What’s New
this site is often updated with new roads, walkways and paths.
Here’s what’s new:
Week ending Feb. 4, 2012 ...
- New information about this year's Gathering has been posted on the Gathering page including news about the feature presentation on Saturday night by a long-distance hiker who trekked 2,500 miles through the Himalayas last year.
Week ending Jan. 7, 2012 ...
- Happy New Year everyone... Hard copies of the 2012 Thru-Hikers' Companion will be ready for sale on Jan. 19. Find out more on the Companion page and see a picture of what the cover will look like this year. (Find out how to get an electronic copy of the book on the same page.)
Week ending Dec. 24, 2011 ...
- Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah everyone... Here's the new brochure for 2012.
Week ending Dec. 10, 2011 ...
- Just in time for the holiday shopping season we bring you the newly improved ALDHA Store. Check it out and let us know how you like it.
Week ending Dec. 3, 2011 ...
- Information about the work trips scheduled for 2012 has been posted on the work trips page.
Week ending Nov. 19, 2011 ...
- With apologies to Randy and Georgia for the delay, links to their books have finally been posted in the members’ books portion of our website. ALDHA members and A.T. thru-hikers, “Windtalker” and “Mom” have written two books that were inspired by the A.T. and have gone on to critical acclaim. Check them out here, and then follow the links to find out more on amazon.com.
Week ending Nov. 12, 2011 ...
- An updated list of trail festivals, gatherings and other celebrations has been posted on the website, including the dates for the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame weekend next June, and a major event by the A.T. Museum next September called the Hike For History. Find the list here.
Week ending Oct. 15, 2011 ...
- AN AMAZING PHOTO OF THE GATHERING: OK, folks, I thought I had seen it all in terms of fantastic photos from this year's Gathering. Some truly beautiful images have been submitted from top-notch photographers like Rye Hiker, Jojo, Deb Smith and others, including professional photographer Dean Clark. But leave it to one guy with one shot to basically come up with the COOLEST image ... Click on this link to read how and when he got the photo, then see it for yourself.
- GROUP PHOTO: Here's the group photo of the Gathering taken after Sunday morning's business meeting. Less than half the Gathering attendees are in the picture, unfortunately. (Perhaps we need to move the time back to Saturday afternoon.) Many thanks to Dean Clark for taking the shot.
- GROUP PHOTO: Here's the group photo of the Gathering taken after Sunday morning's business meeting. Less than half the Gathering attendees are in the picture, unfortunately. (Perhaps we need to move the time back to Saturday afternoon.) Many thanks to Dean Clark for taking the shot.
Week ending Oct. 1, 2011 ...
- MAP OF GENERAL AREA: Here's an illustrated map of the general Williamstown and North Adams area showing where our camping field is located, where MCLA is located, and where the theater in Williamstown is located. (Saturday night's program is in Williams theater; Friday and Sunday night are at MCLA.)
- For an overhead shot of what the campsite field looks like, click here. When you arrive, please follow signs and/or our volunteers for instructions on where to park. Many thanks to newly minted Triple-Crowner Eric White for donating this land to ALDHA's use and bending over backwards to accommodate us for the weekend, all at no charge to ALDHA. If you see Eric during the Gathering, be sure to say thank you. Many thanks to Jim Niedbalski, Wayne Krevetski and Noel DeCavalcante, along with Shane O'Donnell and Mike Wingeart for their attention to details, big tents, tables, chairs, port-a-potties, signs, firewood, etc., for the campsite.
- Work trip details have been worked out with the Massachusetts Trail Management Committee and we'll be helping to haul roofing materials to the Mark Nopel Shelter on Monday, Oct. 10. Details here, on the Program Highlights page.
- The Contra Dance will be held Saturday night at a church hall within walking distance of our Saturday evening presentation in Williamstown. Details, including a video of the acoustic band in action, can be found here.
- Information on other aspects of the Gathering, including the addition of a surprise guest on Sunday, can be found on either the Program Highlights page or the Gathering Page.
- If you are still looking to book a motel for the Gathering, we have some good news, but you have to act quickly. During his field editing work for the A.T. Companion, Slider has gotten word from the owners of two motels in Williamstown that they'll offer a 10% discount for ALDHA members coming to the Gathering, but you must book your room over the phone and mention you're coming to the ALDHA Gathering in order to get the discount. The two motels are the Howard Johnson's Motel at 413-458-8158 and the Cozy Corner Motel, 413-458-8006, both in Williamstown.
