2015 Annual Report William Saunders, MCM President 2015 Marked the 81Th Year Since the Mountain Marcuse the Unsung Hero/Heroine Award

JUNE 2016

2015 Annual Report William Saunders, MCM President 2015 marked the 81th year since the Mountain Marcuse the Unsung Hero/Heroine Award. In addition, Steve and Club of Maryland (MCM) was founded. MCM activities Patty Williams received National Park Service plaques recognizing can be grouped into four major programs: scheduling and con- their 25 years of service for the Appalachian Trail. ducting hikes; serving as an Appalachian Trail (A.T.) maintaining We engaged in several public events. MCM co-spon- club, supporting local trails; and carrying out underlying business sored (with the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club) a very success- support operations (membership, budgets, communications, etc.). ful 2015 Appalachian Trail Biennial Conference, which was held in In 2015 we continued to be very productive in all of these pro- July 2015. Bob and Janine Grossman worked closely with PATC for gram areas. We offered a vigorous program of hikes, continued our more than a year on the conference planning. In addition to our strong historic commitment to maintenance of the A.T. and also presence at the Biennial, we exhibited at a wellness fair in Howard made significant contributions to local trails, and worked to im- County and at the Boiling Springs Foundry Day, and we sponsored prove Club operations in numerous ways. MCM’s continuing suc- a hike and a display at the Duncannon Trail Day. cess is due to extensive volunteer efforts from a cadre of dedicated members. We provided grants to local trail organizations from the Miles Fund. Our size and activities in 2015 were This year grants totaling $9,559 were given consistent with recent years. We ended the for three projects. One grant was given to the year with 701 memberships, with an estimated total Friends of Gwynn Falls/Leaking Park to build of 891 individual members (based on two persons a boardwalk. Another was given to the Cen- for family memberships). This is a slight decrease tral Pennsylvania Conservancy to purchase from 2014 membership levels. We are primarily a and conserve land near the Appalachian Trail. day hiking club, but we also have continued to of- A third grant was given to Benjamin Banneker fer backpacking and canoe/kayak trips. Our total Park to construct a tool shed. number of activities was 281 and we had a total of 3,642 participants at these activities, including 174 MCM continued to maintain and guests. These results have been fairly consistent improve hiking trails. We maintained 42.2 over the last few years. miles of the Appalachian Trail in PA and MD, as well as four A.T. shelters. There are many individual Club vol- There were some changes in the club leadership unteers who take responsibility for a section of trail. There are also over the past year. Jody Blatt replaced Leslie Marcuse as a several members who contribute by monitoring the A.T. boundary. councilor. Joan Montanari took over the recording secretary posi- Under the leadership of our Trails Supervisor, Jerry Wright, MCM tion. Rose Johnson became the editor of Hiker High Points. Mike perform successful clean-ups of graffiti at several place along the Jenkins stepped down from the Supervisor of Trails position and A.T. We conducted two environmental service projects during the was replaced by Jerry Wright. year--in April and May we removed invasive plants on the A.T. in We hosted two Club meeting events—our June Pine Grove Furnace State Park and near Hunters Run in Pennsyl- picnic and December holiday party. At the December vania. In recognition of increasing bear presence along the A.T., we holiday party, the following awards were announced: Robert and prepared four bear boxes—to provide bear-proof storage for hiker Janine Grossman received the Outstanding Service Award; Mike food—that were delivered to our shelters in the spring. Overall, we O’Connor was given the Eleanor Sewell Lifetime Achievement devoted about 2700 volunteer hours to the Trail. Award; Ann Roberts the Outstanding Trip Leader, and Leslie Besides our A.T. work, we also continued to perform light maintenance and monitoring of the Valley View and Tall Poplar trails in Patapsco Valley State Park, and MCM volunteers performed service at the Howard County Conservancy. Only those who will risk going too far We continued efforts to improve Club operations.

can possibly find out how far one can go. Steve Williams conducted a training session for new hike leaders in March 2015. Ann Roberts purchased first aid kits and made them –T.S. Eliot (Continued on page 9) ♣ “JUNE 2016 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 1 ” Zen of the Art of Hike Leading: An Irreverent Primer Reuben Dagold

