Note from the President Event Calendar Note
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Editor: Peter Oswald ([email protected]) Issue: February 2016 as usual, did a fine job of presenting videos of each Meetings are held upstairs at Center day’s activities. Street Grille, 4 Center St, Enola PA, On a personal note, I would like to recognize 717-732-6900. member Ben McDivitt, a physical therapist by trade, who, after learning that I had knee The Center Street Grille is on the east replacement surgery three months ago spent an side of Center Street just south of hour with me in the Craftsbury workout room then Wertzville Rd (PA-944). out on skis checking me out and giving me confidence to get out and ski again. Ben also led a Directions to Center Street Grill at end of newsletter stretching session for the group. It is members helping members that make this such a great club. ******************** It’s easy presiding over such a well-oiled machine. Dave Powell Note from the president ******************** So far this winter, reports I hear are that there has been somewhat marginal skiing at many of the Event Calendar venues K ‘n G has visited. We seem to make the best of it. This club is made up of a great group of Note: NO Ski Club Program Meeting for people who roll with the punches and have a good Tuesday, March 1. The meeting has been time anyway. As president, I find it quite easy to changed to March 16. Dinner Social at preside over meetings and events with such a congenial group. Thai Palace, originally scheduled for March 16, is canceled. Our Executive Committee is made up of dedicated, conscientious members who keep the club Special Program Meeting: operating without a hitch. Our many trip leaders Mar 16, 2016 Wednesday 7:00 pm provide excellent opportunities to ski at many ski "Skies Unlimited - Lancaster's Largest venues. So many others provide interesting Telescopes" by Ed Cook programs and events. Good examples are Nan Reisinger, who gave an excellent presentation Note: Special location for this meeting at Joseph about her thru hike of the Appalachian Trail to the R. Grundy Observatory, Clayton St, Lancaster. 62 members present at our January meeting. On the Craftsbury trip, Roberta Strickler conducted Yoga Some lucky member of the group, or maybe sessions to the trip participants and Bill Stine who, several, will get the chance to apply the power of a superhero in rolling back the entire roof of the building the night we meet at the Grundy Snowshoe Thompson - Legendary Observatory in Lancaster to watch the stars and planets. Backwoods Skier By David LeRoy If skies are clear we'll see the famous Ring Nebula, the amazingly beautiful Orion Nebula, the weather A pacesetter in the field of Cross Country Skiing – bands of Jupiter, and even the great Galilean both in the construction and in the use of skis to Moons! Will you be able to stave off vertigo when traverse snow-covered terrain - was Snowshoe you look at the Double Double and realize what Thompson. A native of Norway, he constructed the wild spinning motion is going on in that crazy cross country skis that he used to carry the mail 80 group of stars? If skies are clear and we don't see a miles over the crest of the Sierra Nevada’s in the satellite or two you will get your money back - dead of winter. In the 1850’s he became famous guaranteed! for making the arduous trip, travelling over and back (160 miles) regardless of conditions, in about Even if the skies are cloudy we will still be able to 5 or 6 days. A biography written by Frank examine the workings of Franklin and Marshall's Tortorich, John A. “Snowshoe” Thompson – two great telescopes, undoubtedly the largest Pioneer Mail Carrier of the Sierras, was recently telescopes around. What we'll see is no media released and is the source of the information show, but, instead, the real thing! presented here. P.S. What money? John A. Thompson was born in Norway where his Norwegian name was Jon Anon Torteinsson Rue. Directions to the Observatory: Children there from a young age wore skis instead of boots when outdoors in winter and were as From the intersection of PA-283 and US-30 near comfortable using them as when walking in shoes Lancaster in the summertime. In those days, the term Follow US-30 west snowshoe, as applied to Thompson, referred to Take the 1st exit, Harrisburg Pike (Park City) wooden skies. Times were tough in Norway and Turn LEFT onto Harrisburg Pike overpass his family ended up in America and he travelled to Turn RIGHT onto President