ISSN 098—8154 The Newsletter of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club Volume 30, Number 10 118 Park Street, S.E., Vienna, VA 22180-4609 October 2001 Meadows Cabin Returns - Back To the Way It Was, Plus More ere you aware that Meadows Cabin Whas been undergoing a facelift? And with much work complete and a new over- seer in place it looks like it just might be the hottest property on the (rental) books. The new Co-overseer for Meadows, Mr. Kim Mathews, has been on the job more than anyone and is quite multi-talented. Tom Jorgensen, Weaver Cabin Overseer and Regional Overseer has coordinated all the work crews and put in countless hours himself on the job. Aside from the hard work, team leader Tom is also leading in the number of Meadows Restoration Project Near Injuries! He fell into the newly dug privy pit. He did a swan dive, unintentionally, off the ladder while holding a crow bar, and was stung by a wasp while on the scaffolding. And he keeps com- Meadows Cabin during the renovation; photo taken August 24, 2001. ing back for more, humor intact. giving an open invitation to their beauti- coup hours, even diverting one of Mutton ful swimming pool. Top’s work crews to pitch in at Meadows. Co-Overseers Tom and Bett Johnson I t ’s been a lot of work out there. It’s so Cabins Operations Chair and Mutton Top have been held in the highest esteem by nice to see it getting done. The before work crews all the long hot summer for Overseer, Mel Merritt, has also put in beau- See Meadows, page 5 In Tribute In This Issue . Council Fire . 2 t week’s end, I thought it would be high- Walt’s Notes . 3 Aly theraputic to go to the mountains of Mike Karpie’s Photo Tips . 4 the SNP, and I met a friend and fellow PATC District Managers Contact List . .5 me m b e r , Ben Fernandez, and several other hikers, at a trailhead that led to the AT. Leave No Trace Conference . .6 Black Hills Regional Park Hike . .7 As we set off, I realized that Ben had an American Flag attached to his pack. I asked Blackburn Pig Roast Registration . .7 him why he was displaying the flag like that, Annual Dinner/Meeting Registration .7 in the middle of nowhere, and he said sim- Hiking the C & O Canal . .8 ply, “I’m not displaying the flag to show to anybody, it’s on my pack to honor America, Book Review . .9 and to honor all those who died last week.” Geezer Maintenance 101 . .10 Ben’s father survived the Japanese invasion Letters to the Editor . .11 of the Phillipines, and later immigrated to Forecast . .12 the United States. That, and the fact that Ben was displaying this flag in such a seclud- Notices . .17 ed and beautiful place, combined with his Trailhead . 18 quiet and dignified emotion, was moving, to Volunteers Appointed . .19 say the least. o —John Luck Help Wanted . .20 Council Members, Chairs and PA Staff Council Fire Officers President: Walt Smith, 703/242-0693 t the PATC Council’s regular monthly Ext. 40, [email protected] Ameeting on August 14, it approved a VP Operations: Vacant general agreement with the Shenandoah VP Volunteerism: Mickey McDermott National Park for maintaining certain park Supervisor of Trails: Kerry Snow trails, huts, and maintenance buildings. The Supervisor of Corridor Management: Tom Lupp a c c o rd ensures continued cooperation General Secretary (Facilities): Jon Rindt between the National Park Service and the General Counsel: Charles Sloan Club regarding mutual interests in the Park, Membership Secretary: Liles Creighton and will protect PATC volunteers under the Treasurer: Gerhard Salinger Volunteers in the Parks Program. Recording Secretary: George Meek Sections/Chapters PATC maintains about 277 miles of trails in Mountaineering Section: Mack Muir Shenandoah Park, along with seven huts and SMRG: Peter Pennington three maintenance buildings. The approved tion and report on an incident should rest Ski Touring Section: Steve Brickel document replaces a previous agreement with the President. North Chapter: Steve Koeppen that expired in December 1999. The new N. Shenandoah Valley Chapter: Martha Clark agreement does not include responsibilities S. Shenandoah Valley Chapter: Michael Groah Finance Charlottesville Chapter: John Shannon involving the six rental cabins in the Park Former PATC President Jack Reeder was West Virginia Chapter: Judy Smoot that the Club manages. They will be covered elected by the Council to a three year-term in a future agreement. on the Endowment Committee. Prior to his Standing Committee Chairs retirement, Mr. Reeder managed a $1.4 mil- (Council Members) Tools lion budget for an association. He joins Don Blackburn Trail Center: Chris Brunton Price (chair), Ed Britton, Bob Patelunas, and The Council approved a Tool Management Budget: Paul Dery Joanne Duncan on the Committee. Cabins Operations: Mel Merritt Plan for review and implementation. The Cabin Construction: Charlie Graf objective is to ensure that sufficient quanti- The Budget Committee made the initial Conservation: Mary Margaret Sloan ties of properly maintained tools are conve- request for input for the Club’s 2002 budget, Grants & Donations: Tom Madden niently available for carrying out trail main- which will use zero-based program-budget- Endowment: Don Price tenance. The plan outlines specific responsi- Finance: Gerhard Salinger ing as last year. Proposed expenditures are to bilities for tool users, work trip leaders, cus- Hikes: Karen Brown & Tom Johnson be keyed to approved goals. The approval Internet Services: Stephen Raia todians, and tool room volunteers, and timeline calls for review of the proposed Land Management: Tom Johnson includes special arrangements for inventory budget by the Executive Committee in Legal: Charles Sloan and control of power tools. November and approval by the Council in Maps: Dave Pierce December. Maryland Appalachian Trail Management Committee: Charlie Graf Legal claims Potomac Appalachian: Linda Shannon-Beaver The Council approved a modification of the The Council approved $4000 for ro o f Public Affairs: Larry Rockwell Club policy for dealing with legal claims or replacement at Highacre in Harper’s Ferry. Publications: Aaron Watkins threats of legal actions against PATC. The The intention is to replace the roof with a Shelters: Frank Turk policy was changed at the suggestion of the special shingle design that closely resembles Trail Lands Acquisition: Phil Paschall the original. Trail Patrol: Kumait Jawdat Club’s Legal Counsel to reflect that the dis- Tuscarora Trail Land Management: cretion of whether to initiate an investiga- See Council Fire, page 4 Lloyd MacAskill Special Committees/Ongoing Activities Archives & Library: Carol Niedzialek Cabin Reservations: Darlene Wall Deputy Supervisor of Trails: Hop Long Headquarters Facility: Orron Kee Information/Sales Desks: Marguerite Schneeberger Medical: John McNamara HOW TOHEADQUARTERS GET IN CONTACT WITH US Shelters, Cabins, & Cabins Land Fund: Jon Rindt FOR CABIN RESERVATIONS, SNP Boundary Trailheads Study Group: MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION, AND SALES Mark Holland Tuscarora Trail Shenandoah Valley Project: Address: 118 Park Street, S.E., Vienna, VA 22180 Hours: Monday through Thursday, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Phoebe Kilby & Larry Bradford and Thursday and Friday 12 noon to 2 p.m. Phone #: 703/242-0315 Potomac Appalachian To receive an information packet: Extension 10 Chief Editor: Linda Shannon-Beaver To leave a message for the Club President Walt Smith: Extension 40 [email protected] 24-hr. Activities Tape #: 703/242-0965 Contributing Editors: Marion Lee, Kathy Murphy Facsimile #: 703/242-0968 Features Editor: Joanne Erickson Club e-mail: [email protected] Forecast Editor: Joe O’Neill World Wide Web URL: http://www.patc.net [email protected] DURING REGULARSTAFF BUSINESS HOURS 2 Director of Administration: Wilson Riley (Ext. 11) e-mail: [email protected] Appalachian Trails Management Coordinator: Heidi Forrest (Ext. 12) e-mail: [email protected] Business Manager: Rebecca Emig (ext. 15) Membership/Cabin Coordinator: Pat Fankhauser (Ext. 17) e-mail: [email protected] Sales Coordinator: Maureen Estes (Ext. 19) e-mail: [email protected] Walt’s Notes Connecting ments of art, could add nothing Distancing people from their natural- By Way Of Cabins here....and in realizing this emotion, I resources base destroys the natural syner- have felt amid some scenes a kind of gism between rural people and places. It also selfish pleasure, a wild delight, that the alters people’s attitudes and perc e p t i o n s ou might ask: “Why do volunteers spot so lovely and so lonely was, as it regarding natural resources and conserva- Yspend so many hours building and were, all my own....But Hark! That dis- tion.”3 maintaining cabins?” cordant post-horn, breaking in upon these idle musings, tells me that they As Charles Hoffman got on the stagecoach I suppose the most obvious reason is that the must close here with the tour that for Washington, he was musing about the members want to have a place to stay while called them forth. I have parted with joy of the wilderness. Perhaps, he was really hiking. my horse, and booked a place in the thinking about his own “disconnect.” Do we stage-coach for Washington....” 1 feel disconnected at times? “But why do they do that?” It is interesting to me that the report of the Reconnection to the Natural Perhaps because they want to get away from “Congress on Promoting Sustainability in the beltway and recover from their busy the 21st Century”2 seems to indicate agree- Environment lives. ment with the feelings of that 19th Century Our PATC Constitution contains some traveler. The report discusses trends in pop- related Club objectives: to further the preser - “Yeah, but why then would more than five ulation growth and consumption and how vation of land for open space, conservation, and hundred volunteers spend over 16,000 hours these trends have led to increasing urbaniza- recreation....to encourage the careful use of the last year recovering by maintaining or tion of rural areas and low-density dispersal, surrounding lands and resources by individu - restoring old buildings and constru c t i n g or sprawl.