WO NALAN CET OUT DOOR CLUBNewsletter June 1999

FREDERIC L. STEELE SCA TRAIL CREW1984. Five of the six on the Committeewere WODC members.

Recently, rereading Club minutes of thepast, I noted that as Trails Chairman Fredserved for a longer time than any othermember of record. Those were the dayswhen the Chairman was also the principaltrails worker. He, aided by his wife andchildren, wielded the axe, crosscut saw,and clippers; painted the signs and blazes,and wrote out longhand or on thetypewriter all correspondence and reports.

Frederic L. Steele

In mid-May 1999, a longtime andfaithful member of d!e WODC, FredericL. Steele of Tamworth, passed away. Fredwas a Club officer for over two decades,serving as Trails Chairman for fourteenyears (1953-1967) and as Vice-Presidentfor three.

Fred was born in Tamworth, and beganhis schooling in a one room schoolhouseon Great Hill. He graduated from PhillipsExeter Academy in 1929, and fromHarvard University Cum Laude in1933. Before serving in d!e ArmySignal Corps during WWII he taughtat Ashburnham School inMassachusetts.

For over 35 years he taught scienceand mad!ematics at St. Mary's in d!eMountains School, now the WhiteMountain School, in Littleton, NH.Throughout his years he touched d!elives of many students, instilling anappreciation of d!e natural world.

Fred was an accomplished botanistand aud!or of several excellent papers~d books: Trees and Shrubs ofNorthern New England; A BeginnersGuide to the Trees and Shrubs ofNorthern New England,. AtTimberline, A Nature Guide to theMountains of the Northeast; and EarlyDays in Tamworth. He was anauthority on d!e alpine flora of Mt.Washington. On at least two occasionsFred led memorable natural historyhikes for WODC, one to Head! PondBog in Ossipee and anod!er on Mt.Wonalancet during which he pointed outand desl,'ribed d!e affects of altitude asseen in variations of plant growd! and

development.

After retirement Fred was active wid!d!e Audubon Society of New Hampshire,d!e Society for the Protection of NHForests, and the Chocorua LakeConservation Foundation. He was anactive member of d!e Sandwich RangeWilderness Committee appointed by d!eSPNHF, and played a significant role indetermining d!e boundaries of d!e areasubsequently protected by Congress in

Of courne he was well paid! In 1962 Fredreceived $151..50 for 101 hours of trailwork and supplies". His son Nat worked781/2 hours at 50e per hour for $39.25,and son Ben 681/2 hourn at 25e for a totalpay of $17.25. Membership dues in thatyear were $2.00 each.

My earliest memory of Fred was of thetrail reports he presented at the AnnualMeetings. His sparkling eyes and dry witwere classic. At the 1958 meeting, "Therewere no accidents this year , but a minormishap occurred the day we decided togive my young son a taste of trailclearing. (Continued on Page 4)

We are off on a new venture! Duringrecent years WODC has hired theSandwich Range Conservation Association(SRCA) to do major trail work. SRCAwas recendy dissolved, so we faced thedilemma of finding a new crew.Fortunately, we learned of an organizationentided the Student ConservationAssociation (SCA, easily confused withSRCA) that operates a ResourceAssistance Program offering opportunities

for people 18 years and older to spenda summer working and learning withan environmental or resourcemanagement organization. SCAworkers are true volunteers -theyreceive only a $50 per week stipendfor food, plus free housing and busfare. The Randolph Mountain Club(RMC) uses SCA volunteers for oneof its trail crews, and finds theexperience valuable.

Our need is for a crew of at leastfive able and strong people to workfor about eleven weeks during thecoming summer -the largest crewwe have ever assembled. Through theenergetic efforts of our TrailsCommittee, a crew has been hired -

four are volunteers from SCA. Theexperience we've gained in the processof hiring will simplify preparations forfuture years, should the Club decideto undertake restoration projects onother trails.

The WODC is responsible for theC()St of crew housing, plus $1600 pervolunteer to cover other expenses asoudined above. In addition to being lessexpensive than hiring traditionalemployees, this arrangement allows us toprovide a valuable learning experience tocollege age people who are interested inexploring careers in outdoor andenvironmental fields, while upholding theWODC volunteer heritage.

The crew will be led by Eric Flood,who was recommended to us by the RMC.Eric has a BA in Recreation Management,and a strong interest in Leave No Tracecamping and Wilderness. He worked forthe RMC last year, and has done trailwork

Caring for the Sandwich Range since 1892

intriguing. Those selected are availableduring our 11 week program, and havestrong backgrounds and experience relatedto our project. We will be welcoming thefollowing crew members:

Zachary Hasse is from West Virginia.He is 19 years old, and has just completedhis second year of college at theUniversity of Pittsburgh, majoring inbiology and English. He has worked as anemergency room intern, as a carpenter,and with Habitat for Humanity. Hisoutdoor activities include backpacking,climbing, biking, and canoeing. He hasFirst Aid certification.

