adk long island mountaineer · 2016-12-17 · conference staff in 2015. in addition to bringing...

Ed

President’s Corner

ED MORAN

ADK-LI

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I’ve done a lot of hiking with this club. I’ve hiked with great people and taken easy to follow trails to great viewpoints, or significant summits, or hopefully both. The conversation and mind wandering as we hike along makes many of the miles pass unnoticed. There are so many great places to visit using our amazing trail systems here in the northeast. There are also a myriad of amazing places that don’t have trails. It’s no secret that I like to bushwhack. People that don’t go off trail often don’t understand why. Off trail navigation with a map and compass requires much more situational awareness, paying attention to the lay of the land and problem solving. The rewards go beyond sightseeing. The freedom and challenge of choosing my own route, the joy of collaborating with my bushwhacking friends on a common goal or sometimes just for the love of raw exploration, discovering caves, and peaceful days exploring the wilderness without seeing any other groups are all part of the attraction. Finding beautiful rock formations, pristine forests or unfamiliar views of familiar features, as well as the satisfaction of finding your car as planned at the end of a hike are also part of the reward. Stepping off the trail isn’t just for wilderness oriented hikers. It can also be a metaphor for discovery and progress in other pursuits (yup, here comes the pitch). The ADK provides a well blazed path to great activities and worthwhile advocacy. We go on well-organized hikes with great leaders showing us the way. Our Outings Committee has done a great job of making an easy path for the rest of us to follow for enjoyment of the outdoors. But like with our trail systems, the people who first laid out those routes had to step off the path and explore unfamiliar territory. Our Outings committee has been working hard for a long time to lay out the routes we’ve enjoyed following and

Highlights: • Monthly Meetings - page 2 • Your Chapter Needs You! - page 3 • Outings- page 5 • Last Change Winter Weekend - page 9 • ADK Adventure Travel - page 9 • 50th Anniversary Dinner Dance Photos - page 11

Sometimes it’s Rewarding to Step off the Easy Path

www.adkli.org

ADK Long Island

Mountaineer

NEWSLETTER OF THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB LONG ISLAND CHAPTER

WINTER 2017 JANUARY-FEBRUARY-MARCH

they are in need of some relief. We are actively seeking someone to step off the path from following to leading. The metaphor breaks down a little because the job isn’t actually that difficult, but it is very important. We need a new Outings Chair. Please see the Outings Chair Position Description published elsewhere in this edition of the Mountaineer and try to picture how you can set paths for the rest of the Chapter in this role. We also need a Conservation Chair (see description in this newsletter). This is a great way to get involved in the club’s advocacy on behalf of the New York State forest. Both of these positions are very important to the club. They are not the easy path, but they are a rewarding way to give back to our chapter!

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ADK-LI Monthly Meetings — All Welcome!

TUESDAY, JAN 3rd - TRAVEL WITH ADK Do you love to travel to interesting and exciting places? Sue Kenyon, a long time member and an avid volunteer of ADKLI will pre-sent an informative talk on the components of putting together a trip. Sue will highlight ADK’s adventure travel program. Learn what goes into creating and then leading a trip viewing previous and upcoming trips. All travelers and non-travelers will enjoy this presentation so don’t miss it!!

TUESDAY, FEB 7th - ABOUT AMC (APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB) Justin Bailey, Program Manager for the AMC NY/NoJ chapter, will speak about AMC and it’s national/local policy with the outdoor community. He will discuss the history and it’s formation as a club from 1876 depicting the ar-eas AMC worked on in the region. Justin will take us to the club’s here and now describing the current projects and initiatives being worked on. He will also mention other aspects of AMC that pertains to the present day. ADK and AMC have a lot in common. Don’t miss this important presentation!!

TUESDAY MAR 7th - VOLUNTEERING IN THE CATSKILLS Doug Sentermen, Catskills Program Coordinator joined the NY/NJ Trail Conference staff in 2015. In addition to bringing non-profit leadership experi-ence to his post, Doug has had a lifetime experience as a Catskill volunteer. This presentation will be about volunteer efforts in the Catskills today includ-ing the maintenance of 300+ trails and 30 lean-tos. It’s amazing how one person can volunteer and make a difference to the hiking trails. Come to this important talk and also learn how you can participate in making our trails dependable!!

Regular meetings start at 8:00 P.M.

Come early at 7:30 P.M. to socialize, network and enjoy refreshments.