There are various types of hikes, some combining several during a separation on a hike in a county park, a park ranger characteristics. The most strenuous hike goes at breakneck (or sauntered by and issued our club a warning for our indecent ex- break-ankle) speed, over rocky terrain, up and down long steep posure! hills, with deep stream crossings—where you see nothing but It is useful when circling around before the hike—introducing the shoes in front of you. The mildest hike might be a short na- ourselves and making announcements—if there are new people ture hike where you amble along noting every fern, mushroom, on the hike, to explain what a separation is. There was a hike native orchid, invasive when the leader at some point said that the women should stay ivy, and so on, slowly behind and the men would go ahead. A female guest, not be- and meticulously. ing familiar with the separation concept, was incensed that the There are various women were being treated as the weaker sex, and weren’t able to types of hike leaders, continue on to a more difficult section of trail! some combining sev- Hike leaders need to determine if a new member has the fit- eral characteristics. ness level required for a specific hike. One must be aware that The macho leader is meanings of words in English can vary, depending on region or out to prove that he country. One time a leader was questioning a newcomer about is the strongest, not his hiking experience and was told that he had done a lot of concerned with those walking. Well, it turns out that in the U.K. a walk is synonymous attempting to follow. with our hike. That walker was able to out-hike the leader. There is the humane Seasonality provides several considerations, in addition to the leader, who at least already mentioned separation difficulties. When there is no foli- waits for his followers age, one’s line-of-sight is longer—you are no longer in a green at the top of the hill. Weekend hike to White Rock Overlook on tunnel. Also, you can better see relics of past habitation and This writer has ob- the Appalachian Trail, sometime from 2007 use of the now-forested land. It is possible to find foundations, to 2009 served that often when gravestones, millraces, railroad spikes, unpaved wagon roads, a leader stops to allow laggards to catch up, they then slow down etc. If you hike the Valley View Trail in Patapsco in the sum- even more. mer, you might wonder where the “valley view” is; in winter it Hikes can be classified by their routing. The more usual is the is obvious. out-and-back, which does reduce the amount of scouting need- Some leaders might scout out hikes in order to re-live some ed when planning the hike. One could say that you are covering of their childhood. For instance, the Cascade Falls in Patapsco the same territory twice in one hike. On the other hand the foot- Valley State Park is now less high than it was as The Cascade path and vegetation appear differently in the reverse direction, in Patapsco State Park, when brought there by parents. The cast and the previous uphills are now downhills and vice versa. The lions guarding the door at the mansion in Leakin Park that one point-to-point hike, which is unidirectional, resolves the out- climbed on as a child, are and-back issues, but then car plants are required. That lengthens now living at The Balti- the hiking day and requires more planning at the beginning. more Zoo. The cannons The loop hike neither requires a car plant nor forces the hikers at the Old Fort at Leakin to backtrack, providing a brand new adventure during the entire Park that one straddled hike. And there is the lollypop hike, which is a combination of are no longer there. The an out-and-back and a loop. (I think that a cotter pin would be a Three Sisters ponds in better descriptor than a lollypop, but who listens!) Druid Hill Park, where The most difficult items for a hike leader are arranging -car one caught minnows and pools and selecting appropriate sites for separations. There tadpoles, are surrounded doesn’t seem to be much point in arranging carpools ahead by broken fencing and of time; e.g., when members call in to register. There are sev- are silted in. eral types of occurrences that can foul up prior planning: driv- Stream crossings can ers who had agreed to be carpool drivers are no-shows and/or be challenging, espe- members show up who had not previously registered. There’s cially when there has been no problem, that I’m aware of, finding willing drivers at the Every hiker has a personal way to do been a good amount designated meeting point. stream crossings. of rainfall. Once con- A separation is a tactic used when a stop is needed for a call of venient stepping stones can be submerged or washed away. nature—the hikers separate by gender and the two groups move Hiking sticks are useful here. However, no matter the weath- apart, out of sight of each other. The more toward winter the er, often the water is only a couple of inches deep, especially season, the greater the lack of foliage. The more toward summer, over sandbanks. And, of course, our hiking boots are water- the greater the sticker bushes and poison ivy. However, it is im- proof. When all else fails, when the best crossing point is not portant to remove oneself from the trail itself. Some years ago, (Continued on page 4) ♦ 2 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2016 ALONG THE TRAIL Historic Ilchester Gary Reinoehl

