Other donations started pouring in. The friars, who never quite realized how much of an influence they’d had on long-distance hikers, were quite touched by the response and decided before year’s end to welcome back the hikers in ’96. They will be open during July and August -- the peak of the thru-hiker season for both northbounders and southbounders -- to see how it goes. If it’s successful, they’ll return again in ’97. They’ll decide whether to keep it running on a year-by-year basis. Contributions from the hiking community will become vital to keeping it open, so if you stay there, please try to contribute something.
Over the winter, ALDHA volunteers went about organizing the work weekend, with the help of Jane and Walt Daniels in New York and the Rev. Fred Alvarez at Graymoor. Offers to help came from all segments of the community: past thru-hikers and future 2,000-milers; peak baggers and section-hikers; and members of ALDHA, ATC and the NY-NJ trail club.
And, despite a terrible winter, just about everyone who said they might be able to show up on the designated weekend in February, did show up. They came from New Hampshire and Pennsylvania, Boston and Providence; by train, by car and, yes, even by foot! Two former southbounders arrived Friday night with packs on their backs, having hiked in from Bear Mountain Bridge for old time’s sake.
“Red Bird” of ’93 drove in from Connecticut Friday to stay for the weekend, even though it was his birthday that Saturday. (We sang him Happy Birthday and stuck a candle in his dessert during dinner that night with the friars.) And speaking of age, we had an enthusiastic 8-year-old scrubbing dirty sinks with help from his father, Larry Luxenberg. Seth also helped paint a radiator, touched up some spots on the wall, and hung “wet paint” signs on finished rooms.
Most of us focused on patching damaged ceilings, scraping chipped walls and radiators, and painting everything -- top to bottom -- with a fresh coat, all under the tutelage of a professional painter (and former southbounder), Larry Dillon. Our plumbing contingent installed new sinks and faucets in two bathrooms and several rooms, while our lighting crew installed new light fixtures in each room, replacing the bare bulbs that used to hang from the ceiling in each cell.
The friars put us up for the weekend on another wing and welcomed us to join them at all meals. Father Fred kept reminding us of meal times, having to tear us away from our work at times. He also stocked a refrigerator with soda and kept a coffee pot and snacks available in a rec room for us to use.
Two more work weekends were needed to finish off the worst-hit rooms and to paint the hallway floor. Many thanks to Steve Duyser for his help there.
All in all, it was a lot of fun to be with trail friends, talking about the A.T., while doing important, but hard, work. Thanks to all the donors, and all the volunteers, for all they did. The main beneficiaries will be hikers who follow in our footsteps. So, on their behalf, gracias!