Olivia Lester is from Utah. She is 18years old and will begin college at theUniversity of Utah in the fall. She hasworked for the city council Public WorksDepartment in Brigham City, and heractivities include basketball, track,photography, tutoring, Audubon S()Ciety,the Environmental Club, Symphony,Museum of Art, and other groups. She hasmade several lengthy canoe andbackpacking trips, and has led youthgroups and helped with ftrst aid classes.

Daesha Ramachandran is from NewJersey. She is 18 years old and will take a

The Newsletter is published twil:e each year bythe Wonalancet Out Door Club. The mailin2address is:

WODC Newsletter EditorUC 64 Box 5Wonalanl:et, NU 03897

'fhe Editor enl:ourages members and interestedreaders to submit material for use in future issues.Articles, poems, drawings, comments, I:ritidsm..,!;uggestions, are well:omed.

The WODC Web site address is

http:llwww.wodl:.org

year off before her college studies. Heractivities include modem dance, acting,

swimming, basketball, lacrosse, ropescourse, camp co\UlSelling, and as prefectfor freshman girls.

Jonathan Segev is from California. Heis 19 years old and has fInished his fIrstyear at the University of California,majoring in computer engineering. He haslived a number of years in Israel, and hasworked for a catering company andrestaurant. His activities include drama,backpacking, swimming, and working as acamp co\UlSellor .

We encourage all Club members to meetthe crew and extend a hearty welcome.We feel certain that home cooked foodand entertainment will be muchappreciated by them. Their telephonenumber in Wonalancet is 323- 7064, or youcan visit them on Walden Trail Saturdaythrough Tuesday of most weeks. Hike upOld Mast Road, then continue alongWalden Trail until you fmd them. Yourpresence will be much appreciated. Youare also invited to join us for the weeklySaturday pack-in to their camp site.

Judith Reardon

.

.

(Continued from Page 1 )

SCA TRAIL CREW

for the Androscoggin District of theWMNF. In the winter he teaches skiing atSunday River in Bethel, Maine. Ericarrived in Wonalancet on May 1 in orderto become familiar with the area and thetrails. In addition he will help prepare thecrew housing, generously made availableby Doug McVicar and Frumie Selchen.This excellent location, "Green Shutters"on Ferncroft Road, will be an enticementfor the crew members who will be comingfrom several sections of the country .

The SCA crew will arrive by June 10with the fIrst week spent in intensivetraining workshops. Actual work will runfrom Saturday June 19 throughWednesday August 25. The crew willspend each Saturday through Wednesdaycamped near the work on Walden Trail.This will allow them to do 4 112 to 5 daysof work for each hike in to Walden. Theywill return to clean and sharpen theirtools, and have three nights off inWonalancet.

We've selected applicants who areexperienced with lengthy hiking andcamping trips, and are involved inactivities that keep them physically fit.They have also expressed a strong interestin trail maintenance, back country patrol,and/or resource management. We reviewednearly 40 resumes, all impressive and

Summer Gatherings

At 7:00 P.M. Saturday July 10, Verna Jungels of the Audubon Society of New

Hampshire will present the program Moose to Mice at the Daniels' barn in NorthSandwich. The barn is located at 431 Chase Road, route 113A.

When most people think of wildlife, they think of mammals, and NH has many

fascinating species. Examine their adaptations to varying habitats, food needs,seasonal requirements, and behaviors. An assortment of skulls, bones, pelts, andmounted specimens will be used to compare different mammals and highlight theirsimilarities and differences. This program will be of great interest to children. Besure to bring them.

On Sunday August 15 at 7:00 P.M. in the Wonalancet Chapel, Peter Pohl theCarroll County Forester, will present a slide program entitled NU's Biodiversity.This program identifies unique ecosystems throughout the State and describes theirfragile nature and interrtlatedness.

Peter, in his role as County Forester, has provided guidance for 25 years to DickDaniels in the management of his Tree Farm. Dick will give a brief talk explaininghow timber and habitat management have changed the character of his land

A potluck supper will be held in the Grove beside the Wonalancet Chapelbeginning at 5:00 P.M. on Sunday August 22. All Club members and friends areencouraged to attend. If the past is any indication, there will be good food anddrink, pleasant fellowship and conversation. Bring a hearty appetite and a bowl of

your favorite recipe, hot or cold. Following the meal, the Annual Meeting will beheld in the Chapel.

.

Short driving a team she bred and trained

required his retirement from an active lifeas a research chemist. At the urging ofWalden, in January 1927 they moved toWonalancet and lived in a house acrossthe road from Wonalancet Farm. Therewas work at the Farm for both Short andMilton, for Walden was assembling dogs,drivers and equipment for the First ByrdAntarctic Expedition (BAEI). TheChinook Kennels was then located on thenorth side of Wonalancet Brook, behindWonalancet Farm. One hundred dogsparticipated in the Expedition, only part ofthose then training at the Kennels.