WHERE: ST. LUKE LUTHERAN CHURCH (EDUCATION BUILDING) 20 CANDLEWOOD PATH AT VANDERBILT MEMORIAL PARKWAY, DIX HILLS, NY

DIRECTIONS: (GPS Coordinates Latitude: 40.810493, Longitude: -73.336918 (or N 40° 48' 36”, W 73° 20' 12'') From Northern State, Exit 42 (Deer Park Ave. South) Go south about 0.8 miles to light at Vanderbilt Parkway. Turn left (east) on Vanderbilt. In about 2/10 mile, turn right onto Candlewood Path. Continue to St. Luke Church. From L.I.E. Exit 51 (Deer Park Ave. North.) Go north 1 mile to Vanderbilt Pkwy. Turn right (east.) In about 2/10 mile, turn right at Candlewood Path, and continue to St. Luke Church. Park and go to Education Bldg. behind main Church building. Look for ADK sign on the outer door. As you enter, our room is on left.

www.adkli.org L.I. MOUNTAINEER WINTER 2017 - JAN - FEB - MAR

Adirondack Mountain Club Long Island Chapter

2017 Executive Committee

President Ed Moran [email protected]

Vice President Mike Vaughan

*******.*.*************.***

Treasurer Nancy Hodson

***********64******.*** Secretary

Sue Kenyon [email protected] Director to Main Club

Mike Vetrano ****.*************.***

Alternate Director to Main Club Micheline Kagan [email protected]

Board of Directors Grace Gargiulo [email protected] Christine Gillen *********.***

Rich Greguski ******19**********.*** Tom Loscalzo drtomloscalzo.com

Eric Markowitz ****.***********.*** Dave Sweeney [email protected]

COMMITTEE CHAIRS Conservation Position Open

Education Jerry Licht ******61****.***

Hospitality Grace Gargiulo [email protected]

Mountaineer Grace Gargiulo [email protected]

Membership Mike Kaiser [email protected]

Outings Sue Kenyon [email protected] Bill Schneider [email protected]

Jeff Ritter [email protected] Programs

Shelley Weber [email protected] Publicity

Traditional Media Lynda Adams [email protected]

NY/NJ Trail Conference Diane Grunthal [email protected]

Trail Maintenance Pat Malodobry [email protected]

Website ****.***********.***

Yahoo Group Moderator Allen Grunthal *****************.***

Bad Weather? Is ADK-LI Meeting Cancelled? • Call St. Luke Lutheran Church to find out if the building will be closed or if

activities are cancelled: 631-499-5216 or check their website to see if they are closed and activities are cancelled: www.stlukedixhills.org

• Check the ADK-LI Group for messages http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adkli/

• Contact Ed Moran or other Board Member (see listing on this page)

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JOIN NOW! ADK Membership Application

Name_______________________________________

Address_____________________________________

City_____________________State____Zip_________

Email_______________________________________ NOTE: Your email address will not be distributed to outside organizations.

X Please enroll me as a member of the ADK L.I. Chapter Please choose a membership level

Individual $50 Senior (65+) $40 Family $60 Senior Family (65+) $50 Individual Life $1,300 Family Life $1,950 Student $40 *

*School_____________________________________ Multi-year membership available at www.adk.org or call ADK headquarters, 1-800-395-8080 For Family membership only: Spouse_____________________________________

Children (under 18)____________________________

___Check enclosed (U.S. funds—payable to ADK) Please charge my ___Visa ___Master Card ___Amex Account No. _________________________________

Exp. Date_______ Security Code (3 or 4 digits) _____

Signature____________________________________

Send this form with payment to: Adirondack Mountain Club, 814 Goggins Road, Lake George, NY 12845-4117 ...or bring it to an ADK-Long Island Chapter meeting. ADK is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Membership fees are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Please allow 6-8 weeks to receive first issue of Adirondac magazine and ADK Long Island Mountaineer newsletter.

Wanted: ADK-LI Meeting Ideas

Contact Shelley Weber, [email protected]

Consider sharing your adventure, outdoor expertise or interest in issues affecting wilderness conservation and recreation by presenting a program at one of ADK-LI’s meetings. It could be a slide show, talk, demon-stration, skill workshop or other activity. Or if you know a person or organization that may be of interest to our members, or if you have any ideas for future presentations or meetings, please contact Shelley.

