Trailhead
New Boots Gathering Grapevine Springer Fever
A.T. Companion Headlamp Material Work Trips Side Trails
Another successful ALDHA Work Trip is part of history. The annual ALDHA Autumn New England work trip took place on Saturday, November 9th under a bright blue sky on the AT near Upper Goose Pond Road in western New Hampshire. Luckily, several inches of snow received the prior week had melted away leaving nice, deep, wet, dark mud for the crew to work in. Perfect! Replacing and installing 15 bog bridges was the primary agenda for the day. All the stingers for the bridges were 3 x 8-inch hemlock cut and donated to the project by Tom Wilkins - Wilkins Lumber - of Amherst, N.H. Bert Gilbert provided the rest of the lumber for the project. The 10 ALDHA members and 5 Dartmouth Outing Club members who showed up accomplished the work in record time. Half way through the day the DOC members headed south on the AT and installed 5 new rock steps in a low, wet area. Although it probably was not the longest, hardest day ALDHA crews have experienced, it was a fun, productive day and the bridges will make this section of trail much more enjoyable and keep many hikers' feet out of the water. Staying with tradition, once the job was finished and the tools were packed up, most of the crew headed to Bert Gilbert's house for a delicious and plentiful feast including homemade ice cream and apple pie. Volunteers for the day included Matt Stevens, Jim Lemire, Scott & Patricia Beavers, Tom Wilkins, Bert Gilbert, Andy Fay, Steve Paradis, Mara Factor, Al Sochard, Lauren Hendrickson, Joe Hanlon, Natalie Allan, J.J. Johnson and Emily Knight. ~ Scott Beavers