During the training period a needdeveloped for better rations for workingdogs. Milton, a trained and experiencedresearch chemist, studied the dieteticdemands of working dogs, and thendeveloped a food to fIll the need. In 1929when dIe BAEI sled dogs were held inquarantine on an island off the NewZealand coast the dogs were found to bein poor healdI. Believing an inadequatediet the cause, expedition leaders cabledMilton for his formula. A New Zealandfood plant operator lent his ovens, and intwo weeks twenty-five tons of Milton'spemmican biscuits were made. During therest of the expedition dIe dogs atepemmican biscuits, supplemented by sealand whale meat.

As soon as Arthur and the dogs left theIntervale for BAEI, the Seeleys' interestturned to the breeding of Alaskan dogs. Atthat time dIe Siberian Husky was dIe onlypurebred Eskimo dog recognized by theAmerican Kennel Club. The Seeleys fIrsttried breeding dogs similar to those drivenby dIe Malemute people, who occupiedthe Seward Peninsula and adjacent islandsin Bering StJ:"ait. They secured a malenamed Yukon Jad who was raised nearDawson in the Yukon Territory, and afemale, Bessie, who had been purchasedin Alaska. In 1929 they succeeded inproducing four sons of Yukon Jad andBessie, all with Alaskan Malamutecharacteristics. These four sons theynamed Gripp of Yukon, Tugg of Yukon,Kearsarge of Yukon, and Finn of Yukon.Gripp of Yukon in 1935 became the fIrstAmerican Kennel Club Alaskan MalamuteChampion, and the fIrst recorded registrantof the Malamute breed. The voice of Finnof Yukon became dIe "canine broadcaster"

from Little America in the Antarctic in1933. All four offspring participated in theSecond Byrd Antarctic Expedition

(BAEII).

Through the efforts of the Seeleys andother breeders, the American Kennel Clubofficially recognized the AlaskanMalamute as a breed in 1935. In April ofthat year the Alaskan Malamute Club ofAmerica was formed at the Seeley homein Wonalancet; Milton was the firstpresident, and Eva the se~Tetary .Eva andMilton helped revive the New EnglandSled Dog Club founded by Walden in1924, and the Siberian Husky Club ofAmerica.

The Seeleys purchased Walden'sChinook Kennels in 1933, and moved thekennels to the current site on the southside of State Route 113A. The kennelsproperty consisted of 50 acres on whichthe Seeleys built a log cabin house andseveral other log cabin style shelters andpens, and dog sled trails. A large field wascleared to the south of the house wheredrivers and trainers tented duringpreparation for subsequent expeditions.

The Chinook Kennels trained andfurnished dogs and drivers for severalexpeditions including the first, second, andthird Byrd Antarctic Expeditions, theArmy's Search and Rescue Arctic

EV A & MIL TON SEELEY

There are many names associated withthe dogs of Wonalancet, none moreimportant than those of Eva and MiltonSeeley. Their influence upon sled dogracing was strong and permanent, largelybecause of their work improving andstandardizing the breeding of SiberianHuskies and Alaskan Malamutes, andEva's complete devotion to everything shedid.

It was Arthur Walden's fame thatbrought the Seeleys to Wonalancet. Theyheard of Walden and Chinook for the firsttime during the winter of 1923 while Eva,

frequently called "Short" due to her smallsize, was organizing a winter carnival inher hometown of Worcester,Massachusetts. At that time she read anewspaper account of a winter festival inGorham, NH at which Arthur Waldenshowed his team of sled dogs. Short knewpeople would be interested in havingWalden and Chinook at the Worcesterevent, so she phoned Walden. It took littleinducement to persuade him to attend.

Short had her first dog sled ride at theWorcester carnival.

"The trails were on the golf links. Atone point, a cat scooted across the trailimmediately in front of the dogs, anddisappeared into a clump of trees.Chinook and his eight team matesimmediately took off after the cat.Walden quickly overthrew the sled.This probably saved me from injury ,but Walden did injure severely onehand. I was thrilled by the ride, and Ibegan immediately to make plans tovisit Wonalancet."

She visited in Wonalancet later thatwinter, and had several long dog sledrides. She later stated, "My future in sled

dogs began right there."

In 1923 Eva was a young woman of 32years, a graduate of Sargent College. InMay of 1924 she married Milton Seeley;they celebrated their honeymoon atWonalancet Farm. It was soon apparentthat Milton too was fascinated byWalden's dogs.

Early in their married life theydiscovered Milton had an illness that

[;J 4

Olympics held at Lake Placid. Althoughnot a winner in the latter, she was the onlywoman driver in the event.

"I drove a team of Malamutes. I knewI wouldn't win because they're not asstrong or as fast as Huskies, but Iwanted to show how manageable theycould be."

Short was inducted into the Mushers'Hall of Fame in Knik Alaska, andposthumously given the honorary NumberOne position at the 1987 Iditarod TrailSled Dog Race. This is memorialized on agranite block at the roadside historic siteon the Chinook Trail in Wonalancet. Thissite was dedicated in October 1988

Division, the Army's North Europeancampaign of World War II, the FinnRonne Expedition of 1947, and OperationDeep Freeze of the InternationalGeophysical Year in 1955. About 200dogs were trained in Wonalancet for each.