Your Chapter Needs You! - Outings -

The Long Island Chapter is seeking an interested member to take on the role of chapter Outings Chair. The Outings Chair promotes participation in chapter activities by offering weekly outings and encouraging member participation. The main responsibilities are to recruit outings leaders and to solicit outings from the leaders. This is a leadership role that involves developing and maintaining our core of hike leaders and soliciting outings to keep a full schedule for our members. The Outings Chair does not need to lead hikes, but drives the process to insure an ongoing stream of exciting outings for our membership. Since the rollout of our new website, outings leaders enter their own events on the website and the Outings Chair only needs to approve the hikes, after which they are automatically listed on the Outings calendar. Please contact Ed with any questions or if you are interested in this role.

Your Chapter Needs You! - Conservation -

The Long Island Chapter is seeking an interested member to take on the role of chapter Conservation Chair. The Conservation Chair serves as the Chapter’s liai-son to the ADK main club and to other persons and organizations on conservation issues of interest. As Conservation Chair, you will evaluate conservation issues and when appropriate recommend actions that the chapter should take. Responsibilities include keeping the Board of Directors informed about current conservation issues and activi-ties and preparing a budget for the Conservation Committee. This is a great opportunity for conservation-minded members to get involved and to make connections with other conservation oriented people and organiza-tions. Please contact Ed with any questions or if you are interested in this role.

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LONG ISLAND ADK OUTINGS SCHEDULE LEADERS: To list Outings in the Mountaineer newsletter, post them on-line before the Mountaineer’s deadline. Following your outing, be sure to mail the “Release of Liability/Sign-In Form” to Bill Scheider, 2631 Central Avenue., Baldwin, NY 11510-3634. Also send “Trip Report” to Micheline Kagan at [email protected]

Forms for leaders can be downloaded from www.adkli.org Click on the “For Leaders” tab.

HIKERS: Be sure to check www.adkli.org for additional outings, cancellations and changes to the schedule!

CARPOOLING/PARKING LOCATIONS

MEETING PLACE IS LEADER’S CHOICE. HIKERS: BE SURE TO ASK LEADER THE PLACE AND TIME TO MEET. Most Outings meet at one of the following locations for carpooling:

Christopher Morley Park parking lot (Searingtown Road, just north of LIE Exit 36.) In parking lot, turn right and go to end, the Park & Ride area.

Lake Success Shopping Center (Union Tpke, west of New Hyde Park Road) LIE to Exit 34 or Northern State Pkwy to Exit 26, New Hyde Park Rd south. After gas station, turn right on to Union Tpke. Turn left at first traffic light to enter Lake Success Shopping Center. Turn left and go past HSBC bank for carpool site. Park at east end of lot.

OUTING RULES AND PROCEDURES – PLEASE READ REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR ALL OUTINGS. Call leader several days in advance if you have any questions. Leaders accept reservations on a first-come, first-served basis after the outing is officially listed in the Mountaineer or on the Outings page at the ADK-LI web site – www.adkli.org Leaders may refuse to take anyone not registered or prepared. Registered participants are expected to show up or call the leader to cancel. Simply sending or leaving a message does not constitute registration. If you do not receive a reply to your message, it is your responsibility to follow up and contact the leader prior to the deadline for registration. Participants should provide leader with their phone numbers in case of last minute changes. Guests are welcome on all outings. Where space is limited, members of the ADK Long Island chapter will have priority. If you go on two or more outings, please help support the Adirondack Mountain Club and the L. I. Chapter by becoming a member. Be sure to select “Long Island Chapter” for your affiliation.

GROUND RULES Minors (younger than 18 years) must have signed permission of a parent or guardian. Participants are responsible for their own safety and comfort. Food, snacks, water and extra clothing/raingear must be carried by participant. Check with leader to learn of any special requirements for the hike. Hiking boots are recommended for all ADK hikes.

CARPOOL RATES We encourage carpooling and sharing expenses. Suggested carpool rates shown here are for roundtrip per rider: Drivers set the final rate with agreement of riders. L.I. East End $10, Harriman $18, Shawangunks $25, Catskills $35, Adirondacks $60 (all rates for roundtrip.)

HIKE CLASSIFICATIONS (Hike classifications are subjective. If you are uncertain if you are up to the hike, consult the leader.)

