JUNE 2019

HAM 2019 Despite Fog, 2019 HAM Brings Challenges, Thrills Sharon Sniffen, MCM HAM Coordinator

This year’s Hike Across Maryland (HAM) got off to a NJ, TN, VA and the District of Columbia. Sixty-seven very foggy start: There were heavy thunder storms Fri- had hiked the HAM in the past. day night and heavy fog in This year we gave out the morning. Nonetheless, wooden tokens to the hik- despite a 10-minute delay ers, compliments of Duncan getting to Pen Mar Park, Crawford. Those that dropped a full 123 hikers hit the out got the “participation” ground running /walking coin, and those that finished at 5:25 a.m. got the “finishers” coin, which By the HAM’s end, a was handed out by volun- total of 89 hikers had come teers as finishers came down across the finish line in the ramp from the bridge in Harpers Ferry, WV, while Harpers Ferry. They arrived 34 dropped out along the to whistles, and cheers of con- way. The first two hikers gratulations. came in at 2:22 p.m. and This year, the staging area 2:30 p.m. and the last two The HAM’s top three finishers were Anthony Fisher, left; Steve wasn’t the fire house in PA but at 8:50 p.m. Although the Kelly, center; Megan Jefferson, right. Camp Round Meadow at Ca- trail was pretty muddy toctin Mountain Park, a sug- from Pen Mar to Boonsboro, most hikers made it to gestion of Mike O’Connor. The camp houses up to 120 Boonsboro (two dropped out at Cowell Shelter). people in four dorms We had 17 Moun- and has a gym and din- tain Club of Maryland ing hall. About 90 hik- (MCM) hikers on the ers and 10 volunteers HAM. All but four stayed in the dorms, made it to the end, and many offered their with two dropping appreciation —they’d out at Boonsboro and not had to sleep on the two at Washington floor in the fire hall this Monument. The HAM year. included 49 female Thanks to Bridget and 74 male hikers. McCusker, we provided Its youngest was 14, buses from Harpers and the oldest was 81 Ferry to Camp Round (his fifth HAM). The Meadow Friday night. majority of the hikers Bridget worked with were from MD (71), the bus company and Andrew Petras arrives at PA (23) and VA (11) the Harpers Ferry visi- Checkpoint 8 Gathland. (totaling 105). The re- tor center to arrange for Photo by Randy Wendell mainder came from the transportation and overnight parking. Forty-nine Eric Dahl arrives at Harpers Ferry. Photo by the author. DE, FL, KY, NC, NH, ♣ (Continued on page 2)

JUNE 2019 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 1 HAM 2019

♣2019 HAM (continued from page 1) hikers rode the bus, at $10/person. The hikers met the no HAM without our volunteers, some of whom self- bus at the visitor’s center at 5:30 p.m. and arrived at lessly came back to claim their usual checkpoints or of- Camp Round Meadow at around 7:00 pm. fer to help where ever they can in HAM after HAM. For On Friday night, the caterer, Chesapeake Food Works, example, Wayne Lipscomb and Amanda Greene moved offered crab cakes, pulled pork, veggie lasagna, several to Virginia but still come back to handle two check- salads with chicken and multiple sides. The hikers and points, High Rock and Boonsboro Rd. That’s dedica- volunteers were re- tion! In all, volunteers staffed 10 checkpoints, eight of ally happy to have that which provided water, food and a lot of well-needed en- option and many com- couragement to all the hikers. Volunteers also provided plimented the food. transportation to shuttle hikers to Harpers Ferry when Check-in was Fri- they dropped out. Sue Scott catered the lunch again this day night in the gym year at Checkpoint 6, the Washington Monument. from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. The HAM featured 10 sweeps, who each the covered (Thanks to Karen between 10- and 12-mile sections of the hike. Thanks to Olhrich, Carrie Sniff- Steve Williams for getting the sweeps to and from their en, Alyson Sniffen checkpoints. The Amateur Radio Emergency Service of and Kim McMillen for Frederick County provided radio support and provided handling check-in and radios to let the sweeps keep in contact in case of inju- to Steve Kempler and ries. They not only kept track of all the hikers as they Marcus Dagold for went from checkpoint to checkpoint but also recorded handing out T-shirts.) the hikers’ times and provided us with a spreadsheet Most of the hikers that we then passed on to the hikers. Ronald Henry arrives at showed up on time, al- We also had our resident EMT, Gerry Wright, on Gathland. Photo by Randy Wendell. though a few came in hand at each checkpoint, assuring hikers a first re- late due to the bad weather and car issues. The hikers sponder was in the field who could evaluate and help hit the hay early — dorm lights were out by 9:00 p.m.­ stressed, exhausted and/or injured hikers. — including two hikers who use CPAP machines; they Some volunteers went over and above to help out. For got one of the private rooms so they wouldn’t disturb instance, Bill Saunders not only was the lead on Check- the other hikers. point 4 (Cowell Shelter) but loaded up and hauled all A Saturday morning breakfast was provided for the the hiker bags up to Harpers Ferry and stayed until the hikers and volunteers. Thank you to Kim Stammer, end to help clean up. We also had volunteers who shut- Denny LeCompte, Patty William, Alyson Sniffen, and tled tired hikers from Harpers Ferry back to their cars Kim McMillen for getting the breakfast setup Friday at the visitor’s center. Finally, a big thank-you to Patty night and serving Saturday morn- Williams, who ran the HAM from ing. And a special thank you to Mike 2003 to 2017, and provided me with O’Conner, who led the buses to Pen- all the information needed to pick up Mar through dense fog and then re- and take over the HAM this year. turned to clean-up the dining hall, Congratulation to all the hikers dorms and gym with Alyson Sniffen who had the stamina to challenge and me. themselves to a 40+ one-day HAM. This year, 62 volunteers, mostly Those who finished are truly amaz- MCM members, came out to support ing and those who didn’t quite make it the HAM, giving up their Saturday will always have “2021 HAM” to look and some Friday night, but there’d be forward to.

A participant in this year’s HAM picks up her pace. Photo by Jennifer Smith.