Milton died in 1945 following a longperiod of failing health. His death was aloss felt by the whole community andextending beyond dog sled people. He wasuniversally admired and loved. An

obituary reads,

"The community will never know howmuch it owed to him, because of hisreticent modesty the very strengthof his integrity caused him to be

Life was difficult for Short during herlast decade. She lacked fInancial resourcesto hire others to operate the kennels andwas physically unable to do the workherself. Her many friends helped as theywere able, but Short's independent spiritwas a barrier to accepting assistancegracefully. Her house and the ChinookKennels began to show signs ofdeterioration. She lost the ability to driveher car, and in 1983 suffered a stroke thatresulted in hospitalization. Mountingmedical bills resulted in the sale of thekennels.

Eva B. Seeley died on December 28,1985. She is buried next to Milton in theJewell Cemetery in the Albany section ofWonalancet Intervale.

George Zink

(Continued from Page I)

FREDERIC L. STEELE

Arriving at the top of Sandwich Dome atone dclock, we found we had omitted toput a lunch in the pack. There was a goodsupply of balsam trees, the inner bark ofwhich is said to be an

Short with Kotzebuhe and the Yukon pups

to appealto Alec Lincoln for part of his lunch." At

the 1962 meeting, "Every year the trailsare inspected by the Saco Office of theForest Service, and every year we get aletter of complaints on various matters,such as sanitation facilities at the camps,the condition of the ladders on Whiteface,etc. The letter this year was longer thanusual, so we took Mr. Archibald of theWMNF on an inspection trip up Whitefaceand cleared up many of the criticisms,pointing out, for instance, that the Rollins

Path which had been declared "t()()narrow" was wider than the FS trail upWhiteface, and that the lack of a sign atDowns Brook was their omission."

May our memories of Fred long bebright; we'll miss meeting him on themountains and in town.

through dIe joint efforts of dIe presentChinook Kennels property owner and theState of New Hampshire.

In later life Short was a frequent judgeat dog shows, especially in New Englandand dIe northeastern portion of dIe UnitedStates. She was an accredited AmericanKennel Club judge of dIe three Arctic sleddog breeds: Malamutes, Siberian Huskies,and Samoyeds.

Eva wrote two books, one for children in1930 entitled Chinook and His Family.The second, The Complete AlaskanMalamute, she wrote in 1976 widIMaxwell Riddle, an international dog

audIority.

George Zink

listened to. His mind was on the otherfellow's rights, not on his own -ongetting an opportlU1ity for some yOlU1gperson, on clearing up amislU1derstanding or stopping aninjurious rumor, on opening the roadsto justice, on making things easier for

people."

In addition to work with dogs, from1933-1945 Milton operated thehydroelectric plant on Wonalancet Brookthat provided electricity for homes andbarns of the lntervale.

Added to her work breeding and trainingsled dogs, Short participated in manyracing events including the 1933 Winter

AMC GUIDE REVIEW TRAILS REPORT:

SPRING 1999White Mountain Guide: Hiking Trails inthe White Mountain National Forest,26th edition, 1998 (Boston: AppalachianMountain Club Books, compiled andedited by Gene Daniell and Jon

Burroughs, $21.95).

Since 1907 when it was first published,many members and friends of WODChave considered AMCs White MountainGuide an essential companion on theirhikes. Its maps and narrative guidancecover the 52 miles of WODC maintainedtrails, all other WMNF trails in both NewHampshire and Maine, some of the majortrails outside the National Forest innorthern New Hampshire, and the entiretyof the Appalachian Trail and its side trailsin New Hampshire.

Some of the southern summits and areasin New Hampshire, like Cardigan,Monadnock and the Belknaps, have beenremoved, and will be covered in a newAMC Guide to Southern and Central NewHampshire, which should be in bookstoresby the time you read this review.

AMCs Guide has never been the modelof compactness and concision offered byWODC's own trail map and guide, but ofcourse its coverage is much moreambitious. Even for our local trails, thetwo are usefully complementary .

One's fl1'St impression of the new 26thedition of the Guide may be that it is bigand expensive. Its 5"x7" fornlat stretchesthe limits of a practical, packable trailguide. * In the six years between

publication of the 25th and 26th editionsthe price has risen from $16.95 to $21.95,a nearly 30% increase. You can get 20%off if you're an AMC member and buy itfrom them.

Despite these reservations (and a fewothers requiring more discussion than ashort review allows), the new Guide is aworthy purchase. It is a new edition, andseveral real improvements have beenmade. The descriptions of more than 500trails have been wholly updated. The topomaps and the typography of the bookitself have been thoroughly redesigned,making the whole significantly morereadable. If the new edition is bigger, it'snot significandy heavier. The relative

compactness of the previous edition cameat some cost in type size and clarity ofdesign, and it was in fact nearly 100 pageslonger than the new one.

