MARCH—MAY 2016 No 1602
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MARCH—MAY 2016 No 1602 Microspikes! That’s been the go to equipment for this “winter” of weird weather. They can make the difference in deciding whether to stay home or go for a walk or hike on an icy trail. It’s mid-February as we put this newsletter together, and I’m still hoping for a little snow to play in. March can go either way and I’m starting to feel like winter might not really happen! Either way, we’ve got some great spring outings to look forward to, as well as our annual Chapter trail work on Tongue Mountain. Hope to see you at one of the programs described within this newsletter or out on the trail! Wednesday, March 30th 7pm at Crandall Library, GF Hiking the Continental Divide Trail: One Woman’s Journey presented by local hiker and author, Jennifer Hanson Jennifer Hanson will share the tale of her 2,400-mile six-month back- packing trip from Mexico to Canada along the Continental Divide Na- tional Scenic Trail (CDT). Using excerpts from her book Hiking the Continental Divide Trail: One Woman’s Journey and a slide-show of dozens of photographs, Jennifer will share the challenges and thrills of long-distance hiking. The journey included trekking through arid ranchland, desert forests, and Indian reservations in New Mexico; the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area and Glacier National Park in Montana; the remote and rugged Bitterroot Range of Idaho/Montana; the Wind River Range and Teton National Forest in Wyoming; and hundreds of miles snowshoeing through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Jennifer’s book and presentation will also discuss the planning and preparation required for such an endeavor including map lists, de- tailed itinerary with re-supply points, equipment and food lists, and a suggested preparation time-line. Chepontuc Footnotes Page 1 Partnerships Chepontuc Footnotes Published Bimonthly Glens Falls Saratoga ADK Chapter By John Caffry, Chapter Chair Adirondack Mountain Club PO Box 2314, Glens Falls, NY, 12801 THINK SNOW!!!! This win- to the Chapter for guidance. We Executive Committee Officers: ter’s unusually warm weather were able to provide them with may have put a dent in the plans suggestions for sources of assis- Chapter Chair John Caffry Phone: 798-0624 [email protected] of many ADKers who like to ski tance with trail design, free build- and snowshoe, but the Outings ing materials, and volunteer la- First & Second Vice Chair vacant *** Committee continues to offer bor, and offered to assist them Secretary Kathi Noble trips for members of all abilities, more as the project progresses. It Phone: 668-3046 [email protected] snow or no snow. Hopefully, was great to see the next genera- Treasurer Steve Mackey many of you will be tion of environmental Phone: 793-6484 [email protected] able to participate in leaders in action. Directors: [email protected] these trips, even if Finally, we met with Phone: 692-8579 Tammara Van Ryn Bill Wasilauski the mode of travel is two self-professed not what you origi- fire tower nerds who Past Chapter Chair: nally hoped for. created and maintain Laura Fiske the Adirondack Fire Phone: 884-0345 [email protected] CHAPTER PART- Tower Challenge Committee Chairs: NERSHIPS: The Facebook Group Executive Commit- dedicated to the Conservation Aimee Rutledge Phone:401-529-5034 tee recently met with Chapter’s Fire Tower [email protected] representatives of Challenge. The Face- Education Linda Ranado three groups to discuss ways that book group has 1,347 members as [email protected] we could work together on pro- of this writing and growing each Hospitality Gretchen Steen jects of mutual interest. ADK’s week! https:// Phone: 638-6139 [email protected] Young Member Outreach Coordi- www.facebook.com/ Membership Pat Desbiens nator Stephanie Graudons and a groups/251451705041470 or Phone: 813-7946 [email protected] potential new Chapter search Facebook: Newsletter/Editor ***vacant *** volunteer joined us to “Adirondack Fire Send items to: [email protected] talk about the Chapter’s Young Members Tower Challenge”. In- Outings Wayne Richter Young Member group terest in the Fire Tower Phone: 893-7895 [email protected] Trail work and how we can work Challenge has been Programs Sarah King with the main club to Fire Towers mushrooming, and this Phone: 798-0615 [email protected] help it grow. Stephanie year the Chapter looks Annual Dinner Coordinator Anne Paolano has been assisting the forward to ADK’s pub- [email protected] Chapter by keeping its lication of a new edi- Publicity ***vacant *** Young Member Face- tion of its fire tower book page updated and planning guidebook, Views From On High. Trails Tom Ellis Phone: 638-6139 [email protected] outings for the group while we We had a lively