2 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2019 HAM 2019 A Lot to Digest: Club Member Finishes 10th HAM Bridget McCusker On May 4, I finished the Hike Across Maryland ing routine between hikes helped me finish in about 12 (HAM) for the 10th time. I first completed the HAM hours, give or take a few minutes. My time has actually in 1995 under the guidance and improved over the years, which support of the late Walter Po- I attribute to practice, practice, cock. Every time I do the HAM, practice. My other tactic is to I recall Walter’s spirit and let him make stops at aid stations short know that, while I am grateful for and sweet. As much as I would his mentorship, at about mile 35 I love to hang out with wonderful wonder what the heck I’m doing. MCM volunteers, I find that if I Fortunately, the thought passes keep moving, I can keep up the and I keep on taking one step at momentum. I can’t express how a time. much the aid stations serve as a I have not completed ev- prime motivator for me. ery HAM since 1995. In 1999, I Because I know the Maryland dropped out at Boonsboro Moun- section so well, I have the check- tain Road. I had not trained ad- points imprinted in my brain, equately and had monster-sized and that helps me to track my blisters. I had to drop out and was progress and look forward to glad I did. I had a serious injury the next milestone. Of course, on a hike in March of 2001 and there are times when those mile- couldn’t do the HAM that year. In stones don’t elicit glee, such as 2009, I had an important family the one for the Crampton Gap obligation. I hope to continue to From left, Joanne Moore participates in her Shelter, where the long trudge do the HAM as long as my body first HAM as she and the author arrive at to Weverton begins. Arriving at is up to the challenge or my com- Lambs Knoll. Crampton Gap Shelter, however, mon sense tells me otherwise. is always a pleasure and gets me smiling because they I believe that HAM training hikes and my usual walk- (Continued on page 11) ♥ Club Extends Big Thank-You to HAM Volunteers Jim Koury I’d like to thank Sharon Sniffen and all her volunteers and drinks always at the ready. (As a former participant, for making possible the 2019 edition of the HAM (Hike I know that those things made the event much more Across Maryland). Coordinating this biennial, 41-mile, enjoyable and memorable, especially as the miles added one-day event is an extremely demanding and compli- up and my body started complaining.) cated undertaking, and I for one am most grateful Sha- The HAM is a wonderful event, one that makes me ron was willing to take over the reins from Patty Wil- proud to be a member of the Mountain Club of Mary- liams (who was HAM coordinator eight times), thereby land. If any of you who are reading this have not yet vol- keeping alive a tradition the club started in 1940. unteered for HAM, I’d strongly encourage you to think Thanks to Sharon’s leadership, the HAM once again about doing so next time (in 2021). You’ll find that be- was a great success. Thanks to her and her team, 100+ ing a volunteer not only allows you to provide a service HAM participants had a wonderful, challenging and and kindness to the participants but also benefits you safe experience. The treacherous trail conditions partic- and the club by strengthening the bonds of friendship ipants had to contend with this year were nicely offset and camaraderie that exist among so many of our mem- by the the first aid oversight provided by our club. In bers. addition, volunteers at checkpoints assisted participants Congratulations to Sharon Sniffen and her scores of with words of encouragement, smiling faces, and snacks volunteers for making all of this possible!

JUNE 2019 HIKER HIGH POINTS •3 HAM 2019 The Making of a HAM Souvenir Duncan Crawford It began, as all interesting projects do, with an un- after the March Council meeting, I had approval to expected email. Club Trails Supervisor Jerry Wright, make enough for the usual number of finishers, say who had just finished the Lake Placid LOPPET cross 115, plus about 70 for the volunteers, and some gener- country ski marathon, sent me a picture of his laser- ic items to hand out for interested onlookers or hike engraved “finisher” award, asking whether something supporters, such as the Ham radio operators. similar could be made for HAM participants. I told Here’s the process I used. I bought a 4x8 sheet of Jerry I’d get back to him soon with a preliminary de- ¼-inch maple-veneer plywood, then cut that down sign. into pieces that would fit onto the laser engraver work For inspiration, I turned to the fact that most all table. A bit more than half the sheet was required. HAM participants share two things in common by Most plywood these days is made with soy-based glue the time they make it to Harpers Ferry: tired feet and and the soy stuff tends to bubble, char and leave lots of smoky residue when laser cut. That meant mask- ing the plywood with a laser-safe adhesive-backed paper that would protect the wood from the residue. Engraving the design and cutting would be done through that mask. However, bare/unfinished wood tends to fuzz when a properly sticky mask is removed, so some sort

proud ownership of at least one pair of pretty funky hiking boots. (We won’t discuss the socks.) That thought reminded me of a pair of unforgettable boots my wife and I had encountered in Seldovia, Alaska, after a wet and rocky hike a few years ago. After find- ing the photo of those boots an hour or so later, I used Photoshop and a few other bits of software to create couple of possible designs. A couple of hours after that, two crude prototypes were ready for Council consideration. A few days of preliminary treatment would be needed for seal- ing and to leave a nice finished surface when the job was completed. Sanding and finishing the wood with some sort of clear satin polyurethane was one option, but since maple is a close-grain hardwood, another option was simply buffing with red rouge, followed by white diamond compound on the “good” side of the wood. Buffing gives a slightly darker color, brings out the grain pattern, and leaves a nice satin, environ- mentally friendly, interior-use finish that allows the paper mask to stick really well. Ten blanks and two spares were produced.

4 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2019 HAM 2019

All three designs were then engraved and laser-cut from the blank. Mask removal was the final step. For small items like these, removal is best done with the ball of your thumb, using enough pressure to scrub off the paper and residue. A dental pick gets out any re- maining bits stuck in a letter. If you get to do this someday, though, plan ahead. For instance, if you use your thumbprint to unlock your smartphone, program a back-up finger ahead of time since you’ll be shy a fingerprint or two for a while. All told, from design to delivery, this project took about 16 hours, plus a few ibuprofen, to complete. The result is a token salute to the HAM hikers.

Mask residue — removal done while the next sheet was in process. Engraved and cut sheet of 24 souvenirs. Each sheet took about an hour to process.

Completed items — 115 for finishers, 70 for volunteers, 48 for other uses.

