fankhauser, Membership Coordinator

In July 1975, an ad hoc committee from thePATC, comprised of past presidents GrantConway, Ed Garvey, and John Oliphantdrafted a statement to deliver to the Appala-chian National Scenic Trail Advisory Coun-cil. Part of the statement was a blunt chal-lenge: “...we urge you to consider recom-mending that the Federal government begina real program of acquisition of rights of wayor property over which the trail passes, as pub-lished in the Federal Register of October 1971.The present law authorizes $5 million for thiswork and very little of this authorization hasbeen spent. It is now time to work along thisline. So far the Federal government has nottaken any action to secure the Trail right ofway, and if it does not make a beginning, wefear many of the present lands crossed by theTrail will escalate in price or become unavail-able for Trail purposes because of develop-ment.”

The front page of the Potomac Appalachiannewsletter for April of 1976 gave the happyannouncement that Secretary of the InteriorThomas Kleppe had approved $1 million forAT land acquisition. The move was designedto encourage states’ interest in conserving thepieces of AT that ran through their own lands.The monies were not nearly enough.

Much to everyone’s delight, ten years afterthe original National Trails Act was passed,the money came. On July 12, 1978, Con-gress approved by the vote of 341-61, an

omnibus parks bill for $1.3 billion. The billwas a compilation of over 100 bills devisedby Rep. Phillip Burton (CA), and it increasedthe wilderness areas protected within the na-tional park system by 2 million acres, essen-tially tripling the existing wilderness areas. Italso designated five new frontier paths as partof the national trails system, two of whichwere the Lewis and Clark Trail, running fromWood River, Illinois to Columbia Rover,Oregon, and the Continental Divide Trail,running from Montana through NewMexico.

A March 1979 PA article gave the most posi-tive account of AT land acquisition in years.“Acquisition of AT land by the National ParkService is showing results in northern Vir-ginia-West Virginia. Nine tracts of land southof Keys Gap, totaling 402 acres, protecting4.2 miles of the Trail are completed. ...Ap-praisals have been ordered on 69 [more]tracts. ...The Park Service and the Confer-ence are working with 11 states and with lo-cal communities within those states to keepthe acquisition program in high gear. Fiscal1980 would have been the first complete yearin which the acquisition program would haveoperated and, pursuant to the terms of theAct, we had geared up for a $30 million ac-quisition in 1980. It is urgent that the acqui-sition proceed at a rapid rate...”

Steps were finally being taken to ensure thesafety of the AT.

Then, on January 26, 1984, National ParkService Director Russell Dickenson signedover to the ATC the responsibility for man-aging the lands acquired for the public by theagency. Secretary of the Interior William Clarkremarked, “Without its great volunteer tradi-tion, there would be no Appalachian Trail norwould there be such widespread support forits preservation as a part of our national heri-tage. The Appalachian Trail Conference andits committed volunteers have earned the trustof the American people.”

So 30 years after the ball was pushed, 20 yearsafter it really began rolling full steam down-hill, all but 30 miles of the 2,158-mile Appa-lachian Trail is in public or private non-profitownership. What started as Benton MacKaye’sdream and was partially given over to the gov-ernment for completion, was handed back tothe people for stewardship and care.

Current PATC President Sandi Marra says,“The National Trails Act is what formalizedour Club and its charter and it continues toguide us in our mission to protect the AT. Acontinued and renewed emphasis on the Actwill benefit all of us as it is more importantthan ever to protect scenic trails across thecountry for recreational and conservationuse.” ❑

—Aimee Kratts

Are you moving?!!

Did you know that the Post Office chargesPATC 50 cents every time they let us knowa member has moved? You can help savemoney and get information to you fasterjust by telling us yourself.

Please fill out the following form and mailit to 118 Park Street, S.E., Vienna VA22180-4609. You can also call PatFankhauser at 703-242-0693 or e-mail herat pfankh@erols com.

Name:___________________________________

Effective date of new address:__________

Old Address:______________________________________________________

New Address:_________________________________________________________________________________________

New Phone Number: _______________


Charlottesville ChapterThe Charlottesville Chapter hikes every Saturday,summer, winter and in between. Hikes are about8 miles. Trail maintenance is usually done on thelast Saturday of the month. Meet at Sprint park-ing lot, 2307 Hydraulic Road at 9 a.m. with foodand water for the day. We hike trails in the South-ern, Central and occasionally Northern Districtsof Shenandoah National Park, and in GeorgeWashington National Forest. INFO: Jere Bidwell804/295-2143, John Shannon 804/293-2953 or LoisMansfield 804/973-7184.

North ChapterThe North Chapter of PATC conducts monthlytrail work trips on the Maryland and Pennsylva-nia sections of the Appalachian Trail (AT) andon the Pennsylvania sections of the TuscaroraTrail. We also lead hikes on these and other trails.Maryland AT work trips are generally held on thefirst and third Saturdays—contact Rick Canter([email protected]), 301/824-4942 for informa-tion. Pennsylvania work trips are generally heldon the AT on the first Saturday and on theTuscarora on the third Saturday—contactCharles Irvin at 301/447-2848. Pennsylvania ATwork trips also include an optional Saturdaynight stay at the Gypsy Springs cabin. Dinner,breakfast, and camaraderie available. For in-formation on upcoming hikes, contact Chris

Firme at 717/765-4833. For general chapter infor-mation, contact chapter president Steve Koeppen(skoeppen @qis.net) 410/756-2916.

Northern Shenandoah Valley ChapterThe Northern Shenandoah Valley Chapter sponsorshikes in national and state parks and forests in theShenandoah Valley vicinity, open to the public, ona monthly basis except during the winter. Hikes areposted in the Forecast. Other activities are in theNSV Chapter Newsletter. For further informationcontact Walt Smith, 540/678-0423.

Southern Shenandoah Valley ChapterSee Forecast for work trips and hiking events spon-sored by the Southern Shenandoah Valley Chap-ter. Most trips meet in Harrisonburg at the Clover-leaf Shopping Center at 8:00 a.m. Hikers from theDC area should allow about 3 hours to get to ourregion. INFO: in Harrisonburg, call Suzanne 540/269-4341; in Staunton or Waynesboro, call Vernon 703/886-9218, or Doris 540/885-4526.

West Virginia ChapterChapter meeting at Highacre on the first Wednes-day of the month; see Forecast for up-coming activi-ties. For further information on chapter activities or toreceive the chapter newsletter contact Jane Thomp-son 301/ 865-5399.

Ski Touring SectionThe Ski Touring Section has served since 1974 tointroduce Washington area residents to cross-country skiing and to provide cross-country ski-ing opportunities to experienced skiers. The Sec-tion sponsors winter weekend ski trips for all levelsof skiers to nearby mountains in Maryland, WestVirginia and Pennsylvania, as well as periodic so-cial events year round. INFO: Katherine Stentzel703/781-3249.

PATC Midweek HikesPATC’s Vigorous Group hikes 8-10 miles at a fastpace; and the Easy Hikers hike 5-8 miles on trailswith little elevation change. See below forscheduled trips; check the weekly tape (703/242-0965) on Thursday or Friday for any changesor additions.

Other Clubs’ HikesCapital and Wanderbirds hike on Sundays, travel-ing by bus and leaving from downtown, with sub-urban stops as well. Center Club, Northern VirginiaHiking Club and Sierra Clubs hike on both Satur-days and Sundays using carpools, which oftenleave from a suburban Metro stop. Schedules areavailable at PATC Headquarters and are pub-lished in area newspapers on Fridays.

Chapters

KEY to Forecast Activities

All events are marked for easy identification. Latechanges or cancellations are listed on the weeklyinformation tape (703/242-0965), which is updatedon Wednesday evening for the followingseven days. The Forecast can also be found onPATC’s Web site at http://patc.simplenet.com/forecast.html

` Hiking Trips

F Backpacking Trips

}}}}} Trail Work Trips

Cabin Work Trips

❖ Special Events

Meetings

Cross-Country Skiing

Note to all hike leaders: Please ask nonmemberson your hike if they would like to join PATC, thenget names and addresses so a club volunteer can

send them information packets. Thanks!

October

FORECAST

1 (Thursday)DEADLINE - November Potomac AppalachianHeadquarters, Vienna, VA5:00 p.m. All items for the next issue of the PATC news-letter must be submitted on disk if possible to head-quarters, or via e-mail or e-mail attachment [email protected]. Allow one week for postalservice delivery.

1 (Thursday) MEETING - New Members

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:30 p.m. Thrills and chills abound as hikes, cabins,excursions, and special events are stripped of secrecyfor interested, new, and not-so-new Club members.Just show up or phone ahead. INFO: Lisa Still([email protected]) 703/425-3884.

1 (Thursday)CLASS - Outdoor Gear Maintenance and RepairREI, College Park, MD7:30 p.m. Fall and early winter offer some of the bestopportunities for outdoor recreation in the Mid-At-lantic region. The heat and humidity are gone, fallcolors are spectacular, migratory birds are passingthrough, and the air is often at its clearest. This is notime for equipment failure. Get your gear out andinspect it. Bring your problems to REI College Park,where Floyd Thomas will take a look and suggestmaintenance and repair options, and discuss inspec-tion and maintenance procedures to keep your gearperforming right. INFO: REI Customer Service 301/982-9681.

3 (Saturday)` HIKE - Northern Shenandoah Valley ChapterToms Brook, VAAll are invited to join the NSVC on a hike in the vicin-ity of Toms Brook, VA on an easy paced, five milehike across the Shenandoah Valley on the TuscaroraBlue. After descending from Fetzer’s Gap, we will fol-low the trail along country roads and through woodsand farm land with views of the mountains. We willalso note the Civil War cavalry battle of Tom’s Brook,fought on October 9, 1864. INFO: Walt Smith 540/678-0423.

3 (Saturday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - DC MetroRock Creek Park, Washington, DC8:15 a.m. to noon. DC’s hiking trails offer some of thebest fall scenery in the region. Help maintain the trailswhile you look. Meet at Rock Creek Nature Center.INFO: Mark Anderson 202/462-7718 or Ranger KenFerebee 202/426-6834 x31.

3 (Saturday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - South MountaineersAppalachian Trail, MD9:00 a.m. Enjoy fall colors with the South Mountain-eers Trail Crew. Cooler air with erosion control on theagenda make this even a tough miss. Learn hownatural erosion control devices work to protect a trail,then install them. Tools provided, bring lunch, waterand gloves. INFO: Rick Canter ([email protected])301/924-4942.

