AT Museum Volunteer Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 4

Volume 2, Issue 4 - February, 2015
brought to you by Joe Harold, Appalachian Trail Museum Manager

It may be cold and the snows may still be deep, but it will be the end of March before we realize it and another season of the Museum will commence.  The winter projects continue, but it is now time to start getting ready for our sixth season at the Museum.  

Things to look forward to are a Sunday Spring Cleaning, some orientation and training sessions and the children's space in the basement developing into an interesting, hands on, exhibit that will foster a love and respect for the trail that could last a lifetime.  

Clean up, orientation, Docent shifts and Road Scholar Hikes can all be signed up for at the VolunteerSpot Group Page.

Moon over Museum Slumber

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2015 Northern Ruck (NoRuck)

On January 24th, I headed over to Bears Den Hostel at Snickers Gap, VA.  The Northern (or PA Ruck) used to be held at the Ironmasters Mansion in the past, but it has since moved down to Bears Den which is a perfect venue.  Some say that since it takes  place below the Mason Dixon line, it really isn't the Northern Ruck, but I feel that since it takes place further north than the Southern Ruck (SoRuck), which was held the week before at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in NC, it can qualify.  

Bears Den on an icy, foggy morning

The day started out foggy and icy.  The temperature hovered just below freezing and a light rain had fallen and quickly frozen on everything it touched.  It was magical outside and nice and cozy inside.  I arrived just after breakfast on Saturday and settled in with the attendees.  All of the usual People of the Trail were there including Hippy Kippy, Wing-Heart and Yellow Shoes among others.  I finally got to meet Warrior Hiker Brian "Evac" Wing, who is a fellow Coast Guardsman.  

The day consisted of eating (of course), Tuckerizing Class of 2015 Thru Hiker's packs and having presentations on various subjects like the AT Museum, The ALDHA Search and Rescue team, The Flip Flop Kick Off in Harpers Ferry and the ATC Biennial which will be happening this Summer.  

Lots of food for all

One thing I enjoyed was meeting six perspective 2015 Thru Hikers.  They were a diverse group and I enjoyed talking to them and discussing their hopes, fears and plans.  I have since been in touch with each of them and I hope to follow along with them as they head up or down the trail on their epic adventure.  I hope to write stories (either here on on my other blog) about their progress as I glean it from their Trail Journals and Facebook posts.   It is interesting that most of the "types" of hikers are represented.  We have both male and female, older and younger, a Nobo going solo, a Nobo with a dog, A couple going Nobo together, a Flip Flopper and a Sobo.  Every flavor is covered.  I am very excited for them and wish each of them well.

Ice covered white blaze

Icy Pine

The "view" at Bears Den Rocks

The sun eventually showed its face that day and the night was pleasant in the bunk house.  (of course an ear plug or two always makes for a better nights sleep).  The winter Rucks are an excuse to get together during the "off season" with fellow hikers to eat good food, tell tall tales and learn about the important things one needs to know as a Person of the Trail.  

Men's Bunk Room

Hippy Kippy playing some tunes

The sun makes an appearance

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Basement Update

The plans continue to develop for the renovation of the basement.  On Friday, January 30th, a group of interested volunteers met at Shippensburg University after the Annual South Mountain Partnership breakfast.  Gwen presented the plans of Graphik Masters our design team and we started brain storming ideas on how to fill the basement with interesting, interactive exhibits that will foster the love of the trail we hope every child will develop after visiting our new Children's Space.  

There is still a lot of work to do and quite a bit of research and photo hunting as the plans mature.  We want to bring the interesting things that all hikers see, feel and experience as they hike the trail into the space with color, pictures and hands-on activities.  Here are a couple of crappy pictures of the design that was presented.  

Overview of the space, with a planned welcome kiosk and 14 panels representing
the trail along its route through the Appalachian Mountains from Georgia to Maine.

Drawings of the welcome kiosk and one of the standing panels.

We will continue to update as the plans progress and we hope to have the first part of phase 1 installed in late spring or early summer, with all of phase 1 being complete by October.  Phase 2 will develop the western side of the space with "A Day (and night) in the life of a Hiker".  Still lots to figure out with that, but I'm excited that this will be a great space for children to come and experience and learn about the trail.

