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Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club
Appalachian Hiker
February 2015 - March 2015
www.tidewateratc.com
Prez Sez
Membership
As you get this newsletter we have a new slate of officers in place. I am happy to serve as your President for
one more year and even more pleased with the quality of
men and women who have stepped forward to fill the various officer and chair positions. It is a reminder that a club
like ours depends on people willing to step forward and
volunteer. And volunteer is the key word. Many of you
volunteer on trail maintenance both in the mountains and
right here in Tidewater. Many of you help out with our
monthly meetings, special events and of course our beloved cabin. I want to use this time to encourage you to
consider one other opportunity for being a volunteer and
that is in a leadership role within our club. With all we do it
does take some work to handle dues, run the meetings
and the many things involved with maintenance of trails
and cabin just to name a few things. I know many of you
think you do not have the skill sets or the time but I would
like to correct that misconception. Most jobs take far fewer
minutes than you think and we provide a network of people
who have done the job before and are glad to help a novice learn the ropes. So come on you all. When this summer and fall roll around and we begin to look for volunteers
to fill leadership spots why not come forward and asked to
be considered. Another great way to volunteer at the Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club.
TIME TO RENEW - TIME TO RENEW - TIME TO RENEW
Your membership card is dated to February, 28, 2014.
The TATC membership renewal period is March and
April of each year. A membership form must be completed each year. A form is enclosed in this newsletter.
Welcome to the following new and returning members:
David & Barbara Girardin, Cynthia Halliday, Dan & Lisa
Facemire, Jason Waldman, Shephard Johnson & Nancy
Lewis.
Mary Hormell
Membership Chair
membership@tidewateratc.com
Table of Contents
Mark Wenger
TATC President
president@tidewateratc.com
Visit our website at
www.tidewateratc.com
(banner photo by Mark Ferguson)
1
Prez Sez
1
Membership
1
TATC Club Officers and Committees
2
Volunteers Donate to AT
3
Adios Adventure Travel
3
Blue Ridge Mountain Sports
4
A Paragraph or 2 for Trail Maintenance
5
Merchants Millpond - Bike Trail
6-7
GreenLife Adventure Sports
8
“Own” a Section of Trail!
8
8th Annual Triathlon
9
Something About Pennsylvania
10 -11
2015 ATC Biennial Meeting
12
Activities Schedule
13-15
FCSP Photo by Bruce Julian
16
TATC Club Officers
President
Mark Wenger
president@tidewateratc.com
253-0056
Vice President
Juliet Stephenson
vicepres@tidewateratc.com
not listed
Treasurer
Joe Turlo
treasurer@tidewateratc.com
855-9650
Secretary
Diana Ramsey
secretary@tidewateratc.com
619-0540
Trail Supervisor
Mark Connolly
trailsupervisor@tidewateratc.com
623-0764
Assistant Trail Supervisor
Ken Lancaster
assistantts@tidewateratc.com
589-1402
TATC Counselors
Counselor
Carl Allen
counselor@tidewateratc.com
301-8856
Counselor
Michael Horrell
counselor@tidewateratc.com
804-815-7972
Counselor
Greg Seid
counselor@tidewateratc.com
636-3877
ATC RPC Representatives
ATC RPC Rep
Ned Kuhns
rpcrep@tidewateratc.com
552-0292
ATC RPC Rep
Phyllis Neumann
rpcrep@tidewateratc.com
566-4584
TATC Committee Chairs
Cabin
Bob Adkisson
cabin@tidewateratc.com
627-5514
Cabin
Greg Hodges
cabin@tidewateratc.com
439-1552
Calendar
Kevin DuBois
calendar@tidewateratc.com
621-2564
Calendar
Tony Phelps
calendar@tidewateratc.com
703-297-1594
Education
Bill Rogers
education@tidewateratc.com
484-6001
Hikemaster
Juliet Stephenson
hikemaster@tidewateratc.com
not listed
Historical
Bob Adkisson
historical@tidewateratc.com
627-5514
Land Management
Bob Giffin
landmgt@tidewateratc.com
495-7002
Local Trails
Bill Buck
localtrails@tidewateratc.com
846-1125
Membership
Mary Hormell
membership@tidewateratc.com
627-2392
Merchandise
Margaret & Bruce Julian
merchandise@tidewateratc.com
484-0975
Newsletter
Jim Sexton
newsletter@tidewateratc.com
484-2827
Outreach/Social
Past President
Jim Newman
Jim Newman
outreach@tidewateratc.com
pastprez@tidewateratc.com
867-6688
867-6688
Programs
Dottie Abbott
programs@tidewateratc.com
363-9562
Timekeeper
John and Jane Oakes
timekeeper@tidewateratc.com
467-9633
Tool Boss
Bruce Julian
toolboss@tidewateratc.com
484-0975
Webmaster
Jim Sexton
webmaster@tidewateratc.com
484-2827
Publication Information
Title: Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club Appalachian Hiker
Issue Date: February 2015 - March 2015
Frequency: Bimonthly
Address: Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club, P. O. Box 8246, Norfolk, VA 23503-0246
41st Edition, 1st Issue
Price: Free
2
VOLUNTEERS DONATE MORE THAN 200,000 HOURS IN 2014
TO MAINTAINING THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
Harpers Ferry, WV (Jan. 8, 2015) – The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is pleased to announce that for
fiscal year 2014, 5,617 volunteers reported 241,936 hours to maintaining and protecting the Appalachian Trail
(A.T.) for hikers to use. Since the ATC began collecting reports in 1983, individuals have contributed more
than 5 million hours to the A.T., resulting in a volunteer network that is recognized worldwide.