JUNE 2019 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 5 Mountain Club of Maryland 2019 President’s Report Jay Gordon

It’s been a year of humble service to our great club. Our from Harpers Ferry to the camp where we stayed the night volunteers do a lot to meet the needs of our hiking commu- before, which was very convenient! Eventbrite made regis- nity. Join me in thanking our volunteers for all they do! tering much easier for everyone: The HAM “sold out” in just Thanks to the volunteer effort, our club membership and a few weeks. We are entering the 21st century! The weather finances remain stable. We are always discussing ways to cooperated, too, although I heard a number of hikers express publicize our club and bring in a more diverse a preference for 2017’s cooler, drizzly weather. membership. Our new Hiker High Points edi- Well, something for everyone eventually. tor, Ed Warner, has volunteered to coordinate We have a position to fill. The Outreach our social media presence. From what I’ve Chair (formerly called the Publicity Chair) heard our website is pretty good at capturing organizes our presence at events hosted by Google searches for Maryland hiking clubs, other organizations. At these events, a canopy and many of our members have joined after is set up, and brochures and cards are passed seeing our website. We hope to build on this out, and the Chair engages in amiable conver- with a more comprehensive internet market- sation with event participants. This shows our ing strategy. support for other organizations that support This year for the first time Karen Ohlrich the same goals as the Club, and helps us find successfully organized a Hike Leader’s Meeting. At the event, new members. Soon our website will accept online member- 20 enthusiastic hike leaders discussed various aspects of the ship applications, making it easier to join on the spot. Our hiking experience our club offers. It was a good chance to ex- former publicity chair, Dave Lyon, is to be commended for change ideas and make suggestion for improvements. There ably filling the position, and he’s willing to help his successor is an ongoing debate on how to make our hike ratings more succeed. informative, especially for new members. Of course, after Unfortunately, I can’t mention everyone in this report going on a number of hikes we know in general what to ex- without it looking like a prospectus. But be sure, I appreciate pect. We plan to have a similar meeting next year. everyone’s participation. And, of course, it would all be for I managed to finish the HAM this year. Event organizer nought without all our hikers showing up for pleasant walks Sharon Sniffen put her mark on the event with some new in the woods. See you there! innovations. Bridget McCusker organized the shuttle bus Thank you all, Jay Gordon

Discussions Highlight Hike Leaders Meeting Janine Grossman MCM hosted 294 hikes during 2018, and more than 3,200 Cliff Garratt reported on ways to recruit leaders. Ideas in- members and guests participated. In early March, the MCM cluded making the process to add hikes easier, being persis- Council invited many of the club’s hike leaders to discuss tent when encouraging good candidates and mentoring or those numbers and brainstorm on how to increase the num- asking for co-leads, so the leap to leading is smoother. bers in 2019. President Jay Gordon welcomed attendees and I also reported on ideas to add weekend hikes and to create summarized the objectives, noting that MCM is known for a series of hikes, such as all of the AT in MD or all of Patapsco its knowledgeable hike leaders, a variety of hike destinations Valley State Park. A suggestion offered was to add additional and the comradery on outings. tweener-distance hikes when there was a gap in mileage with Council member Karen Ohlrich shared data from hike existing hikes. summaries created by Peter Johnson and explained how to Jay spoke about best practices, such as how best to change encourage new leaders and expand the schedule especially hikes, and how to keep everyone on a hike together. He shared on weekends. She also reviewed the best practices. a discussion of how to welcome new or prospective members The roundtable discussions were lively and many ideas and to build relationships with prospective hike leaders. were shared during the three-hour session. In fact, hike lead- The hike leaders thanked the Council for initiating the ers were shuffled and switched to different tables to ensure meeting, and everyone looks forward to continued discus- that everyone weighed in on all three topics. During the time sions to improve the hiking experience for all members. when table discussions were summarized, Vice President

6 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2019 The Editor’s Pack Ed Warner ([email protected])

As the new editor of the Hiker High was taken. And, if you’re a trip leader, please consider send- Points (HHP), I’d like to introduce ing a short write-up of 3-4 paragraphs, mentioning when and myself, tell about tell about what’s new where the hike went and some of its highlights. in HHP and offer some advice on the As for our list serve, all club members should be regularly club’s list serve, which I also manage. receiving updates on trips as trips are cancelled or modified. I’m a retired editor of the U.S. State If you’re not receiving these updates it may be because of a Department’s magazine, with a long problem with Yahoo. When members join the club, I give career in journalism and publishing. their email addresses to Yahoo, which is supposed to send Going forward, I hope to use more out an email to new members telling them how to join the photos in HHP and, if possible, more club’s list serve. Those who haven’t gotten that email or aren’t Ed Warner hike reports. We’ve a couple of fine getting hike updates, should try this fix: Go to Yahoo, sign up hike reports in this issue, ones that offer fun memories of for an email account, then go to Yahoo Groups and search outings and some detail about the trip that might whet oth- on “MCOM.” Then, click on “request to join.” I’ll quickly ac- ers’ appetites for trying the hikes mentioned. So, as you hike cept your request. But, if you’ve tried that fix and still aren’t with the club, please take photos (and try to make note of getting updates, please let me know, as the club is thinking of who’s in the photos you took), and then send one or two to undertaking a switch to Google, a non-trivial task, given the me, with info on who’s in the photo and where and when it number of email addresses involved.

­MCM Celebrates 85th Anniversary Saturday, October 5

This year marks our club’s 85th Anniversary. Come join us as we retrace the footsteps of our founders’ first MCM hike in 1934. We are planning a day of hikes followed by a luncheon at Gathland State Park (http://dnr.maryland. gov/publiclands/Pages/western/gathland.aspx.) All club members, whether hiking or not, are invited to attend the luncheon at 3:30pm. We will send an online registration for the luncheon in early September. We will offer three hikes on the Appalachian Trail origi- nating from Gathland State Park. You can find the hike descriptions in the members online Trip Schedule. To register for a hike, please contact the hiker leader listed for the hike you are interested in participating. We look forward to seeing you. Please contact Mike O’Connor (sharonmike2002@ msn.com) if you have any questions.

The War Correspondents Memorial Arch at Crampton Gap, assembly point for the MCM pre-organization hike, became the starting point for each anniversary hike.

