The Newsletter of the Southeastern Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club I June 2017 Get SEM activities delivered right to your email inbox! Sign up for the AMC Activity Digest. email [email protected] Or call 1-800-372-1758 Find past issues of The Southeast Breeze on our website. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Have a story for The Southeast Breeze? Please send your Word doc and photographs to [email protected]. Chapter members summit Mount Garfield in May. Photo by Friendly Hiker Please send photos as separate attachments, including AMCSEM Hikes Mount Garfield the name of each Written by Christine Racine photographer. Include the words “Breeze Article” in the Barry Young, Les Lechowicz, and Christine Racine led 12 hikers up Mt. Garfield on subject line. Saturday, May 20th. It was a fun day for all and a great way to kick off non-winter hiking.....err, well sort of! We'll get to that! Shop the Breeze Market Mount Garfield is the 17th highest of the forty-eight 4,000-foot mountains in New for equipment bargains! Hampshire, at 4,500 feet in elevation. It is a 10-mile out-and-back on the Garfield Members looking to sell, trade, Trail and Garfield Ridge Trail. The mountain affords sweeping views into the or free-cycle their used Pemigewasset Wilderness and over to neighboring Franconia Ridge, specifically equipment can post for free. with views to the backside of Flume, Liberty, Lincoln, and Lafayette, as well as Owl's Head. There is an old fire tower at the summit where only the base remains. Business advertisements are It’s a terrific open summit to spend time on a beautiful day, which is what we got! just $15/month. Send inquiries to [email protected] The day started in the 40s with temperatures reaching the 60s with a light wind. Despite the warm-up over the last week, since the White Mountains had received two feet of snow the weekend before, everyone was asked to bring micro-spikes, which turned out to be a proper decision. Continued on Page 4 Page 1 of 16 Have a Great Summer─OUTSIDE! Summer is almost officially here and that is the time most people think about being outside. We have a full line-up of hikes─local hikes like our Red Line the Blue Hills series, and of course the more challenging hikes up north in the “Whites” or out in the Berkshires. For those of you with young children (or grandchildren!), we just posted a series of Family Hikes. There are several paddling trips on the Cape and some exciting destination bicycle rides coming up. Check out our activities on our website. When you go on an AMC event this summer, why not ask a friend to come along? You do not have to be a member of AMC to participate in one of our events. Hopefully, your friends have a good time and will want to eventually join AMC, but membership is not necessary to go on our hikes, bike rides, and paddles. While we have several activities going on this summer, the Executive Board will be taking a brief break from our monthly Board meetings for the summer so we can Barry Young, all spend more time outside too. Also, the Breeze will not be published in July and AMCSEM Chapter Chair August, but please continue to send your articles and photos to the Breeze editor so everybody can read about “How I spent my summer!” come September, when we [email protected] publish again. This September we will once again return to the AMC Cold River Camp in Evans Notch, NH, for our Chapter Hut Weekend. The dates are Friday through Sunday, September 15-17, with an optional stay of Thursday night the 14th. To register, go to our activities database and see the detailed instructions. This is a popular event with several hikes of varying abilities, bike rides, and maybe a paddling event also. Don’t miss out as space is limited and usually sells out, so sign up soon. If after looking at all the summer trips and activities, you still can’t find something you like, send me an email at [email protected] and I’ll find a leader to plan a trip just for you. We have some new leaders coming on board after graduating from our Leadership Training class in April and they are anxious to take you on a trip! , See you all outside! Barry Young 2017 Executive Board Chapter Chair ............................ Barry Young Communications Chair ...............Paul Miller Membership Chair .....................Sandy Santilli Vice Chair ..................................Christine Racine Communications Vice Chair .......Open Membership Vice Chair ............. Ed Miller Secretary ....................................Ann McSweeney Communications Vice Chair .......Kristina Williams Membership Vice Chair ............. Ellen Thompson Treasurer ...................................Patty Rottmeier Conservation Chair ....................Bill Cannon Paddling Chair ........................... Ed Foster Past Chapter Chair ....................Maureen Kelly Conservation Vice Chair ............Open Paddling Vice Chair ................... Open Biking Chair ................................Bernie Meggison Education Chair ..........................Doug Griffiths Skiing Chair ............................... Barbara Hathaway Biking Vice Chair ........................Open Education Vice Chair ..................Open Skiing Vice Chair ....................... Jeannine Audet Cape Hiking Chair ......................Jane Harding Hiking Chair ................................Leslie Carson Trails Chair ................................ Peter Tierney Cape Hiking Vice Chair ..............Cathy Giordano Hiking Vice Chair ........................Open Trails Vice Chair ........................ Wayne Anderson Trails Vice Chair.......................... Skip Maysles Ad Hoc Committee Chairs and Other Chapter Contacts Social Director ............................Open Web-master ...............................Cheryl Lathrop Contact the Chapter Chair at Social Vice Chair ........................Open Breeze Editor .............................Mo Walsh [email protected] if you’re Social Networking Moderator .....Susan Mulligan Blast Editor .................................Marie Hopkins interested in any open position. Page 2 of 16 Remember When? Photo submitted by Linda Church Can you identify when and where this photo was taken and who the people in it are? Please send your responses to [email protected]. Last month’s winner was Linda Church, who replied within 15 minutes! “Walter Wells is in the middle w/ arm around a lady. The child next to him is Bobby Vogel (red coat, standing). Bob Vogel (father) is diagonal from him in back row (leaning a little). On the right in the second row at end is John Poirier (green jacket) and next to him on left is Louise Poirier. Person in light blue shirt in back row is Charlie Farrell (hat tied around neck). Place was Mt. Monroe.” Linda will receive an REI gift card. Page 3 of 16 Clair and Craig MacDonald balance over water crossing. Photo by Tom Garrahan Mount Garfield Barry Young, left, with Level 2 leaders-in-training Christine Racine and Les Lechowicz. Continued from Page 1 Photo by Friendly Hiker The day brought muddy conditions with black flies, and near the summit the monorail was still in force with lots of snow and ice to contend with. We got a lovely blend of all seasons and a perfect bluebird day to spend quality time at the summit enjoying lunch and taking pictures. Thanks to Barry for supporting Christine, acting as leader, and Les, acting as co-lead on this hike; both are working on their certification as Level 2 hike leaders. Interested in leading hikes, bikes, or paddles, or joining any of those activities as a participant? It’s terrific fun! Reach out to our board or for the latter, check our Activities Database for upcoming events. Views of Flume, left, Liberty, Lincoln, Lafayette. Photo by Christine Racine The Fledgling Monorail. Photo by Christine Racine Page 4 of 16 Sun & Showers on Mt. Greylock Hike We were looking forward to the 360-degree view, but the clouds quickly rolled in, and there were rumbles of Written by Peggy Qvicklund & Jeannine Audet thunder as we neared the summit (despite the weather forecast of 20 percent chance of precipitation). We This hike up Mt. Greylock was originally planned for April reached the Memorial Tower just in time to put on 1st, but the joke was on us. Wet snow, sleet, and our rain gear and take a group photo. A brief shower freezing rain moved into the area the night before— limited the views and shortened our stay. basically a set-up for slick driving and uncomfortable hiking conditions. Hikers love cold, love snow, but The rain abated as we headed back down the Cheshire freezing rain? Not so much. Harbor trail to complete the loop. Fortunately, the heavy rain held off until our drive home! The sky opened up to Mother Nature mostly cooperated for a re-scheduled hike provide a departure downpour, just as we reached our on April 30th. The snow, slush & ice were gone, and the cars at 2:30 pm. only trace of Old Man Winter was the muddy trails after the last of the monorail melted. The day was an enjoyable beginning to the summer hiking season. Lively conversation about family, work, This hike was planned for a Sunday, and everyone and AMC trips peppered the hike, as well as stops to agreed the drive was so enjoyable since the rest of identify and photograph the flora. Massachusetts was still sleeping! Fourteen hikers, including 2 new to our SEM Chapter activities, met at the Cheshire Harbor trailhead at 0900. Skies were clear and Help AMC Protect Our Outdoors! the temperature in the 50’s. Reports on national and state issues affecting the The head of the Cheshire Harbor trail is wide and gentle, outdoors we enjoy are all over the news these days. giving everyone a chance to stretch out after the drive AMC has helpful resources to learn how the latest and to chat, catching up with old friends and getting to developments may impact the lands, rivers, and trails know new folks.