The new maps included with the Guideare full-color digitized maps plotted withGlobal Positioning System (GPS)technology. In the fm;t printing of the newGuide there was a significant misprint inthe text indicating map scale on five ofthe six maps. The scale text on Maps #2

through #6 should read, "One inch equals1.5 miles" instead of "One inch equals 3!4mile." Scale text on Map #1 is correct as

printed: "One inch equals 3!4 mile." Thescale ratio of Map #1 is different fromthat used to draw maps 2 through 6, andthe Map #1 scale text was inadvertendyused on the other maps in that fm;tprinting. The scale ratio, scale bar andborder scale are correct on all maps.

Embarking on a hike without a reliablemap and trail guide is as unwise as takingoff with inadequate clothing and water.WODC's one page version is excellent,and tucks easily into a shirt or pantspocket. But if your planned hiking in theSandwich Range is likely to includenon- WODC trails with which you are notthoroughly familiar, the AMC Guide is animportant resource.

You can leave at home those maps youwon't be using. (Take a waterproof mapbag; unlike the WODC map, which isprinted on waterproof tyvek, the AMCmaps are paper.) If, in your pre-tripplanning, you have access to a photocopymachine and you're sure where you wantto go, make a copy of those few pages ofthe Guide describing the trails you intendto hike. Staple them together, fold theminto a small waterproof zip-lock bag, andleave the big book at home. If you followthis advice, however, don't change yourtrail plan mid-trip.

* Although AMC offered an arguable

defense of the larger size as a moreenvironmentally sound use of paper, itsprincipal rationale was commercial; largerbooks are more visible on retailers'bookshelves. The earlier, traditional sizewas 3-5!8" x 6".

At this writing we are preparing tolaunch a five person trail crew for a fullsummer of work on Walden Trail. Theobjective is to rectify major erosionproblems, as mandated by WODCmembers at the 1997 Annual Meeting. Inthe Spring of 1998 the WODC wasawarded a $9,800 grant from the NationalRecreational Trails Fund in support of thiswork. The grant is matched by acomparable value of volunteer time, tools,and financial support from the Club,bringing the total value of this project tojust under $20,000.

Although the restoration work wasexpected to be spread over two summers,the ice storm of 1998 caused a change inplans. In addition to the major effortrequired to clear storm damage fromtrails, there was a shortage of qualifiedcrew due to extensive cleanup operationsthroughout the State. When the heavyrains of June required a second wave ofemergency trail work, it became clear thatWalden restoration would have to bedelayed till 1999. Since our NRTA grantexpires in the Fall of 1999, it is alsonecessary that we complete the entireproject this season.

After a long winter of preparations, afive person trail crew is about to starteleven weeks of work on Walden Trail.(See separate article on our SCA l,'few.)While day-to-day work on the trail will beunder the direction of crew leader EricFlood, the Trails Committee has preparedan exciting week of workshops andtraining to get the crew off to a strongstart. These activities also offer anexcellent opportunity for all WODCadopters and volunteers to learn some newskills. Programs will include trail safety,wilderness first aid, Leave No Tracepractices, camping techniques, basic tooluse, and an advanced hoist & rigging

workshop.

All activities will be held at the summer

crew residence -last house on the leftbefore the Ferncroft Kiosk -and areopen to all. We will also welcome thecrew and kick off the week with a

John R. Boettiger

fabulous potluck supper at the Mersfelders'on Friday, June 11 th.

Since Walden Trail will be our primaryfocus this year, the Club will be dependenton its trail adopters for keeping trails openand well maintained. As always, please letus know if you need assistance. Trail workis always easier and more fun in a group,so don't hesitate to invite us.

That's not all for 1999. We've scheduledan overnight trip on the Kate SleeperTrail, a fun day with Trailwrights, plus aspecial project and potluck supper for NHTrails Day. Please see the adjacentschedule for details.

Finally, visit the WODC web site atwww .wodc.org for late-breaking news onall swnmer events. We also hope to postweekly dispatches and photos from theWalden crew, providing a personalperspective on their swnmer adventures,plus an opportunity for you tocommunicate with the crew. It's a greatway for members to participate in theswnmeI's activities, particularly if youcan't join us on the trail.

Peter Smart

MISSION STATEMENT

While the Executive Committee wasdiscussing fInancial planning for the Club,we decided it would be helpful to have amission statement. We debated whatshould be included in a mission statementand then investigated what historicdocuments had to say on the topic.

We discovered that Article 2 of theWODC Incorporation document, dated812611976, is a historic mission statement.The items the present ExecutiveCommittee suggested were very similar tothose in Article 2. It is gratifying to ,knowthat the philosophy of the Club remainsreasonably constant.

Article 2 of the Articles of Incorporationis as follows:

"The objects for which the corporationis established are for provision andcare of paths, trails and other facilitiesfor persons visiting the White

COMMOM MYTHSMountain National Forest and othermountain and forest lands; regardingthese lands, to promote theirconservation and the enforcement ofthe laws regarding their conservationand use, to promote communicationbetween their owners and the public onthese issues, and to promote discussionand education on all these matters; andfor the social recreation of thecorporation's members; no part of thecorporation's property shall benefit anymember or associate of thecooperation, or any private person,except for reasonable compensationpaid to employees or agents."