On April 3rd, nine brave souls hiked a windy 7.5 miles to major B&O stop, explore Historic Ilchester, MD. Ilchester is about two miles George’s business downriver from Ellicott City and it is the site of the world’s first was never success- railroad bridge. The piers are still in use today for the footbridge ful. across the river into the Patapsco State Park. In 1866, George Hiking from sold his property to Ellicott City, we an order of the Re- passed five gran- demptorist church. ite quarries dat- The church built ing from 1829. Mount Saint Clem- Granodiorite is an ent College which The modern pool was built to replace a stone intrusive igneous opened in 1868. pool which was difficult to reach. rock which means It was a 14 month preparatory school for young men entering it cooled inside the seminary. The college’s main building was five stories high the volcano’s mag- with a width containing eighteen windows with five window ma chamber. This The grotto was a place to pray. The nooks depth on its sides. It had a five by five window projection in granite was used once held religious statues. front topped be a cupola. At the time, it was the most impres- as a building material for Ellicott City and to build bridges and sive architectural buildings in Howard County. In 1882, a three structures along the B&O Railroad. We also passed obsolete story chapel was added and it was renamed Saint Mary’s Col- railroad coaling and water stations. Coal was used for fuel and lege, which it remained the water was used for steam to power steam locomotives. until 1972 when it was Ilchester Mills is an unincorporated village with a current closed due to declining population of about 24,000. It was named after the village of enrollment. Ilchester in Somerset, England. Its first structure was a grist- The State of Mary- mill built in 1761 by John Cornthwaite. The village consisted land purchased a por- mainly of mills until the B&O Railroad was completed through tion of the campus in Ilchester in 1830. 1987 and added it to the George Ellicott, Patapsco Valley State Jr. built a hotel, Park. The building was tavern and coo- burned by vandals in per shop along the 1997. The remaining railroad. George artifacts viewed by the was the grandson hikers included a swim- Hikers after lunch at the cemetery altar. of one of Ellicott ming pool, two grottos, City’s founders, two overlooks, a cemetery, two altars, a baseball field and a Andrew Ellicott. combination tennis/basketball court, as well as a pile of rubble The altar was the center of an approximately 1 acre cemetery. Since Ilchester that was once the main building. never became a

Editor’s Comments Thanks to all who submitted stories, pictures and suggestions for this Trail Trivia!! HHP issue! In January 2016, bad weather made things very Special thanks to Dick Paaby for his help reviewing some of the difficult for everybody but especially for MCM material. members. Snow and ice shut down the streets, the Please note that any news articles, photographs, notices or other city, and effectively shut down the trails…11 hikes material you would like to submit for publication in the next Hiker were cancelled. In spite of this, 302 brave hikers High Points must be received no later than September 10, 2016. were out there fighting the elements. This summer, Send materials to: [email protected] think twice before complaining about the heat and Photos should be sent in original size, with caption information: humidity. Go and enjoy the outdoors before the event, place, date, identity of persons in the photo, photographer’s name, next storm changes your plans. etc. Thanks in advance! Rose Johnson

JUNE 2016 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 3 ALONG THE TRAIL Hiking with Humans Biscuit Roberts

It is 7 A.M. on a Sunday morning and Ann is already up and Then there is this weird thing called a “separation”. These bustling about, so we must be leading a hike today. Yep, there’s humans are so modest that the males and females separate to the backpack being loaded up with dog treats for me and the rest do their business. Even stranger is that we dogs have noticed of the pups! I’ve been co-leading these hikes for several years that the female humans tend to go near a tree and the males now, ever since Ann and Mike are more willing to go out in the open—just the opposite of us. picked me up at the Baltimore Bizarre! County Animal Shelter, which Snack time! My favorite part of the hike! Almost everyone is eerily close to where I hike has dog treats, or even better, they share their people snacks with and live now, but let’s not talk us. Ann says people about that. who don’t bring dogs We arrive at the trailhead must still like us or and we all circle up to give they can’t go on the everyone a good look and a hike, and it is easy to smell. We decide who we like see that they do. They and who we don’t, just like I fuss and dote over us. suppose the humans do. Ann I love them! likes to get us moving quickly Did you know I so no issues develop while just won an award for hike standing around. She says she leader of the year? I does that for the dogs, but I hate to brag, but it is Biscuit: the award-winning hike secretly think she does it for leader, now in retirement. amazing to think a the humans too because, let’s stray dog from Essex Group of dogs with their owners face it, everyone’s happier when they are hiking! who ended up in a We move along and now we are a pack. I pity any dog or hu- dog pound, exactly one day from being “put down” (whatever man hiker that suddenly meets us on a narrow path, because that means), has come so far. I think Luke should have gotten we might just give off a little growl or bark to show them that an Honorable Mention, though. He really does know how to we rule the trails. Every dog marks all the good places over and lead the pack. over again. Oftentimes, one of the regulars, Luke Morgan (a Well, after about 5 or 6 miles, the hike is over. We’re all ex- fluffy white dog who hardly looks like a hiker), takes over the hausted; our owners hope for the rest of the day. lead. The truth is, he usually always takes the front, but I don’t Please- come join us on our hikes. We’d love to meet you! mind because I am slowing down a bit these days. Ann doesn’t Woof! know how old I am and I won’t tell her, but I’m pretty sure she Paw Note: thinks I’m younger than I really am. I am sorry to say that I will not be leading these hikes any- On a dog hike, the humans talk about our canine aches and more because I am really not up to it these days. I’m sure Luke pains, our eating habits, and our need to lose weight so they can Morgan, or maybe a new canine club member, will step in to dodge these issues about themselves. My name always surfaces lead the pack. Don’t worry about me, though, Ann and Mike when losing weight comes up, but hey, I am a lab, you know! still take me on shorter walks and they take excellent care None of us are skinny. of me. Happy Hiking!