JUNE 2019 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 7 Club Members Recall Rosie Suit to Honor Her Passing

Mountain Club of Maryland (MCM) members were sad- scanned and made available on the MCM website). dened to learn of the death of Rosie Suit in February at the age Peter Johnson: Rosie was very committed to hiking and of 81. Rosie was a dedicated hiker and a long-term member especially the A.T. I recall many stories of her acting as a of MCM who held several leadership positions in the club. shuttle driver for people working on the trail. She was also In the 1990s, Rosie discovered a passion for hiking and a frequent participant in work trips. When I first took over enjoying the beauty of the Appalachian Trail, which led her as supervisor of shelters she accompanied me on a “service to join the Mountain Club. In 2009, she described how this call.” Although we were unsure which shelter we needed to came about in an article for MCM’s 75th Anniversary book- visit, she was all in for the trip. It turned out that we picked let (which is available on our members’ web page at the right one, and it turned out to be a simple repair (broken https://mcomd.org/wp-content/MCoMD_Files/ cable on a privy door) but the willingness to make the trip MCM%2075th%20An- left a very favorable im- niversary%20Booklet. pression. pdf.) Bridget McCusker: I Rosie hiked many didn’t know Rosie well parts of the Appala- but remember that she chian Trail and actively was a HAM volunteer participated in conser- who showed at the I-70 vation efforts to pro- footbridge and took pic- tect the trail. She also tures and offered words was an integral part of of encouragement and MCM’s leadership team smiles. for more than a decade. Patty Williams: I re- Rosie served as an MCM member going on a lot councilor from 2002 to of work trips with her 2004 and again in 2006. in the Ted Sanderson Then she stepped up to work trip days. She was serve as a vice president always positive and will- from 2007-2008, fol- ing to do whatever was lowed by a term as pres- June Peterson, Carolyn Bauer, Joan Valentine and Rosie Suit about to climb Zealand needed. And she loved ident from 2008-2010. Hut in the White Mountains (from MCM’s 75th anniversary booklet) hiking, especially the Later, she served briefly A.T. as the Hiker High Points editor and MCM’s delegate to the Carolyn Bauer: She was a devoted supporter of the A.T. Keystone Trails Association from 2011-2014. and the A.T. Council. She was an ATC life member. I took She also was an unofficial club photographer, taking pho- several trips with her and others — backpacking on the A.T., tos at club events, gatherings and work crew activities for Shenandoah NP, New Hampshire and Alaska. She enjoyed many years. everything about the outdoors and especially liked taking After she was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, Rosie moved photographs of flowers. In Alaska, we took a one-day cruise to Florida, where she continued to hike. In December 2014, and saw otters, sea lions, the back of a whale and icebergs. MCM awarded Rosie the Eleanor Sewell Hall of Fame Award She had a great time running around the ship’s deck taking in grateful recognition of her years of dedication to hiking, photos from every angle. In N.H., four of us hiked to the the Mountain Club, and the Appalachian Trail. Galehead hut and spent the night. Getting to that hut and A few MCM members offered remembrances of Rosie: capturing Galehead peak (her first and only 4,000 footer in Bill Saunders: After I joined MCM in 2011, I remember N.H.) was a real thrill for her. Rosie appearing regularly at our work days and events, cam- A native of Tennessee, Suit held a master’s degree from the era hung around her neck, to snap pictures. When I joined University of Indiana and taught in Baltimore for 30 years. the council the following year, I observed first-hand her pas- She had lived in Florida for the past four years with her sister, sion for the A.T. and hiking. When I became club president Ellen. Memorial contributions may be made in Rosie’s name in 2014, Rosie suggested I accompany her to a Maryland A.T. to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Fund, P.O. Box 807, committee meeting, and over dinner she shared a lot of her Harper’s Ferry, WV 25425. ideas. After she moved to Florida, she asked me to take pos- Those of us who knew her will remember Rosie with fond- session of her boxes of old club documents (which we later ness and respect. Happy Trails, Rosie!

8 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2019 ALONG THE TRAIL

Hikers Do Massanutten Mountain – East in April Stephen Williams The Massanutten range of mountains in Virginia but never in the morning when we first arrived. So bisects the Shenandoah Valley, with the northern we drove to the southern trailhead and hiked north end of the range near Strasburg and the southern along the ridge, with the hike now being an out and end near Harrisonburg. Although there is good hik- back one. By hiking as far north along the ridge as ing throughout the range, the east ridge of the Mas- Sherman Gap and turning around we could hike sanuttens in the northern part of the range has long the planned 12-plus miles, although missing some been my favorite place to lead day hikes. of the more dramatic parts of the hike. My preferred hike is a slightly greater than 12- After driving past the Rt. 613 trailhead the first mile one extending from the northern terminus time, we were able to locate it and start the hike. We of the Buzzard Rocks trail south along the ridge to had good weather — a sunny, cool and initially windy where the Tuscarora trail leaves the ridge and comes day, with the winds dying down and the day warm- out to a trail- ing up nicely by head on Vir- the afternoon. It ginia Route 613. was obvious that This hike’s initial the trail had been steep climb to affected by the Buzzard Rocks record rainfall of brings the dra- the past year, as matic views from certain sections down the cliffs to were muddier Passage Creek. that we had ever From there the seen them. All trail climbs and told, we ended descends the up doing a longer ridge, a route we hike than origi- refer to as “the nally planned, as dinosaur’s back,” we hiked to the before dropping first peak north down to Shawl of Sherman Gap Gap. From there, A view from the trail shows the bends in the South Fork of the Shenandoah and back, for a it is more ups River in the foreground and the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah National Park in total of about the distance. and downs along 13.6 miles. the ridge through Sherman Gap and down to Veach Despite missing the dramatic views from the Gap. There is one last steep climb out of Veach Gap Buzzard Rocks area, I really enjoyed the hike. The before a 1.5-mile descent to the trailhead and the portion of the ridge south of Sherman Gap is much end of the hike. This hike is best done in early spring, less traveled than the Buzzard Rocks area and has when signs of spring are abundant but the still-bare more of a remote, wilderness feel. I also developed trees on the ridge allow maximum enjoyment of the a newfound appreciation for sections of the hike numerous views. I may have overlooked before. South of Sherman As it had been three years since we had done the Gap the south-bound trail climbs steeply and con- hike, we were very much looking forward to doing tinues climbing as the trail veers east and crosses it again in April. A total of six hikers made it to the the northern face of the ridge, with dramatic views Buzzard Rocks trailhead by 9:45 a.m., prepared to to the north. The trail then reaches the top of the start the car shuttle that was needed to do a one- ridge and continues along its eastern edge, offering way hike. Much to our surprise and initial conster- several excellent views to the east — as shown in the nation the trailhead parking lot was completely full. photo with this story. This is the view I’ll remember We have seen this lot mostly full in the afternoons, most from this hike.