discussion of all search for a new chairperson for things Fire Tower Challenge and Web site George Sammons Phone: 743-9692 [email protected] this committee. hope to be working with these We next met with two Skidmore folks in the future to promote this Wilderness Jim Schneider Phone: 581-9367 [email protected] College students who, for their popular program. senior project for their Environ- Partnerships like these will allow Young Members Group ***vacant*** mental Studies major, will be the Chapter to better achieve its *** We need people for these positions! planning and building a nature mission and provide more oppor- Please help us out! *** trail at the Saratoga Independent tunities for its members and the Non-Voting Volunteers: School. On the recommendation Fire Tower Correspondents of their advisor, they reached out community to enjoy the outdoors. Phone: 668-3046 Kathi & Tim Noble Chepontuc Footnotes Page 2 Mark your calendar for these ADK Chapter Programs! See you there! Wednesday, April. 20th at 7pm at Crandall Library, Glens Falls A Western Adventure in Our National Parks A photo journey by John Schneider 2016 is the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park Service. Come join John Schneider as he relates last fall’s visit to more than 10 of our national parks and monuments as far north as Wyoming, as far west as Nevada, and as far south as the Texas- Mexico border. John and his wife Eileen took a 2½ month journey of more than 12,000 miles in their recreational vehicle to visit new parks as well as revisiting parks he has been to before. Among the many places they visited were Badlands National Park; Mount Rushmore; Crazy Horse Monu- ment (the world’s largest sculpture); Devil’s Tower; Custer State Park; Wind Cave National Park; Jewel Cave National Monument; Great Basin National Park, one of our least visited parks; Zion National Park; Bryce Canyon National Park; Meteor Crater; Ghost Ranch, New Mexico; Big Bend National Park; Big Bend Ranch State Park; and two Texas Missions. He went on many hikes including circumnavigating Devil’s Tower (twice), hiking to the top of the highest peak in South Dakota, whose claim to fame is that it is the highest peak “Between the Rocky Mountains and the Pyre- nees,” and the famous Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, Utah. In addition to scenic wonders, John was also fortunate to capture pictures of many animals he saw in his travels. Those animals include big horn sheep, prairie dogs, snakes, squirrels, turkeys, mule deer, elk, and many others. Perhaps the highlight of his animal pictures is a group of aoudads. Come join John as he celebrates the 100th anniversary of our National Park Service in 2016. He hopes that this will whet your appetite to visit our glorious national parks this year and in the future. Wednesday, May 18th at 7pm at Saratoga Public Library Mt. Kilimanjaro and Beyond with Jean Quattrocchi Journey to the Roof of Africa, Mt Kilimanjaro, on a seven day expedi- tion. Along with the sights and experiences of this adventure, we will be taken on a safari in Tanzania. This will be followed by the visit Jean made to a Malawi village for which her students raised funds to purchase and install a lifesaving freshwater pump. Chepontuc Footnotes Page 3 Fire Tower Challenge News By Kathi & Tim Noble John and Audrey Vermilyea completed the challenge in just 8 months and Audrey is only 13! John wrote, “We have completed something together that seemed like a foolish endeavor at one point. This is a memory that will last us our life times and hopefully pass along to the next gen- eration.” Building memories is a great reason to take on the fire tower challenge! Congratulations to the follow people who have completed the challenge: Wayne Dewey, Schroon Lake, NY Louise Perkins, Trumbull, CT Laura Dewey, Schroon Lake, NY BrieAnne Wilson, Watervliet, NY Way to go! Eric May, Cherry Plains, NY Jared Whalen, St. Johnsville, NY Jeffrey Taylor, Troy, NY Sandra Hutchinson, Glenville, NY Katie Dopp, Amsterdam, NY Thomas Caruso, Schroon Lake, NY Congratulations to Ralph Nancie Battaglia, Lake Placid, NY Deborah Caruso, Schroon Lake, NY Keating of Albany, NY Jeffrey Musil, Lafayette, NY Pierre Leduc, Quebec, Canada for completing the chal- Herb Terns, Schenectady, NY Robert Jones, Gloversville, NY lenge in the winter and Gillian Scott, Schenectady, NY Hisako Jones, Gloversville, NY earning a rocker. Darlene Whitaker, Mary, NY John Vermilyea, Schenectady, NY Jeff Glans, Trumbull, CT Audrey Vermilyea, Schdy, NY age 13 Membership update By Pat Desbiens New Members Thank you for joining!! Daniel, Melissa & Chris Reynolds, Argyle NOVEMBER 2015 Lynn Shanks, South Glens Falls Justin Andrews, Queensbury Andrew Starace, Greenfield Center Gordon & Linda Bigger, Queensbury Jeremiah Wood,