♦(ZEN, continued from page 2) obvious, all the leader has to do is call out “Good luck, we will that since I was the leader, those following would have to bear re-assemble on the other side.” with me, or be allowed to go ahead and stop at the top of the Hiking sticks can also be useful when hiking over rocky ter- grade. Also, it can be easier to lead a hike than be a follower. As rain. They allow you to observe your surroundings more by your a follower you must keep up with the leader; as a leader you set not needing to be looking downward constantly. It has been said your own pace. that use of poles helps build upper body strength. And when The leader’s followers will quickly have learned not to believe mountain bikers do not give you the right-of-way, a pole poked him when he says there are no stream crossings on this hike, this into their wheel spokes (tempting, but not recommended) will is the last hill, only one mile to go, or it’s downhill the rest of the teach them the rules-of-the-trail. way. Two inviolate rules for leaders: lunch is at noon and after Not being the speediest hiker on long uphills, I hesitated to lunch is downhill. lead hikes that included such features. After a time, I realized

4 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2016 TRAIL WORK NEWS

MCM Leaders Attend Hazard Tree Training Bill Saunders Since the death of a hiker from a falling tree at the Ed campsites, shelters, springs, vistas and trail junctions. ATC in- Garvey shelter in Maryland early in 2015, The Appalachian dicates that liability for damage or injury from known hazard- Trail Conservancy (ATC) and its partner organizations have ous trees is the responsibility of the land-managing agency been taking steps to reduce the risk to hikers from tree falls. (typically a municipal, state or federal entity). However, trail On March 4-5, 2016, the MCM Trail Supervisor, Jerry Wright, clubs can support hazardous tree management with our skills and Shelter Supervisor, Bill and time. ATC and club vol- Saunders, attended ATC- unteers who are trained in sponsored Hazard Tree Risk hazardous tree identification Assessment training at Scott can help land-managing agen- Farm in Pennsylvania. The cies inspect designated areas to training was conducted by Bill identify and manage trees that Jones, a U.S. Forest Service could pose a probable threat to plant pathologist, and provid- trail visitors (this could lead to ed detailed information about temporary closure of a site un- tree anatomy and defects as til the risk is mitigated). well as methods of evaluating In addition to sponsoring trees to identify those at high- training, ATC is developing est risk of falling. policy guidance on how clubs National Park Service should identify and deal with guidelines say that a hazard- hazard trees at these desig- ous tree refers to a plant with nated locations. (Clubs are a significant flaw which, when not responsible for identify- Group at work. Picture courtesy of Karen Lutz, ATC coupled with a location in ing trees at risk of falling along an identified public use area, makes that tree an actual risk. other sections of the treadway.) ATC expects this policy will Hazardous trees may occur in designated or maintained loca- be ready in mid 2016. tions where A.T. visitors are likely to gather such as trailheads,

MCM Delivers Bear Boxes Bill Saunders

In the February 2016 issue of Hiker rocky trails were sometimes very diffi- High Points, we described how MCM cult, breaking wheels on two trips and prepared bear boxes for installation at requiring that we carry the boxes part our four hiking shelters in Pennsylva- of the distance. But in the end, all four nia. MCM installed the boxes to provide boxes were delivered successfully. Here bear-proof food storage for overnight are the names of the MCM volunteers hikers. During March and April, MCM who helped deliver them: Bob Gross- volunteers hauled the boxes to the shel- Bear box on the cart… man, Dennis Hurley, Jim Koury, Diane ters. To help haul the boxes and related Mock, Mike O’Connor, Sean O’Shell paraphernalia (chains, leg stands, re- (Duncan Appalachian Trail Commu- quired tools, etc.) as much as a mile in nity), Dick Paaby, Gary Reinoehl, Mar- some cases, we used a high-wheeled cart tin Sussman, and David Yanosik. Many built years ago by former MCM president thanks to all our volunteers for making Duncan Crawford. Although the cart this possible! was an invaluable aid, the trips over very

…and installed at Darlington Shelter.

