ADK Mohican Newsletter – March – May 2020
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MARCH – MAY 2020 Newsletter of the Mohican Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club Serving Westchester, Putnam, and Fairfield C o u n t i e s ...and Beyond From the Chair Notice of Annual Meeting “The times they are a-changing…” The annual meeting of Mohican ADK including election Hiking has changed a lot since I joined of officers will be held on Monday, April 27 at 6:00 pm at ADK in the early 1980’s. My early photos 634 Old Post Road, Bedford NY (Carol Harting’s office). show folks in cotton shorts, cotton t-shirts, flannel shirts, All are welcome--pizza supper will be provided. wool sweaters, and wool knee socks. Small daypacks without any waist belt or sternum strap, and external All current officers have agreed to serve another 2-year metal frame packs for overnights were the order of the term: Chair: Jane Smalley, Vice chair: Kathie Laug, day. Performance fabrics, trekking poles, GPS, Treasurer: Lisa Weismiller, and Secretary: Jean Dolen. Microspikes, bear canisters and hydration systems were At our December Holiday Party/Meeting, Rex Brown unknown. We signed up for hikes by telephone--at least was elected Director. The Director is our representative the answering machine had been invented! Newsletters to ADK general meetings in Lake George. and maps existed only on paper. When I look at those old photos (who remembers film Labor Day Weekend in Harriman cameras?), another obvious difference is that I and my State Park hiking companions were a lot younger! Long strenuous September 4-7, 2020 hikes over multiple days were a piece of cake and did not result in aches, pains, strains, and visits to the We have reserved the physical therapist or masseuse. Stone Lodge at the Stephen & Betsy With a younger population and not as many digital Corman AMC Outdoor distractions, meetings were well attended and members Center on Breakneck enthusiastically signed up to do trail work, become Pond in Harriman State chapter officers or contribute in other ways. Park for three nights-- September 4-7, 2020. Although many things have changed, Adirondack This is so close to Mountain Club is still going strong at almost 100 years home yet you feel like of age--protecting and advocating for New York State’s you are far from wild lands and waters and offering people opportunities civilization. The lodge to learn about and enjoy the outdoors. Our Mohican houses 12 people in 3 Chapter continues to offer a rich and varied schedule of bunk rooms and has a activities. A committed core group of leaders keep the full kitchen and 2 club functioning. Deep appreciation for the beauty of the bathrooms. The cost for natural world, friendships forged in pursuit of common the three nights would interests, the sense of accomplishment that comes from be $145/person, if we physical activity--all these remain constant. “The more have 12. We will each bring our own breakfast and lunch things change, the more they stay the same.” and contribute to potluck dinners. There will be led hikes Kathie Laug, Vice Chair and paddles plus the opportunity to do your own thing including just relax in the beautiful setting. Working for Wilderness 1 MARCH – MAY 2020 To pre-register, send your check in the amount of $75 have king beds made out to ADK Mohican to: Kathie Laug, 33 Vincent or 2 double Avenue Stamford, CT 06905. Money is refundable up to beds. Rooms in August 7; and then only refundable, if we find a the Main replacement. Building add a refrigerator, and Invitation from the WTA all have 2 Sunday, April 19, from 5-9 p.m. double beds instead of twins. There are other rooms as well with extra amenities. For more information about the different rooms, see the Thompson House website at: https://thompsonhouse.com. You are cordially invited to the WTA annual spring Taconic Crest Trail dinner at Casa Rina Restaurant, 886 Commerce Street Cumulative Summer Patch in Thornwood. For a fixed price of $30 including tax and tip, you can enjoy a complete dinner and choose I completed the 37-mile from: an appetizer, soup or salad; eleven different meat, Taconic Crest Trail on fish, chicken and vegetarian entrees; four different November 16th, and was desserts; and coffee, tea or soda with the meal. The club joined by Lisa Weismiller on is paying part of the beverage cost to keep the price at this beautiful day to be out on an even $30, and the only items not included are orders the trail—sunny and crystal from the bar. To see all the choices available, visit clear blue skies, cold www.casarinarestaurant.com and click on their “Sunday temperatures and even some thru Wednesday” menu. snow. The TCT extends from Rt. 20 in Hancock, MA, Please note that