The number of hours reported, which is the second highest since 1983, reveals a loyal commitment to the Trail
despite a government shutdown in October 2013 that resulted in volunteers being unable to work on National
Park Service or U.S. Forest Service lands. Despite this sequestration, volunteers donated time equivalent to
what is completed by 116 full-time workers and contributed to a wide variety of projects, including maintaining
the A.T. corridor, monitoring and removing invasive species, supporting teachers in the Trail to Every Classroom (TTEC) program and assisting A.T. Communities near the Trail.
ATC volunteers represent 31 A.T. Maintaining Clubs and Trail Crews; Visitor Center and regional office volunteers; and participants in additional ATC programs, such as TTEC and the Appalachian Trail Community™
program. Though Trail maintainers are perhaps the most visible, volunteers also participate in many other activities, from community outreach to local, regional and Trail-wide management efforts.
“The Appalachian Trail Conservancy exists because of the generosity, talents and support of our volunteers –
they are the very soul of the Appalachian Trail,” said Ron Tipton, executive director of the ATC. “The impressive number of volunteer hours reported for fiscal year 2014 illustrates a continued dedication to the preservation and management of the Trail.”
For more information about volunteer opportunities, visit www.appalachiantrail.org/volunteer.
Contact: Javier Folgar
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Tel: 304.885.0481
Fax: 304.535.2667
Email: jfolgar@appalachiantrail.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ATHike
Web: www.appalachiantrail.org
3
3
4
A Minute or Two for a Paragraph or Two on Trail Maintenance
Although May seems like a long way off right now in our sometimes-cold winter, I hope that you’ll think about
going out for either our “Spring Walk-Through” on May 2, or our “TATC Spring Maintenance Weekend” on the weekend of May 15-17. Our base camp is Sherando Lake U.S.F.S. Recreation Area, about 20 miles south of Waynesboro, VA. The map schematic for getting to Sherando from Hampton Roads is featured at the TATC website
<www.tidewateratc.com> on the drop-down menu under the tab for Trail Maintenance.
Our “Spring Walk-Through” comes up first, May 2nd, and we’ll use the CCC Kitchen area near the upper lake’s
dam as our base camp on Sherando. It’s an opportunity to have some small reconnaissance teams----in sum, only
about a dozen or slightly more people-----go out to walk our assigned trail(s) and make notes on what deficiencies
exist as a result of the winter’s wind and weather on our trail. They’ll note the location, size, and number of trees
that have blocked the trail in some way, and perhaps any washed-out trail, or maybe sidehill tread surface that
needs adjustment. Also, as a result of a report from a member who has walked the trail since our Fall Maintenance
Weekend, we know of at least one tree that has fallen across our section of A.T. in a way that requires some more
work, so we’ll make notes on that. When the small teams return to Sherando, they’ll pool their information, so that
we can plan what tools we’ll need a couple weeks later for our “Spring Maintenance Weekend.” And, for those who
stay overnight at the tenting area at the CCC Kitchen, a pancake and sausage breakfast will be provided on-site for
those attendees.
A couple weeks later, we have our “Spring Maintenance Weekend” on May 15-17th. Some people like to arrive
some time on Friday at the Williams Branch Picnic Area of Sherando to get a favorite car-camping site with picnic
table; maybe one that’s at the rear of the area, or one that’s close to the flush-toilet bathrooms and the dining shelter, or maybe one that nearer the entrance to the area. Team rosters will be put out on clipboards in the dining shelter for a time on Friday and early Saturday morning to allow attendees to choose which work team they’ll join, based
on difficulty of mission or distance to hike with tools. We’ll gather our teams on Saturday morning at about 7:30AM,
get a safety briefing, arrange our carpools, and pick up our teams’ assigned tools to put into the vehicles, and head
out for the several trailheads. When we get back on Saturday afternoon, there’ll be a period of schmoozing around
with snacks in anticipation of our club-sponsored dinner for all attendees, to possibly include some hikers we meet
out on the trail. We expect that The Devil’s Backbone, the brewery-pub downhill of Wintergreen, will again offer to
help support our dinner with BBQ and either beans or slaw, which our club will supplement with veggie chili or another dish, and maybe salad. Our desserts will be potluck, an assortment of brownies, pies, cakes, cookies to provide calories to defend again any cold during Saturday night.
Please make note of our scheduled date and consider participating in this, one of the two major events a year
that justify the existence of the Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club. And, if going out on the trail seems too heavy a
burden, consider working on the meal crew to help get our Saturday night dinner together for us all. It’s all good! I’ll
put out preliminary rosters at the next couple TATC meetings for you to sign up.
Mark Connolly
TATC Trail Supervisor
trailsupervisor@tidewateratc.com
5
The Bike Trail - Merchants Millpond State Park
Bill Rogers
On the way back from a beautiful New Year’s Day hike at Merchants Millpond State Park I spied a
small biking sign on the side of US 158. At the next driveway I made a ‘U’-turn, and came back to the sign.
There I discovered a small parking lot and trail kiosk. For lo these many years biking has not been allowed on
the park trails. Now there is a bike trail. Refer to the map on the next page of this newsletter.