JUNE 2019 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 9 ALONG THE TRAIL

Andy Moser, left, and Leah Cohn, light blue shirt, Marcie holds onto a goat she came upon near the relax by a waterfall on an April 17 hike led by start of Doug and Marcie’s hike on March 24, a route Kathy Souders. The hike started at Freedom Park that took hikers from Oella downstream and back to in Sykesville and went to Patapsco McKeldin, Ellicott City. Photo courtesy of Brian Bare covering about 11 miles.

A meadow in Patapsco Valley State Park is carpeted with little spring beauties flowers, as On a 6-mile May 1 hike led seen on Kathy Souder’s first offering of this hike from Freedom Park in Carroll County to by Phil Lieske at the Prettyboy McKeldin area of PVSP in Baltimore County. Photo courtesy of Brian Bare Reservior/Hemlock Gorge Area, Leah Cohn, left, stands with Jackie Pargament.

On an April 4-7 backpack scouting trip of the Black Forest Trail’s north half, three participants A hiker crosses a stream during the Pond Run/Racer confer on where the trail is going. The trip was led Camp backpack trip in April that was led by Dorothy Guy. by Steve Weber.

10 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2019 ALONG THE TRAIL

April Adventure on the Thurston Griggs Trail Jim Koury On a beautiful Saturday in mid-April, 17 adventur- The only problem with lunch on this hike is that it’s ous club members did a 12-mile out-and-back hike that quickly followed by a 500-foot climb in the space of a started at the Thurston Griggs Trail (named for one of half mile. Again, it helps when you’re hiking with an our illustrious club members). We had an upbeat group, upbeat group. I didn’t hear a single complaint. (Then which was fortunate, again, my hearing since not everyone isn’t what it used to is cheerful when a be.) A mile and a hike starts with a half past the climb, 650-foot ascent over we again encoun- rocky terrain! At the tered the treach- end of our ascent, we erous sections of intersected with the rocky trail. Les- Appalachian Trail, sons learned, this where we headed time we all made north for five miles it through safely. so we could lunch at That left the 650- the Cowall Shelter. foot descent over Before lunch, the Griggs Trail as though, we had our only remaining to make our way From left are: Dave Holz, Sara Baker, Chuck Randall, Larry Freeman, JP obstacle. Parisien, Leslie Marcuse, Kathy Ruland, Jim Koury (leader), Sharon Koury through the ex- (sweep), Patty Smith, Kathy Hackett, Beth Cooper, Stephanie Carpentier, Rocky descents tremely rocky sec- Ayanna George-Sharpe, Jody Blatt, Caryn Joachim and Norm Engelberg. near the end of tions of trail between The group is atop the 500-foot vertical climb just past Wolfsville Road. a hike are always Pogo Campground Photo courtesy of J.P. Parisien cause for concern and Wolfsville Road. — doubly so in this Here, we were reminded of just how treacherous the instance, since we had to watch out for the countless rocks can be: One of our usually sure-footed hikers did rocks on the trail and also for the two dozen or so peo- a face plant right in the middle of the rocks! Fortunately, ple who were coming up the trail. Once we were safely the hiker (who shall remain nameless) sustained only past all the people, though, I appreciated how nice it was minor bumps and bruises, which were quickly tended that so many people were enjoying the Griggs Trail. I’m to. Soon, we were again moving in the direction of our sure their enjoyment would have pleased Thurston. happy place — the lunch spot.

10th HAM (Continued from page 3) ring♥ cow bells and whoop and holler, which I greatly ap- Harpers Ferry to Camp Round Meadow on Friday night. All preciate. Actually, all the aid stations provide their own spe- those who signed up for it showed up on time and had cash cial flavor, but I must admit that Lambs Knoll is my favorite at hand for the fee. We have to work on the overnight park- cause my husband is a volunteer there. This year he ing pass, but as far as I know, no one had a car towed or got served boiled baby potatoes with salt, which was a winner a big fat ticket. for me. Congratulations to Sharon Sniffen, HAM director for the Congratulations to the HAM Management Team for first time, for a job well done and to the many volunteers who implementing some welcome changes to HAM operations. made it an event worth remembering — despite all the mud. Camp Round Meadow was quite an upgrade from the fire Last but not least, thanks to Patty Williams for her many hall floor, and having dinner on Friday night was a great idea. years of HAM leadership. It was great seeing you and Steve I was also very pleased with the shuttle that I organized from this year, and thanks for the memories.

JUNE 2019 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 11 TRAIL WORK NEWS Trash Dumped at A.T. Parking Lot Bill Saunders

In early May, MCM was notified by the Appalachian raked and stacked the trash into a pile. They saw that the Trail Conservancy (ATC) that someone had dumped a trash included lumber, plywood and shingles from a back- large amount of trash at the White Rocks Trail parking yard garden shed, as well as debris such as vinyl records, lot, which has a connecting trail to the A.T. near Boiling pictures and papers, computer diskettes and clothing. Springs, PA — on MCM’s section of the trail. (Another, Everything was wet and heavy, limiting the amount of similar trash dumping occurred a few miles away where trash deposited in any bag. They loaded the plywood and the A.T. intersects route PA-74. That section is maintained lumber in the truck bed, then piled trash bags on top. By by another trail club.) filling the back seat with ATC said the trash in- bags, they managed to cluded information such load everything into the as credit card receipts that truck. Before they left, hopefully can be used to a neighboring resident identify the perpetrators. brought them a two-foot Therefore, MCM was ad- sub sandwich for lunch to vised not to do a clean-up express his thanks. Mike until law enforcement in- and Bill took the trash spected the mess. to a landfill, but an army The following week, law of carpenter ants stayed enforcement officials gave behind in the truck bed, clearance for the trash to necessitating a quick visit be removed. MCM volun- to a car wash as their last teers Mike O’Connor and stop on a productive day. White Rocks trash dump as originally discovered Bill Saunders drove to the MCM hopes that Na- site on May 8 carrying rakes, shovels and heavy-duty trash tional Park Service or local law enforcement officers will bags, but on arriving found a neighboring resident had identify the perpetrator and issue a citation.