A: Strenuous, long distances over rugged terrain with lots of climbing or more than 35 miles on bike. B: Moderate, shorter distances with less climbing or 10-30 miles on bike. Moderate hikes may have some steep climb-ing and/or rugged terrain, but are less demanding than strenuous hikes. C: Easy, short distance over flat terrain at a leisurely pace or 10 miles or less on bike. Suitable for beginners. N/R: Not Rated

WINTER ALERT: Check whether the hike you’re interested in requires “full winter gear.” That means traction aids, i.e. MicroSpikes or Stabilicers (no Yaktrax), snowshoes, and crampons for ice. Check with hike leader for gear needed for current conditions at your hiking venue. Dress in layers and carry extra gloves, socks, etc..

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Outings Schedule Check www.adkli.org/outings/list/

B- Sunday, January 1 - New Year’s Day Hike –Sugarloaf Hill, East Hudson Let's welcome the New Year in with a walk in the woods. Relaxed meeting time at 9 in L.I. (trailhead at 10:30) and easy hike for 3-4 hours to Sugarloaf Hill for a snack and then on to Osgood Loop and the AT back to the intersection of 9 and 403. It might be a snowshoe or we might need traction devices. Rain cancels. Dinner afterwards is an option. Leader Micheline Kagan contact before Dec 29. 516-659-8852 or [email protected]

C+ Saturday, January 14 - Stump Pond Loop – Smithtown Moderate paced 6 mile hike around Stump Pond in Blydenburgh County Park. Traction aids will be required if there is ice on the trails. Register with leader Dave Sweeney [email protected] or 631-374-1975 by Thursday, January 12th.

B- Saturday, January 21 - Fahnestock State Park Loop Hike Moderately paced 7.2-mile loop hike (or snowshoe?) on the Charcoal Burners, Cabot, Perkins and Fahnestock trails with gentle ups and downs. This hike has a little bit of everything that makes Fah-nestock a great place to hike in all seasons. We’ll pass three ponds, open fields, mountain laurel thickets, and follow a gurgling stream. Excellent hike for fit begin-ners. Proper winter gear required, contingent upon conditions. To register, contact leader Bill Schneider at [email protected] (preferred) or 516-378-3043 (before 9 pm) by Thursday, January 19th.

B+ Sunday, February 5 - LI Pine Barrens Trail – Paumanok Path Moderately paced 9-mile hike on the western-most section of the LI Pine Barrens Trail - Paumanok Path from Route 25A in Rocky Point to Route 25 in Ridge. Terrain rolls gently through a pitch pine and oak forest. Ground conditions will determine what traction aids, if any are needed. Car shuttle re-quired. Register with leader Sue Kenyon, 917-613- 2042 or [email protected] by February 3.

C+ Saturday, February, 11 - Storm King, West Hud-son: Empowerment Phase IV Hike Leisurely hike (4-mile loop with 500’ elevation gain) up Butter Hill to Storm King Mtn, inner By-Pass trail with spectacular views of the Hudson River and Hudson Highlands. Winter gear required based on conditions. Contact leader Pat Malodobry [email protected] (631-338-3711) before 8:00PM Thursday, February 9th.

B- Saturday, February 25 - North/South Lake, Cats-kills: Empowerment Phase IV Hike 5.5-mile loop with 800’ elevation gain. From gatehouse, hiking to North Point with great views, continuing to Badman Cave and Ashley Falls, back to North/South Lake. Winter gear required based on conditions. Contact leader Pat Malodobry [email protected] (631-338-3711) before 8:00PM Thursday, February 23rd.

N/R Friday, March 10 - Sunday, March 12 - Mount Snow Weekend Ski Trip Mount Snow Weekend Ski Trip, Vermont

$289.00 for adult package 2 per room $249.00 for adult package 3 per room $219.00 for adult package 4 per room $389.00 for adult package 1 per room Less $26.00 for senior. (55) Less $100.00 for non-skiers Package includes: Friday and Saturday dinners, Hot Breakfast both mornings, Saturday manager's cocktail après ski party, 2 days all mountain lift ticket. Hot Tub, Spa, Full Bar, Lounge with Fireplace and TV. Shuttle 5 Min. to Mountain Cross Country skiing, and Snow Shoeing on your own. Group lessons $37.00 for 1 day and $57 for 2 days. Car Pool-Drive Up. Leader will assist. Please make check, for full amount, to "The Lodge at Mount Snow" and mail to: James Ansel, 69 Fairview Avenue, Port Washington, NY 11050. Include your room mate/s or same will be assigned. Include your Email and Cell #. Trip Leader: Jim Ansel, [email protected] Cell 516 567-9308. Directions following payment. Cancellation Policy: Full refund to March, 10, 2015, After March 10 refund is limited to cost of prepaid lifts, unless you fill your slot with some one else. B+ Saturday, March 25 - Giant Ledge – Panther, Catskills: Empowerment Phase IV Hike Hike ap-proximately 7 miles and elevation gain over 1500 feet. Panther is one of the Catskill 3500 peaks with great views from both Giant Ledge and Panther. Winter gear required based on conditions. Contact leader Pat Malodobry, [email protected] (631-338-3711) before 8:00PM Thursday, March 23rd.