The trail runs down the fire road all the way (+/- 2.5-mi) to the pond. It is hard-packed dirt with some
gravel and some crushed rock. Even in winter the woods are pretty and views into deciduous and pine forest,
vernal pools, and the pond, lend themselves to photography. This day all were frozen over with a thin covering of ice, as were a few puddles. At one vernal pool there was a small break in the ice with the open water
spot showing a perfect reflection of surrounding trees. A pileated woodpecker screamed far off in the woods.
A moment or two before reaching the pond you pass the trail to the restroom. Then you come to a
picnic table, and then to the end of this section of the bike trail and two more picnic tables. The view out over
the pond, with its tupelo, cypress trees, cypress knees, and hanging Spanish moss, is always a delight. Here
I partook of the calories carried in my daypack, and some delectable hot cocoa. A gaggle of geese somewhere to my east on open water was having a raucously loud argument over something.
Retracing my route I zipped over to the restroom for a quick stop. There the bike trail goes off-road
for maybe a mile. No, not a mountain bike trail. This section is more like a hiking trail. There are a couple of
tiny hills and the trail has nice turns and variety. A few bare spots were a tad slippery. Robins flew off at my
approach.
All too soon the off-road portion tied into an old road that took me back to the main fire road. From
there I retraced my way toward the parking lot. But I found a ‘Y’ that I’d not seen on the way to the pond. The
left branch, new to me, turned out to be a wide, mowed fire break that led back to my truck. There shoes
were exchanged for boots, and the last of my now only warm cocoa quickly disappeared.
Upon leaving I went into Sunbury, then back, measuring the distance west to the bike trail parking lot.
From the intersection of Rt. 32 and US 158, at the traffic light in Sunbury, it is 3.9-miles to the parking lot on
the left side of US 158. The bike sign is relatively small, so keep a sharp eye out looking for it. There is a
kiosk at the trailhead with a map. Before you go you can download and print a good map from the park’s
website.
The fire road and old road are easy to peddle and would make a great kid’s ride, with a picnic at the
pond-side picnic tables. The restroom is a real convenience. The off-road portion is not really difficult, but
may have a slippery spot or two. Do it yourself before taking youngsters there. The whole bike trail is marked
with red triangles and signs. For part of the fire road the trail is for both bikers and hikers, so please be aware
and ride with respect. Referring to the map you’ll see that you cross the Lassiter Trail, and later you join it for
a spell. If you get off your bike, make sure to check for ticks when you arrive home.
In e-mailing Ranger Jane at the park she provided this info:
As to the bike trail, following is the information that we pass out to park visitors:
1. It is a 5 mile loop.
2. No motorized vehicles are allowed on it.
3. Bikes must stay on designated bike trails, follow Red Triangle blazing.
4. Cyclists must wear a helmet.
5. This is an off-road bicycle trail; some areas may be rough.
6. Do not disturb or remove any plant or animal.
6
(Map included on Page 7 …)
(Continued from Page 6 …)
Click here for link to colored Map
7
“Own” a Section of TATC’s Assigned Trail!
Although all members know that the Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club has two major Trail Maintenance Weekends a year, perhaps not so many know that there are about a dozen members who have a more on-going and intimate
relationship with a particular part of the trails that have been assigned to the TATC for maintenance. These people are
called “Section Leaders,” and, for our Spring or Fall Maintenance Weekend, they often serve also as the team leader for
the team of maybe half a dozen people who, for that day, may have to remove blow down trees from the trail, maintain
the water bars, or do some upgrade of the tread on some side-hill trail that might have eroded on a certain stretch of
TATC’s assigned trail.
The Section Leaders agree to do more than the usual member, by making a couple extra trips each year, on the
subsection of the TATC trail for which they’ve volunteered to take responsibility. It’s then that these Section Leaders go
out to do some limited maintenance----and may take the spouse or a friend to accomplish it------trimming vegetation,
clearing debris and leaves from water bars to maintain surface water flow off the trail, removing invasive plants, finetuning some tread way on a side-hill trail, etc. These Section Leaders also serve as the reconnaissance scouts to provide the trail status info to assist in planning the team- and tool-assignments for our two major maintenance weekends.
We’re looking for a few good members to step up to take responsibility for a “section” of TATC’s assigned trail,
ranging from sharing “Section Leader” responsibility for our A.T. trail over Three Ridges or for the Mau-Har Trail, to taking on “Section Leader” responsibility for trail sections in the St. Mary’s Wilderness Area, which is across the Blue Ridge
Parkway from our Reids-Gap-to-Tye-River-trail. Familiarity with utilizing GPS will get you additional credit.
If you’re interested, please call Ken Lancaster, Assistant Trail Supervisor, at 757-589-1402 or E-mail:
assistantts@tidewateratc.com. Act fast to get a “plum” section of trail to call your “own”!
8
8th Annual Triathlon
September 23, 2014
Bruce Julian
At least this year we did not have two armed guards waiting at the gate of Back Bay Wildlife Refuge, stopping
everyone because our Government could not get their act together, therefore closing down the National Parks. Actually
no one was at the gate this year; so we rode our bicycles right through it and headed south to False Cape State Park.
