AT Museum Volunteer Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 7

Volume 2, Issue 7 - May, 2015
brought to you by Joe Harold, Appalachian Trail Museum Manager

The hikers are starting to come through the Park and are hopefully finding the time to visit the Museum.  I have seen a very large number of intentional Flip Flop Thru Hikers this year.  That means ATC's program to try and spread out the crowd is working.  

We are now open every day and the challenge is there to fill each of the two daily shifts with two wonderful Docents.  Any amount of shifts you can take are greatly appreciated.  

Golden Ragwort in bloom

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Harpers Ferry Flip Flop Kickoff

On May 2nd and 3rd, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) hosted the first Flip Flop Kick Off (FFKO) Celebration.  The day was perfect and there were plenty of people walking around and having a good time.  

Shelter mouse and friends

 I attended the event on Saturday and got to talk to a lot of interesting people.  There was plenty of food and musical entertainment.  The booths included Leave No Trace, Raptors, Outfitters, ALDHA, PATC and more.  

Who?

Booths of interest all over the yard

ALDHA Table 

Musical Entertainment

Back in January, I met six interesting people at the Northern Ruck who were planning on hiking the trail this year.  This event brought four of them together for the day.  L to R, Justin will be starting a SOBO in July, Treehugger has started her flip flop hike and planned on being here for the FFKO to report on her hike.  She continued on from Harpers Ferry after the event concluded.  Scoops and Iceberg started their hike, but had to come off temporarily to take care of some personal business.  The other two, Clifford and Sling Shot are happily hiking along down in Virginia somewhere.  I have been tracking all of their progress and reporting about it periodically on my personal blog.  It was really cool having them all together for this quick photo op.

Four of Six

 About ten days later a good size bubble of Flip Floppers came through the Park and there is Treehugger safely enfolded in her group, hiking along and taking care of her knee.  

Self proclaimed Fuzzy Buck and Flip Flopping Band of Geriatrics

Keep on hiking, hikers.
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Hiking Another PA Trail

Anyone who knows me, knows I need a hiking fix every once in a while.  This time I headed to a trail from my youth.  The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.  After doing a lot of AT miles, this trail will spoil you.  Soft, even, tread way, mile posts, multiple shelters, toilet paper and hand sanitizer in each men's and woman's room.  Definitely a nice trail.

Welcome to the L - Double H - T

Rocking my blaze orange Halfway Bandanna.
Turkey season was on, but we heard no gobblers and few shots,
but I did see two turkey feathers.

The rock mazes are easy and interesting

Crossing the PA Turnpike

One of the shelters of the eight shelter areas, complete with fireplace

 The trail starts in Ohiopyle, PA and heads north 70 miles to its terminus near Johnstown, PA.  We had elected to do a SOBO Thru hike as the climb onto the ridge was a little smoother from that end.  We hiked for six days and the weather was perfect the whole trip.  It did get a little warm on a couple of days, but was never too bad.  

Fifteen miles to go.

Evening fire, just because

View of the Yough

 I felt really good after this hike and could have kept going, but I ran out of trail to walk and there were things to do at the Museum that I had let sit for long enough.  I can't wait for my next hike.  

Done...

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Museum Welcomes New Intern

The Museum has luckily gained another Intern for the next couple of months.  Meet Caitlin, she will be working as a Docent, helping with the Public Programs and working on organizing and cataloging our continuously growing supply of donated artifacts.

Caitlin is completing her Junior year at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, PA.  She is majoring in Art History with a minor in American Studies.  

Her excellent organizational skills have already come into use as she rearranged and labeled everything under the Docent Desk on her first day of work.  I can't wait to see what she will do with our extensive collection of mysterious artifacts.

Caitlin starts to get to work at our Carlisle storage unit.

Caitlin will usually be working on Tuesdays and Sundays at the Museum.  Stop by and welcome her if you are ever near the Museum on those days.  
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Mysteries at the Museum

I have been in touch over the last few weeks with a producer from the Travel Channel Show Mysteries at the Museum.  They want to come and do a piece for their show about Grandma Gatewood.  We are scheduled to tape the piece on the 21st of the month.  Larry will be interviewed as the expert he is.  It should be a fun day at the Museum.  They said the piece will air about six months after shooting, but I will let everyone know when I get an air date.  
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Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame 2015 Inductees

It's less than a month until the Fifth Annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet. This year's Banquet will be outstanding. Four stalwarts of the trail will be inducted into the Hall of Fame, Ned Anderson, Margaret Drummond, Stan Murray and Raymond Torrey. Follow this link to read a little about each of the inductees.  appalachiantrail.com 

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Things Coming Down the Trail

May 24th, 2015 - 2:00 pm - Public Program - Virginia is For-EVER (in the basement)
May 25th, 2015 - 9:20 am - Road Scholar Hike
May 31st, 2015 - 2:00 pm - Public Program - AT Museum Today and Tomorrow
June 5th, 2015 - AT Hall of Fame Banquet - Boiling Springs, PA
June 6th, 2015 - AT HOF Festival and Hiker Reunion at the Museum/Park
June 7th, 2015 - 2:00 pm - Public Program - Stories From the Trail
June 8th, 2015 - 9:20 am - Road Scholar Hike
June 14th, 2015 - 2:00 pm - Public Program - Sharing Your Journey
June 21st, 2015 - 2:00 pm - Public Program - Historic Wood and Canvas Canoes
June 22nd, 2015 - 9:20 am - Road Scholar Hike
June 28th, 2015 - 12:00 pm - Public Program - Hiker Picnic and Trail Stories (pot luck)
July 17th to 24th, 2015 - ATC Biennial - Winchester, VA

Take care,
EarthTone