JUNE 2016 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 5 OUTREACH MCM Participating in Public Events Gary Reinoehl

The Mountain Club of Maryland participated in three public events in April. The Great Outdoors Sportacular was held at the Westminster Library on April 9th. Unfortunately it was held inside due to weather (wind, cold and snow). The Banneker Historical Park and Museum in Catonsville held their Earth Day outdoors event on April 16th. The weather was beautiful and we talked to many potential hikers. If you haven’t been to this park, you are missing a great museum and hiking trails. The final and most successful event was the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland’s, Caitlin Dunbar Nature Center Big Outdoors Event on April 24 in Ilchester. The weather was perfect and over 800 people were in attendance. We provided displays on hiking, backpacking and kayaking and handed out tips on places to hike, a hiking checklist and how to avoid and treat tick bites. One of the highlights was having the Girl Scouts identify and find 14 different snakes printed on one of our volunteer’s t-shirts. Thanks to Patty Williams, Moni- ca Fortner, Justine Reinoehl, Sally Heyn, Linda Hinton, Bill Saunders, Keith Kuhlemeier, John Heyn and Gary Reinoehl John Heyn, Sally Heyn, Monica Fortner, Justine Reinoehl, Gary for volunteering and making these events successful. Reinohl at the Girl Scouts event.

MILES FUND NEWS Miles Fund at Benjamin Banneker Historical Park Gary Reinoehl

The tool shed, funded by the Mountain Club of Maryland’s Miles Fund, arrived at Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum (BBHP&M ) on Thursday, March 17th. The park personnel were very appreciative to MCM for the funding and to the volunteers who made the project possible.

From left to right, Gary Reinoehl, Keith Kuhlemeier, Bob Garner (BBHP&M Chairman, Environmental Committee), Bob Grossman, and Justine Schaeffer (Director/Naturalist - BBHP&M).

6 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2016 HIKING ADVENTURES AROUND THE WORLD