I had sixteen Tuesday Groupers for this year’s ‘Triathlon’, and what a group they were. All but two were there before their leader, who for some reason had a very slow driver, a school bus, and a stoplight working against him. I know
there is no reason for being late, you just have to leave earlier from home, right ? We were able to ride our bicycles out
of the parking lot at Little Island City Park at 9:45 A.M., and be on our way. The weather was not the best tat we’ve had
over the past eight years, but it was not half-bad. The clouds overhead kept the sun off of us, and the wind kept us cool
all day. The wind was out of the N.N.E. at about 15 to 18 miles per hour and the bicycle ride of 6.5 miles seemed to go
very fast. We had no blowouts, and only one stop at False Cape Gate to take a picture, and by 10:30 A.M.; we were on
the water paddling south in the State Park’s kayaks. Out of the sixteen participants, we had seven new people, whom
had never been on this Triathlon. They certainly were not sure of what they would find around the next bend. All of
them stayed right with the group for the biking, kayaking and hiking; so as to not get lost. I want to THANK ALL for staying close together!
The wind at False Cape Landing was behind us, and 11:40 A.M.; we were hiking towards the ocean, where we
would stop to take a break to eat our lunch. Walking on the deserted beach, we saw only one truck south of us, heading north. The wind was blowing between 18 and 22 miles per hour by that time, which kept all the birds away on this
day. We retreated back into the Live Oaks Trees at the campground and used their tables, for lunch.
By 12:20 P.M., we were back at the boats and heading north into the wind, but hugging the shoreline as much as
possible. When the last boat pulled in to the pier, it was only around 1:30 P.M., and after replacing all the boats back
onto the racks, and placing the paddles and PFDs inside the Boat House; we headed back towards the park’s office.
As we reached the office, we found that it was closed. However, we did see the Park Manager Kyle Barbour. We asked
him to take a picture of our group, standing beside a newly painted buoy. It was 2:10 P.M., and we were on the last leg
of our 20 mile trip. John F. headed out first, and everyone followed, peddling a little harder. We had the wind in our
faces, but still as Nancy P. said; “We all were back in the parking lot at 3:00 P.M. as promised“.
The first timers for this trip were: Nancy P., Milton B., Gayle O., Kama M., Tom R., Diane L. and Jack S. The old
timers were: Richard T., J.P., Bob S., John F., Jane O., John O., Ken V., Super Woman Dottie A. and the No. 1 guide
Bruce J. I want to Thank All for a great, fun and safe trip.
On the way home, ten of us stopped at Pungo Pizza for a little snack, and it was so, so good.
Thanks Everyone, Bruce.
9
Something About Pennsylvania (Something in the Water?)
By Bob Adkisson
It is said if something happens once it means little; if it happens twice it is a coincidence; if it happens three times it is a conspiracy.
In the last 12 years I’ve taken 3 solo canoe trips in Pennsylvania, and 3 times in a row now I’ve had unsettling or scary encounters with people, to the point where I wonder if it is just bad luck / bad timing, or something more serious. Is there something wrong
with Pennsylvania?
And, before I get too accusatory, I have to admit that the first incident actually occurred on a river (the Delaware R.) which forms
the boundary between Penn. & New Jersey, and the incident technically happened on the N. J. side (so maybe, to be fair, the count is
two and a half times, half way between coincidence and conspiracy).
The incidents though are also getting more serious, and that doesn’t bode well for any future trip.
1st Incident: it was my last full day on the laconic Delaware R. I’d had a fun, scenic 7 days, paddling from near the headwaters
200 + miles down towards my car in Trenton. About 6:00 p.m. on a Friday (technically this makes it part of a weekend) I hugged the
wooded N.J. shoreline, pushing to get a few more miles in before finding my last campsite of the journey. It was mid-May, the very
weekend of the TATC Sherando work trip, and I hoped to leave myself just 8 or 10 miles Saturday morning—that way I could perhaps
drive south and join the club outing, at least for dinner that night.
As I rounded a slight bend in the river I noticed a couple of small motorboats, then numerous people fishing from the left shoreline. To avoid getting tangled in their lines, I angled out towards the middle of the 75 yard wide river. I soon passed a concrete boat
ramp and a parking area on the left side, with at least 2 dozen people crowding the bank, fishing rods (and some beer cans) in hand.
Downstream I saw 2 johnboats near the Penn. shoreline; the people in them were also were fishing. Having had the river nearly all to
myself the whole week, this was unusual, and not entirely welcome.
But about 40 yards downstream, with the river still making a slow turn, the left shore was once again deserted, quiet, and natural, and I edged back to be nearer to it, as always hoping to see some wildlife.
Almost immediately I became aware of some Canada Geese up ahead, out of sight but complaining loudly. There seemed to
be an extra note of outrage in their voices and I soon discovered why. First I encountered a boy, maybe 12, innocently sitting on a
river side rock. A bit farther ahead I caught up to 2 more boys and they were chasing a family of geese along the shoreline, throwing
rocks at them. There were 2 adult geese and at least 6 fuzzy, half sized young ones, and the rocks being thrown were meant to injure
or kill. I glanced over to the people in the 2 fishing boats along the Penn. side of the river and wondered why hadn’t they said or done
anything to stop this outrage, in plain sight and earshot of them.
The boys were so intent they didn’t know I was silently paddling towards them. Having barely seen or spoken to anyone in the
last 7 days, and being livid at what they were doing, my lack of eloquence may be forgiven: I involuntarily yelled out: “HEY!”