Piled trash Newly cleaned site

Off to the landfill

12 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2019 TRAIL WORK NEWS James Fry Hiking Shelter Gets MCM Facelift Bill Saunders With the arrival the work crew applied of spring, the Moun- new stain to all the tain Club of Maryland privy siding and to the (MCM) is once again vertical sides of the performing mainte- compost tank. Mean- nance visits to take care while, other team of its four hiking shelters members put a fresh along MCM’s assigned coat of paint on the in- section of the Appala- side of the privy. chian Trail in Pennsyl- After lunch, we vania. In addition, on applied fresh stain to April 2, I met with repre- the outside of the shel- sentatives of the Appala- MCM volunteers next to freshly stained Fry shelter: Dennis LeComte, ter. (The inside had chian Trail Conservancy Wayne Kaiser, Patty Smith, and David Yanosik (Bill Saunders not shown) been painted in 2012 (ATC) and Michaux State Forest (where our James and did not need a new coat.) We ran out of both stain Fry shelter is located) to discuss our proposal to build and time around 3 p.m., before we were able to cover new tent pads at the Fry shelter. While the Michaux of- the enter exterior. On June 3, David, Dennis and John ficials were supportive, the approval and construction Barrett returned with me to finish the work. processes for the tent pads will take several years. Planned Roofing Work This fall (pending the receipt of National Park Service Fry Staining and funding), MCM plans to add a new layer of shingles to Painting Work cover the 20-year old shingles on the roofs of the two On April 28, MCM structures. With all these improvements, we expect the volunteers Wayne shelter to continue as a haven for hikers for decades into Kaiser, Dennis the future. LeComte, Bill Saun- Many thanks to the volunteers who gave the shelter ders, Patty Smith its recent facelift! and David Yanosik visited the James Fry shelter to paint and stain the shelter and privy buildings. Most of the stain on the plywood com- post tank at the rear of the privy had worn off, allowing the ele- ments to weaken the plywood. Since the stain on the remain- David Yanosik painting interior walls der of the privy sid- of the Fry privy ing and the shelter siding — and the paint on the inside of the privy — were all about 20 years old, we applied a fresh coat to all of these at the same time. Because of an early morning shower, the plywood top of the compost tank was too damp to stain. However, James Fry privy after staining

JUNE 2019 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 13 HIKING ADVENTURES AROUND THE WORLD Everest Base Camp Trekking Nancy Richie

During dinner in our tea house in Lobuche, a small pa, head of the local REI office, and our lead guide outpost in northern Solokhumbu District, Nepal, in Tek Bahadur Rai, to receive detailed information the heart of the Himalaya, my friend Matt sitting about our trek. across from me at the dinner table said, “Can you We woke up the next day (day 3) at 4:30 am to re- believe that we will be at Everest Base Camp tomor- turn to the airport, where, after a long wait for the clouds to disperse, we boarded a small STOL (short takeoff and landing) aircraft from Sita Air. After a spectacular flight along the southern flank of the Hi- malayas, we landed at the steeply inclined Lukla air- port, one of the shortest airstrips in the world. The sloping runway helps to brake the airplanes on land- ing, and to launch them on take-off. My worries about this flight were quelled by the professionalism of the airline staff including the pilot, who appeared to have made this flight hundreds if not thousands of times. It was also reassuring that planes were grounded if visibility was not good. In Nepal, all mountain flights require direct visibility and are manually piloted. In Lukla, the feeling of being in the Himalayas was very exciting. We stood at the gateway to a beautiful land Nancy and Tom Richie of snow-capped peaks and home to the strong, warm- hearted Sherpa people. row?” I replied that, indeed I could hardly believe it, During a short break to eat lunch and to arrange but yes, we would be there after lunch the next day! our day packs, our duffel bags were packed onto sev- Our dream would come true! That night I was so ex- eral jopkyos, a yak-cow hybrid that is well suited to cited, looking forward to waking up and heading out both the warmer climes such as Lukla and the frigid on the final segment of our trek, following the mo- alpine zones to the north. We were accompanied by raine edging the Khumbu Glacier to the foot of the Tek, 3 assistant leaders, a sirdar (head of the Nepal- world’s greatest mountain, Mt. Everest, also called Sa- ese staff), 6 porters, a cook, 5 kitchen boys, a team garmatha (Sanskrit) or Chomolungma (Tibetan). of drivers for the pack animals, and a rescue horse, It was in May last year, 2018, that Tom, my hus- band, expressed that it might be a good time to trek to Everest Base Camp, an adventure we had considered since our Kilimanjaro climb in 2007. I was ecstatic! I started to search for information about this challeng- ing journey. We decided to go with REI and began our training regimen 3 months before departure. Our trekking dates were October 3 to 21, a period when the weather in eastern Nepal is clear and spectacular mountain views are guaranteed. We left the USA for Kathmandu on October 2, ar- riving on October 3 (day 1). An REI van was wait- ing for us at the airport and we were driven to Hotel Marshyangdi in the bustling Thamel neighborhood of Kathmandu. We first met our REI team at breakfast the following day (day 2). It was a wonderfully diverse REI Adventure team, REI leaders and assistant leaders at group of ten from all corners of the US, ranging in Everest Base Camp, with Nuptse in the background. age from 31 to 66 – two couples including ourselves and six singles. We went for a trip to see two famous the latter to serve as our local “ambulance” in case of Buddhist temples in Kathmandu, Swayambunath and injury or illness. Boudhanath. That evening, we met with Nima Sher- We started our journey with a mostly downhill hike