C+ Saturday, April 8 - Spring Trail Maintenance Schunemunk Mt Please join us for the annual Spring clearing on our section of the Long Path - Schunemunk Mt. Distance is about 4 miles with good views from the top. Bring loppers or pruning shears if you have them. Excellent Beginners hike. Leader: Pat Malodobry, con-tact via email [email protected] or cell 631-338-3711 (before 8:00 pm) by April 6.

Visit us at www.adkli.org for additional outings, cancellations and

changes to the schedule.

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Looking Back Micheline Kagan

LEADERS: SEND TRIP REPORTS TO: Micheline Kagan, [email protected]

October 2, Overlook Mountain Fire Tower and Echo Lake Leaders Mike Kaiser and Grace Gargiulo with Shel-ley Weber, Cyndy Sotomayr, Monika Kuzdro, Eric Marko-witz, Tom Pietrantonio, Connie Duquette, Eunsil Recksiek and Winter the hiking wonder poodle, hiked to the fire tower following an old carriage road that once transported guests in the late 19th century to the Overlook Mountain House. Along the way, we explored the interesting and picturesque ruins of the Mountain House. The Overlook Mountain Fire Tower marked the completion of the 5 Cat-sill Fire Towers for Eunsil and Winter. Congratulations to both of them! After visiting the fire tower and enjoying the views, we continued on to Echo Lake. There we enjoyed a nice lunch by the lake, admiring the beautiful fall colors. For a day that was forcasted with a 40% chance of rain, we had a very dry day and a great hike.

October 15, Schunemunk Long Path Trail Mainte-nance On a beautiful fall day 12 volunteers set out for the F a l l a n n u a l L o n g P a t h S c h u n e m u n k trail maintenance. Leader Pat Malodobry and volunteers Grace Gargiulo, Wan Lee, Eunsil Recksiek with be-loved wonder dog Winter, Rich Greguski, Mike Kaiser, Eric Markowitz, Dave Sweeney, Ed Moran, Richard Garri-son, along with newcomers Ela Brown and Giulia Liguori started clipping and pruning the newer section along the rail tracks. As part of the trail, we climbed High Knob with great views of the Hudson Valley. Pruning continued along the ridge that had some overgrowth. After a few downed tree limbs were sawed/cleared and several hours of pruning we adjourned for the day. In appreciation for the hard day’s work, the group stopped at a favorite local eatery. Thank you volunteers for the excellent job com-pleted!

Looking Back continued on next page

September 17, Fall Trail Mainteance - Catskills Ten Volunteers Pat Watchter, Connie Duquette, Grace Gar-giulo, Bill Schneider, Eric Markowitz, Wan Lee, Richard and Wendy Greguski, Richard Garrison, and Eunsil Recksiek attended Fall 2016 Catskill trail work - Bangle Hill area Long Path trail. Welcomed by cool fall day, guarded by a canine friend, Winter. We cleared 2 water bars and 16 downed trees using handsaws and clippers off the trail, and did clipping, and cleared downed branches whole 4 miles section started from Spencer trailhead to Peekamoose trailhead via Bangle Hill. We worked from 9:30 am – 3 pm. Two pretty decayed dead downed tree trunks are crossing over the trail at the be-ginning section within 0.1 miles of the Spencer side; however, it can be hopped over and passable. We en-joyed our meal after trail work at Gabys as usual.

October 2, Overlook Mountain Fire Tower and Echo Lake

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on the interesting conglomerate rock of Schunemunk Mtn. It was the first day of deer hunting and although we heard their activity in the distance, we never saw any on the hike, although we learned it is allowed there. Starting near the historic, 3,500’ long Moodna Viaduct, we took the Trestle Trail until in intersected with the Jessup Trail. At both the Viaduct and intersection with the Jessup, Metro North has erected fences to prevent trespassing on the tracks, which presents problems when trying to access Schunemunk from the east side trailheads. We later ran into the area Ranger, who agreed the new arrangement is not ideal. Supposedly the culvert of Baby Brook under the tracks provides access from the Jessup Trail but even with low water is problematic and not possible with any type of flow. Since the fence does not run the entire length of the tracks, it is easy to avert but technically is trespassing. In any event we followed the Jessup along the banks of Baby Brook and enjoyed the cascade, even with low water flow. We reached the famous Megaliths and enjoyed a brief respite for lunch, before returning from the way we came. At the intersection with the Otter-kill trailed, crossed over to the western ridge, after a steep climb and made are way back to Otterkill Road.