The above paragraph indicates that themission of the WODC is care of paths andtrails, care of other facilities (e.g. bridges,kiosk) promote conservation of theWMNF and other mountain and forestlands, promote the enforcement of thelaws regarding land conservation and use,promote communication between the landowners (e.g. private landowners andWMNF) and the public on issues ofconservation, land use, and conservationlaw enforceriietit,-pro1iI6te discussion andeducation on all these matters, and socialrecreation of the WODC membership.

Dick Daniels

FRIENDS OF THE

SANDWICH RANGE

In response to the U. S. Forest Service'sproposed Aigonquin Timber Sale inhistoric Sandwich Notch, a local citizens'group formed in 1998 to oppose the sale.

Calling themselves the "Friends of theSandwich Range" (FSR), they enlistedthe support of many others in theircommunities and saw their efforts

rewarded when, during the ForestService's road building moratorium, theAigonquin sale was postponed indefinitely.

The FSR then expanded their goals.They researched, inventoried, and mappedeight distinct desirable extensions to the

Sandwich Range Wilderness -the BlackMountain, Jennings Peak, Lost Pass, ScarRidge, Square Ledge, Mt. Paugus,Wonalancet, and Flat Mountain extensions.

The eight extensions to the SandwichRange Wilderness would improve itsbolU1dary .The current Wilderness area ispinched in, like a wasp's waist, while theideal shape to protect interior foresthabitat would be a circle. In addition, thecurrent Wilderness Area does not yetprotect some of the historical andrecreational resources valued by localresidents. Adding the proposed extensionlands would protect these area fromlogging, motorized recreation, and habitat

fragmentation.

FSR also seeks a changed managementarea designation for Sandwich Notch thatwould remove it from the timber base andprovide increased protection from heavyrecreational uses. Designating SandwichNotch a Historic Area would ensurepreservation and enjoyment of historicsites such as cellar holes, barnfolU1dations, mill sites, remnants of alogging railroad, camps, wells, and otherremains of a community that at its peak inthe mid-1840's comprised more than 40homes.

In the near tenn Friends of SandwichRange intends to participate in all steps ofthe White MolU1tain National ForestManagement Plan revision process. Itseeks to change the management areadesignations for each of the proposedextensions and for Sandwich Notch. FSR'slong-tenn goal is to extend the bolU1dariesof the Sandwich Range Wilderness.

If you want to know more about FSRand the proposed extensions, or if youwant to become involved, contact:

Fred Lavigne or Evelyn MacKinnon407 Diamond Ledge Rd.Center Sandwich, NH 03227Tel: (603) 284-6919 or E-Mail:

sr@hydrocad.net;

Note: Many members of FSR are alsomembers of WODC, but FSR isindependent of the WODC. The materialfor this article was extracted from FSRpublications/notes and does not representcurrent WODC policy or a decision of theExecutive Committee.

Dick Daniels

MYTH ONE: "There is no truewilderness in the eastern part of the

United States."

Response: There is no general agreementamong people as to what wilderness is.Wilderness is a concept, an idea; there areas many ideas of what wilderness is asthere are people. To a city dweller anylarge area of undeveloped land iswilderness. To the experienced explorer orscientist who has searched for a portion ofthe Earth where man's presence or culturehas not penetrated, there is no wildernessleft anywhere on Earth. No acre on thesurface of any continent or any sea hasescaped from man's activities. Plasticthrow-aways, oil drums, abandoned

vehicles, polluted air, polycWorinatedbiphenyls (PCB's) are found everywhereon Earth. In this sense there is no "true

wilderness" remaining.

For clarity it is necessary to distinguishbetween the concept of wilderness (printedin this paper with a small "w") that is

subjective -varying with each person'sexperience -and Wilderness (printed witha capital "W") that is designated as suchby an act of Congress. It is thesedesignated areas that are dealt with in thisarticle.

Congress has a special interest in easternportions of the United States, and in anAct of January 3, 1975 stated:

"Therefore, the Congress finds anddeclares that it is in the nationalinterest that these and similar areas inthe eastern half of the United States bepromptly designated as Wildernesswithin the National WildernessPreservation System, in order topreserve such areas as an enduringresource of wilderness which shall bemanaged to promote and perpetuate thewilderness character of the land and itsspecific values of solitude, physicaland mental challenge, scientific study,inspiration, and primitive recreation forthe benefit of all of the Americanpeople of present and future

generations."

There is designated Wilderness ineastern United States because Congress

has declared it. One of "these and similarareas" referred to above and established bythe 1975 Act was the area currentlyentitled the "Presidential Range-DryRiver Wilderness" in the White MountainNational Forest.

MYTH TWO: "Hunting and fishing areprohibited in Wilderness."

Response: This statement is false. Huntingand fishing are permitted in Wildernessareas.

A full response requires furtherclarification. The fISh and game laws ofthe State within which a Wilderness arealies apply. A hunter or fisherman musthave a State license, and obey the Stateregulations. The specific wording of theWilderness Act follows:

"Nothing in this Act shall be construedas affecting the jurisdiction orresponsibilities of the several Stateswith respect to wildlife and fish in thenational forests."