Update:  Yesterday, six of us braved the cold and met in the Museum which was a balmy 50 degrees inside.  I think it was about 20 degrees outside, so you could feel the difference (as long as you could still feel your fingers)

Keeping warm(ish) as we brain storm

This meeting started with Greg from Graphik Masters come in and drawing a rough sketch of the exhibit on the floor of the basement.  He also answered our questions and we walked through the exhibit to get a feel of how it will work.  So far, all looks good.

Rough rendition of the exhibit pathway

Next, we did some brainstorming.  Traveling up the trail in our mind and listing things that are part of the trail that might work for the exhibit.  Gwen wrote down a lot of things (even for Connecticut).  Now, we start to refine the list (and still add to it) and then the research shall begin.  

The welcome kiosk

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New PA Child Protection Law

As our focus at the museum turns more intently on working with children, so will our responsibility to carefully adhere to the PA laws regarding the protection of children from abuse.  This law had been intensified and expanded to now include volunteers who work at places that cater to children, like the museum. 

We are still trying to figure out all of the details of what our responsibilities will be, but it is trending towards our volunteers receiving a couple of clearances that ensures they are not or will not be a potential harmful presence to the children who visit.  

The way the law is written, is a little confusing as to how it applies to our Docents, but we will ensure we do what we need to to be right with the PA Law.  Stay tuned for more information as we figure things out.  Bottom line is those who are active docents from last year will have some time until this is required and the AT Museum Society plans on paying for whatever checks are needed.  

Also, if you have already gone through this process for some other job or volunteer work, your certifications should be good with us as long as they are less than three years old. 

Stay tuned...
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Lobo's Journal

Sometime during the last season, we received a CD in the mail from a previous hiker.  The CD contained the trail journal and lots of pictures of John "Lobo" Wolf's 2000 Thru Hike.  As I read Lobo's story and looked at his pictures something dawned on me.  The Katahdin sign we have in the Museum was removed from the mountain in 2010.  The signs have a lifetime of 10 years on the mountain before being replaced.  The cover of the CD had a picture of Lobo up on Katahdin on July 25th, 2000.  As I took the picture down to compare to the museum piece, I saw that they were the same sign.  Lobo's brand new and shiny, with no initials or other carvings (yet), and ours, battle scarred and weather beaten, but standing just as proud in our Museum.  

A few weeks ago I got an email from Sue Wolf, John's wife (who transcribed the whole journal from John's hand written notes sent from the trail).  She asked if we planned on posting the journal on our website.  Well, that is just what we did and you can go check it out yourself by clicking Here.  It was quite an adventure, as they all are, and a very good read.  

I love finding pictures of things from when they were being used on the trail and are now in our Museum.  It is the full circle.  
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Museum Spring Cleaning

I have scheduled the annual Museum Spring Cleaning day for Sunday, March 22nd, 2015.  We hope to start around 9 am or so and should be finished sometime after Noon.  The cleanup generally consists of general house cleaning, washing windows, setting up the merchandise area, and miscellaneous handy-person jobs. 

In addition we will do some sprucing up outside the museum building including raking leaves and general clean-up, weather permitting. 

There will be plenty of cleaning supplies on hand and we have some tools at the museum, but you may want to bring carpentry tools as well as rakes, etc. for the outside tasks. There will be rubber/latex gloves available but you may want to bring your work gloves.

You can sign up to let me know you are coming at our handy dandy VolunteerSpot Group Page.  
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Orientation and Training Sessions

This year, I'm hoping to conduct several orientation sessions in March and into the beginning of the season (if needed).  I'm trying to tailor them two different ways, one for new volunteers or those who have only served one or two shifts, and those who have served several shifts (or years) who want to go through the processes again and refresh their memories.  I hope to include intensive, hands-on practice of the PayAnywhere Application that we have been using to allow the use of credit cards.  

I want to cover the whole application and have developed a training plan that handles the questions I have received about the application from Docents, including cash purchases, voids, refunds and searching for an item in the inventory list.  

So far I have scheduled Saturday, March 21st and Sunday, March 29th as New Docent Orientation and Sunday, March 22nd and Saturday, March 28th as Experienced Docent Orientation.  You can sign up at the usual Spot.  I will add days and/or times to accommodate all interested parties.  Let me know if you want me to schedule a particular day or time.
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ATC Biennial

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) will hold its next Biennial Meeting on Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA.  The one week event has so many things to do, it is impossible to list them all here.  