- For an overhead shot of what the campsite field looks like, click here. When you arrive, please follow signs and/or our volunteers for instructions on where to park. Many thanks to newly minted Triple-Crowner Eric White for donating this land to ALDHA's use and bending over backwards to accommodate us for the weekend, all at no charge to ALDHA. If you see Eric during the Gathering, be sure to say thank you. Many thanks to Jim Niedbalski, Wayne Krevetski and Noel DeCavalcante, along with Shane O'Donnell and Mike Wingeart for their attention to details, big tents, tables, chairs, port-a-potties, signs, firewood, etc., for the campsite.
Note: That is ALDHA member Jason Henschen in the still image above. Congrats, man!
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I am sorry that I am not attending the ALDHA GATHERING.
It would have been wonderful to see Bill O�Brien, Dr. David Gwinn, Mary
Ann Nissley and other End to Enders that I have met over the years.
Tell Bill thanks for inquiring about me. It is nice of him to think about
me. Tell him that I am hanging in there. Had my 94th birthday on 09-13.
The hikers in the Cortland County Hike Series had a big Birthday Cake for me
at the picnic following the final hike of the series. — SIDOTE
That's from Ed Sidote, the legendary "point man" for the Finger Lakes Trail. Will be sorry not to have him there this year. ~bill
Week ending Sept. 24, 2011 ...
- We have posted a list of day hikes occurring on the Saturday of the Gathering, and all members of ALDHA are welcome to go along. The hikes are being organized and led by members of the Massachusetts A.T. club, who extend a welcoming hand to all Gathering participants. For the complete list, click here.
- Pioneer thru-hiker Dick Hudson has passed away. He took part in several trail-related panels at past trail events, including a symposium on the early days of thru-hiking organized by the AT Museum Society at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. You can see a copy of his obituary, here.
Week ending Sept. 17, 2011 ...
- Sit back and enjoy a 6-minute 45-second
video interview of Andrew Skurka, the featured speaker at this year's ALDHA Gathering. Produced by National Geographic, the film shows scenes from Andrew's Alaska adventure as he explains how he altered his lifestyle to become a dedicated outdoor adventurer. Enjoy!
- Travel advisories have been posted on the main Gathering page, with Route 2 east of North Adams closed by flooding from Hurricane Irene. A few other updates have also been made to the page.
- Here's an updated list of some of the workshops, slide shows and panel discussions scheduled to take place during the Gathering, plus reminders about some of the other events happening over the course of the weekend. We hope to post some other important news on this page soon regarding the post-Gathering work trip and a special deal at the premier museum in North Adams, so stay tuned.
- Need a ride or a rider to the Gathering? Check out the Online Ride Board, and send us an email with your post, and with "Ride Board" in the subject field, to aldha@aol.com.
- Travel advisories have been posted on the main Gathering page, with Route 2 east of North Adams closed by flooding from Hurricane Irene. A few other updates have also been made to the page.
Week ending Sept. 3, 2011 ...
- The fall newsletter has been sent to email subscribers and is in the process of being printed and mailed to those who still get a paper copy. For a look at the e-edition, you can find it here.
Week ending Aug. 20, 2011 ...
- REMINDER: Pre-register for the Gathering BEFORE Sept. 1 and pay only $10 per person. You can do it conveniently using PayPal via the Membership Gateway page. Or just print out a membership form and mail it in with your check or money order. AFTER Sept. 1, you will have to register in person at the Gathering, and it will cost $15 per person. So please do it now. Thanks for helping us out on this!
- There's a proposal afoot to charge fees for backcountry camping in Great Smokey Mountains National Park, including on the A.T. If you oppose such a plan, here's an online petition you can sign to voice your opposition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/gsmnp_backcountry_fees/
Week ending July 9, 2011 ...
- Check out the front page of the ALDHA website, www.aldha.org, for a video promoting the Gathering. Many thanks to Robert "Sly" Sylvester for the beautiful job.
- THE ONLINE RIDE BOARD: The Ride Board is up and running for the 2011 Gathering. Follow the instructions on the page and we'll post your request for either a ride or a rider online.
Week ending July 2, 2011 ...
FAREWELL, FRIEND: This week we received some sad news on the death of Buck Kanoy, one-half of "Bucky and the Bearcharmer" of Thomasville, N.C. Here's the message we received from his wife, Sue, aka "Bearcharmer" ...
Dear friends,
It is with a heavy heart that I send this. Tragedy struck me and my family Sunday afternoon. My beloved Bucky was killled in a tractor accident. Our hearts are broken; remember us in your thoughts and prayers. Somewhere along the way we shared time with each one of you, and Bucky and I always treasured those times.
We have some wonderful memories. Thanks.