Scotland’s Cape Wrath Trail Andy Buttles

In the early ’80s, I backpacked the newly opened West cross remote areas which the military uses for training, up Highland Way, which runs from outside Glasgow, Scotland, and down, crossing rivers, bogs, and high mountains. It has north for about 100 miles to Fort William. I enjoyed the a bit of everything, trip quite a lot, and often from small towns, thought about returning. to a famous salmon A couple years ago I read stream (which is about another Scottish inaccessible as the trail with this splendid shores are all closed name: The Cape Wrath to outsiders), to the Trail. How could I resist? famous geological WHAT: The Cape sites near Assynt Wrath Trail is not really (where according a trail, but more of a sug- to the guidebook, Idyllic view gestion of an interesting you’re as likely to At Cape Wrath way to walk the 200 plus bump into a geologist as a stag). The trail finally ends at the miles from Fort William, lighthouse at Cape Wrath. Scotland, to Britain’s most northwesterly point, Cape Wrath. HOW: Getting to the start is a breeze, as there is a train There is not one Cape Wrath Trail sign on the whole route, station in Fort William, the start of the trail. Getting out at and some of the other signs you see point hikers in the the other end is a bit tricky, as you need to get to the town of wrong direction. Much of the trail is actually off trail, with- Durness to get a bus that eventually goes to a train station. out a hint of a path, frequently across extremely wet ground. If you time it right, you can catch a tourist van from Cape Everyone I saw relied on map and compass, and most also Wrath to a ferry to Durness, which will transport hikers if used a guidebook. This was the most challenging navigation there is room. I have ever done, other than on a trail in which I had to CONSIDERATIONS: This is no easy trail. My feet were resort to a guide. It is also a trail with delightfully melliflu- soaking wet for days on end; this is unavoidable. I went into ous place names. For example, quoting from the guidebook, a hole up to my waist while crossing a boggy area. There are “…climb…Stob Coire na Cloiche, followed by a short ridge occasional knee deep walk east to intercept the path at Bealach Coire Ghaidhail holes, just big enough that descends north along Gleann a’ Choilich to the shores for a foot to go into, of Loch Mullardochand”. that are difficult to WHEN: Since the Trail is in the Scottish Highlands see. River crossings (which could also aptly be called the Wetlands), hiking can be very tricky, season is generally between April and October. I had heard and may require a tales of the famous midges, flying insects that torment one lot of extra walking and all, so I chose April, before they generally hatch. There to avoid. There are is an active hunting season in the fall. Also, much of the area several towns on the near Cape Wrath is owned by the Ministry of Defence and In the rough bounds of Knoydart way, so there are ho- large parts are used tels available on occa- as a military bomb- sion. There are also some primitive huts where you can stay ing range, which for free (although oddly, many don’t have outhouses). In means the route is theory, you can legally camp almost anywhere. In practice, occasionally closed. if you’re looking for a flat, dry spot, there are only three in I was able to find all of the Scottish Highlands (or so it seemed). And there’s some advance no- the wind, the hardest continuous winds I’ve seen outside Pa- tification of this… tagonia. Late one day, I found myself high up in the moun- happily. tains when thick fog roared in. I could no longer find my WHERE: From way, so I camped behind a hummock on a rough damp spot, The start near the Fort Wil- and spent the night sure my tent was going to blow away liam train station, you take a ferry across Loch Linne, and with me in it. As I couldn’t navigate in this thick mist, I wend your way north, usually going under the viaduct at wanted to wait until things cleared before I moved on. But Glenfinnan, which appeared in Harry Potter movies. You as my concerns for my tent grew, that no longer seemed like (Continued on page 9) ♥ JUNE 2016 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 7 A Few Reflections on a 16 Year Section Hike of the Appalachian Trail John Nethercut It Is a Long Trail. 2,189.2 miles long (4.4 million steps if you trail by myself, about half with a variety of partners, including folks are counting), running from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mountain Club members may know: Val Lopez, Keith Merrell, Katahdin Mountain Steve Weber, Terri Goldberg, Paul Henze, and Jenny Poland. in Maine. I hiked it in Off Trail. Who doesn’t like a pizza and beer? And what’s wrong 34 separate sections, with stopping at a hiker hostel or even or separate hikes, be- a decent hotel every now and again? tween 1999 and 2015. Deprivation makes civilization seem This doesn’t include like, well, civilized. I found that stag- hundreds of miles being section hikes and resupplies out of ing lost or seeking hiker towns and outfitters was the best shelter, food, or water. combination of time on and off the It took me 202 trail trail. days, nearly seven Trail Zen: I tried to live in the mo- months, ranging from 2003. Virginia. Three hikers and their dog in ment on the trail and love it for what deep contemplation of the valley 3 to 18 miles of hiking it was at the moment. I reminded my- per day. On average I hiked 10.8 miles per day, 62.2 miles at a time. self to “be here now.” It doesn’t matter I am slow, but I keep moving. whether you are climbing or descend- Don’t Plan to Finish It. Thru hikers have a lifetime achieve- ing, in rain or sun, whether the vistas ment in mind. Section hikers usually have the journey in mind, are open and huge or you are walking not the destination. When I started hiking the A.T. I had no in- in a tunnel of green or fog. Short of hy- Aug. 2014. Near Rangeley, tention of doing the whole thing. I just needed a place to escape pothermia or drowning or falling off a Maine. John N. to that I could do locally, cheaply, and by myself. What I enjoyed cliff, it is all good. You choose your reality on the trail. most about the hike was the Gravity. I did fall off one cliff in the White Mountains: Wet chance to be alone, to be in granite, a slide with fingernails scraping slick rock, over the edge. the woods, to engage in “ki- But I grabbed a small tree and one foot found a ledge. I scrambled netic meditation.” I decided to back up within a few minutes, to the shock of Val and other hik- start backpacking again after a ers on the rock who saw me disappear and then re-appear like a 20 year hiatus. My first pack phantom. probably weighed 70 pounds. One Moose, One Bear, Lots of Snakes, and Lyme. One rattler I had a lot to learn, and other and one copperhead struck at me; both missed. I cursed their low- hikers taught me. ly existence. The real wildlife concern is shelter mice and insects. Sanctuary or Challenge? Lyme disease is a growing and very real threat. One memory: a After I had hiked well over Northbounder was clearly infected in Vermont, but he wouldn’t half of the trail, I realized that get off the trail for treat- May 2004. Near Pearisburg Virginia. I could finish it if I kept walk- ment because he was so John N. and Keith Merrell ing, and that became the goal. close to the end. I’ll bet he Then it became a challenge and an adventure, but it wasn’t as much suffers a long time for that as an escape or a sanctuary. I missed that. I just wanted to be out decision. in the woods—you don’t Aborting the Trip. I need a plan or a goal to aborted several trips, in- do that. An hour spent on cluding once because I a rock watching vultures got a call that one of my circle below is as memo- cats had been killed. It rable as the various peaks broke my heart and I lost Aug. 2013. White Mountains. John N. and landmarks along the my desire to hike. Once A.T. Nonetheless, Katah- for heel blisters that took months to heal. Once for a stress frac- din was a mystical experi- ture in my foot — but I hiked on it for 3 days before admitting ence. that a person with any sense would stop. Once, most memorably, Partners. Being a lone when my partner Val and I overestimated the number of miles we wolf can be lonely. As Aug. 2013. White Mountains, NH: with could do in Maine. Two stream crossings, two major mountains, time went on and I got Val Lopez, Terri Goldberg, Steve Weber and we wound up hiking in the dark until 11:00 p.m. in freez- further and further away and Jenny Poland ing rain, with Val’s headlight failing and me fading in and out of from Maryland, the logistics became more complicated, but also hypothermia. After four days of that we called it quits. We were I found that I enjoyed hiking with partners. I hiked about half the (Continued on page 9) ♠ 8 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2016 (ANNUAL REPORT, continued from page 1) available♣ to hike leaders. We conducted an on-line survey of mem- ular we continue to work on decreasing our mailing costs. Because bers to learn more about their hiking practices and preferences and of that balance we are able to host events such as the annual picnic their suggestions to improve the Club. Our webmaster worked to and holiday party without an attendance fee, we have been provid- make improvements to the club website by adding new features ing additional support for hike leaders (e.g., training and first aid and documents. We purchased MCM caps and distributed them to kits), and we plan to continue doing so. Our financial records for hike leaders and other volunteers as a token of appreciation. the year are summarized below. Due to years of good management the club has a substantial financial balance in our accounts. In partic- Respectfully submitted, William Saunders, President, MCM �� ! �� "��#�� $��% �� %�&��'�� (�� $�� ) �� (��*��!��! ��) �� +) �� )

