(Copyright Bart Smith; Used by permission.)
A sample of the trail photography of Bart Smith, who will open our conference this year with a spectacular
slide show of all 11 of our national scenic trails, including the newest members added just this year:
The New England Trail, the Pacific Northwest Trail, and the Arizona Trail.
The GATHERING
Gettysburg College
October 9-10-11, 2009
WHERE’S YOUR NEXT BIG TRAIL ADVENTURE? Find out at the Gathering of hikers and trail friends when it returns to Gettysburg College for 2009. It will be Columbus Day Weekend, Oct. 9, 10 and 11, with camping about 10 minutes away on a field used for battle re-enactments. The slide shows, workshops and other events lined up for the weekend will all have one thing in common: To help you decide where your next big trail adventure will be.
To kick things off, we will have a virtual tour Friday night of all 11 of the national scenic trails in this country, presented by premier photographer Bart Smith who, by the time of the Gathering, will become the first person in history to have thru-hiked every single national scenic trail. The president signed a bill earlier this year designating three more national scenic trails, and Bart is in the process of wrapping up the last one right now. You can get a sneak preview of some of his amazing photos here.
Then on Saturday night Walkin’ Jim Stoltz will present his critically acclaimed multimedia show featuring images and songs from the 30,000 miles of backpacking he has done since the 1970s. Add to that a wide variety of workshops during both Saturday and Sunday, and you should be able to get all the information and inspiration you need to tackle that next big trail, whether it’s along the Continental Divide, the far western ridgelines, the north country or even overseas.
Bill O’Brien is the coordinator for this year’s program, and he can use all the help he can get. You can reach Bill at aldha@aol.com. Scott Wyatt is handling the facilities end of things. Noel DeCavalcante has the campground under his protective wing, Marsha Lee is organizing our registration table, Wayne Krevetski is the point man for the Hiker Fair, and Mark Hudson is doing something new this year: organizing a Thursday night ALDHA program for students at Gettysburg. Thanks to all these folks for their work on the Gathering!
On sale at this Gathering will be a new ALDHA bumper sticker with a message that grew out of our
Endangered Services Campaign. They're only $1.50 so we hope you take one home on your vehicle.
REGISTRATION HOURS
NOTE: The Gathering is organized by volunteers who work while others hike to bring you our annual fall get-together. Despite several hundred hours of volunteer effort by your fellow ALDHA members, the Gathering still costs money. Thanks to our volunteer help, we are still able to pull off the entire weekend of activities for ONLY $10 per person. This fee has not changed since ALDHA began in the early 1980s. We ask everyone who attends the Gathering to pay this nominal fee, which works out to less than 3 cents a day if you save up all year long. THANKS for your support!
FRIDAY, Oct. 9, 2009
At noon, registration begins in the open shed area in the campground at Redding Farm.
At 3 p.m., the desk will close and move over to the college.
At 4 p.m., the registration desk will reopen in the hallway of the College Union Building, or CUB.
At 6:45 p.m., the registration desk will close for the evening presentation.
Around 10 p.m., or whenever the evening presentation ends, the desk will reopen for those who arrived late, and will remain open until 10:45 p.m., or when last person leaves, whichever is sooner.
SATURDAY, Oct. 10, 2009
At 8:30 a.m., registration reopens in the CUB hallway (we'll have coffee) and closes at 6:30 p.m. At this time we are not planning to have the desk open on Sunday, Oct. 11, although ALDHA bumper stickers and other items will still be for sale, starting after lunch, at the Hiker Fair. Also on sale Sunday afternoon will be leftover neck wallets (at left) for $5 apiece.
REGISTRATION PACKET
In return for your $10, you get a registration packet that contains a 12-page color program with details on the 50-plus workshops, films, slide shows and discussions awaiting you over the course of the weekend, complete with a centerspread grid sheet that shows the entire slate of workshops laid out in an easy-to-follow format. You will also receive a souvenir ALDHA neck wallet that serves as your nametag (click on sample above for a closer view), a 2010 pocket calendar, a commemorative card marking the 60th anniversary of the first A.T. thru-hike, a pen and critique sheet.
LAST-MINUTE TIPS & REMINDERS
PROGRAM PACKET: The first thing you need to do (after you've registered and picked up your registration packet) is to read the program, especially the first two pages of notes. Information on showers, the camping field, Hiker Fair, group photo, business meeting, etc., is all there. Then look at the program of workshops and use the grid sheet in the center of the pamphlet to map out your personal itinerary for the weekend. We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to read the program.
LUNCH: On Saturday, there is only a little more than an hour available for lunch, so here's a tip: Brown bag your lunch for Saturday. There are several nice spots around the College Union Building where you can eat in between all the programs you don't want to miss. In the Union there is a short-order lunch counter called the Bullet Hole Cafe where you can grab a quick bite to eat, but the line might be long. If you brown bag it, there are a few common areas in the classroom buildings themselves where you can eat your lunch, but please, clean up after yourselves!
BATTLEFIELD HIKES: If you plan to go on one of the two hikes being offered this weekend, be sure to show up promptly on time, wear good walking shoes, dress for the weather, bring water and trail snacks (and something to carry them in), and bring a headlamp or flashlight (for Saturday evening's hike) or sun screen (for Sunday afternoon's hike). Directions on where to meet for each hike will be available at ALDHA Central starting Saturday morning.
SQUARE DANCE: You don't have to be a hoofer to enjoy this live, local musical experience on Saturday night. You may want to attend this year, because we will have a drawing for a nice piece of hiking gear during the dance, but you must be present to win.
TRAIL YEAR REUNIONS: The Class of “A.T.9” is organizing a 20-year reunion at this Gathering, and they're in the program! Feel free to organize your own mini-reunions during the course of the Gathering weekend. If you want to get up and shout out an impromptu reunion, feel free. And think about it for future Gatherings so you can get in the program, too! ... Also, anybody who has ever hiked the International Appalachian Trail is cordially invited to a mini-reunion/meet-and-greet sponsored by the fine folks from the IAT/SIA. It, too, is in the program! (Hint: You get this fancy program if you REGISTER!)
Program Highlights
Here are some of the programs we have lined up for during the day on Saturday and Sunday, to give you an idea of what you'll be getting as part of your $10 registration fee. Here you can download a PDF copy of the full program, in color!
A work trip will be held at the Old Mill building at Pine Grove Furnace State Park on Monday, Oct. 12. Overnight accommodations are likely in the neighboring hostel. If you would like to take part, please e-mail readyhiker@yahoo.com.
A 10-point checklist of things you need to remember when preparing to come to the Gathering. Get a headstart now!
If you have room for a rider and want to help out a fellow hiker, or if you need a ride to get to the Gathering, follow the directions on this page and we’ll try to facilitate your search.
How to get where you’re going, from either the north or the south.
Take a look at these notes from last year's meetings at the Gathering, and you will be that much more ahead of the game for the Annual Meeting of ALDHA on Sunday morning. There are also minutes from the spring Steering Committee meeting here.
Take a look at the Gettysburg College campus, an oasis from the commercial aspects of town but the perfect gateway to the battlefields that are part of the extensive National Historic Military Park.
If you would like a brochure that you can print out in color, here’s where to get one. It includes a few details about the 2009 Gettysburg Gathering, directions to Gettysburg, important dates for hikers, key names and addresses, and a registration form.
A big reunion of your Trail Family and a thru-hikers’ homecoming — all rolled into one.
Trailhead
New Boots • Gathering • Grapevine • Springer Fever
A.T. Companion • Headlamp Material • Work Trips • Side Trails