3 - 4 (Saturday - Sunday)CABIN WORK TRIP - Blackburn Trail Center

Round Hill, VACome watch the trees trade mantles of green forcloaks of every hue from the best vantage pointimaginable—the roof of Blackburn Trail Center. Help


FORECASTus saw, shingle, and swear as we re-roof this majesticstructure. Enjoy an evening feast in the newer, big-ger kitchen; marvel at the stone work on the outsidewalls; and enjoy the cool autumn breezes from thebest screened porch on the Blue Ridge. For informa-tion or to accept this limited-time offer, call ChrisBrunton 703/560-8070, George Still 703/425-3884 orBruce Clendaniel 410/820-7550.

3 - 4 (Saturday - Sunday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - North ChapterAppalachian Trail, PAMeet at US 30 and PA 233 at the parking lot ofCaledonia State Park. Departure 9:00 a.m. sharp.INFO: Charlie Irvin 301/447-2848.

3 - 4 (Saturday - Sunday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - Stonewall BrigadeVA-WV BorderHelp us open a new trail in Racer Camp Hollow inWest Virginia. Call 5 days ahead. INFO: WilKohlbrenner 540/477-2971.

3 - 4 (Saturday - Sunday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - Youth Service Project Work TripSouth District, Shenandoah National Park, VAThe Schairer Trail Center in the South District of SNPwill house the group for the weekend. Anyone inter-ested in working with scouts or youth groups is wel-come. If you need to perform a service project pleasejoin us. We will concentrate on wilderness trails in thearea. All aspects of trail work may be covered de-pending on the size of the group. INFO: Hal Hallett703/331-2173 or Heidi Forrest 703/242-0693 x12

4 (Sunday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIPNorth District, Shenandoah National Park, VATrail worktrip cleaning waterbars, trail cleanup, trimbranches and brush. AT in Northern SNP INFO: FrankTurk 301/249-8243 before 9 p.m.

4 (Sunday)` HIKE - Jones Mountain/The Sag/Staunton RiverCentral District, Shenandoah National ParkA pretty rough 16-mile day. One of the most beauti-ful and remote areas in the SNP PATC Map 10.Carpooling/Metro accessible (depending uponseating space in cars). INFO: Chris Tejirian 301/652-4777 9/28-10/3 before 9:30 p.m.

6 (Tuesday)` HIKE - Vigorous HikersA fast paced hike of about 15-18 miles with a fairamount of elevation change for hikers who enjoy agood workout and nice scenery. INFO: Cliff Noyes703/451-5181.

6 (Tuesday) MEETING - Trail Patrol

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:30 p.m. Trail Patrol volunteers are PATC’s good willtrail ambassadors to the hiking public. They providea visible, reassuring presence on the trails, educat-ing the public on good hiking practices, minimumimpact hiking and camping ethics. Patrol membersare trained in land navigation, emergency proce-dures, radio communications and personal equip-ment. All patrol volunteers are also expected to be-come certified in a recognized basic first aid course.Some equipment and uniform items are providedupon completion of training. INFO: John Moore([email protected]) 703/368-1952 or see PATC’swebsite (http://patc.simplenet.com/patrol.html)

7 (Wednesday)` HIKE - Easy HikersPrince William Forest Park, VAAbout 7 miles, or shorter 5 1/2 mile option. Meet at10 a.m. at Turkey Run Environmental Center in thepark. Take route 95 South; exit West on Route 619.Right at entrance into park, then first left. Pass park-ing areas A, B, and C; keep left at fork. About 1/4mile from fork, turn right. About 1/2 mile to parkinglot at Environmental Center. Bring lunch. INFO: Johnor Suzanne Kominski 703/751-3026.

7 (Wednesday) MEETING: West Virginia Chapter

Harpers Ferry, WVDr. Melody Roelke-Parker will discuss her work as aveterinarian studying lions on the Serengeti Plainof Africa. She discovered that a deadly epidemicwas due to an outbreak of canine distemper virus.We will meet at Highacre at 7:00 p.m. INFO: Jane301/865-5399 before 9:00 p.m.

10 (Saturday)` HIKE - Great FallsGreat Falls and Riverbend Parks, VAThis 7.5 mile loop begins and ends at RiverbendPark, traversing the edge of Mather Gorge for somespectacular vistas of the Potomac. Slow pace, mini-mal elevation gain. This is the second in a series offour videotaped hikes for Fairfax Channel 10. INFO:Tom Johnson 410/647-8554 ([email protected]).

10 (Saturday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - Maryland Suburban DistrictCabin John Trail, MDJoin us for tread rebuilding on the Cabin John Trail.Bring water, lunch, and gloves. Meet at 9:30 a.m. inthe parking lot for indoor tennis courts just off De-mocracy Boulevard, near Montgomery Mall. Signup and INFO: Liles Creighton 410/573-0067.

10 (Saturday)` CLASS/HIKE - Northern ShenandoahValley Chapter

Appalachian Trail in vicinity of Front Royal, VAWhat is it like to be a Trail Overseer? Join Lee Bowen,longtime overseer of a section of the AT and a trailin Shenandoah National Park, to discuss what therewards are. Lee will show you what equipment isused and how the trail is maintained. If you thinkyou might be interested in being an overseer some-time in the future, you are invited to join the groupas Lee provides a realistic scenario of the work in-volved and the problems to be overcome in orderto make an important contribution to the commu-nity. This will be a hiking - chat of approximatelythree miles, not a worktrip. After the explanationsare over, participants may wish to hike farther onthe AT, at their own speed, to Possum Rest Over-look for a good view of Hickerson Hollow andDickey Ridge (bring lunch & water). This additionalhike will bring the total for the day to approx. 7.5miles. Or, participants may wish to return to theircars and travel into Front Royal for the annual FallFestival of Leaves! INFO: Lee Bowen ([email protected]) 540/635-2547(w); 540/635-8495 (eve-nings before 9:00 p.m.)

10 - 11 (Saturday - Sunday)` HIKE - North Chapter Tuscarora Trail Series #II-5Jamina/County LineVA sections Third overnighter. Loman Branch toWaites Run Rd (forest service rd.). 1st day: 11.3moderate miles with an elevation change of 500ft. Overnight at Hawk Campground. 2nd day: 12.2difficult miles with an elevation change of 1,300 ft.

Will shuttle vehicles and camping equipment to al-low hiking with only a daypack. Will need tent, sleep-ing bag, and food. INFO: Chris Firme 717/765-4833after 5:30 p.m.

10 - 11 (Saturday - Sunday)CABIN WORK TRIP - Tulip Tree Cabin

Shaver Hollow, VAThere will be big excitement as we raise 22' and 30'logs into place atop the log walls of the cabin. Comesee how it’s done. INFO: Charlie Graf 410/757-6053.

10 - 11 (Saturday - Sunday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - Massanutten CrewMassanutten Mountain, VATread rehab on the trail from PATC’s Glass House tothe Tuscarora-Bear Wallow Trail. Call 5 days ahead.INFO: Wil Kohlbrenner 540/477-2971.

10 - 11 (Saturday - Sunday)CABIN WORK TRIP - John’s Rest Cabin

South River Area near Madison, VACome, see and help with PATC’s newest log cabinproject. The side walls and roof are complete. Nowconstruction of a porch will begin. Work also includessome brushcutting and further clearing of the site, andbuilding a rock wall. Jobs for skilled and unskilled. We’llbe camping in the area, with community meals Sat-urday night and Sunday morning. INFO: RobertHumphrey 301/229-6905.

13 (Tuesday)` HIKE - Vigorous HikersA fast paced hike of about 15-18 miles with a fairamount of elevation change for hikers who enjoy agood workout and nice scenery. INFO: Cliff Noyes 703/451-5181.

13 (Tuesday) MEETING - PATC Council

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:00 p.m. - sharp. The PATC Council meets the secondTuesday of every month to conduct business of theClub. All members are welcome, but members wish-ing to address the Council should call two weeks priorto the meeting in order to be included on the meet-ing agenda. INFO: Wilson Riley ([email protected])703/242-0693 x11.

13 (Tuesday) MEETING - Shenandoah Mountain Rescue Group

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:30 p.m. New members meeting. INFO: MartinJuenge ([email protected]) 703/255-5034 thenpress 5.

14 (Wednesday)` HIKE - Easy HikersPotomac, MDMeet at 10 am at Swain’s Lock for a 1 hour walk upand 1 hour back along the C&O Canal at your pace.Bring lunch and water. From the Beltway, take RiverRoad (Rt. 190) toward Potomac. About 2.5 miles be-yond Falls Rd, find the Swains Lock sign on your left.Meet in the parking lot. INFO: John Gerber 301/585-5172.

14 (Wednesday) MEETING - Mountaineering Section

Headquarters, Vienna, VA8:00 p.m. Second Wednesdayof every month. INFO: TonySanders 202/362-3819 or seePATC’s website (http://p a t c . s i m p l e n e t . c o m /mtn_sect/)


FORECAST15 (Thursday)` Hike - IN-BETWEEN hikersGreat Falls, MDBilly Goat and Gold Mine Trails near Great Falls, Mary-land - about 7 miles. Minimum elevation change. Wewill hike the Billy Goat Trail at a moderate pace. Thisportion of the hike includes rugged sections and ne-cessitates a fair amount of rock scrambling. The re-turn over the Gold Mine Trail will be at a moderate-to-fast pace. Depart from the parking lot oppositethe Old Anglers Inn on MacArthur Blvd. at 10 a.m.No pets. RSVP not required. Bring lunch and water.INFO: Hank Comeau ([email protected]) 703/451-7965.

15-19 (Thursday - Monday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - ATC Mid-Atlantic CrewAppalachian Trail, Northern VirginiaThe ATC Mid-Atlantic Crew will be spending five daysbuilding rock check dams and water bars on aneroded section the AT on Buzzard Hill. Come for aday or more and learn this all important trail craftfrom the experts. INFO: Chris Brunton 703/560-8070.

17 (Saturday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - South MountaineersAppalachian Trail, MD9 a.m. in Frederick County, MD. Come enjoy the peakof fall colors on this event. Hike a while, use a pickand shovel, move rocks, get dirty and have fun inthe cooler air. The trails need your help, and the niceweather beckons. Tools provided. Bring water, lunch,and gloves. INFO: Rick Canter ([email protected])301/924-4942.

17 (Saturday)` HIKE - Tuscarora Trail Series #6McConnellsburg, PAA moderately paced 15.7 mile hike south on theTuscarora Trail between Cowans Gap and Hells HillTrail. Elevation gain is 1,500 feet. A car shuttle is re-quired. PATC Map K. Meet at Vienna Metro, NutleyStreet North at 7:30. INFO: Jack 703-339-6716 andWilliam 703-256-6735.