(SCOTLAND, continued from page 7) a♥ good idea. I continued on early the next morning, quickly lost my a bit of privacy. way, and only by stumbling upon a scree slope which was shown RESOURCES: The Cape Wrath Trail, by Iain Harper is the on my map was I able to find my way off the mountain. The next guidebook I used, in conjunction with OS maps, which are ref- day it was covered in ice. Another time I wandered several miles erenced in the guidebook. Harvey has recently published maps, off my intended trail in thick mist because I couldn’t see enough also. The club’s own Robert Bunch is also a useful reference who reference points to use my map. Cell phone coverage is occasional offered general guidance, as well as translation help as I tried to at best. Since you’re generally not on a trail, you can’t count on help decipher lochan, in spate, bealach, and several other words. He also in an emergency. There are very few trees also, which makes it nigh explained haggis to me; I hope he is wrong. on impossible to find a wind block, so bring a strong tent. The lack In conclusion, this is one of my favorite hikes. It was difficult, of trees can also be challenging when one is, shall we say, seeking wet, hard to navigate, and absolutely worth it.

(16 YEAR SECTION HIKE, continued from page 8) very♠ depressed at the time, but it was a smart decision. We came Trail Etiquette. Be friendly, but don’t sit too close. You stink. back the next year and crushed those mountains. The mountains They stink. Talk to strangers, but don’t talk too much. Ask ques- will always be there; a section hiker can always come back. tions, but realize that trail stories might be better than trail truth. Purity. Humans need to create rules to structure life and give it Keep your stuff organized in a shelter; don’t monopolize the space. meaning. Purists on the trail want to touch or see every blaze, never Everyone comes in during a storm. Learn to sleep with strang- skipping even a few feet of trail. One woman I met, April May, said, ers. You may offer to share your food (and through hikers are al- “I’m not mad enough at anyone to be a purist.” I don’t know what ways hungry), but never ask. Most hikers have their food regimen that means, but everyone needs to make their own peace with rules planned down, so if they carried the weight they don’t want others on the trail. I never deliberately shorted mileage by going off trail to mess with it. Snickers bars are an exception. Snickers bars can — that’s my rule. When I neared the end of the hike and finally be traded for anything, even gear. They are the common currency settled on that rule, I realized that I had skipped two short sections of the trail. in Virginia, once to hitchhike out of a storm and once to favor a Mean Muddy Maine, and Respect for Locals. Val and I met blue blaze swimming hole rather than climb the Three Ridges. I an old man in October on Blue Mountain: He didn’t look good, went back that summer and finished those sections. and he had a long way to get back to town. We worried about You’d Better Enjoy Trail Culture. If you asked me the one thing him because no one else, not even locals, were on the mountain that I found most interesting, the major reason I kept going back, it that night. He called it “Mean Maine.” Val renamed it several days was the hikers I met—regular folks, trail bums, characters. Every- later to “Mean Muddy Maine” after she fell face first into a mud one has a story from hiking the trail. What’s wrong with having one hole and came up crying, “I’ve never been so dirty in my life!” We night, short term relationships with a lot of different people? That’s joked about Maine: “Q: How do you know you’re going uphill? A: what campfires are for. You will meet people from across the coun- You’re climbing upstream. Q: How do you find the trail if you’re try and across the world. Age is irrelevant, “real life” is something lost in Maine? A: Listen for running water. Q: What does a Mainer we don’t talk about a lot, but the commonality of the trail binds us. call a switchback? A: What’s a switchback?” That said, I now have We use trail names in large part because we don’t want to be our immense respect for locals who hike in Maine and New Hampshire real life persons at that time. You can shed real life like a snake skin as their backyard. Tough people. when you go wild. Conclusion: I miss the trail. I am wondering where to go now. JUNE 2016 HIKER HIGH POINTS • 9 MOUNTAIN CLUB OF MARYLAND http://www.mcomd.org • [email protected]