November 15, Storm King Mtn Leaders Mike Kaiser and Pat Malodobry with Dan Nielsen, Eric Markowitz, Dave Sweeney and Ed Moran started early from the south par-king area of Storm King State Park. The morning was chilly but soon opened up to an amazing fall weather hi-ke, near 60 with blue skies. Hiking the southern loop of Bobcat trail to Howell trail and pitching point (where logs used to be thrown into the Hudson River in days long ago). Many viewpoints of Cold Spring, Mt Taurus & Breakneck Ridge. By 11 A.M. we came to the upper loop junction where half the group continued to the northern By-Pass trail. We enjoyed lunch while taking in the breath-taking northern views of the Hudson River and in the far distance the Devil's Path of the Catskills. A wonderful hiking day with a great group of hikers!

November 19, Schunemunk Mountain Pat Malodobry and Bill Schneider led Mike Kaiser, Joe Guiheen, Stephane Wong, Eric Markowitz, Michael Camp, Lorraine Brink and Cyndy Sotomayr on a loop hike of 8-1/2 miles

Welcome New Members!

Thomas Blaney & Cathleen Quinn, Lake Grove Steven Colamussi, Melville

Kate & Daniel Crews, Selden Cora Dalton, Long Beach Ralph Gaboury, Merrick

Cameron Sands, Rockville Centre William Soter, Kingston

Lisa & Alan Morris, Commack David & Jennifer Pace, Massapequa

John & Kim Parbst, Setauket Kimberly Salvesen, East Meadow

Alan & Katherine Siegel, Bay Shore Marie Costantino, East Moriches

Michael Ellenberg, Little Neck Wilmarie & Brian Gappa, Shirley

Bryan Grupp, Wantagh Kieran Hooks, Cold Spring Harbor

Monika Kuzdro, Commack Michael Savino, Sayville William Wolter, Syosset

Cynthia & Brian Yablonski, Smithtown

ADK LI is now on Meetup!

To join go to:

www.meetup.com/ADK-Long-Island/

Looking Back continued from page 6

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A Year of Hiking, Biking, Skiing & Running by Diane and Allen Grunthal

The past year was an active one for the Grunthals, this being the first 12 months of Allen's retirement. His bucket list is long. The only question was how to attack it. We arrived in Colorado a year ago to hike 3 weeks in suc-cessively higher and higher mountains. To properly accli-matize and avoid altitude sickness, we started in Boulder at 6,200 feet above sea level and hiked nearby mountains in The Front Range, after which we drove to Rocky Moun-tain National Park where we hiked mountains of 9,000 to 11,000 feet in elevation. The park is very high up in alti-tude and even if all you do is drive the roads and stop at the lookouts, you will be astounded at the majestic scen-ery and wildlife viewing. But hiking the trails allows you to really experience the raw beauty of the park. Our final week in Colorado saw us summit Quandary Peak at 14,265 feet. Allen went on to summit 4 more peaks over 14,000 feet in the next 2 days, including 14,433' Mt. El-bert, Colorado's biggest mountain and the 2nd highest mountain in the continental U.S. Mountains bigger than 14,000 feet in Colorado are known as 14ers. There is much less oxygen at this altitude, and your lungs gasp for breath at every step. Arriving home for a short time, we then left for Vermont where we used our season passes to ski at Killington, until it was time to leave in March to hike for 3 weeks in New Zealand. We started with an exciting hike amongst volcanoes over the Tongariro Crossing in the North Island - hiking through Lord of the Rings filming sites. Some of you will remember the Land of Mordor, on the flanks of Mount Doom (a behemoth volcano from whose fires the One Ring was created and ultimately destroyed). We con-tinued to the South Island, then on to Stewart Island and

one other small island, where the flightless birds have no predators. Allen had never before run a marathon, so he was long overdue. In April 2016 Allen trained hard and won first in age in the Lake George Half Marathon, his first half in 23 years. But this was only a tune-up for the main event, the hugely hilly Mad Marathon in July in the mountains of northern Vermont. Allen ran the full marathon and Diane ran the half, and much to the surprise of both of us, we each won 1st in age. It was a special day for us.