17 (Saturday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIPTuscarora Trail, PAFor meeting place and other details, INFO: CharlieIrvin 301/447-2848.

17 (Saturday)CLASS - Waterfall Photography WorkshopShenandoah National Park, VA9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Come explore the waterfalls ofShenandoah National Park and learn the techniquesand equipment necessary to make beautiful water-fall photos. Led by local adventure/nature photog-rapher Ed Neville, this workshop will concentrate onexposure and metering, depth of field, and compo-sition. The workshop fee of $60 includes a roll of pro-fessional grade slide film, a light metering guide, andclass notes and assignments. INFO: REI CustomerService at 703-379-9400 or 301-601-0987 for registra-tion and further information.

17 (Saturday)` HIKE - Northern Shenandoah Valley ChapterNorth District, Shenandoah National Park, VAAll are invited to join the NSVC on a varied hike ofseven miles with an upward elevation change of1,800'. The hike begins at VA 622, hiking up to Land’sRun waterfall. Continuing on the Dickey Ridge andthe Appalachian Trails, we will stop for the views atFort Windham Rocks and on Compton Peak. We will

be able to compare the deciduous forests seen inthe morning, along Land’s Run, with the more rug-ged environment along Jenkins Gap Trail, as we re-turn in the afternoon. INFO: Toni & Al Mitchell 540/459-4366.


Round Hill, VAFeel like Whooping It Up? Come help us Raise theRoof at the Blackburn Trail Center. We have roof work,porch work, foundation work and stone wall work allon tap-what could be more fun than that? Comevisit the loosest crew and the tightest-run project onthe Blue Ridge. Dinner is served in the big, newkitchen; foolishness is served on the screened porch.Call to reserve your space in PATC history. INFO: ChrisBrunton 703/560-8070, Bruce Clendaniel 410/820-7550 or George Still 703/425-3884.

17 - 18 (Saturday - Sunday)}}}}} OKTOBERFEST TRAIL WORKTRIP - North District

HoodlumsShenandoah National Park, VAAchtung! If you haven’t had the opportunity to sharesweat on the A.T. or break bread with the Hoodlums,this will be your last chance for 1998. We close outafter a day of hard work on the trail, we will retire toIndian Run Hut for a German feast mit brew unddeutschlander beer hall music. INFO/RSVP: GeorgeWalters 410/426-2724.

17 - 18 (Saturday - Sunday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - Stonewall BrigadeVA-WV BorderHelp us open a new trail in Racer Camp Hollow inWest Virginia. Call 5 days ahead. INFO: WilKolhbrenner 540/477-2971.

18 (Sunday)` HIKE - Family Nature HikeAlexandria, VA9:00 a.m. REI and the Metropolitan Washington Si-erra Club team up to offer a leisurely, flat two-milecircuit walk for parents and children of all ages inHuntley Meadows Park (sorry, no pets). The path goesthrough wooded areas and over a boardwalkthrough a wetland area rich in wildlife. Bring cam-era and binoculars. Dress for the weather. Hike be-gins at 9:00 a.m. from the Visitors Center parking area.Co-led by Mike Monbeck and Mark Nelson. Direc-tions and INFO: REI Customer Service 703/379-9400or 30l/982-9681.

19 (Monday) MEETING - Conservation Committee

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:00 p.m. INFO: Mary Margaret Sloan 703/807-0746.


21 (Wednesday)` HIKE - Easy HikersScotts Run Nature Preserve, VAAbout 4 moderate miles in the Scott’s Run NaturePreserve in Virginia. Meet at 10 a.m. in the parkingarea off VA 193 opposite Swink’s Mill Rd. To reachthis point, exit Beltway at Exit 13 Georgetown Pike(VA 193). Go right on 193 0.6 miles to Swink’s Mill Rd.on left. Parking area on right. Bring lunch and water.INFO: Shirley Rettig 703/836-0147 .

21 (Wednesday)F CLASS - Backpacking VirginiaREI, Baileys Crossroads, VA7:30 p.m. Virginia has some of the best backpack-ing in the East. From Shenandoah Park and thePotomac headwaters all the way to Tennessee, highmountain ridges, clear streams and quiet hollowsinvite inspiration. Local backpacker Ed Neville willpresent a photo tour of some popular and more re-mote spots in the Old Dominion. INFO: REI CustomerService 703/379-9400.

22 (Thursday)F CLASS - Backpacking VirginiaREI, College Park, MDSee 10/12 entry above for details. INFO: REI CustomerService 301/982-9681.

24 (Saturday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - DC MetroRock Creek Park, Washington, DC8:15 a.m. to noon. This is the final work trip of the sea-son. If past years are any guide, we will need helpreadying the trails for a drenching winter. Meet atRock Creek Nature Center. INFO: Mark Anderson202/462-7718 or Ranger Ken Ferebee 202/426-6834x31.

24 (Saturday)` HIKE - Trail Patrol Training HikeWant to know what PATC’s Trail Patrol does? Here’syour chance. Join Janet Williams on a training hike.INFO: Janet Williams 301/670-9267 before 10:00 p.m.

24 (Saturday)` HIKE - Natural History HikeShenandoah National Park, VASteve Bair, Shenandoah National Park ranger, joinsBob Pickett for a hike along the Staunton River up toJones Mountain Cabin and back. This approximately7 mile hike will lead us along the devastation thatoccurred late in June of 1995, when over 20 inchesof rain in two days caused massive flooding. We’lllearn more about what happened and see how thisarea has recovered. We’ll also have lunch at Jones’Mountain Cabin and learn about the tough life ofthe former resident, Harvey Nicholson, as told in TomFloyd’s book “Jones Mountain”. INFO: Bob Pickett301/681-1511.

24 - 25 (Saturday - Sunday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - Blue and White CrewMutton Top Cabin, Standardsville, VAEnjoy the Shenandoah foliage in late October withthe B&W Crew. We’ll be overnighting at the MuttonTop Cabin and spending Saturday working on theStaunton River/Jones Mt Trails. Saturday dinner andSunday breakfast will be pot-luck. INFO: Kerry Snow([email protected]) 301/570-0596.


Shaver Hollow, VAHave you ever wondered how the second floor joistscould be installed in a log cabin without stickingthrough the walls like most of them do? Anothermystery solved! Come see how we do it at Tulip Treecabin. INFO: Charlie Graf 410/757-6053.



FORECAST27 (Tuesday)

MEETING - Shenandoah MountainRescue Group

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:30 p.m. Meet in conference room. INFO: MartinJuenge ([email protected]) 703/255-5034 thenpress 5.

28 (Wednesday)` HIKE - Easy HikersCedarville State Forest, MDA 5-mile circuit; mostly fairly level. From Beltway exit7, go southeast on Branch Ave (MD 5) 11.8 miles toCedarville Road (which is 2.2 miles beyond the junc-tion of MD 5 and US 301); turn left (east) 2.4 miles toBee Oak Road; turn right to state police office. Meet-ing in parking lot there at 10 a.m. INFO: HenryShryock 202/479-4130 or Pauline LeMarie 202/484-2966.

31 (Saturday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - Maryland Suburban DistrictCabin John Trail, MDJoin us for completing tread rebuilding or to relo-cate a section of the Cabin John Trail. Bring water,lunch and gloves. Meet at 9:30 a.m. in the parkinglot just off Democracy Boulevard, near Montgom-ery Mall. Sign up and INFO: Liles Creighton 410/573-0067.


Round Hill, VAWhat good is sitting at home in your room? If youcan swing a hammer, drive a wheelbarrow or carrya rock, you can make a positive contribution to theAppalachian Trail. The Blackburn project has only afew more trips in 1998—don’t let the year end with-out getting in on the fun. Call to spend your Satur-day making the Trail happen. INFO: Chris Brunton703/560-8070, Bruce Clendaniel 410/820-7550 orGeorge Still 703/425-3884.

November1 (Sunday)DEADLINE - December Potomac AppalachianHeadquarters, Vienna, VA5:00 p.m. All items for the next issue of the PATC news-letter must be submitted on disk if possible to head-quarters, or via e-mail or e-mail attachment [email protected]. Allow one week for postalservice delivery.

3 (Tuesday) MEETING - Trail Patrol

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:30 p.m. Trail Patrol volunteers are PATC’s good willtrail ambassadors to the hiking public. They providea visible, reassuring presence on the trails, educat-ing the public on good hiking practices, minimumimpact hiking and camping ethics. Patrol membersare trained in land navigation, emergency proce-dures, radio communications and personal equip-ment. All patrol volunteers are also expected to be-come certified in a recognized basic first aid course.Some equipment and uniform items are providedupon completion of training. INFO: John Moore([email protected]) 703/368-1952 or see PATC’swebsite (http://patc.simplenet.com/patrol.html)

5 (Thursday) MEETING - New Members

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:30 p.m. Thrills and chills abound as hikes, cabins,excursions, and special events are stripped of secrecyfor interested, new, and not-so-new Club members.Just show up or phone ahead. INFO: Lisa Still([email protected]) 703/425-3884.

7 (Saturday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - South MountaineersAppalachian Trail, MDJoin the stalwarts of the South Mountaineers Trail Crewas they make the Trail in Maryland the best it can be.Bring water, lunch and gloves. 9 a.m. in FrederickCounty, MD. INFO: Rick Canter ([email protected])301/924-4942.

7 (Saturday)` CLASS/HIKE - Outdoor Leadership Workshop & HikeNorth District, Shenandoah National Park, VAFor new and established outdoor leaders, this work-shop and day hike discusses leadership types, set-ting people up for success, and modeling behavior.It covers 8 miles and 1,500 feet of climb at a moder-ate pace in Shenandoah National Park! INFO: Chris-topher Tate 703/836-8905.

7 (Saturday)SKI FAIR - Ski Touring Section

Headquarters, Vienna, VANoon - 5 p.m. Free! Attractions for everyone, from thesimply curious to cross-country addicts: presentationson where to ski, how to start, equipment and cloth-ing; slide shows of cross country excursions in Norway,Colorado, Utah; ski swap (bring your used gear); andfirst chance to sign up for the new season’s ski trips.INFO: Dave Holton 202/364-7055 or Katherine Stentzel703/781-3249.

7 (Saturday)` HIKE - Half of MarylandAppalachian Trail, MDThis is a 19 mile hike from US 40 to Weverton on theAppalachian Trail. The pace will be fast so we canfinish by sunset, but we will take some time to enjoythe great views from Washington Monument andWeverton Cliffs. This will be a joint hike with the

Susquehanna AT Club. INFO: Rob Shaw ([email protected]) 717/697-4618 x233.