The AT Museum will be conducting several workshops and also will lead an excursion up to Pine Grove Furnace State Park where participants will visit the museum, maybe take on the half-pint challenge and hike to the 2011 Halfway Marker followed by a cookout.  

The Conference runs from July 17th to the 24th and is co-sponsored by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) and the Mountain Club of Maryland (MCM).  

You can get all the information you need by going to the Biennial Meeting Web Site and following them on Facebook.  Registration begins in April.  

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Things Coming Down the Trail

March 19th, 2015 - KTA Membership Celebration and Film Fest in Camp Hill, PA
March 21st, 2015 - New Docent Orientation
March 22nd, 2015 - Museum Spring Clean up and Experienced Docent Orientation

March 28th, 2015 - Museum opens for its Sixth season and Experienced Docent Orientation
March 29th, 2015 - New Docent Orientation
April 12th, 2015 - 0900 - AT Museum Society Board of Directors Meeting
May 2nd, 2015 - Flip Flop Kick Off (FFKO) in Harpers Ferry, WV
May 3rd to May 8th, 2015 - Joe Thru Hikes the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (70 miles) - easy peasy.
May 15th - 17th, 2015 - Trail Days - Damascus, VA
June 5th, 2015 - AT Hall of Fame Banquet - Boiling Springs, PA
June 6th, 2015 - Hiker Festival and Reunion at the Museum/Park
July 17th to 24th, 2015 - ATC Biennial - Winchester, VA

AT Museum Volunteer Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 3

Volume 2, Issue 3 - January, 2015
brought to you by Joe Harold, Appalachian Trail Museum Manager

Michele keeps telling me that the museum looks lonely every time she drives by it and I try to visit her (the museum) whenever I can.  It's OK to refer to the museum in the feminine, right?  So, on my last visit, the temperature was eight degrees outside and a balmy 45 inside.  Everything was in order in the sleepy building and after I had brought in my load of books and finished my check of the building, I headed over to Green Mountain Road for a little snow hike up to the James Fry shelter.  There is nothing like having the snowy woods to yourself as you work to warm yourself on the climbs.  I was surprised by a hiker coming up to the shelter as I came back down.  He was headed to North Carolina and looked like he was doing fine.  It was good to see a long distance hiker out, even in the cold of winter.

The Lonely Museum view from the NE

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Programs Solicitation

We are starting to think about what Sunday Public Programs we will be presenting this year and yes, we are still looking for someone to act as a Chairman for the Programs Committee.  The duties and responsibilities would be to work with the other committee members (once we have some of those), help with booking of presentations (Larry, Gwen and myself have people we solicit to fill the slates, but any new ideas are always welcome and encouraged), help with the advertising of the schedule (last year I just sent an email to a gazillion email addresses of local news outlets and outdoor writers) and ensure the presentation has the support it needs each Sunday (setup, signage, crowd control and cleanup).  

So far I have talked to a couple of perspective presenters and both have said yes.  One other, approached me and asked for a slot.  The people I'm hoping will be program presenters next year are:  

Chris "Frost" Gallaway and Larissa "Sunshine" Gore-Gallaway.  Frost hiked in 2013 and made a wonderful movie The Long Start to the Journey that was first shown at the last ALDHA Gathering.  Sunshine hiked in both 2004 and 2005.  We will coordinated the date as the season approaches.

Sunshine and Frost
http://thelongstarttothejourney.com/

Brian "Evac" Wing - A 2014 Warrior Hiker participant and fellow Coast Guardsman.  Evac has since taken up drawing and his creations are inspiring to say the least.  One of his drawings is presented on the back of this year's Companion.  The date for this program is also TBD.

Evac's drawing that appears on the back of The Companion
Titled: Open the Door and Explore
https://www.etsy.com/shop/WingersWalkaboutArt

David Ryan - The Gentle Art of Wandering.  Two seasons ago, David did this presentation and I've heard it inspired Larry Luxenberg to wander the staircases of San Francisco.  David's premise of wandering and exploring while walking is a great way to look at life.  We have schedule David for July 19th.  

http://www.gentleartofwandering.com/

Some other possibilities will be the annual Hiker picnic, Maybe Wilson and Jolin will want to come back for a nice family concert and I'm sure Andre will have something interesting to share on the local history.  Also, Lorrie will want to present her "Virginia is Forever" program that had to be cancelled last year.  