OFFICERS COMMITTEE PUBLICATIONS STAFF President: CHAIRPERSONS Special Projects: Electronic Services Karen Klinedinst Bill Saunders Archivist: CHANGE OF ADDRESS OR Janine Grossman Trip Schedule Layout: Vice-President: EMAIL ADDRESS: Excursions: John Eckard Carolyn Bauer Contact Wayne Lipscomb, Steve Williams Newsletter Layout: Vice-President: Membership Chair, at: Membership: John Eckard Jim Floyd [email protected] Treasurer: Wayne Lipscomb Assistant Webmaster Bill Leimbach Gary Reinoehl Newsletter Editor: EMAIL RECEIPT OF Rose Johnson Web Content Manager: Recording Secretary: PUBLICATIONS: Publicity: Michael Coe Joan Montanari To sign up for email delivery Monica Fortner Corresponding Secretary: of Hiker High Points and Peter Johnson Supervisor of Trails: Trip Schedule, contact Jerry Wright DELEGATES Wayne Lipscomb at Shelters: Keystone Trails [email protected] Bill Saunders COUNCILORS Association: Jody Blatt Webmaster: Ann Roberts LISTSERV: Duncan Glenday Janine Grossman Mid-Atlantic Regional To subscribe, go to: Local Trails (Patapsco): Partnership Council: Ann Roberts mcom-subscribe@ Bob Grossman Mike O’Connor yahoogroups.com A.T. Corridor Monitor: Maryland A.T. Andy Buttles Management To unsubscribe, go to: Hike Across Maryland: Committee: mcom-unsubscribe@ Patty Williams Bill Saunders yahoogroups.com Listserv: To send a message to the listserv Amanda Greene group, send it to: mcom@ Awards yahoogroups.com Bob Carson With questions, contact: Amanda Greene at: [email protected]

New members for January–April 2016 ALEXANDER, John FURLONG, T J KOEPKE, Mark SCHMICK, Robert ARON, Marla GADBOIS, Michael LEVEN, Klaus & Tish SCHULTZ, Gene & Nancy BANKERT, Bill GALLAGHER, Tatiana LEWIS, Alan W SIGWART, Frank BERGMANN, Susannah GARDNER, Stephen & MANUEL, Paul SINGLETON, John BIRD, Chris Mary Beth MARKS, Lauren STEWART, Shane BONDROFF, Fred GARSKE, Michelle C McLAUGHLIN, Marsha SUNDIUS, Jane BONDROFF, Bernie GOLDBERG, Mark & Joy MILLER, Deborah TICE, Don & Linda COHEN, Alan & Deborah GORDON, Ann Clary MOLONEY, Robin TRAVERS, Allison COOPER, Ellen GREENBERGER, Lauren MORAN, Ellen TULLY, Margaret D’AMELIO, Tasso GULINO, Renee NORMAN, Betty VAN PELT, Theodore DAVID, Diane HARTKA, Janet ORELLANDA, Kyrstle WILHOIT, Mel R DORSETT, Thomas & HOLTER, Don RANDALL, Chuck WILSON, Corey Nirmala HUBER, Dave RICHIE, Nancy YU-CUA, Grace FOLLIN, Debora F JACKOWSKI, Bob & Wanda SALIMI, Farhad FORTUNE, Barry W 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”. 10 • HIKER HIGH POINTS JUNE 2016