Shaver Hollow, VAWe are not completely depraved or deprived. Wehave a nice warm enclosed summer kitchen to takerefuge in if the weather gets too cold. We will workoutdoors all day putting up floor joists and, oh yes,the never ending hewing! Tulip Tree is even begin-ning to look like a cabin. It has doors and windowsand the second floor joists are going in now. Nextwill be one more course of logs and then therafters...that is after we hew them! INFO: CharlieGraf 410/757-6053.

7 - 8 (Saturday - Sunday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - North ChapterAppalachian Trail, PAMeet at US 30 and PA 233 at the parking lot ofCaledonia State Park. Departure 9:00 a.m. sharp.INFO: Charlie Irvin 301/447-2848.

9 (Monday) MEETING - Shenandoah MountainRescue Group

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:30 p.m. New members meeting. INFO: MartinJuenge ([email protected]) 703/255-5034 thenpress 5.

10 (Tuesday) MEETING - PATC Council

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:00 p.m. - sharp. The PATC Council meets the sec-ond Tuesday of every month to conduct businessof the Club. All members are welcome, but mem-bers wishing to address the Council should call twoweeks prior to the meeting in order to be includedon the meeting agenda. INFO: Wilson Riley([email protected]) 703/242-0693 x11.

11 (Wednesday) MEETING - Mountaineering Section

Headquarters, Vienna, VA8:00 p.m. Second Wednesday of every month. INFO:Tony Sanders 202/362-3819 or see PATC’s website(http://patc.simplenet.com/mtn_sect/)

Tails from the Woods by George Walters


PATC In the News

FORECAST14 (Saturday)` HIKE - North Chapter Tuscarora Trail Series #II-6GWNF, VAWaite’s Run Rd. (forest service road) to Van BurenFurnace (VA Rte. 713). 8.9 difficult miles with an el-evation change of 1500 ft. INFO: Chris Firme, 717/765-4833 after 5:30 p.m.

14 (Saturday)` HIKE - Natural History Geology Central District,Shenandoah National Park, VATim Rose, geologist with the SmithsonianInstitution, joins Bob Pickett on a hike along theAppalachian Trail in the Stony Man/Hawksbillarea. We’ll cover approximately seven miles.Learn about the geology and the natural historyof the region on this moderate hike. INFO: BobPickett 301/681-1511.

14 (Saturday)CLASS - Outdoor Leadership/Wilderness

Risk ManagementREI, Bailey’s Crossroads, VA10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. This seminar will cover con-cepts and protocols that assist in planning and run-ning outdoor trips and activities, safety manage-ment and risk assessment. It will also introduce par-ticipants to preventive search and rescue, time con-trol, confrontation and intervention techniques, andsetting people up for success. This is an excellentclass for outdoor club members, youth leaders andany outdoor enthusiast. Christopher Tate, Directorof the Wilderness Safety Council, conducts the semi-nar. The fee is $60 and includes course materialsand a copy of Outdoor Leadership, by John Gra-ham. Space is limited. Register early. INFO: REI Cus-tomer Service 703/379-9400 or 301/982-9681.

14 (Saturday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - North ChapterTuscarora Trail, PAFor meeting place and other details, call Charlie Irvin,301/447-2848.

15 (Sunday)` HIKE - TRAIL PATROL TRAINING HIKEEver wondered what PATC’s Trail Patrol does? Now’syour chance to find out. Join Kumait Jawdat for aday hike to learn more about this important volun-teer opportunity. INFO: Kumait Jawdat 202/328-8137to reserve and get more information.

16 (Monday) MEETING - Conservation Committee

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:00 p.m. INFO: Mary Margaret Sloan 703/807-0746.

19 (Thursday)` HIKE - In-between Hikers FountainheadRegional Park

Fairfax, VAA moderate-to-fast 9 miles near the Occoquan Res-ervoir. Mostly hilly terrain. (PATC Wash. Region, Part B,plus). Depart from first parking lot on the right, off ofentrance road at 10 a.m. Bring lunch and water. Nopets. RSVP not required. INFO: Hank Comeau([email protected]) 703/451-7965.

21 (Saturday)}}}}} TRAIL WORK TRIP - South MountaineersAppalachian Trail, MD9 a.m. Rock and tread work will be on the agendafor this event. Learn how erosion control protects thetrail from gullying. Hike awhile and join in the funsocial atmosphere that is a South Mountaineers trail

event. Tools provided. Bring lunch, water, and gloves.INFO: Rick Canter ([email protected]) 301/924-4942.

21 (Saturday)` HIKE - Tuscarora Trail Series #7Hancock, MDA moderately paced hike of 16.2 miles on theTuscarora Trail between Hells Hill Trail and Camp HardyCounty Park. Elevation gain is 500 feet. A car shuttle isrequired. PATC map K. Meet at Vienna Metro, NutleyStreet North at 7:30 a.m. INFO: Jack 703/339-6716 orWilliam 703/256-6735.

21 - 22 (Saturday - Sunday)CLASS - Land NavigationBaileys Crossroads & Prince William Forest Park, VABack by popular demand. This comprehensive twoday course covers the skills necessary to use mapand compass in an integrated land navigation sys-tem, through classroom lecture and exercise, followedby a full day of field exercises on and off-trail in PrinceWilliam Forest Park. Participants will be taught to plotpositions by latitude and longitude and UTM coordi-nates; point and self-location techniques; topo-graphic map interpretation and terrain association;taking compass bearings; correcting for declination;and how to factor time and distance. The course feeis $60 and includes workbook text, course materials,compass, map and grid reader. Space is limited toensure individual attention. Register early! INFO: REICustomer Service 703/379-9400.


Shaver Hollow, VAWe are still hewing floor joists and wall logs and raftersbut the end is in sight ( two years down the road). Wehave dozens of interesting jobs to do this weekendbesides hewing. This beautiful work of art is takingshape. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join ourcrew in creating a beautiful structure from the rawmaterial that Mother Nature provides.INFO: Charlie Graf 410/757-6053.

24 (Tuesday) MEETING - Shenandoah MountainRescue Group

Headquarters, Vienna, VA7:30 p.m. Meet in conferenceroom. INFO: Martin Juenge(mjuenge @rpihq.com)703/255-5034then press 5.

The end of August proved to be an active time for PATC as it appeared in

the Washington Post in two different loca-tions. On August 21, the Trails Forum onthe PATC website (http://www.hypernews.org/HyperNews/get/trails/PATC.html) wascovered in the Weekend section in an articleentitled “www.worth it”. The article identi-fied PATC’s Trails Forum as “more up-to-date than many home-brewed, special-

interest Web pages and more focused and rel-evant than the average newsgroup.” Mean-while, PATC’s Director of AdministrationWilson Riley was quoted in the WashingtonPost Business section on August 24th in anarticle entitled “Outside Activities that Work.”The article discussed the value of showcasingoutside work activities on a resume and dur-ing job interviews. Wilson identified Clubactivities as a great way to develop skills. ❑

Towers Threaten Views: Can You Help?

Alocal provider is threatening to place alofty 220-foot telecommunications

tower with blinking lights along the Appa-lachian Trail (AT). District Manager ChrisBrunton and the Potomac Appalachian TrailClub (PATC) conservation committee havebeen actively pursuing alternatives to this in-trusion to the Trail.

The site, adjacent to Ashby Gap, lies withinClark County, VA. Nextel, the telecommu-nications provider, has shown some flexibil-

ity in considering alternative sites that wouldallow a smaller tower of approximately 50 feetto be placed at the Ashby Gap site. However,considering practicalities, the tower needs tobe of a sufficient height to allow its antennato function effectively. Another alternativemay be disguising the tower as a tree to fit inwith the surrounding foliage.

The Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) hasbeen following this tower issue closely, and ithas successfully resisted the placement of tow-

ers on other sections of the Trail. The NationalPark Service’s Appalachian Trail Park Officehas jurisdiction over the Ashby Gap site be-cause of the AT’s status as a National ScenicTrail. It is not the conservation committee’sposition to prevent these towers from beingplaced on the Trail; rather we would preferthat these towers be placed and designed insuch a way that they would not obstruct theviews that our members enjoy on a year-roundbasis. The conservation committee will con-tinue to monitor this situation closely.


Alphbetical by last name,it has the full addressand home phone of these long-term members,as well as their date of joining PATC. To cover thecost (photocopying and postage) for the 20-page list, send $1.00 and a self-addressedstamped envelope to Membership Coordinator,Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, 118 Park Street,SE, Vienna, VA 22180. Mailing will be done the firstof next month.

THE INTERNET SERVICES COMMITTEE is searchingfor an individual interested in doing two smallvideo authoring projects for the PATC website.The goal is to develop two short streaming videomovies that will appear on PATC’s opening page.Interested individuals should have a video cam-era, computer, and video authoring tools thatproduce content that can be viewed withoutexternal plug-ins (such as Real Audio G2). Con-tact Andy Hiltz ([email protected]) 703/764-0121.

WANTED: Hiking partner to do the Maryland sec-tion of the Appalachian Trail in four 12 mile longsegments from Pen Mar, MD to Harpers Ferry, WV.The series of hikes would be done sometime inthe fall during a Saturday.Section 1—would be from Pen Mar to StateRoute 77.Section 2—would be from State Route 77 toWashington Monument State Park.Section 3—would be from Washington Monu-ment State Park to Gathland State Park atCrampton’s Gap.Section 4—would be from Gathland State Parkat Crampton’s Gap to the U.S. Route 340 bridgeat Harpers Ferry.

The mileage may vary. If you are interested,Please either call me, Dave Lepkowski, at (703)758-9721 or Email me at [email protected]

PATC SHELTER LOOKING FOR OVERSEER: The PATCshelters committee is presently seeking an over-seer for the Hightop Hut shelter located in theSouth District of the Shenandoah National Park.If interested, Please contact John Andrews [email protected] or call 703-938-0349.

Notices are published free of charge for PATCmembers only. PATC cannot vouch for any ofthe advertised items. No commercial adver-tisement or personal notices unrelated to hik-ing will be accepted. Deadline for inclusion isthe first day of the month preceding issuanceof the newsletter. PLEASE let us know when yournotice is no longer applicable.

NOTICESNOTICESNOTICESNOTICESNOTICESDEAF TRAIL WORKERS. PATC’s Massanutten Crewhas an interpreter who will volunteer her time ifthere are deaf members who want to maintaintrails with us. We work the second Saturday of themonth. Call a week ahead so that we can sendour usual newcomer material about what to ex-pect on a work trip. Interpreter: Kelli Watts 202/543-4618 (tty). Crew leader: Wil Kohlbrenner: 540/477-2971 (relay).