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from Lukla (9317’) to Phakding (8562’). We crossed 2 tain Thamserku (21,680’) towering above us. We stayed hanging bridges, which were not as scary as I had an- in the Namche Bazaar area that day to acclimatize, as- ticipated. It was very encouraging to see how strong cending 1,250’ to a ridge where we briefly glimpsed the bridges were, with twenty-odd jopkyo, donkeys or Mount Everest far to the north, and then returning to horses crossing all at once. There were many prayer Namche Bazaar that evening. The next day (day 6) we wheels and engraved stone tablets along the trail, and continued up the Dudh Kosi Valley, but now 2000 feet we learned to pass to their left according to tradition. above the cascading river, and after a steep descent to We arrived in Phakding after a 3.5 hours hike. We cross a tributary, ascended to Phortse (12,500’), a tra- stayed in REI tents that night, lulled to peaceful sleep ditional Sherpa village laid out in irregularly shaped stone-walled fields used for growing vegetables and corralling the animals. We could hear the monastery gong that evening from our tents, giving us a very peaceful feeling. On day 7, we continued on another high trail along the flank of Taboche Mountain to the village of Pang- boche (12,893’). We could see the famous Tengboche Monastery far across on the eastern side of the gorge. About mid-morning, rounding a crest, we obtained our first view of Ama Dablam (22,349’), one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. What an amaz- ing sight! The towering, serene beauty of the Himala- yan peaks thrills the heart and lifts the soul. Our tent was already pitched by REI staff when we arrived at Hanging Bridge Pangboche. We had tea with cookies in the late after- noon, part of our daily routine and most restorative by sound of the rushing waters of the Dudh Kosi River after the strenuous hikes. We also had our first good just below. That night at dinner, we were introduced to views of Everest this day. The great mountain is visible all the staff; these were mostly shy, smiling young men, as a small triangle protruding above the magnificent who were eager to practice their English and who were Lhotse-Nupste ridge that towers to the north. very respectful of our leader Tek and our sirdar Man After a big breakfast the next day (day 8),we Bahadur. Man Bahadur in particular was famous for his strength and for making hundreds of Himalayan climbs. We continued the next day (day 4) to Namche Ba- zaar (11,286’) the famous Sherpa village in the heart of Khumbu. This hike was quite strenuous. We passed traditional homes, hand-plowed fields, and pine for- ests, criss-crossing the river on suspension bridges. We climbed to the entrance of Sagarmatha Park, had lunch and continued across a spectacularly high and windy bridge to ascend for 2000 feet to Namche Ba- zaar, about 6 hours. Our hotel, the Snow Land, was located high on the far side of the U-shaped village. Being in Namche Bazaar was an awesome experience. Mt. Everest at sunrise looking east from Kala Pathar. Visible Tom was amazed to see how the town had grown since just to the right of the main summit is the South Summit and his first visit to the area 34 years earlier, when it was a further down is the South Col. quiet village with few trekkers. Now one can find all visited Pangboche Monastry, the oldest monastery manner of hiking and climbing gear, souvenirs, coffee in the Mount Everest region. We saw the display of a houses, bakeries, restaurants and ATMs. Yaks, jopkyos “Yeti’s skull and hand bone.” This mythical creature and donkeys traverse the narrow main streets and by- was believed to have helped a monk during his medi- ways of the town, which rises in tiers on three sides of tation in the forest. We ascended gradually up the val- a valley cut into the mountains. ley of the river Imja Khola and arrived at Dingboche We woke up the next morning (day 5), opened our (14,895’) after hiking for 4 hours. I started to feel the window and gasped at the sight of the beautiful moun- altitude impact, losing my appetite, but forced myself

JUNE 2019 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 15 HIKING ADVENTURES AROUND THE WORLD

a rival. Kimber, our friend and fellow trekker, was so afraid that she asked that her tent be moved to a safer location between two other tents, leaving Tom and me closest to the bellowing animal! On our rest day we ascended to about 16,400’ (day 9) to acclimatize and then descended back to 14,895’. From Dingboche it is possible to see four 8000 meter peaks: Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu. This was a most beautiful trail surrounded by the most beautiful mountains. It filled us with joy and wonder to be im- mersed in such stunning scenery. We left Dingboche on day 10. Our previously north- ward course swung to the west, and we enjoyed the view of Taboche (20,890’) and Cholotste (20,785’), with spectacular Ama Dablam always with us, now ly- ing to the south. The scenery became more and more exceptional as we crested a moraine to be greeted by panoramic views of Nupste and Pumori. We had lunch amidst dozens of stone memorials for fallen Everest

Nancy and Tom at the Everest Base Camp with Nuptse in the background. to eat to keep fit. We stayed 2 nights in a tent in Dingboche, taking our second rest day to acclimatize. Gaining altitude slowly is essential for a successful trek, and REI has learned over the years that nearly everyone in decent shape can make it to Base Camp if these rest days are inserted. Our tents above the Dudh Kosi River in Phakding That night was memorable due to the snorts of a male yak just a few feet from our tent, who was challenging climbers high above the outpost of Thukla, and after a hike of 6 hours, we arrived at Lobuche (16,198’), stay- ing the night in a tea house, and now needing quilts on top of our sleeping bags to stay keep in the sub-freezing temperatures. We woke up in the morning (day 11) filled with en- thusiasm, because our destination that day was Ever- est Base Camp! After breakfast, we hiked for about 3.5 hours on a rocky trail, skirting boulders and strongly feeling the altitude, to arrive at the last outpost, Gorak Shep (16,865’). We had lunch, then continued hiking for another 3.5 hours to reach Everest Base Camp (17,600’). Everest Base Camp is a well-situated hummock above the Khumbu glacier that affords spectacular views of Nuptse, the famous Khumbu icefall, Everest, and the string of peaks forming the Nepal-Tibet border. This “trekkers” base camp is different from the climber’s base camp that is used to launch climbs of Nupste, Lhotse Nancy in front of Tengboche Monastry and Everest. There were other trekkers at the Base