payment for the dinner must be less than 1 mi (1.6 km) east of received by April 15 --make your checks or money the NY border, north along the orders for $30 payable to Westchester Trails Pat at NY/MA border ridgecrest of the Taconic Association, and mail them to P.O. Box 736, White monument Range, first within MA, then Plains, NY 10602. weaving along the border of NY and MA, and NY and VT, and ending in Petersburgh, NY WTA Hiking Week in the Catskills near the VT border. Some highlights along the trail: the Friday, August 21-Friday, August 28 Snow Hole, which is where snow and ice persist in a 50-foot deep bedrock chasm throughout the hot and Please join us for our 2020 Hiking Week to be held at humid summertime; Berry Pond, the highest pond in MA the Thompson House in Windham, New York--a full at 2150 feet; and Berlin Mt.--the highest mountain at service resort in the heart of the Catskill Mountains with 2818 feet. The views at this time of year were plentiful swimming, fishing, tennis, mini-golf, nightly due to the absence of leaves on the trees. For my entertainment, and more; and, of course, great hiking in efforts, I received a TCT patch—I truly enjoy collecting the Catskills. Rooms range from “Traditional” to deluxe them; and if I decide to be more ambitious, I can always suites: the Traditional rooms have a TV, private go for the “Winter End-to-End” patch. bathroom, 1 full or queen bed or 2 twin beds, and most Submitted by Pat Johnston of these rooms also have a balcony. The Traditional Plus rooms add air-conditioning, and some rooms may Working for Wilderness 2 MARCH – MAY 2020 Historic Civil Rights Destinations September 2019 November 2019 Summitting Half Dome I drove to Alabama with another AMC friend to discover the destinations that were important to the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s. We stopped in Birmingham to see the 16th Street Baptist Church, which was bombed, and walked in the park where the "Children's March" began. Then onto Selma and then Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail. Walking over the Edmund Pettus Bridge was memorable just thinking about those that walked for equality in the voting Member Robert (Bob) Spieler, for his 77th birthday, registration campaign. Then onto Montgomery to see successfully ascended to the summit of Half Dome in the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and Yosemite National Park. This had always been on his the new National Memorial for Peace and Justice. This bucket list, and he was very modest when he sent in the is the lynching memorial that Bryan Stevenson (author information. of Just Mercy) was so instrumental in building. This was a powerful reminder of the legacy of the movement. This is a strenuous These monuments tell the truth about that time in our 16-mile round trip history with the hopes of leading to a just and peaceful hike, 4800 feet future. Submitted by Lisa Weismiller elevation gain, and most hikers take Alabama High Point - Cheaha Mountain 2411' 10 to 12 November 2019 hours. While Bob did mention using chains, the picture shows the cables ascending 400 feet of exposed granite at roughly a 60- degree angle, which allows hikers to summit without rock climbing equipment. A walkway of planks and cable hand railings is used to ascend the steep rock. Is Bob the oldest to accomplish this? While we do not know the answer, we certainly congratulate him on this incredible achievement as evidenced by his big grin when he Lisa Weismiller at her Alabama High Point. She has been reached the top. working on the highest point in all 50 states and has Submitted by Carol Harting from Bob’s Notes completed almost all of them—the remainders are the technical mountaineering climbs. Working for Wilderness 3 MARCH – MAY 2020 faster snowshoe down the mountain. For our reward, New Members we had a stop Month Member at Bread October Magda Aboulfadi, Melissa and Sean Alone in Brody, Gary Burke, Jeffrey Carusone, Woodstock Laurie Friedman, Erica and John for some hot Ruggiero soup, and Rejoined: Peter and Laura McDonald then on to our Andy and Debbie Palley annual walk November Nancy Brostermann, Karen Dolan, through the Benjamin Rosenstadt, Russell Weiss village to do Rejoined: Amy Schneider some December Barbara Pichler, Michael Pommerening browsing and Rejoined: Mark Girvin and Ruth Gyure holiday Paul and Donna Mangiafico, Marilyn shopping. It Maracic, Ernie Otcenas, Kristin Van Submitted by Pat Johnston Ogtrop and Dean Robinson January Richard and Caitlin Chang, Barbara Wednesday, January 1, 2020 Stauder Annual New Year’s Hike and Plunge Rejoined: Peter Marshall This column is dedicated to you, our members, whose lives, events, and achievements on and off the trail are to be recognized and shared.