There was a lot of inflection in my voice, and they both immediately stopped and looked at me. My simple witnessing of their
despicable behavior seemed like it would be enough to shame them; heads down, they turned and started walking back towards the
boat ramp. But I trusted them about as far as I could throw them (and tossing them into the river did cross my mind) and knew if I
disappeared around the next bend they might well resume their attack. So I sat in my boat and let it drift a minute, let the geese continue to escape downriver along the shore. After a minute I turned and looked back at the 2 boys. At the same moment the alpha
male turned to look back at me, and then he did something really stupid, setting me off anew: he gave me the finger. Flooded with
anger, I immediately ripped into the river with my paddle, yanked the boat around and went after them.
They ran. After 30 or 40 yards they saw that I was gaining on them in the boat, and angling towards the shore. They left the
shoreline and ran into the woods, only I saw them pathetically trying to hide behind a fallen tree. I sat and cooled down a moment,
debated the wisdom of getting out of the boat and going after them. As mad as I was, it wasn’t a wise thing to do. I knew that every
minute they hid, every minute that passed, the geese were getting further and further away, and that was the most important thing.
Instead of going after the 2 of them verbally or physically, I took an entirely different tack-- I paddled back upstream about 30
yards to the 3rd boy, still sitting there, waiting. I figured they must be friends and that he’d refused to join them in their attack on the
geese. Rather than berate or waste words on the 2 offenders, I praised the boy who hadn’t joined in, told him I admired that, told him
maybe he should get better friends.
And with that I let the boat drift downstream, slowly passing the 2 boys still hiding behind the log. I figured the 2 of them would
go and ask the third what I’d said to him, and I hoped he told them, hope it shamed them even more. I trusted the geese were far
enough away now, that the boys wouldn’t go after them again. It would be dark soon, something else that favored the geese.
2nd Incident: a few years later I was paddling down the east branch and main stem of the Susquehanna R.; it was my longest
trip ever, right thru the heart of Penn. After camping at an isolated site on an island right in the middle of the town of Wilkes-Barre, I
continued downriver the next day—and again, it was a weekend, a Sunday.
Early in the afternoon, following the right bank, I took a channel between the shore and another large, wooded island. When
this channel rejoined the river downstream, I was about to turn hard right and continue to closely follow the shore, but, thru the trees
and brush I heard voices high up on the embankment. Not wanting to pass too close, wanting to give myself some space and them
some privacy, I figured to delay my turn-- I’d get maybe 50 feet from shore, then turn and start to parallel it. Only, with the people still
out of sight because of the trees, I realized they were throwing rocks into the river, and so I arced farther out from shore, staying out of
their way and giving them the necessary room. Throwing rocks into a river has long been one of my favorite things to do. I had no
problems with it at all-- I saw where their rocks were hitting and I stayed maybe 25 yards out from there.
10
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(Continued from Page 10 …)
Soon they came into view and I glanced their way to acknowledge them-- 2 college aged couples standing in a small clearing
atop the river bank, about 25 feet above the water. In just a few paddle strokes I’d be entirely past them but, even as it was, I was
well away from where their rocks had been landing.
Immediately I heard their voices drop very low, and 2 or 3 of them began speaking in a protesting or argumentative way. I
vaguely wondered what that was about, and soon found out when a rock landed about 20 feet directly behind me. I stopped paddling,
turned in my seat and stared hard at the people. The 2 women and one man had already turned and were walking away into the
woods, disgusted. I surmised that the one guy who remained, who was built like a linebacker, had said to them-- watch while I throw
a rock at the man in the canoe; they’d tried to talk him out of it but when he ignored them and heaved it as far as he could, they
headed back to their car. I stared at the guy for about 5 seconds, but he refused to look at me; innocently pretending to be fascinated
by something on the ground, he acted as if nothing had happened.
I picked up my paddle again and took about 2 strokes when a rock landed about 20 feet in front of my canoe—he had be bracketed. I whipped the boat around, pointed it towards the shore; I was ready to storm the riverbank and see what kind of damage a canoe paddle could do to his face and throwing arm. Only now he was satisfied with himself, he’d proven his point (whatever that was)
and was hurrying away, trying to catch up to friends who’d disappeared into the woods.
I don’t think he’d actually been trying to hit me, just prove that he could throw a rock that far out, that he could hit me if he chose
to. This was like the boy who’d given me the finger, all grown up.
Later that day I realized the irony ran a little deeper than I thought: not only was it a Sunday, it was Easter Sunday, celebrated
by at least one steroid pumped citizen as a day you throw rocks at people in canoes.
3rd incident: A couple of years later I returned to Penn. to paddle the upper part of the western branch of the Susquehanna R.,
from the very headwaters down almost to Williamsport. A few days into the trip, on a Friday, I put up with cold weather, light showers,
swirling winds, even a small dangerous dam—I kept at it to reach the highpoint of the trip, a 50 mile long gorge that was both isolated
and all but untouched. It is not often you can paddle a long, wild, beautiful section of river like the gorge, and I looked forward to it. I
did wish that I wasn’t arriving there on a weekend though, because I knew weekends brought out all sorts of yahoos.
I’ve already written a newsletter article about my memorable encounter with a bear and its cub the next day (Saturday morning
was sunny and warm and, after the trials and tribulations I’d experienced –or endured—the day before, I let myself sleep late and linger long in my tent. After noon I was awakened with a jolt by the sound of the mother bear turning my nearby canoe over. The
mother then ran about 40 yards away and waited for her cub, who’d climbed a tree 10 feet from my tent and refused to come down.