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Camp when we arrived, and we took turns standing on to be comfortable at even higher altitudes. the small hill and taking pictures. All ten of us made it, The next morning (day 14), we climbed a short, and we were extremely happy to have reached our goal. steep ascent (330’) to the fabled Tengboche Monastery It gave us a pinch-yourself feeling, to be at this amazing (12,700’). Climbers hoping to summit Everest tradi- place that is as far as tionally stop here to receive a blessing. I had tears in one can go without my eyes, overwhelmed with a strong emotion of thank- ropes, crampons fulness to experience surely one of the most beautiful and ice axe. One places on earth. Tengboche provides spectacular views big checkmark for of Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nupste and Everest and many our life list! other peaks! It would be hard to imagine a more inspir- We descended ing place to strive for spiritual enlightenment. We vis- back to Gorak Shep ited the monastery, then descended to the Dudh Kosi to rest. At dinner amid a beautiful pine forest and immediately climbed time, Tek and Man steeply back up on the western side, a 90 minute ascent Bahadur outlined to Kyangjuma to have lunch. From there, it was an easy, the plan for climb- gradual downhill to Namche Bazaar. We stopped along ing Kala Pathar the way to visit the Everest museum and the statue of (18,510’) early in Tenzing Norgay, the famous Sherpa who first conquered the morning the Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary. We explored Nam- next day (day 12), che Bazaar that night, bought souvenirs for our family leaving at 5:00 AM and enjoyed this wonderful and colorful Sherpa village, Nancy in Swayambhunath temple, to reach the sum- strung with prayer flags and surrounded by snow-capped Kathmandu mit in time to see peaks. the sun rise behind On the last two days of our trek, we retraced our origi- Everest (29,028’). From the top of Kala Pathar, which is nal route through Phakding (8562’) to Lukla. There we actually not a mountain but a ridge of Pumori, we would had a celebratory dinner, with dancing, speeches and a have the most perfect view of the world’s highest moun- tipping ceremony to show our appreciation to the Nep- tain, including the Khumbu Ice Fall, the South Col, and alese staff. We also distributed hiking and camping gear the ridge from the South Col up to the summit. We felt that we did not need or care to bring home. It was a hap- happy and excited that night, with this new adventure py evening, and helped us to understand that the joy of awaiting. We rose at 4:30 am, had breakfast and started the dusty climb in the dark, wearing headlamps. It was a very dif- ficult climb, taking 2 to 2.5 hours to get to the top. Every step upwards was a challenge, altitude being the main reason for the struggle. It was also very cold, with the water in my hydration camel freezing. Tom took pan- oramic pictures from Kala Pathar, thrilled at the perfect weather, as it had been cloudy when he had arrived at the top 34 years earlier. Although exhausted, I felt proud and happy to have made it. We descended to Gorak Shep, had breakfast, and left promptly for a long day of descent, passing through Lobuche, Thukla, and drop- ping down to the village of Pheriche (16,108’), a 6 hour hike. I had chicken steak in a restaurant in Pheriche that evening, my most memorable and enjoyable meal since Ama Dablam I had lost my appetite! We were very tired that day and this trek was not just the amazing mountains, but the slept deeply, enjoying the noticeably thicker air. warm, generous Nepalese people who had taken such The next day (day 13) our descent continued. We excellent care of us throughout our trek and shared their crossed the Dudh Kosi River and ascended to the small beautiful culture. village of Deboche (12,664’), where we visited a monas- The next morning we flew back to Kathmandu, and tery for nuns, admiring their beautiful vegetable garden. our amazing trek was over. The air at this altitude was wonderfully palpable in our lungs and we all felt strong and energetic having adapted

JUNE 2019 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 17 MOUNTAIN CLUB OF MARYLAND http://www.mcomd.org • [email protected]

OFFICERS COMMITTEE PUBLICATIONS STAFF President: CHAIRPERSONS Special Projects: Jay Gordon Archivist: Karen Klinedinst Electronic Services Vice-President: Janine Grossman Trip Schedule Layout: CHANGE OF ADDRESS OR Cliff Garratt Excursions: John Eckard EMAIL ADDRESS: Treasurer: Steve Williams Newsletter Layout: Contact Debbie Coble, Jan Overcashier Membership: John Eckard Membership Chair, at: Recording Secretary: Debbie Coble Assistant Webmaster [email protected] Dick Paaby Newsletter Editor: Bill Leimbach Corresponding Secretary: Ed Warner Web Content Manager: LISTSERV: Peter Johnson Outreach Coordinator Norm Revis To subscribe, go to: VACANT mcom-subscribe@ COUNCILORS Supervisor of Trails: yahoogroups.com Jerry Wright Alan Cohen DELEGATES To unsubscribe, go to: Larry Freeman Shelters: Keystone Trails mcom-unsubscribe@ Bill Saunders Karen Ohlrich Association: yahoogroups.com Webmaster: Ann Roberts Duncan Glenday To send a message to the Mid-Atlantic Regional listserv group, send it to: Local Trails (Patapsco): Partnership Council: Janine Grossman/ mcom@ Mike O’Connor yahoogroups.com Gary Reinoehl Maryland A.T. A.T. Corridor Monitor: Management With questions, contact: Andy Buttles Committee: Ed Warner at: Hike Across Maryland: Jerry Wright [email protected] Sharon Sniffen Listserv: Ed Warner Awards Bob Carson Miles Fund John Nethercut Holiday Party and Picnic Linda Hinton

New members for January – April 2019 BARKLAGE,Larry GUGERTY,Joan & Michael MURPHY,Joanne SMITH,Gary BAYNES,Moira GUY,Dianne NICHOLS,Kitty STEINBERG,Susan BEARD,Yoshiko HAUGHT,Stacey PAIDAS,Jim & Tammy STEINER,Roland BEEZLEY,Ann HERRERA,Jorge & Alma PALLADINO,Rich STITZER,Maxine BIGBEE,Anthony & Susan HODGE,Duncan PARISIEN,J.P. STULL,Todd BRADLEY,David & Alice HUNTER,Lawrence PERSICK,SueAnn & family SUHRSTEDT,Mary Sheila BUCKLEY,Mike & Kathy JENKS,Steve PLATANIA,Dennis TARTER,Paul & Leesa CAIN,Michael & Alyssa JONAS,Patricia POGONOWSKI,Daniel & Marti VAN HORN,Ray CAMPANELLA,Jennifer KUHAR,Bonnie REDMAN-SMITH,Susan WEIL,Diane CANNELLA,Donna LANG,Mary REES,Renee WEISS,Grace CARTER,Mihaela LeCOINTE,Annie SABIA,Lisa WENDAL,George & Clare CROWLEY,Steve LINKOUS,Sharon SARNEY,Wendy WILHELM,Jeff D’AMORE,Paul & Nicole LUSTMAN,Mark & Elsa SCHABB,Marc WOODY,Jonica DOYLE,Teresa & Michael MALCOLM,Allison SCHEXNAYDER,Brian & Carol YOUNG,Gene FRENYEA,Shannon MALLADI,Kumar SCILIPOTI,Turi ZIPERMAN,Margot & Philip FUREY,Kathleen MARKOWITZ,Sandra SHOCK,Regina GARSKE,Michelle MOORE,Joanne SIMONI-WASTILA,Henry GEORGE-SHARPE,Ayanna MOORE,Jean SKINNER,Nick & Rachel For new members’ contact information, log onto the MCM website (www.mcomd.org) as a member, click on “About Us”, then “Document Repository”, then “MCM Directory”.

18 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2019