In addition, the hunter or fisherman mustcomply with all regulations of the federalagency within whose jurisdiction theWilderness occurs. For example, if in aperiod of high fire danger an area isclosed to Forest users, then sportsmenmust comply with the restriction.

MYTH THREE: Wilderness is a singleuse, not a multiple-use.

Response: The simple, straight-forwarddenial of Myth Three is found in theWilderness Act itself, (Section 4 (a) (1»:

"Nothing in this Act shall be deemedto be in interference with the purposefor which national forests areestablished as set forth in the Act ofJune 4, 1897 (30 Stat. 11), and theMultiple-Use Sustained- Yield Act ofJune 12, 1960 (74 Stat. 215)."

Congress has stated that Wildernessencompasses multiple-use. A morecomplete response follows, since noterm or concept used in discussions offorest management is more widelymisunderstood than that ofmultiple-use. Trained and experiencedForest managers themselves frequentlyfail to use the term properly.

cutting, motorized vehicles, and developedrecreation are not permitted.

Some uses are incompatible. Where roadbuilding takes place (for timbermanagement, developed campgrounds, orroadside recreation) the water resourcecannot be fully protected, and back countryrecreation is compromised.

Some typical uses within Wildernessareas are: wildlife protection, waterresource protection, back-countryrecreation, scientific study, hunting andfishing. Other uses such as temporarystructures and commercial services -

services generally offered by packers,outfitters, and guides -may be permittedunder some conditions. Because aWilderness serves many purposes, aWilderness is a multiple use area.

MYTH FOUR: Anyone intending toenter a Wilderness Area must fIrst securea permit.

Response: There is nothing in theWilderness Act that mandates permit use.This myth is based, locally, on the earlyexperiences of many users of the GreatGulf Wilderness in the WMNF prior to1984, and of some areas in a few westernStates. Further clarification of thisstatement is needed.

The Wilderness Act of 1964 is explicitin providing that each agencyadministering any area designated asWilderness shall be responsible formanaging the area. Since the present fiveWilderness areas of New Hampshire andMaine are within the WMNF boundaries,it is the WMNF that manages the areas.

Following congressional designation ofeach Wilderness, the Forest Serviceprepares a detailed plan which describeshow the area will be managed. Such aplan must be consistent with the wordingof the Wilderness Act, the terms of thespecific Act by which the Area wasestablished, and the interpretation of theseActs by the Department of Agriculture(Code of Federal Regulations Sections251.70 to 251.84). A management plan isbased upon the characteristics of thespecific area: its size and location, itstopography and terrain, the number ofpeople who can use the areas withoutinjuring the resource -its carrying

On a Forest Service sign as oneenters a National Forest one reads thewords "Land of Many Uses." Inessence, that is the significance of theconcept; a National Forest must bemanaged in such as way as to servemany uses. Forests are used for: cattlegrazing; timber harvesting; waterresources and protection; back countryrecreation (hiking, back-packing,camping in areas remote from roads);viewing natural scenery; wild lifeprotection (non-game as well as gamespecies, unique and endangeredspecies); hunting and fIShing; vehicledriving (automobiles and trucks,summer recreational vehicles (summerORV's), winter recreational vehicles(winter ORV's); scientific study;developed recreation (down hill skiing,cross country skiing, picnicking, ridinggondolas and other types of lift tomountain peaks); mineral development;commercial enterprises (horsebackriding, trips by mule and horse, raftingon rivers and lakes, trips led byguides); vacation homes. Each of theseuses takes place on some NationalForest, somewhere in the US. AllNational Forests must provide a mix ofvarious uses. That is the basicsignificance of the multiple-use policy;each National Forest must provide amix of uses.

All these uses need not take place oneach Forest. There is currently nocommercial mining on the WhiteMountain National Forest, nor are thereany grazing rights being utilized. Sincemany other uses do occur on WMNF,multiple use is being practiced.

Significantly, several uses need notoccur on the same piece of land. A sectionof Forest leased to an operator of analpine ski area is not also available fortimber harvest, or mineral development.Usually there is a principal use in anygiven section of Forest. For example, bothsides of the Kancamagus Highway areprotected from activities that wouldcompromise the visual quality of amotorist's experience. The principal use isthat of developed recreation. The principaluse of the Bowl Research Natural Area isscientific study; other uses such as timber

Response: This myth dies hard! TheWilderness Act is quite specific in statingthat the preservation of ecosystems is theprime objective. There may be recreation,but recreation is secondary to preservation.Wilderness is defmed by the Act (Sections2c) in such a way as to make it certainthat preservation of natural systems is

paramount." A wilderness, in contrast with those

areas where man and his own worksdominate the landscape, is herebyrecognized as an area where the earthand its community of life areuntrammeled by man, where man

(a) Natural ecological successionwill be allowed to operate freely tothe extent feasible.

(b ) Wilderness will be madeavailable for human use to theoptimum extent consistent with themaintenance of primitiveconditions.

(c) In resolving conflicts inresource use, wilderness values willbe dominant to the extent notlimited by the Wilderness Act,

subsequent establishing legislation,or the regulations in this part."