Then the bears and I had ourselves a regular standoff— after about 15 minutes the patient mother smelled my bag of trash and twice
approached my tent, and I had to make noise to scare her away, which only caused the cub to climb higher and higher in the tree. I
finally decided the only sensible thing to do was quickly pack my gear, surrender the field, and make a fast getaway in my canoe), but
I didn’t mention what happened next, in counterpoint, just a few miles downriver.
Once on the water I floated a few miles, properly packing all the gear I’d hastily tossed into the canoe. That done, it was a
pleasure to take another 15 minutes and eat something, all the while cruising along at 2 mph with the current, without any paddling or
effort on my part at all.
It was about 2:30, a beautiful Saturday afternoon, when I finally picked up my paddle and actually put some muscle into it. I
was hoping to go about 25 miles before sunset.
I only went a mile or so before I heard it, up ahead somewhere, around a bend or two in the perfect river: the sound of gunfire.
And not just a shot or two, but bullet filled fusillades—20 or 30 shots, one right on top of the other.
I felt tempted to turn around, go back and settle in with the bears instead-- I trusted them more, probably had more in common
with them than someone with an AR 15.
With a sudden lack of enthusiasm, with honest fear and trepidation, I rounded a bend, came to a long straight section of river.
Half a mile away, where the river briefly narrowed, I saw the shooters on the right shoreline. I stopped paddling and tried to get a feel
for what I faced, for the gauntlet I was going to have to run (unless I decided to pull over where I was, camp just 4 miles or so from
where I’d started; this was a real consideration).
I could see at least 3 men in their 20’s on the low, exposed shore. I got the impression there might only be one automatic
weapon which they were taking turns with-- firing it into the hillside on the opposite side of the river (where I hoped there were no luckless hikers). What kind of people were these, owning a machine gun type weapon, driving out into the middle of nowhere, shooting
hundreds of bullets? Was this their idea of recreation? Their way to enjoy the peace and quiet of the wilderness? Their way of imposing their will on anyone who happened by? Were they safe, were they sane, did they have something to prove and nothing to
lose? And, bottom line, did I trust them with my life?
The only thing I saw that reassured me were the women-- a couple of wives or girlfriends were behind them, near the edge of
the forest. As I got a bit closer I saw they were tending a couple of young children.
I let the boat drift sideways a bit, so they’d be sure to see me, know that I was approaching. At a distance still, they fired one
more round of bullets into the blameless hillside, then carried the weapon back 30 feet from shore and fiddled with it. With butterflies
in my stomach I paddled down the left side of the river, got to the fast, narrow spot, and passed by them.
I got about half mile below them when they walked back to the water’s edge with a fresh clip and showed the far side of the river
who was boss again. Ahh freedom, how close it is sometimes to madness.
Somehow I had the courage to paddle in Penn. again a year or two later, a day trip (on a Memorial Day Monday afternoon),
about 25 miles on Pine Creek thru the “Grand Canyon of Penn”. I saw a couple of dozen people paddling the river, camping on
shore, or cycling along the bike trail thru the gorge, but….. I am happy to report there were no ‘incidents’.
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The 2015 ATC Biennial Meeting
Hiking Through History
July 17 - 24, 2015
ATC 2015 will be held at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. Registration opens in April 2015.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Biennial Conference is co-hosted by Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC)
and the Mountain Club of Maryland (MCM).
Workshop submissions are closed at this time. There may be a possibility of submitting a reserve abstract; contact
events2015@patc.net to determine availability.
Shenandoah University is a private, nationally recognized liberal arts university in Winchester, Virginia. Founded in
1875, Shenandoah is renowned for its dynamic academic community, creative energy, global focus and exceptional
professional training. Providing rigorous educational challenges in a supportive environment, Shenandoah offers
students diverse learning opportunities in and out of the classroom.
Shenandoah’s main campus is located on more than 100 acres in Winchester, Va., in the beautiful Shenandoah
Valley. Just 70 miles west of Washington, D.C., the area is home to vibrant cultural and historical communities with
such outdoor activities as hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, skiing and whitewater rafting.
We are seeking volunteers to help with the conference planning, to lead hikes and excursions, to help with registration, and many other needs. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete and return the 2015 Biennial
Volunteer Application
Link to website:
http://www.cvent.com/events/2015-atc-biennial-meeting/event-summary-0469594c7ebb47138d157bb8099713f7.aspx
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PLEASE NOTE: Most hikes are limited in the number of participants. The hike leader will take reservations on a first-come, firstserved basis. You can include your name on the sign up sheets available at each meeting or call the hike leader. If you sign up for
an activity and then decide not to participate, please contact the leader in advance.
The Chocolate Hike
Phyllis Neumann (757-566-4584 or phyllisneumann@hughes.net)
February 8, 2015, Sunday
Join your fellow chocolate lovers for this Pre-Valentine's Day hikette on the Noland Trail. This revered annual
event challenges participants to explore their wildest chocolate fantasies by creating culinary masterpieces for fellow TATCers to sample. Will you be able to tempt the shrewd and discerning palate of the completely impartial
and honorable Judge? Here's how it works: Meet at the Mariner's Museum (100 Museum Drive, Newport News,
VA, http://www.marinersmuseum.org) at 9:30 AM. Bring a chocolate confection (that you have created) for the
Judge (that would be Phyllis) and your fellow hikers to sample. Then we'll hike the Noland trail (~ 3 miles) taking
multiple breaks along the way to continue sampling the entries. At the conclusion of the hike, prizes will be
awarded for the tastiest and most unique creations. And then we'll eat lunch afterwards! Contact Phyllis to sign up!
