The Connecticut Section Of The Green Mountain Club VOL. XXXVIII NO. V July 2009 e f In Memory of Trail Crew Rocker Donations A Trail Crew Rocker is awarded to those earning 50 Phillip &Ellen Blumberg ALLAN NOAM WILLIAMS points or more working on Hartford, CT APRIL 1, 1948 – JUNE 26, 2009 trail maintenance. William & Gerry Andy Gagner Brodnitzki Allan was a member of the CT. Section of the GMC for over Ashford, CT Norfolk, CT 20 years. He was an active environmentalist and was the founder of the DEP Bookstore in Hartford. Allan retired from David & Regina Chatel the CT Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) after 28 __________________ Willington, CT years of service. During this time he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award and was credited with being the Richard &, Leslie Chandler driving force behind the state’s Flood Warning System. & Family New Members West Hartford, CT Allan was also activity in fund raising for the GMC. During the 1980’s the club formed the Long Trail Protection Fund Warren Azano & Sherrill & Ruth Collins which would enable the club to purchase land along the trail. Judyth Pendell Tolland, CT Allan was the organizer of a Walk-A-Thon, phone-a-thon, West Hartford, CT and other fundraisers that were held in the Hartford Area and Richard & Aida Cyphers raised approx $140,000 for this cause. The club is very Thomas J. Heisler Glastonbury, CT grateful for Allan’s work and dedication to the causes he Berlin, CT embraced and supported. Andy Gagner Jane Thielen Ashford, CT The CT. Section of the GMC would like to express David de la Parra our sincere sympathy to Allan’s family. Sherman, CT George Jackson Glastonbury, CT Sam Molinar Granby, CT ____________________ Jack Sanga & Family South Windsor, CT k Donald Woodbridge Amenia, NY The Trail Talk Club Information Section 2 of the AT in PA http://www.conngmc.com April 17th -19th, 2009 Officers & Executive Committee Carol Langley—President he gang was able to head out of CT by late morning, (860) 621-2860, [email protected] T early afternoon. The wise car took I 84 and ended up at Dick Krompegal, 1st Vice President, Trails & Shelters the cabin at around 5:30. The not so wise car took I 95 and (860) 667-4205, [email protected] ended up in a lot of traffic. Either way, we were all to the Jim Robertson, 2nd Vice President, Activities cabin by 7:15 where we enjoyed a community dinner. After (860) 633-7279, [email protected] dinner, we had a lazy evening ,visiting and relaxing by the Laurene Sorensen, Director To The GMC fireplace. (401) 965-6724, [email protected] Dan Zelterman, Secretary We were up and on the road early on Saturday. All was well (203) 230-9108, [email protected] till Mandy went on her memory of getting to Wind Gap from Jack Sanga, Treasurer last years trek. Being directionally challenge, well she blew (860) 648-9614, [email protected] right by the exit and had a brief back track before getting it Laurene Sorensen, Reporter to the Long Trail News right. After staging a car, we headed off to drop Carol and Bill (401) 965-6724, [email protected] at the Smith Gap Rd where they began their 2 mile uphill climb to the AT. The rest of the gang headed to Little Gap to Please direct all inquiries regarding the Club to the President: begin the days trek. The day started with a straight up boulder Carol A. Langley climb but it wasn't to too bad and in no time we had reached 67 Pondview Drive the ridge. Now Mandy had advertised this event as easy and Southington, CT 06489 flat. What was lacking in elevation was compensated for in (860) 621-2860, [email protected] rocks. Rocks, rocks and more rocks. Section 2 is not the most exciting section but it had to be done. It was a nice day of The Trail Talk is published four times a year in January, hiking along, stopping for rests and a few views. We had a April, July and October. Activity schedules are included in nice lunch and Jack was particularily thankful for the tuna each issue. Reports of activities and articles must be sent to sandwich Mandy had made for him. What it lacked in the editor no later than the tenth day of the month of the mayonaise, it made up for in tuna. Dan insisted there was a publication. Send articles to: 3pm nap in his contract and sure enough, at 3pm we stopped Dick Krompegal for a snack and he settled in on a nice pile of rocks for a nap. 142 Churchill Drive After Dan's snooze, we headed for