A month later, we boated and biked the Cyclade Islands in the south of Greece. Greece is far more mountainous than we anticipated. Diane was very envious of the 40-something women in the group who were smart enough to have rented e-bikes (bikes with tiny battery operated motors) for the entire trip! Riding a bike with a motor is cheating, isn't it? At the end of our one year journey, we hiked and biked in Austria for 2 weeks, followed by 1 week of hiking in south-ern Germany. We highly recommend Austria for its dazzling, dramatic views of high mountain summits spot-ted with glaciers in flawless skies, and countless dedi-cated biking paths, mostly paved. Highlights include hik-ing up 3,000 vertical feet where jaw-dropping 360 degree views awaited us. The scenery could not have been more spectacular. Then we biked inn to inn. Finally, we climbed to the summit of Germany's highest mountain, the Zug-spitze, where we had to negotiate near vertical mountain walls, ascending while clinging to iron ladders, chains and rungs bolted into the rocks. Definitely not for people who are scared of heights. We feel very blessed and fortunate to explore the world all the while improving our health and exercise acumen. Now we are on to Hawaii in the cold month of December.

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Last Chance Winter Weekend

Friday- Sunday, Mar 17-19

Hiking, Skiing & Snowshoeing

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and the end of winter with your ADK friends.

This year we will be at a new location, the Hammos Brewpub and Lodge, a historic country inn in Hensonville, NY with comfort-able cozy rooms and wifi.

• Approximately $50-$150 per night per person

• Restaurant with an extensive menu and handcrafted brews

• Cocktail party Saturday night • Live music at the Lodge at 8pm for our

dancing pleasure • Game room with 2 pool tables • Discount lift tickets available for Hunter

and Windham Ski areas • Close to hiking - Blackhead Range and

the northern Escarpment Trail, with all levels of hiking

• Continental breakfast included • Bag lunches are available

RESERVE NOW!

This weekend sells out quickly, so please contact Christine Gillen

for details and information *********.***

or 516-761-2131 (before 9:30 pm)

ADK Adventure Travel

Hiking and Ranch Adventure, Absaroka Mountains, WY (A-)

Saturday, July 29, 2017 - Sunday, August 6, 2017 The Absaroka wilderness is a gorgeous area with breath-taking views and spectacular scenery. We will stay in rustic but very comfortable cabins at the Absaroka Ranch. Very few places remain that offer both solitude and beauty on a grand scale and this guest house is one of them. Our daily moderate to strenuous hikes will be to secluded mountain lakes and lush alpine forests with views of high open wildflower meadows and snow capped peaks. Each evening we will enjoy a complimen-tary “happy hour” followed by a freshly prepared gourmet dinner as well as a campfire for storytelling and stargaz-ing. Truly an adventure travel trip for both the body and spirit! Sue Kenyon, [email protected], 917-613-2042 (voice or text).

Remembering Harry Sokol 1926—2016 by June Fait

Harry Sokol passed away shortly after his 90th birthday. He leaves behind a devoted family, children, grandchil-dren and great-grandchildren. Harry was an active mem-ber of LI-ADK together with his wife, Yetta. In earlier years they hiked with their two sons, Gary & Bob. They often backpacked with Larry & Helen Braun and their two sons. Herb & June backpacked with them in the Adiron-dacks as they worked on becoming 46ers. As the years went by Gary & Bob no longer hiked with them but they were still out and about, always together. They did a yearly Hook Mt Blueberry Picking Hike. Although Harry never held office, Yetta was Program Chair and they would hold board meetings in their Jericho home. Harry was a member of the Catskill 3500 Club and an Adiron-dack 46er.

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NY NJ Trail Conference Annual Meeting

By Diane Grunthal

Highlights of the Annual Meeting held on November 5, 2016:

• There are now 85 organizations that belong to the NY/NJ TC, including two towns.

• The Trail Conference is working on a Strategic Plan for the next five years.

• The Conference has reorganized its staff and hired new employees to meet the growing needs of its members.

• The Trail Conference has a $4 million surplus, and has $11.8 million in assets as of 2015.

• The organization is launching a new state-of-the-art website; everyone will find it much easier to navigate.

• It was noted that the trail stewards on the Break-neck Ridge trail reported 54,000 hikers from May 30 through Labor Day.