The PATC store would like to ask our members fortheir opinion. We would like to have your sugges-tions as to what you would like to see availablefor sale in our store. You can send your sugges-tions to the PATC Headquarters to the attentionof Maureen Estes, Sales Coordinator. We appre-ciate your feedback and hope to receive somehelpful suggestions.

PATC SHELTER LOOKING FOR OVERSEER: The PATCShelters Committee is presently seeking an over-seer for the BOONE RUN Shelter located inGeorge Washington National Forrest. If inter-ested, Please contact John Andrews [email protected] or call 703-938-0349.

PATC MEDICAL COMMITTEE Looking for HelpNewly-appointed medical committee chair forPATC needs assistance with computer presenta-tions for wilderness medicine classes. Will work atPATC HQ in Vienna. No equipment needed - justsome time and expertise with computers. Call Dr.John McNamara at 703/528-4519.

HEADQUARTERS HOUSE COMMITTEE FORMING.Take Pride in Your Club! We’re looking for a fewgood volunteers to form a Headquarters HouseCommittee to monitor conditions and undertakeminor maintenance projects in the Vienna Head-quarters building. INFO: Warren Sharp, 703/242-0693, x-11.

NEW MEMBERS MEETINGS are hosted the firstThursday of each month at PATC Headquarters.If you’re new to PATC, the meeting is a great op-portunity to find out about club activities andmeet some of the folks who lead these activi-ties. Check the Forecast for specific meetingtimes.

SHENANDOAH RIVER LAND/ BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINLAND 10.19 acres of wooded land for sale, 557 ft.frontage on the Shenandoah River with naturalcanoe put-in, in Jefferson County West VA, 90 min-utes from the DC area. Birds, wildflowers, views,great retreat abutting a 500 acre rolling pasture,$69,900. Contact Anne McCormick (owner) 505/624-2434 or Cricket Morgan, agent for Greg DidenRealtors, 304/876-6400, evenings 304/725-6670.

NOT INTERESTED IN WORKING OUTDOORS? PATC hasa continuous need for Headquarters Volunteerswilling to help out with a variety of tasks — frommanning the sales desk in the evening, to providingtyping or office support. It takes a lot more than trailworkers to keep the Club going! INFO: Wilson Riley([email protected]) 703/242-0693, Ext. 11.

PATC OVERSEERS get BIG discounts from the follow-ing merchants who support our volunteer programs:-Blue Ridge Mountain Sports (Charlottesville/Tide-water)-20% -Hudson Trail Outfitters (DC Metro Re-gion) 15% -The Trailhouse (Frederick, MD) 15% -Ca-sual Adventures (Arlington, VA) 10% -Campmor(Mail Order via PATC HQ) 10% Check the backpage of the PA for the latest trail, cabin, and shel-ter overseer opportunities. And all PATC membersreceive a 10% discount from Blue Ridge MountainSports. Be sure to have your membership ID or over-seer ID ready when you shop.

SHENANDOAH MOUNTAIN RESCUE GROUP (SMRG)is seeking people interested in wilderness searchand rescue. New member orientation meetings areheld every month at PATC headquarters. NO EX-PERIENCE IS NECESSARY. INFO: Martin Juenge 703/255-5034, then press #5.

TOOL ROOM VOLUNTEERS NEEDED to help sharpenand maintain tools at PATC Headquarters. INFO: PeteGatje 703/242-0693 x13.

SITTING AT HOME ON A RAINY SUNDAY? Why not stopby PATC Headquarters for the monthly Sunday at theClub — great slide shows and fascinating stories?INFO: Lisa Still ([email protected]) 703/425-3884.

PURE MAPLE SYRUP. PATC Life Member relocatedto the Berkshires makes his own. A quart shippedwithin the USA is $18.00, and makes a perfect gift.Contact me for a brochure. Tom McCrumm, 755Watson-Spruce Corner Road, Ashfield, Massachu-setts 01330, (413) 628-3268.

PHOTOGRAPHS NEEDED. Pictures taken on any of thehikes in Hikes in the Washington Region: Part C. Thisincludes hikes in Rock Creek Park, Dumbarton Oaks,Theodore Roosevelt Island, Glover Archbold, NationalArboretum, Doncaster, Cedarville, Myrtle Grove,Piscataway, Cosca, Jug Bay, Watkins Regional Park,and Calvert Cliffs. New edition being prepared forrelease this fall. Contact Jean Golightly @[email protected] or call 703-591-9363.

TO LONGTIME MEMBERS—A number of you have re-quested an updated club membership directory. Forvarious reasons, it seems impractical to produce one.However, a directory, limited to the members whojoined between 1927 and 1981 has been produced.

Wave Of The FutureDuring the past year, the PATC has becomeincreasingly concerned with the rapid construc-tion of communications towers in general, andin particular with those related to new “wire-less” cellular and PCS communications. Oneof the premier values of the AT experience is avisual landscape that is largely unspoiled by man-made structures, and new telecommunicationstowers have the potential to impact these values

dramatically. The National League of Cities es-timates that there will be well over 100,000 newtelecom towers built in the next three yearsalone. With their limited range and need to bewithin line of sight of each other, these towersseriously threaten the visual landscape as viewedfrom the Trail.

We Need AdvocatesRight now, PATC and the ATC are lookingfor a network of volunteers who can serve as

our “eyes and ears” in each county and mu-nicipality along the Trail who are capable ofserving as informed advocates to ensure thatany proposed tower facilities do not unrea-sonably impact Trail values. The ATC is ask-ing each Trail-maintaining club to designateone or more individuals in the organizationsto serve as a contact and as liaison with localplanning jurisdictions to assist the ATC andour regional office staff in monitoring any

See Towers, page 14

Towers, continued from page 12


PATC Annual Meeting

How do you cap the end of another suc-cessful year for the PATC? Well, for

starters you could combine the Club’s busi-ness meeting with an election of officers for1999, and see what has been happening inPATC this year, awards presentations for 1998super achievers, a buffet-style dinner.

In fact, that is precisely how PATC plans tousher out 1998 and introduce 1999 at theAnnual Meeting scheduled for Friday, No-vember 6 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. The meet-ing will be held in Elk’s Lodge #2188 at 8421Arlington Boulevard in Fairfax, Virginia.

The evening will open with a cash bar offer-ing beer and wine beginning at 6:30. A buf-fet dinner will follow from 7:30 to 8:30. Theevening’s entertainment is provided by theOpus String Quartet featuring local violinistand PATC member Laura Horstkamp.

From 8:30 to 10:00 official Club business willbe transacted before your very eyes, high-

lighted by election of 1999 Club officers.Annual club awards will also be presented.From 10 to 10:30 a wind-up and socialgoodbye period will close the evening. Ad-mission will run $16 per person (to defraythe cost of dinner).

To reach Elk’s Lodge #2188 by Metro, sim-ply take the Orange Line to Dunn LoringStation. Shuttle drivers will meet you at theSouth parking lot to deliver you to (and bringyou from) the meeting. Drivers will find theElks Lodge on the south side of Route 50(Arlington Boulevard) between Gallows Roadand Prosperity Avenue. From the Beltway takethe Arlington Boulevard Exit (exit 8) West.

Volunteers of all types (shuttle drivers, enter-tainers, etc.) are needed for this event. Pleasetelephone Lisa Still at (703) 425-3884 or e-mail [email protected]. To attend please fill outthe enclosed RSVP form and mail to PATC;Attn: Annual Meeting, Regina Garnett; 188Park Street SE; Vienna, Virginia 22180.

Name______________________________

Number in party_________________

Address________________________

___________________________________________

______________________________

Phone______________________

Please enclose $16.00 per adult for

dinner.

Mail to:Potomac Appalachian Trail ClubAttn: Annual Meeting Regina Garnett118 Park Street SEVienna, Virginia 22180

RSVP BY October 31, 1998

BECAUSE PATC PAYS FOR DINNERS IN ADVANCE, NO REFUNDS AFTER OCTOBER 31, 1998.

PATC ANNUAL MEETINGREGISTRATION FORM

To Members Who Are Coming to the Annual Meeting

We need your help for the upcomingannual meeting on the evening of

November 6. There may be a need for somepeople to come to the event by way of theMetrorail. Therefore, we need a couple ofwilling volunteers to do some shuttling ser-vice for about a half hour before the meeting

begins. These same people would be neededto then transport these people back to theMetro station at the close of the evening. Ifyou can help us in this way, please call PatFankhauser, Membership/Cabins Coordina-tor at 703/242-0693, Ext. 17 between nowand 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 5th.

Memories of Jones Mountain Cabin

Editor’s Note: Richard Wilkinson, the author of“Vacationing Volunteers Clear Jones MountainTrails,” in the August 1998 PA, received the fol-lowing note from a reader with fond memories.

Iread with delight, yet with a tear in myeye, your article “Vacationing Volunteers

Clear Jones Mountain Trails.” In the 70’s mylate husband, two young sons, and I hikedthe “official” and “unofficial” trails into JonesMountain many times. The oak rocker,which may or may not be still in use, waspacked in by my husband in the early 80’swhen we returned with older children andanother family, who was eager to “meet” thecabin we so loved.

The description of the “rebuilding of thespringbox” is what has precipitated this note,however. I know that in the 90’s, spring boxesand the like may be necessary, but some of uswill delight in memories of collecting carafes(yes, left-over from joyous gatherings) of wa-ter so cold they would collect condensationon them when placed on the dining table.The water fell along a chestnut log that webelieved had been hollowed out by HarveyNichols himself. Thank you to you and allthose that continue to make it possible forother young families to make priceless memo-ries at Jones Mountain Cabin. ❑

—Lea Fischbach

proposed towers likely to impact the Trail. Theseindividuals will in essence be lobbyists to pro-mote the adoption of appropriate land-use con-trols and regulatory procedures governing tele-communications facilities. Once you stellar in-dividuals are identified, you will be providedwith a packet of information that will assist youin developing a thorough understanding of is-sues related to telecommunications facilities andoptions available for minimizing adverse impactson our beloved Trail.

The good news is that experience has shownthat when trail groups get involved, telecom-munications companies are willing to workwith them and attempt to accommodate theirconcerns. Of course, some companies maytake more prodding than others.

The tower at Ashby Gap is a good exampleof how hikers—by working directly with thecompany—got a tower reduced from 220 feetwith blinking lights to 50 feet with no lights.