Avenue California. Turn RIGHT onto Valley Road (fourth intersection) There, Thompson was awarded a contract to carry Turn RIGHT onto Wilson Dr (third intersection) the mail from Placerville, California to Genoa in Continue to the end of the street where you will the Utah Territory (today’s Nevada). He was about come to a chain link fence six feet tall and weighed about 160 pounds and was Go through the open gate and follow the driveway described as very athletic. The skis he built to make to the parking area the trip and the several he built subsequently were The unassuming brick observatory is to your left reportedly between six and twelve feet in length and about 4 inches wide. One set was reported to Apr 5, 2016 Tuesday 7:00 pm weigh 25 pounds. A single strap connected each Last general meeting of the year. Election of new boot to the ski. He carried a single ski pole, officers and trip planning for the 2017 season. normally held horizontally like a tight rope walker, but he leaned it into the snow to steer and brake. April 20, 2016 Wednesday 7:00 pm Dinner Social: When carrying the mail, Snowshoe travelled light Blue Bird Inn carrying little more than his mail pouch. He gave 2387 Cornwall Rd up carrying a revolver and, except for the time he Lebanon, PA 17042 encountered a pack of wolves, found little need for 717-273-3000 one. He carried some jerky and biscuits for sustenance. Instead of carrying water, he grabbed ******************** a handful of snow which melted in his mouth. It is likely that he spent most of his waking hours on his Craftsbury Trip Report skis. This year, our season opener was attended by 40 Snowshoe dressed quite light as his body was used Kick ‘n Gliders including six who stayed in the to tolerating the cold. As he travelled over the cabins down by the lake. We would have had six mountains, he was able to stop to rest at abandoned more, but the rescheduling of Dennis Major’s cabins, but sometimes slept under an overhanging hernia operation and the death of Tanya Richter’s rock, one of which is called Cottage Rock. But he mother reduced our numbers by six. also spent some nights outdoors. On those occasions, he looked for a stump or dead tree on The snow was OK, but not sufficient for all of the which he built a fire. He slept with his feet to the trails to be open. But the trails over at Highland fire. If his fire was on a dead tree, he chose one that Lodge, which are now maintained by the folks from had a definite lean, so that if the fire-weakened tree Craftsbury Outdoor Center, were available. The fell over, he knew which way it would go. A fire trail into Craftsbury Village was closed because of on a stump or dead tree eliminates the usual an issue with one of the landowners on the route. problem of fires built on snow, which tend to melt Craftsbury has agreements with over 70 their way down through it. In his case, the snow landowners in order to provide the trail system at was often six feet or more in depth. He often Craftsbury. So it is surprising that more problems travelled at night using the stars for navigation. He have not arisen over the years. claimed to never have been lost. We enjoyed the skiing, of course, and the daily get- together before dinner. The breakfast and lunch Like skiers today, Snowshoe sometimes meals, by the way, no longer have two seatings but encountered the problem of snow sticking to the rather a window during which you can arrive at bottom of his skis. He was unaware of what was called “dope” which other skiers had discovered, a special concoction that, like today’s glide wax, helped to keep the snow from sticking. His solution was to wait it out, usually waiting till nightfall when the temperature was colder and the snow no longer adhered to his skis. At such times, if he was cold he found a flat rock and danced a Norwegian jig to keep warm. The occasion which made Thompson famous occurred when he came upon a cabin where a man had been stranded with his legs frozen. Thompson went for help and brought back four helpers who learned to travel on hastily constructed skis. They built a sled and dragged the injured man to safety. Unfortunately, the chloroform which the doctor needed to use for amputations was only available on the other side of the Sierras. Snowshoe travelled over and back to obtain it and arrived in time for the your convenience. This seemed to work well. operation to be successfully carried out. There were only three folks present from the South Jersey Club whose trip always overlaps ours.