• On a average weekend, 3,000 to 6,000 hikers make their way up Breakneck Ridge.

• A significant part of this meeting was devoted to volunteer recognition and awards.

• A reminder: an exciting way to Help Protect the Appalachian Trail - Become a Corridor Monitor: http://www.nynjtc.org/workshop/intro-land-monitor-training-trail-u-1043

Boreas Ponds Classification by June Fait

The hearings are underway for the Boreas Ponds classi-fication. Please consider sending in a letter to help with the wilderness protection of the Boreas Ponds. The fol-lowing is a sample letter you can use. (DATE) (YOUR ADDRESS)

RE: Protect Boreas Pond as Wilderness

Kathleen D. Regan, Deputy Director, Planning Adirondack Park Agency Post Office Box 99 Ray Brook, NY 12977

Dear Deputy Director Regan,

I writing to express my support for a Wilderness Classifica-tion for the Boreas Pond Tract. As a member of the Adiron-dack Mountain Club (ADK) wilderness recreation is impor-tant to me. I offer the following points for your considera-tion: • None of the four alternatives adequately protect Boreas

Pond tract. • The Boreas Ponds, its waters and shores must be pro-

tected as Wilderness. Anything less will allow the ponds to be subject to the noise and pollution of motor boats and floatplanes, the spread of invasive species and the loss of the opportunity for quiet canoeing and kayaking.

• The only motorized use on the Boreas Ponds tract that should be allowed is a parking area more than a mile from the ponds at LaBier Flow. This parking location has been endorsed by the Nature Conservancy, the most knowledgeable entity on the Boreas Ponds Tract as being reasonable access for canoeists and kayakers.

• I support a Wilderness classification for the MacIntyre West and East tracts as well as the Casey Brook Tract to ensure that these beautiful tracts are also added to the High Peaks Wilderness. As stated on page 25 of the DSEIS, the APSLMP directs that certain intangible considerations be considered when classifying land.

• As stated : “The Adirondack Park provides a wide spec-trum of opportunities for remoteness and recreation. The addition of slightly more than 50,000 acres of land, much of it adjacent to existing Forest Preserve and in particular, the High Peaks Wilderness, provides the pub-lic with new opportunities for experiencing remoteness. The sense of remoteness can be affected by noise intru-sion."

Please classify the Boreas tract as Wilderness. Thank you for allowing me to comment. Sincerely, (SIGN YOUR NAME) (PRINT YOUR NAME)

How to Join ADK-LI Online

It’s easy. Visit the website for the main ADK club, www.adk.org, where you can learn about all the ac-tivities and benefits of being an ADK member, in-cluding discounts on books, lodging in the Adiron-dacks, and more. You can even give someone a gift membership! When you fill out the secure membership applica-tion, be sure to select “Long Island” as your chapter, so you will get the L.I. Mountaineer newsletter and can have access to our members-only Yahoo Group.

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50th Anniversary Dinner Dance

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www.adkli.org

[email protected]

Join now for last-minute info on hikes, outings, gear discussions and carpooling possibilities. Plus photos and downloads. Don’t miss out!

Go to www.adkli.org and click

(on left side of home page)

DEADLINE FOR SPRING 2017 ISSUE:

APR - MAY - JUNE

FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Send articles to: Grace Gargiulo [email protected]

Leaders, send Trip Reports to: [email protected]

L.I. MOUNTAINEER WINTER 2017 - JAN - FEB - MAR

ADK-L.I. 171-08 Gladwin Avenue Fresh Meadows, NY 11365

Support ADK While You Shop The Adirondack Mountain Club is one of the organizations participating in Amazon’s Smile program, where 0.5% of eligible pur-chases are donated to the charitable organi-zation of your choice. In your Amazon pro-file you can set your charity to “Adirondack Mountain Club”. For more information, visit: http://smile.amazon.com/about.

Change your address? Don’t tell us - tell ADK headquarters.

They print our address labels. Write: Adirondack Mountain Club Membership 814 Goggins Road Lake George, NY 12845-4117

Or call: 1-800-395-8080

Or email: [email protected]

ADK-LI MONTHLY MEETINGS - ALL WELCOME! See Page 2 for Details!

TUES, JAN 3- “Travel with ADK” TUES, FEB 7 - “About AMC TUES, MAR 7 - “Volunteering in the Catskills”

adk long island mountaineer · 2016-12-17 · conference staff in 2015. in addition to bringing...

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