The intention of Congress is clear.Wilderness is primarily an act ofpreservation; recreation is not its prime

purpose.

In the Pacific Northwest the majorchallenge to Wilderness may come fromthe forest industry , in Alaska it may befrom oil exploration and development, inareas of the western u.s. it may be fromthe grazing and mining interests. In theWhite Mountains of New Hampshire andMaine, the principal challenge comes fromhigh recreational use, and misuse. In aregion of 70 million people within oneday's driving distance of the New Englandmountains, preservation of the lastremaining vestiges of wild country will

require \Ulderstanding, resolve, sacrifice,and a continued vigilance in support of theideals of this \Uliquely Americaninstitution

George Zink

Great Falls on Bennett Street Trail

capacity -, the traditional use patterns,and other factors.

The f1fSt Management Plan for GreatGulf Wilderness, released to the public in1975 specified a permit system in order"to maintain the wilderness resource andprovide a true wilderness experience." Theneed "to maintain the wilderness resource"was obvious since in excess of 25 ,000

persons per year were using the Gulf -anarea of only 5,552 acres. That was thehighest use per acre recorded for anyWilderness in the National WildernessPreservation System. The decision torequire permits was introduced in order tolimit the number of people using the area,and hence reduce or eliminate degradationof its wilderness qualities.

Preservation of its character is requiredby the wording of the Act (Section (4)

(b»:" each agency administering an area

designated as Wilderness shall beresponsible for preserving thewilderness character of the area andshall so administer such area for such--,-~ .-other purposes for which it may havebeen established as also to preserve itswilderness character."

In 1984, about ten years after thedecision to require permits, a study byWMNF concluded that the objectives to beachieved by a permit system in the GreatGulf Wilderness had been reached, andthat a permit for day and/or overnight useneed no longer be required. The permitrequirement was then withdrawn.

In summary , a permit requirement canbe imposed by the Forest Servicewhenever it is deemed necessary in orderto protect an area. But a permit system isnot a requirement in Wilderness, nor is thesystem in common use.

It is not unusual for the Forest Serviceto require permits whenever any sectionof the Forest is being degraded byover-use. For many years a permit wasrequired for over-night camping inTuckerman's Ravine even thoughTuckerman's is not in Wilderness.

MYTH FIVE: Wilderness is forrecreation.

FUNDRAISER UPDATE

Thanks to strong support from WODCmembers and friends, the end of theftmdraiser is close at hand. We only haveabout $2,000 left before we reach our$20,000 target. With a little luck we maybe able to conclude the campaign in timefor Annual Meeting.

Dues renewal; If you haven't alreadydone so, please remit your membershipdues for 1999. Membership levels are:Basic ($15), Steward ($25), Trail Blazer($50). Select whichever level works bestfor you. Contributions always welcome.

Tom Rogers

himself is a visitor who does notremain. An area of wilderness isfurther defmed to mean in this Act anarea of undeveloped Federal landretaining its primeval character andinfluence, without permanentimprovements or human habitations,which is protected and managed so asto preserve its natural conditions "

The Department of Agriculture underwhich the Forest Service functions, hasstated its objectives in administeringWilderness (Section 251.71 of Title 36,Code of Federal Regulations).

"To that end:

New WODC T -Shirts Now Available

The long-awaited new WODCT -shirts are now available. Afterexperimenting with other attractivedesigns, we determined that thedesign that would print best onT -shirts is the familiar logo fromthe WODC decal, depicting themountain view from Wonalancet.This is a change from the smallercircular design used in previousT-shirts.

OUT DOOR CLUBFOUNDED 1892

For the first time, T -shirts are available in either the traditional cotton or Coolmax fabric.Coolmax is a fabric which feels similar to cotton but which wicks away perspiration, making itcomfortable for trailwork. When the weather turns wet and chilly, wicking fabrics do not feelclammy like cotton, which can be a comfort and safety factor .

The T -shirts are short-sleeved, with the logo (blue sky and snow-covered mountains in white andblack) centered on the front of the shirt. The cotton T -shirt is heather grey, with the Club namein blue surrounding the logo. The Coolmax T -shirt is navy blue, with the Club name in white.They are different enough that everyone should own at least one of each!

Both shirts are available in medium, large, and extra large sizes. The medium size also fits mostchildren.

The T -shirts are in the process of being printed at Original Designs, in North Woodstock (nearLincoln, New Hampshire) and should be available by the time you read this. To order, pleasemail in the order form below.

WODC Merchandise Order Form

Please mail completed form and payment to:

WODC Member Services

HCR 64, Box 5

Wonalancet, NH 03897$5.00

$3.00

WODC Trail Map & Guide

WODC Patch

WODC heather grey I~~tt~; ;-~shi~t. a- -, I D Medium

D Large

D X-Larae

$14.00Phone:

WODC navy blueCoo/max T -Shirt

~0 Medium

0 Large

0 X-LarQe

$16.00

Name:

I Additional Contribution

Street:All prices include shipping Total Enclosed

City ,State,Zip'

Wonalancet Out Door Club