TATC General Meeting
Mark Wenger, (253-0056 or president@tidewateratc.com)
February 11, 2015, Wednesday, 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Held at the Pretlow Library, West Ocean View Avenue, Norfolk, VA
Guests Are Always Welcome! Come a little early to socialize, purchase new TATC merchandise, and buy your
50/50 raffle tickets! General Business and Program: Rideau Paddle Ontario by Richard Tarr & Gayle Owens
Hiking-Backpacking Seminar
Bill Rogers (484-6001 or pulaskiteer@netzero.net)
February 21, 2015, Saturday, 9:55 AM - 4:30 PM
All day seminar. Bring lunch and beverage- pencil & paper optional. Learn the things you won’t find out about in
stores, books, and magazines. Meet at 9:55 - expect to finish somewhere around 4:30 depending upon number of
participants and number of questions. Topics cover from the top of your head to the bottom of your footwear. Call
or e-mail Bill for details and directions, and to sign up – NO walk-ins. Call Bill Rogers for Directions
Cedar Grove Cemetery Workday
Diana Ramsey (619-0540 or magnoliafarms@cox.net)
February 28, 2015, Saturday, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Meet in the cemetery for ivy trimming, pruning and trash pick-up. Fried chicken and drinks will be provided. Bring a
dish to share. Bring your chairs and gloves, dress appropriately for the weather. Cedar Grove Cemetery, 238 East
Princess Anne Road, Norfolk, VA 23510. Rain will cancel this event.
TATC General Meeting
Mark Wenger, (253-0056 or president@tidewateratc.com)
March 11, 2015, Wednesday, 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Held at the Pretlow Library, West Ocean View Avenue, Norfolk, VA
Guests Are Always Welcome! Come a little early to socialize, purchase new TATC merchandise, and buy your
50/50 raffle tickets! General Business and Program: China - by Stephanie & Steve Clayton/Stringer.
(Continued on Page 14 …)
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Spring Trip to False Cape State Park
Bruce Julian (757- 604-3099)
March 15 - 19, 2015, Sunday - Thursday
False Cape State Park, 4001 Sandpiper Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23456.
There will be a Spring, Summer & a Fall Trip to False Cape State Park this year; March 15-19, May 24-28, & November 1-5. We are trying out something new this year, and if it works out, we may do it again next year. Each of these
trips will be 5 days long, starting on Sunday and ending on Thursday. If you can sign up for all 3 then please sign up
for all 3, or you can sign up for one or two. Please send no emails, no text messages, only contact me via phone calls
in order to keep the listing of those who sign up straight. My phone # is 757-604-3099. I’m not sure of what we will be
doing for each of our projects during these trips, but we will also have night hikes. Please sign up as soon as you can;
if you want to attend. As always; you will need a sleeping bag, wash cloth & towels, work shoes, leather gloves, warm
clothes and your on personal items. We will work out the meals at a later date. Coffee and tea will be provided. Please
bring whatever else you would like to drink. The building that we are staying in has plenty of good drinking water, just
bring your water bottles. The building has a full kitchen and we have 1.5 bathrooms and 2 outdoor showers. Each trip
will only include 14 people; so sign up ASAP! - Bruce Julian
St Patrick's Day Hike
Carol Hodges (bookgal8@gmail.com)
March 15, 2015, Sunday
Newport News Park, 13560 Jefferson Avenue, Newport News, VA 23603. We will meet at the Discovery Center at
9:30 AM. Get your green on to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (I’m Irish so I start early!) as we will hike the trails around
the North end of the Lee Hall Reservoir and search for leprechauns and four-leaf clovers. Total distance: about 5
miles. Total time: about 2 hours. Lunch afterwards at Mike’s Place, an Irish Pub located in Newport News. Contact
Carol Hodges to sign up.
TATC New Quarter Park Spring Maintenance
Phyllis Neumann (phyllisneumann@hughes.net)
March 22, 2015, Sunday
New Quarter Park, 1000 Lakeshead Drive, Williamsburg, VA 23185 . Meet at New Quarter Park (1000 Lakeshead
Drive, Williamsburg, VA at 9:00 AM for light maintenance on walking trails constructed by TATC. Bring gloves, comfortable walking/hiking shoes, snacks and water. Tools will be provided. Eat out afterwards. Contact Phyllis to sign up!