If you would like to get involved with the tele-communications towers issue as a contact-liai-son in your county or with the ConservationCommittee, please contact Mary MargaretSloan at 703-807-0746. ❑

–Todd Birkenruth

Towers, from page 13


Long-Time PATC Member Moves West

It felt like Old Home Week at HermitageCabin in Michaux State Forest on Aug. 21,

when one of North Chapter’s founding fel-lows, Elizabeth Johnston, came to call. Forthose of you who didn’t know Elizabeth whenshe served not only North, but the whole ofthe Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC),Elizabeth was one of the “old-timers.” She andseveral other old-timers, including CharlieIrvin (boy, I hope he doesn’t read this!), liter-ally began the North Chapter in 1985, andshe is a life member of PATC. In addition tohundreds of hours of trailwork, Elizabethdevoted her energy and intelligence to PATC’sbehind-the-scenes leadership.

After the death of her husband last year, Eliza-beth decided to move closer to her daughterand grandchildren in Missoula, MT. She andan Audobon Society member, ShirleyFenstemacher, turned Elizabeth’s move thispast spring into a bird-watching road tripthrough the Dakotas, (the Bad Lands, etc.).

Before she left on her westward trek, how-ever, Elizabeth stayed at Hermitage one Fri-day night and took a short hike Saturday af-

ternoon with friends, thanks to an invitationby North Chapter Secretary and memberKathy Seiler. A pot-luck dinner Friday nightgave those of us who participated—myself,Kathy, Charlie, North Chapter PresidentSteve Koeppen and his wonderful wife, Tess,North Chapter Hike Coordinator ChrisFirme and new KTA Secretary-wife, Beth, andPennsylvania ridge runner Joe LaRue—achance to catch up on the whirlwind adven-tures of this Grande Dame of hiking.

Not surprisingly, Elizabeth, now in her newhome in Montana, has not been sitting infront of her four picture windows facing themountains all day long by herself. In addi-tion to spending some quality time with thegrandkids, Elizabeth has joined what she callsan “old-lady hiking club,” where one of thesenior members, in her 80s, “can really hoofit!” according to Elizabeth.

An avid bird watcher, Elizabeth has joinedthe local Audobon Club, attended events atthe nearby University of Montana’s studenttheater, visited local national parks, and be-come involved in a church.

This summer, she and Kathy Seiler visitedGlacier National Park. In the next fewmonths, Elizabeth will be visiting the PacificOcean and its coastline for the first time. Herdaughter is planning a sabbatical next yearfrom work, so Elizabeth looks forward to evenmore time with her family. Elizabeth says she’sgetting pretty settled, but still misses herfriends here. She enjoys being close to thewonderful backcountry of Montana. Thewildlife is a little less shy than it is out East,she reports. Two recent attacks on small chil-dren by mountain lions have made local par-ents careful about leaving the kids outsidealone, she relates. She does not have her e-mail up and running yet, due to some tele-phone cable problems, but will let SteveKoeppen know when she’s ready to keep intouch with all of her connected PATC friends.

Elizabeth continues to give her friends anappreciation for “wherever the trail may leadyou.” We hope she wanders back into ourneck of the woods again sometime soon! ❑

—Diana Heim, North Chapter

Map ‘Committee’ Chair Speaks Up PATC Interviews Its Master Mapper

Dave Pierce, a professional cartographer withthe National Imagery and Mapping Agency,Department of Defense, was interviewed abouthis volunteer activities as Map Chair for PATC.He has been at this helm since 1993. Duringthis time he has overseen 29 revisions or reprintsactions resulting in the production of over245,000 map copies.

Dave, who makes up the mapcommittee?

Most of our PATC committees are truly agroup of persons meeting and working to-gether to achieve a common goal. Consider-ing that definition, then, technically I’m acommittee of one person. I rather believe I’mmore like a conductor. I have lots of personscontributing to specific activities, all indepen-dent of each other, but timed by my direc-tion. Among these persons are PATC head-quarters staff and various committees, parkor forest officials, cartographic and print con-tractors, and most importantly of all, a largegroup of PATC volunteers. It is these volun-

teers, to whom I assign tasks, that serve asmy eyes roving the forests. The volunteerscontribute 80 percent of the changes thateventually end up in each map revision. Theother 20 percent come from my own fieldresearch and visits to park or forest staff.

What are the major events inrevising a hiking map?

The first decision is predicting when the ex-isting map supply is going to reach zerostockage. Nine to twelve months prior to thatpoint I’ll review the scope of problems alreadyknown about the map. If I need major fieldresearch, I’ll line up people to scout out spe-cific trails. If the map is mature in its infor-mation, I may spot check a few trails. I alsotouch base with the appropriate park or for-est rangers. Many times these officials haveinformation about trails or park conditionsthat will allow the park or forest visitors bet-ter enjoy their hike. About four months priorto printing I’ll have the printer obtain thenecessary map stock from a national distribu-

tor. If a map revision is appropriate, ratherthan a reprint, I hand draw the changes ontoa master overlay transparency. I give the trans-parency, plus written specifications, to a car-tographic contractor. The contractor updatescompilation materials and provides me a fullsize negative for each ink color. Lastly, aboutthree weeks prior to the scheduled print date,I deliver the negatives to the printer.

What’s the difference between arevision and reprint?

A reprint means the map’s information con-tent is basically current and accurate. “Accu-rate” means the line work or symbology iswithin the locational tolerance allowed by themap scale. Of course my dream is to have allthe PATC maps that perfect. The produc-tion effort would be a piece of cake. The firstaction would be for me to budget the neces-sary money. The second action would be totake the print negatives to the printer. Thethird action is go hiking for fun. The reality

Continued on page 16


is that something always needs changing ona map. If it’s not the currency or accuracyfactors that mandate a change, there’s alwaysthe desire to add more information or stan-dardize some bit of symbology. A revisionmeans there are information content changesthat improve the map’s worth to the hiker.

I’ve had many people tell me how great ourmaps are for hiking. If this is true, whatneeds to be changed in our maps?

Don’t be fooled by the color and immensedetail of our maps. In my initial three yearsas map chair I had to make up for many yearsof benign neglect in the total map informa-tion content. As a professional cartographer,I look at the total image of the map and notjust the wiggly lines representing trail loca-tions. Every piece of text, symbology, linework, or color, tries to convey informationand therefore is eligible for improvement.During the 1980’s each edition reasonably up-dated the portrayal of the Appalachian Trail.On the other hand, the map revisers did notgive sufficient attention to the overall infor-mation content; i.e., boundaries, public roads,side trails, park or forest features, etc. Mybiggest problem during my first revisions wasto stop collecting change ideas—they weretoo plentiful— and commit the manuscriptto the press.

Are the map changes very noticeable?

Yes, and no. For example, with the 1997edition of Map J and K (Tuscarora Trail inPennsylvania), or the 1998 edition of Map 7(AT from the Potomac River south to VA-7),there were dramatic changes in the colors,specifications, or layout over the previousedition. Then again, on other maps, such asthe 1997 revision of Map 10 (Central Dis-trict of Shenandoan National Park) youwould have to study the map very closely tofind the 238 changes.

How do map users know they have the mostrecent revision?

That’s my favorite issue. Thanks for asking.Revisions result in the edition number in-creasing by “1” and the revision year beingchanged. These two items appear in the titleblock of our maps. To find out which edi-tion is most current, call the PATC sales of-fice and ask the sales desk volunteer, or findthe same information on PATC’s web site.Since I time my print deliveries for the samemonth the former edition hits zero stockage,

we usually start marketing the new map im-mediately.

Can’t a hiker find the same edition infor-mation at a commercial outlet?

If you are buying a PATC product from acommercial retailer, then use a little caution.The retailers, who market 95 percent of ourmaps, typically sell all of their existing stockbefore ordering more from PATC. We don’toffer refunds on returns of outdated editions.For most retailers, this means every three orfour years, they’ll have an “old” map on theirshelf for six to nine months after PATC be-gins selling the “newer” edition.

How much volunteer time goes into a maprevision?

Some of my revision projects have entailedchanging over 400 items of symbology or tex-tual information. In those cases, I’ve con-tributed 80 to 100 hours of my evening andweekend time over 12 months. On top ofthat, perhaps 10 to 12 field volunteers haveeach spent a day, or more, hiking assignedtrails. If it weren’t for this volunteer contri-bution of time, our hiking maps would bemuch more expensive to produce and cer-tainly not as profitable for the Club. Recently,I’ve started getting a second or third look atsome of our maps and I’m glad to find theneed for changes tapering towards zero. Onlyjust this year was I sufficiently satisfied witha map that I chose to reprint the map in or-der to replenish our dwindling stock ratherthan revise it.

How many map copies do you print for eachedition?

As a business decision, I print enough mapcopies to last 3 to 5 years of projected sales.Our sales rate ranges from 600 copies per yearon our less popular maps to over 8,000 cop-ies per year for out most popular map. There-fore, the print runs vary from 3,000 to 24,000copies. My minimum quantity is 3,000 cop-ies. While this quantity on our less popularmaps may take 5 years to sell, were I to printless, say 2,000 copies, the per-copy cost wouldnot represent any significant savings.

Why do you print enough copies for just 3years of sales?

This forces PATC to have an opportunity toperiodically revise the map. Early on, I hadto replace some maps that were 20 years old.

These maps bothered me because a consumercould have rightly questioned the currencyof the map information. If we had seriouscompetition, we would have been out of themarket. If I print enough copies for just twoyears of sales, the production cost per copywould be more expensive. On the oppositeside, if I print enough copies for 10 years ofsales I reduce the cost per copy but then wehave excess capital tied up in the warehouseinventory and PATC risks having an agingproduct.

How are the maps produced? Are the maps“digitized”?

PATC maps use conventional cartographiccompilation techniques. This means nega-tive engraving methods (hand-drawn crafts-manship) and wax-backed photographic textstrips rubbed onto a clear transparency. Thetechniques may be 60 years old, but they arestill economical. Considering our limitedproduct line and sales volume, PATC wouldhave difficulty in amortizing the start up costsrequired in switching to a professional Geo-graphic Information System. By retainingconventional cartographic techniques I cando some of the changes myself. If the work istoo complex or if the work load is too great, Icontract the cartographic work to a retired,now self-employed, (read “economical”) car-tographer. On the other hand, I have startedusing some computer-assisted methods. Icompose textual material on a computer atthe PATC office in Vienna. The printoutsare essentially photoready. Small graphicssuch as the trail profiles and area enlargementsare done on my home computer using anAdobe Illustrator graphics application withinput from a 12"x12" digitizing tablet. Mybest enlargements to date appear on the 1998edition of Map 7.

What has been your best contribution to thePATC mapping program?