the Leroy Smith shelter. Newington, CT 06111-4003 We joined Carol and Bill at the campsite there and made a (860) 667-4205, [email protected] village of tents in the nice tent site there. Everyone was fighting sore feet from all the rocks so we checked out the damage, put the boots away for the day and settled in for Membership dinner and a campfire. When filling out the form to join or renew, circle the Connecticut Section on the application to receive, at no extra Sunday morning we were up bright and early. The weather for charge, the Connecticut Section’s newsletter and activity the whole weekend was exceptional. Most hiked in shorts. It schedule. was warm and sunny. Sunday was a 5 mile trek out to Wind Dues: Gap. Not bad at all. During the weekend, we met two through Individual Adult $ 40.00 hikers who had left GA on Feb 5th. We also met some Family $ 50.00 weekend hikers like ourselves. Again flat with many rocks, Senior (70 or older) or Limited Income $ 22.00 we made it out to Wind Gap with no problems. We still have Nonprofit or Youth Group $ 50.00 five miles of Section 2 to add to Section 3 but were happy for Business or Corporation $150.00 the 16 miles we hiked on this very lovely weekend. We Send annual dues to: grabbed our cars. Ross was staying in PA to do two more The Green Mountain Club weeks in PA. The rest of us headed to a restaurant for a nice 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road lunch before driving back to CT. Thanks to all of you who Waterbury Center, VT 05677-9904 came so far to hike this section with Mandy. The company (802) 244-7037, http://www.greenmountainclub.org was so appreciated and grand fun. Connecticut Section Of The GMC Backpackers: Laura Brink, Jack Sanga, Carol Langley, Bill Post & Receive Messages, Photos, Other Activities Falconer, Ross Linius , Dan Zelterman, Don Hagstrom http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ct_green_mountain_club/ Leader: Mandy Brink. The Trail Talk Mattabesett Trail Maintenance M&M Trail April 26, 2009 Backpack May 9-10, ot going through my normal routine of eating at y request, this was a backpacking redo of Section 15 of N Guida’s before the day, and starting earlier than B the M&M Trail. After staging Big Red in Farley MA, normal, caused more havoc than one would think. we returned to the Co-op store at Moores Corner in North Everybody’s schedule was off. We weren’t in a race so some Leverett. A quick visit for supplies and renewing local ate breakfast, making our start a little later than planned. acquaintances then we were on the trail. We spotted cars at Rt. 68 then drove to Rt. 17, the southern The first .4 miles is a road walk leading to a power line that end of the CT section of the Mattabesett. We cleared brush rises abruptly into the hills. Another mile and we entered the and inspected to Paug Gap. There several left us because the woods on the way up Diamond Match Ridge. The trail is well day was much hotter than one would expect so early in the marked and with chatter we missed the stone boundary year. The rest of us continued north. We now started to blaze marker for the towns of Leverett, Montague and Wendell. in addition to normal clipping brush and taking blow downs After crossing Red Brook the hike turned into a scat off of the trail. A land owner near the top of the mountain in identifying session with bear, moose, horse and owl this section erected a high fence to keep motorcycles and droppings at every turn. No, the animals were not seen. Soon hikers off his property. We should relocated this section Ruggles Pond was viewed thru the foliage. At the North end, away from the fence in the future. the remains of an old CCC camp is now the setting for the Wendell State Forest Park with picnic areas, outhouses, sandy In the early afternoon we met several hikers walking south beach and a dam. A little further at 6.4 miles is a shelter for searching for us. They intended to join the work group but six, with fire pit, wood, a spring and a .2 mile walk back to arrived late. Now, commenting about Mary being late is like the outhouses. With the promise of rain we elected to stay in stating the obvious, like the north star points to the north the shelter in which Mary set up her new tent leaving room to pole. However, to have others be late was a little odd. This spare for Woody, Don and Bill. No sooner than the evening hike was getting curiouser & curiouser.