TATC Trail Maintenance at First Landing
Jacquie Whitt (757-714-6649)
April 11, 2015, Saturday
First Landing State Park, 2500 Shore Dr, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Trail Maintenance at First Landing State Park,
9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Bring drinking water and hand clippers & clothing appropriate for weather. I'll borrow the brooms
& shovels from park garden shed. Enter from Shore Drive and go to the end of the road to the parking lot at the TRAIL
CENTER Meet outside. I'll notify the rangers of our arrival and confirm the trail that needs maintenance. Want to go to
lunch after our hike? PARKING PASSES required: To get free parking pass for volunteers, email jacquie@adiosadventuretravel.com and put FIRST LANDING VOLUNTEER CLEANUP in the subject line. In the body of
the email, you can tell me where to email the pass. Please include your phone number. The pass will be sent as attachment that you will need to print. Jacquie Phone: 757-714-6649
Trail Maintenance in the Saint Mary's Wilderness
April 17 - 19, 2015, Friday - Sunday
Jim Sexton (757-484-2827)
Trail maintenance on trails in the Saint Mary's Wilderness on Saturday. Camp-out at the Sexton's; 718 Cub Creek
Road, Roseland, VA. We will be eating out Friday night at a local restaurant, and there will be a group meal on Saturday night, bring a side-dish or dessert for Saturday night. Tools for Saturday will be provided by the Club, Remember
to bring your day pack, lunch, drinking water, sunscreen, bug spray & clothing appropriate for the weather. Saint
Mary's Wilderness is Virginia's largest designated wilderness area, and includes numerous trails, a reclaimed old iron
ore mining area, and an abundance of diverse scenery from waterfalls, fern forests, open meadows, river walks, valley
vistas, and high mountain wetlands. Contact Jim Sexton to sign-up in order to attend this trip. Car-pooling is encouraged.
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(Continued on Page 15 …)
TATC Spring Walk Thru
May 2, 2015, Saturday
Mark Connolly (757-623-0764 or trailsupervisor@tidewateratc.com)
Meet at Sherando Lake Recreation Area, 96 Sherando Lake Road, Lyndhurst, VA 22952. This is the early reconnaissance on the trail sections assigned to TATC to see what the winter did to our trail in terms of trees down across
the trail, erosion of tread surface, etc. We need about a dozen and a half of us early on Saturday morning to break
out into small teams to walk our trails and take notes on what work needs to be done, and what tools we’ll need to
do it-----two weeks later---when we have our Spring Trail Maintenance Weekend. We’ll use the CCC Kitchen at
Sherando Lake USFS Recreation Area as our base camp. Take car-camping gear. If you hang around through Sunday morning, then we’ll provide you with a pancake and sausage breakfast with coffee.
TATC Spring Maintenance Weekend
May 15 - 17, 2015, Friday - Sunday
Mark Connolly (757-623-0764 or trailsupervisor@tidewateratc.com)
Meet at Sherando Lake Recreation Area, 96 Sherando Lake Road, Lyndhurst, VA 22952 .This one of the two major
annual weekend events on which you can help us in carrying out the responsibility for which club was started: Maintaining our assigned section of the Appalachian Trail and some trails in the same area. Our base camp is the Williams Branch Picnic Area at Sherando Lake USFS Recreation Area. The TATC website has a schematic map that
shows how to get there. Tell the folks at the gate that you’re with TATC and going to Williams Branch, and they’ll
wave you in with thanks. Take your car-camping equipment and set up near a picnic table to provide your own
meals, other than Saturday dinner, which is our club-sponsored buffet for all of us. Bring a side-dish for the Saturday
dinner, all else will be provided. Sign-up on one of the team rosters at the dining shelter and be ready 7:30 AM Saturday morning to carpool with your team and tools to the various trailheads.
Other Opportunities:
Local Trails Maintenance: If you would like to receive E-mail notification about TATC Local Trails Maintenance
activities, please send an E-mail to Bill Buck at LocalTrails@tidewateratc.com requesting to be added to the Local
Trails E-mail distribution list. Trail maintenance may include weed cutting, brush and tree trimming, removal of small
blown down trees, painting of trail blazes, repairing walkways and creating trails. Other special projects may be performed, such as building water bars to prevent erosion, building and repairing foot bridges, as well as building
benches and other structures. Skills used in these efforts are also useful for AT maintenance.
Tuesday Group - If you would like to receive e-mail notifications of the Tuesday Group’s local hikes, bicycle rides,
and paddles taking place during the week (usually on Tuesdays) please send e-mail to Ellis Malabad
malabad2@gmail.com requesting to be added to the “Tuesday Group” e-mail distribution list.
The TATC/Douglas Lee Putman Memorial Cabin is available for rent. You must be a member and first attend an
orientation / work weekend in order to rent. The cabin can be reserved 8 weeks (56 days) in advance. Please call
Bob Adkisson at 627-5514 if you have any questions, or want to check on availability, or want to make reservations.
Information for Hike & Activities Schedule, TATC website listings and Meet up postings are collected & edited by
the Hikemaster. Contact Juliet Stephenson at hikemaster@tidewateratc.com for publication.
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Tidewater Appalachian
Trail Club
P. O. Box 8246
Norfolk, VA 23503-0246
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
NON-PROFIT
US POSTAGE
PAID
NORFOLK,
VA
PERMIT NO.
2135
TATC Meetings are held at the Pretlow Library, 111 West Ocean View Ave, Norfolk, VA
From Peninsula: Take 64 East to 4th View Exit 273. At bottom of ramp, turn left at stop sign, turn right onto Ocean View Ave
and follow over Tidewater Drive to Granby St. Take right onto Granby St., take next right onto A View Ave, and then immediately turn right onto Portview Ave., bear right around the Library into the Library parking lot, meeting is held in Meeting Room
#2
From Norfolk and Virginia Beach: Take 64 West toward Hampton/Richmond. Take the Chesapeake Blvd. exit. Go to end of
Chesapeake Blvd., then turn left onto Ocean View Ave. and take left onto Granby St., take next right onto A View Ave, and then
immediately turn right onto Portview Ave., bear right around the Library into the Library parking lot, meeting is held in Meeting
Room # 2
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