I’d like to believe it has been the AT elevationprofiles. These drawings were not revised inolder editions for many reasons. The previ-ous altimetry survey results were not avail-able. It is difficult to perform new surveys.Lastly, you can’t simply revise a small part ofa profile drawing. The graphic must be com-pletely redrawn. When done by a contrac-tor, drawing of a profile is expensive. I foundsome maps had trail profiles that were overtwo miles different in length than the corre-sponding guide book distances! Over the pastfive years, I’ve surveyed over 500 miles of trail


for PATC. This took 1 to 2 hours per mile ifI combine on-site survey time and computerkeystroking time back home. I record mysurvey information in a spreadsheet file. Ishare this information with the guide bookeditors. My profile graphics are computer-drawn “line charts” enhanced through agraphic application. The results enable meto produce cost-free, photoready artwork.Best of all, a new drawing, due to a trail relo-cation is now easy since I’m modifying a digi-tal image. An example is the Maryland ATprofile on the 1998 Map 5-6. The new pro-file, necessary because of 3 recent trail relo-cations, took me 8 hours to survey and draw.The original profile, back in 1995, took meover 80 hours to survey and draw.

Why do you contribute so much of your time?

I accomplish every aspect of map production.That’s a challenge I would not be allowed to

take on in a large map firm, let alone in thegovernment agency where I work. For ex-ample, I plan long range strategy, revise speci-fications, and collect source information. Ido actual field surveys, task others to con-duct field work, submit budget requests, actas a contracting agent, and help in productsales and marketing. I talk with dozens ofusers for quality evaluations, meet many dedi-cated rangers whose park or forest we are “ad-vertising” to the public, make productiondecisions, and compose photoready artwork.Another challenge: can I reasonably accom-plish all of those independent activities andhave time left over for home and family ac-tivities. I hope my wife agrees that I do! Whycontribute so much time? Well, it provides agood excuse to go hiking. What other rea-son could a PATC member want? Seriously,I enjoy knowing that the information I pro-vide allows many persons to safely enjoy hik-ing. That’s my reward.

Dave, thank you for your contributions toPATC. How may other Club members helpwith a map revision project?

I maintain a mailing list of those PATC mem-bers who want to help on a project. Periodi-cally, I mail out a list of projects and ask forcommitments. The next letter is due out nextmonth. Leave your name at the Club, andI’ll respond. One doesn’t have to be a “car-tographer.” Rather, I need persons who canobserve their surroundings while hiking, ordriving to a trailhead, and ask themselves ifthe map is doing the best it can in portrayingwhat they’re seeing given the map’s scale andsymbology limitations. All I need back arestubby pencil suggestions. I do the technicalwork. Lastly, one doesn’t have to be a projectvolunteer. As many persons have found out,if they identify a map error, they’ll receive acomplimentary map of the next edition. ❑

The PATC In Wartime—Part 2

As the nation entered into the war on afull-time basis, the great Civilian Con-

servation Corps program was shut down.Thus, the help the Club had received fromthis group in Shenandoah National Park wascut off. These men were needed in the armedservices, and programs like the CCC wereno longer needed to employ young men.There were job openings everywhere as menwere drafted into the services.

By autumn of 1942, the Federal Governmentplaced two camps of Conscientious Objec-tors in Shenandoah National Park, givingthese men the same work the CCC had done.Using these men who refused to serve in anyarmed capacity the Park Service revived theprogram of trail maintenance on the ATwithin the Park. The Government had sanc-tioned maintenance of the Trail. Knowing itwould disappear if not kept up, the NPS putthe COs to work on it, so the Trail would beopen for Army training, fire trails, or recre-ation for all.

The PATC began to rent trucks for worktrips. These open trucks, (no roof on theback) could hold up to 30 workers. A coregroup of repeaters grew up, with a waitinglist of members to take any openings in itsranks. Almost two-thirds of the workers werewomen. True, they were not as strong as menwere, and some very heavy work was left un-done if not enough men came out, but the

ladies showed qualities of desire, initiative,stamina, and tenacity, and they got most ofthe work done. Bill Mersch headed up thecommittee for these trips and was a big helpto the Supervisor of Trails, Frank Schairer.In early 1943, Frank was forced to resign hisposition in the Club. He was now a hus-band and father. He was very much into hiswork of discovering new metal alloys for thegun barrels of the nation’s armed forces, andthis took a lot of time and some travel. Hesucceeded in this work and was well recog-nized by both the U.S.A. and its Allies forhis valuable contribution.

Locally, the Club several times held hikes onnights of the full moon, going to Rock CreekPark and the grounds of The Soldiers’ Homein the District of Columbia. No reservationswere needed; just show up with adequateclothing, a canteen and maybe a light mid-night lunch, and walk with your Club friends!This custom proved to be very popular, andmemories of these hikes lasted a long time.

Excursions were more difficult to carry out.Trips were made to South Mountain by busor to Harpers Ferry by the B and O Rail-road. One could hike from South MountainTavern as far as one’s speed and staminawould allow, but the last bus left the Tavernfor Washington at 5 P.M. The same sort ofhike could be held from the train depot atHarpers Ferry, with the knowledge there were

later trains coming through for Union Sta-tion. Though all public vehicles were crowdedin the war years, these trips were run a num-ber of times and were well-attended. Therewere a few other trips like this, to places thatthe extensive rail and bus network then inexistence allowed. There was no leisurely mealat a roadside restaurant, and, more importantfor tired hikers, no guarantee of a seat on thetrip back. Many of these dedicated hikers said,after the war, that these trips were good. Therewas fresh air and exercise, being outdoors,which was what the Club members wanted.They were used to early departures on week-end trips and also late returns, but in this time,schedules must be kept, as commercial trans-portation would not wait. PATC, in late 1942,settled on a once-a-month excursion sched-ule for the next three years, and pretty muchkept to it, at least until 1944.

The Club sponsored work trips two or threetimes each month from late 1942 on untilthe war’s end. It was able to keep somewhatto this plan, though not always. A truck wasrented for each one, if possible. At times twoor three members used their autos for a worktrip. Gas rationing boards in the D.C. areawould give a member an extra coupon or twofor a trail-clearing trip. Federal authoritiesnever hindered or were critical of these worktrips. It had been recognized that the AT wasa national asset, and as such, should be pre-

See Wartime, page 18


Volunteers - Appointed in August

Answer:Hawksbill Mountain in ShenandoahNational Park.

Trail OverseersBill & Carol Jones AT- Pine Grove Furnace to Woodrow RoadMike Karpie AT- Spitler Knoll Overlook to Fishers GapJim & Marth Dow Laurel Prong TrailEdgar & Nanako Snow Passamaquoddy TrailMalcolm Davis Corbin Cabin Cutoff TrailBob Pruess Mill Prong TrailRalph Monaco Ridge TrailLisa Still Fishers Hill Loop TrailAdam Parascandola Valley Trail - Military Road to Boundary Bridge

served. It had no high priority, but work onit was allowed and assisted a little.

For cabin maintenance inside the SNP, therewas an alternate way. One could take a busor train to Luray, Virginia. There one couldget transportation to some of the cabins atestablished rates. The information availableis somewhat sketchy. The Arcade Cab Com-pany in Luray sent a rate sheet to the Club!It charged $2.50 to Meadow Spring, $3.00to Range View, $4.00 to Rock Spring and$6.50 to Pocosin, but it is not known nowwhether this was per person or per trip, nomatter how many riders. It also is not knownwhether or not such trips were ever made,though there are sketchy rumors that such atrip or maybe two were made using the Ar-cade Cab Company. If these rates seem ri-diculously low, prices and wages were such thata family of three could get by with five or sixdollars for groceries each week, if frugal, andthe wage scale was such as to make that neces-sary. Very little inflation, as is known today,occurred during World War Two.

The old PATC tradition of going on the tripregardless of what the weather was had to bebent occasionally if not broken. If the weatherwas so bad as to affect the ability of people towork, or make travel so slow as to impact onthe time spent working, the trip was can-celled. There was no point making a trip tothe Trail just to be there, if it would result inlittle or no real work. Such a trip would wastetime, energy, money, gas and rubber.

Though President Schmeckebier and otherClub members who held high-placed Gov-ernment jobs supposedly had some clout,they were not able to secure any charteredbuses for Club trips after the autumn of 1942.They made strong representations to theOffice of Defense Transportation, but theymade no headway in their requests for buses.The AT wss not that important in the bigpicture. It was to the PATC, though, and theClub was forced to concentrate its resourcesof all sorts to keep the work trips going. Thus,excursions were scaled back even more, andsome months went by without one.

Work on the Trail was done at Raven RockHollow in the fall of 1943, trail being cleared

on both sides of that boulder. Another trucktrip was made, like the Raven Rock Hollowhad been, to blaze and clear trail from AshbyGap to Manassas Gap. As these trips contin-ued into winter, there was a memorable one in20 degree Fahrenheit temperature in an opentruck. With over 25 workers in the back, legswere often tangled, and as they became frozen,one had difficulty locating one’s own limbs.

No scouting trips were made, for any reason.Trips just went out, assuming that workneeded to be done after an elapse of severalmonths or a year, according to past knowl-edge about the area. Resources could not bewasted on scouting. There were a number ofClub members who had not been out, so a

new workers’ list was made up in early 1944.It may have been thought that others couldor should share the fun of these work jaunts,or perhaps a few really felt they had done theirpart for a while.

A bright spot in the picture was created whenthe first permanent Club office was opened.Employer’s offices had been used until thistime1 but in 1943, three rooms were rentedat 808-17th Street, N.W., and were givengood furniture and a good appearance, andkept clean and orderly. The volunteer work-ers who administered the PATC found thiswas a big help in the evenings.

(To be continued)–Dave Bates

Wartime, from page 17

15th Annual PIG ROAST

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7 is the date forthe 15th annual Pig Roast at the Blackburn

Trail Center. This will be our traditional “RickPig and Tim Rahn” Cuban style roast pig withblack beans and cold beer. If you have seen Rickand Tim operate before, then we know you willbe back. If you have not, then make sure youget in on this once a year special event.

Inspect the Blackburn construction job thatyou have been reading about and meet some

of the construction crew. Because of the con-struction work, inside bunk space is limitedbut we have plenty of tent sites. Just 45 milesWest of Tysons Corner this weekend event isa great way to spend a fall weekend. Meet oldfriends and make new ones. Families are es-pecially welcomed but please, no pets. Reser-vations are a must. Fill out your reservationand mail it with your check to Nancy. Forinfo call Chris at 703/560-8070 or Nancy at202/483-6992.