Love to you all,
Sue
Note: Buck and Sue compiled an impressive resume of trails -- the A.T., John Muir Trail, Long Trail, Colorado Trail, Wonderland Trail, Bartram Trail, the Foothills Trail -- some of which they first learned about and were inspired to tackle while attending ALDHA Gatherings. They were almost always seen in unison. "Bucky and Bearcharmer" just couldn't be separated. So it will seem strange and feel sad as we are left with the void of his absence at this year's Gathering. But he will be there in spirit. In the past, we have dedicated our fall get-together to members who passed on during the previous year, from Ed Garvey to Bill Foot, Ann McDuff and Larry McDuff, John O'Mahoney and Warren Doyle Sr., and, of course, Walkin' Jim Stoltz. So, in keeping with this long-standing tradition, we will dedicate this, the 30th anniversary Gathering, to the memory of "Bucky" Kanoy. Join us in wishing Sue and her family our sympathy and condolences on their -- and our -- loss.
-- Bill O'Brien
Week ending June 17, 2011 ...
- HERE'S THE STORY: it's 9:45 p.m. and the first class of the A.T. Hall of Fame has been formally inducted and you can read who the honorees are right here.
Week ending June 11, 2011 ...
- SPECIAL 4-PAGE NEWSLETTER SECTION ON THE GATHERING: The summer newsletter is on the way to all members, and both the print version and the digital version contain a 4-page insert on the Gathering, with details about where we'll be camping, where the Saturday night program has been moved to accommodate everybody, and what your role in all of this is. A link to just those pages is posted here:
Summer 2011 Newsletter Insert
- New merchandise has been added to THE ALDHA STORE. Now on sale online are polo shirts with a collar that can be worn in the office if you work in an informal setting or can be worn elsewhere. They come in 3 colors: Navy, Royal Blue and Hunter Green (see photo at left) and they come in both Men's and Women's sizes. Visit the online store today. You can pay via Paypal.
- New merchandise has been added to THE ALDHA STORE. Now on sale online are polo shirts with a collar that can be worn in the office if you work in an informal setting or can be worn elsewhere. They come in 3 colors: Navy, Royal Blue and Hunter Green (see photo at left) and they come in both Men's and Women's sizes. Visit the online store today. You can pay via Paypal.
Week ending June 4, 2011 ...
- The Appalachian Trail Museum is celebrating its first year of operation with a Museum Festival right on the Appalachian Trail in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, in Gardners, Pa. The festival will be June 18 and 19. It will be preceded on the night of June 17 by the first-ever induction into the A.T. Hall of Fame. Find out more on the A.T. Museum page. Admission to the festival is free. There is a charge for the Hall of Fame banquet, which is being held at the nearby Allenberry resort. But the limited number of tickets are going fast so reserve your banquet spot now.
Week ending May 21, 2011 ...
- The dates for the Gathering are listed incorrectly in David "AWOL" Miller's A.T. Guide. Please don't get confused! The Gathering will be Columbus Day Weekend, Oct. 7, 8 and 9, 2011. Find out more on the Gathering page.
Week ending April 24, 2011 ...
- HIKER FAIR AT THE GATHERING: If you're a nonprofit trail club or group, or a commercial vendor or author, we'd love to have you set up a booth or display at our 2-day Hiker Fair during the Gathering. We have created an ONLINE reservation form that you can fill out from your computer and email to us with the click of a few buttons. Find out more on the Gathering page.
- WORKSHOPS AT THE GATHERING: Don't forget, if you want to volunteer to put on a workshop or give a slide show presentation at the Gathering, please fill out this ONLINE form. We are especially interested in workshops on these trails that haven't been presented at a Gathering recently: the Alabama Trail, the Northville Lake Placid Trail, the New England Trail, Allegheny Trail, Arizona Trail, Bartram Trail, Bruce Trail, Buckeye Trail, Centennial Trail, C&O Canal Towpath, Colorado Trail, Great Smoky Mountains trails, the Long Path, Pacific Northwest Trail and the Wonderland Trail. Other trails are welcome as workshops, as are topics of backpacker interest like Lyme disease, first aid, GPS usage, how to hang a bear bag, maildrop preparation, etc. Remember, the DEADLINE IS AUGUST 1st. for getting your workshops submitted in time to appear in the Gathering program.
- OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: Here's your chance to give back to ALDHA: Volunteer to help out with this fall's Gathering, either as a tech person for a few hours, a greeter in one of our classroom buildings to help folks find their way (again for only a few hours), or as a member of the work crew on a trail work trip after the Gathering. There are a few other tasks we also need help with... Find out more on the Gathering page.
Week ending April 17, 2011 ...
- ALDHA TRIVIA CONTEST: Just for fun, try your hand at this new trivia contest based on a little bit of ALDHA history: Test your ALDHA IQ here!.