15th Annual Blackburn Pig RoastSaturday, November 7, 1998

Registration Form

Name: _________________________________________Address: _________________________________________Phone: (day)___________ (evening)____________________Number of reservations:_________ @ $20.00 eachAmount enclosed:______________

I will be bringing __________ children under 12 years of age (no charge for childrenunder 12)

Include a $20.00 payment per person for each reservation and mail to:Nancy Hughes, 2339 17TH. St., NW Washington, DC 20009

IMPORTANT: Please be sure to make your check payable to Nancy Hughes.


TRAILHEAD

It is October. The muggy, hazy days of sum-mer have given way to the sharp, clear days

of fall with its vibrant colors and cool, fresh air.What an incentive for overseers to check outtheir trail! The nettles and briars are dead ordying, and the leaves provide a nice crunchingsound. Speaking of leaves, the later part ofNovember and December is a good time to clearthe drains blocked by the fallen leaves beforethe winter snow and spring rains cause unneedederosion. This is especially true this year becausethe effort to quickly clear the ice storm damagefrom the trails resulted in debris being tossedinto the drains. Depending on your trail loca-tion, you may find the effort to clear the debrismay be more difficult than clearing the leavesand soil drainage.

Overseers are not the only creatures check-ing the trails. The bears in the SNP have beenvery active this year with a lot of sightingsreported. Overseers will notice this activityin the form of overturned rocks (especiallyrock water bars and drains) and the largeamount of scat on the trails.

This year’s overseer trail reports were due theend of September. Thanks for submittingyour reports. With two months to go, vol-unteer hours were already 20% ahead of theprevious year’s total and could be a record pacefor PATC. The increased hours were due inpart to the effort early in the year to clear theice storm damage and the resulting explosionof weeds during the summer.

The SNP North District’s loss is CentralDistrict’s gain as C. T. Campbell is now thePark Service Trails Crew Chief for the Cen-tral District. I wonder if he will take the Stihl044 with him? North District overseers arelooking forward to working with a long-timefriend and Park Service trail worker, DonHarvey, and his crew.

As of September 1st, our PATC trail crewshave completed six successful weeks of trailwork supporting the USFS and NPS. TheMassarock Crew did outstanding work ontrail construction in the Massanuttens for theUSFS for two weeks during mid-June. Dur-ing the first four weeks of August, our SNPtrail crews repaired and upgraded trails in theSNP South and Central districts for the NPS.Schairer Trail Center was used to house thecrews working in the SNP South District andWhite Oak Cabin was used to support the

Central District crews. Pete Gatje, Supervi-sor of Trails, indicates that from all reportsthe crews have done a great job and enjoyedthe experience.

After two trips in August, the Cadillac Crew’sTuscarora (Big Blue North) relocation projectis within a couple hundred yards of the Vir-ginia/West Virginia state line and is approach-ing the PATC property on Shockeys Knob. AlRogers says the crew should celebrate with achampagne toast when they reach the state line.It has only taken three seasons. A special thanksto Don Nykum for repairing the crumblingceiling in the Brill Cabin, our home away fromhome on work trips. Cutting new trail on therocky slopes of the knob has been a real chal-lenge and each trip means a further hike in withthe tools to get to the work site. If you need agood physical challenge, there are several workstrips remaining this year.

Twelve crew members showed up for theHoodlums Cajun Weekend. I am not sure ifthey showed up for the work or for JohnMcCrae’s jerked chicken at the Indian RunCafe. With twelve workers, two crews wereorganized. George Walters took one groupto work the AT south of Elkwallow wheremany drains and check dams were con-structed on the steep trail that approaches theridge above Jeremys Run. Bernie Stalmanntook the other group to clear sections of theOverall Run - Tuscarora Trail. Thanks to anovercast sky, a normally hot day was madebearable. By the way, the chicken was worththe effort.

The brand-new Massanutten Crew has averagedover ten workers per trip in its first four out-ings. The crew is rebuilding a section of the oldGlass House Trail laid out many years ago as anarrow, steep footpath for renters of PATC’sGlass House. The trail crosses two ravines onits way to the Tuscarora. With years of neglect,and increasing horse and mountain bike traffic,the tread had collapsed into the ravines. Thechallenge of building multi-use tread on steepslopes has kept the crew busy learning every skillfrom pinning logs to dirt mining. WillKohlbrenner thanks the many crew memberswho keep coming back for more, and welcomesany new recruits.

In July, the Blue and White Crew worked onthe Cedar Run Trail, a wilderness-designatedtrail in SNP where power tools are not al-

lowed. Hikers had reported an old growthblowdown that was blocking the trail at twolocations (across a switchback). The crewhauled a large two-man crosscut down to thefallen tree and dispatched it with gusto. Thecrew welcomed a new member, Mr. A. V.Dove, who contributed strong muscles andsome sage advice. Mr. Dove was largely re-sponsible for re-opening the Lower StauntonRiver trail last summer. After clearing theblowdown, the crew cooled off in a deep poolon Cedar Run and spent the rest of the dayweeding and clearing waterbars. The crewplans to revisit Cedar Run in the near futureto do treadway repairs and waterbar rehabili-tation.

For an Eagle Scout project, seventeen scoutsand adult leaders installed sixteen locust logsteps on a steep section of the Northern Vir-ginia AT north of Fent Wiley Hollow. ChrisBrunton appreciated their help on a sectionlong overdue rehabilitation. Chris would alsolike to invite overseers interested in learningtechniques to control erosion to come andsee an ATC work crew tackle an erosion prob-lem on the AT near Buzzard Hill. The worktrip is scheduled for Oct. 15-19. Call Chrisat (703) 560-8070 for additional details.

Looking for a few good trail overseers. FourAT sections in the Northern Virginia-SouthDistrict (Route 50 to SNP) are immediatelyavailable to dedicated PATC volunteers in-terested in advancing the Club’s primary ob-jective - stewardship of the Appalachian Trail.All sections are in the heart of Virginia’s appleand wine region and are approximately a milein length with easy access from I-66 in Lin-den or Route 522 in Front Royal. Severalsections are part of the original AT blazed bythe PATC in the late 1920’s. The sectionsare: Pipeline to Davenport Meadow (1.20miles); Denton Shelter to Power line (1.20miles); Waterline to Bear Hollow Creek (.90miles); and Bear Hollow Creek to Route 522(0.80 miles). See PATC Map 8 for details. Ifinterested, contact Ed McKnew at 540/622-6004 or [email protected].

And there was the story about “ChicagoGrace.” Entries in the register at GravelSprings Hut in the SNP complained aboutthe deer eating hiker’s clothes and carryingoff walking sticks. One hiker mentioned see-ing a deer munching on a black bra. My

See Trailhead, page 20


POTOMAC APPALACHIAN

(USPS-440-280) © 1998, PotomacAppalachian Trail Club, Inc.

Published monthly by the PotomacAppalachian Trail Club, 118 ParkStreet, S. E., Vienna, VA 22180.

Periodical class postage paid atVienna, VA. Postmaster: Sendaddress changes to PotomacAppalachian Trail Club, 118 ParkStreet, S.E., Vienna, VA 22180.

Subscription: $6.00 annually; $.50single copies.

The Potomac Appalachian118 Park Street, S.E.Vienna, VA 22180-4609

PeriodicalPostage

PAIDVienna, VA

Telephone: 703/242-0315Mon.-Thurs. 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.Thurs. & Fri. 12:00 noon - 2:00 p.m.

TRAIL OVERSEERS WANTEDTrail Overseer Openings September 2, 1998. Contact the District Manager for the region that interests you.

VIRGINIA NORTH AT (Map #7 & 8)[CALL CHRIS BRUNTON AT 703/560-8070]

Appalachian TrailLoudoun Heights Trail to Gov. Stevenson Junction [.40 miles]

____________________________VIRGINIA SOUTH AT (Maps # 8 & 9)

NEW AT SECTIONS[CALL ED MCKNEW AT 540/622-6004 OR

HEIDI FORREST AT 703/242-0693 x 12]Appalachian Trail

Pipeline to the Davenport Meadow [1.2 miles] Appalachian Trail

South end of the waterline to Bear Hollow Creek [0.9miles]Appalachian Trail

Bear Hollow Creek to Route 522 [0.8miles]____________________________

SNP CENTRAL AT & BLUE-BLAZE (Map # 10)[CALL KERRY SNOW AT 301/570-0596]

Powell Mountain TrailHazeltop Ridge Overlook to VA 759 [3.00 miles]

MASSANUTTEN SOUTH (Map # H)[CALL BILL SCHMIDT AT 301/585-2477]

Massanutten Mountain South TrailTV Tower Road (FR375) to Pitt Spring [3.4 miles]

Massanutten Mountain South TrailPitt Spring to Morgan Run Trail [3.3 miles]

Morgan Run TrailCub Run Rd. to Massanutten Mt. South Trail [1.4 miles]

Second Mountain TrailBoone Run Trail to Kaylor Knob [1.1 miles]

___________________________TUSCARORA BLUE - SOUTH (MAPS # 9, F, G & H

[CALL RICK RHOADS AT 703/239-0965]Tuscarora Trail

US 340 to SNP boundary [1.10 miles]Tuscarora Trail

Glass House Trail to Elizabeth Furnace [2.20 miles]Tuscarora Trail

White Rocks Trail to Cedar Creek [2.70 miles]Tuscarora Trail

Waites Run Road to Mill Mountain Trail

companion’s comment was that these hik-ers have been on the trail too long. Thatwas until we met Grace at Rock Spring Hut.Grace is from Chicago and had decided tospend a week hiking SNP trails in lieu of atrip to the Amazon (but that is anotherstory). In evening discussions, she relatedthe incident she had the previous night.While in her tent, she heard a noise andlooked out to see a deer munching on hersweaty underpants left to dry on the tent. A

shout, a rock thrown at the deer had no ef-fect as it stood nearby staring like a rabbitmunching on lettuce. We could only surmisethat the deer have discovered another sourceof salt for their diet.

Future Trailhead articles will feature each ofthe trail crews to provide detail on their back-ground, areas of expertise, and philosophy.For those interested in working with any ofthe trail crews, see the PA Forecast section forwork trip dates and points of contact.

The Trailhead editor welcomes input from allthat help to maintain PATC trails. Please sendany interesting tale, technical advice, individualor group accomplishments, and trail mainte-nance questions to Trailhead, c/o Jon Rindt,7861 Colonial Village Row, Annandale, VA22003 or to [email protected] ❑

Trailhead, from page 19

Documents

ISSN 098-8154 The Potomac AppalachianPotomac Appalachian 1 The Potomac Appalachian The Newsletter of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club 118 Park Street. S.E., Vienna, VA 22180-4609