If you, have an idea or want to present something, let me know and we will get you on the schedule.  The programs go from Memorial Day to Labor Day, but we can always expand outside those dates if need be.
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Call for Hall of Fame Nominations

NEWS RELEASE

January 2, 2015

Nominations for 2015 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Accepted through February 28

GARDNERS, PA. – Nominees for the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Class of 2015 will be accepted through Saturday, February 28, 2015, to recognize those who have made a significant contribution toward establishing and maintaining the approximately 2,186 mile footpath that passes through 14 states from Maine to Georgia.

"The fifth class to the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame will be inducted in 2015, and nominations are open for Hall of Fame nominees," said Larry Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society – the organization that oversees the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame.  "Nominees should be people who have made a significant positive contribution to the Appalachian Trail and who have unselfishly devoted their time, energy and resources toward making the Appalachian Trail a national treasure."

The 20 Hall of Fame inductees named in the first four years include Myron Avery, Gene Espy, Ed Garvey, Benton MacKaye, Arthur Perkins, Earl Shaffer, Emma “Grandma” Gatewood, David A Richie, J. Frank Schairer, Jean Stephenson, William Adams Welch, Ruth Blackburn, David Field, David Sherman, David Startzell, Everett (Eddie) Stone, A. Rufus Morgan, Charles R. Rinaldi, Clarence S. Stein and Pamela Underhill. These pioneers played critical roles in building, maintaining and publicizing the Appalachian Trail, Luxenberg said.  

Nomination criteria and the nominating and selection processes for the 2015 Hall of Fame are:

Criteria - Those eligible for inclusion include anyone who has made an exceptional and positive contribution to the Appalachian Trail or Appalachian Trail community. This could be by leadership, inspiration, service, achievement or innovation. This includes, without limitation, pioneers who conceived of and developed the trail; those who organized or directed major trail organizations like the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Appalachian Trail clubs; maintaining clubs; longtime trail maintainers; leaders who promoted and protected the A.T.; hikers who have made significant accomplishments, and other persons who have enriched the culture or community of the Appalachian Trail by their association with it. Eligible persons can be living or deceased. The emphasis will be on persons who have made their contribution to the A.T. over a long period, whether or not they are still active. Six individuals were elected in the first year. The sizes of the succeeding classes will be gradually reduced to create the maximum degree of honor and exclusivity. The first few classes will be comprised primarily of important historical figures (living or deceased) rather than contemporary figures. Eligibility and selection will be determined without regard to race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Nominations – Nominations will be solicited from throughout the hiking and trails community.  The easiest way to submit a nomination is by using the online site HERE Nominations also may be submitted using the paper nomination form.  Copies of the form can be obtained HERE or by requesting one from the museum. A nominator need not be a member of any hiking organization to submit a nomination. A nominator may only make one nomination per election cycle. Nominators will be asked to justify their nomination in a brief statement not exceeding 200 words that describes the nominee and why he or she fits the criteria.

Hall of Fame Committee; Election – An Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Committee has been selected by the Appalachian Trail Museum Society Board of Directors to supervise the election process and to submit the finalists to the board.  That committee is chaired by Jim Foster, a museum volunteer and 2007 thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trail.  Other members of the committee are Noel DeCavalcante, Tom Johnson, Brian King, Gwen Loose, Larry Luxenberg, Bill O’Brien and David Sherman (a 2013 Hall of Fame inductee). The Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Committee will deliver the slate of finalists to the museum board by March 15, 2015, for subsequent review and elections.  The Appalachian Trail Museum Society Board elected six people to the 2011 Charter Class, five to the 2012 Class, five to the 2013 Class, and four to the 2014 Class. Up to four inductees may be elected to the 2015 Class

Announcement and recognition of inductees – Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame inductees will be announced in early May and the induction ceremony will be on Friday, June 5, 2015, at the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet at the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania.   The inductees will be enshrined on an Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Wall of Honor at the Appalachian Trail Museum.  Located in Pine Grove Furnace State Park and at the midway point of the Appalachian Trail, the museum is across from the Pine Grove General Store on Pennsylvania Route 233.

CONTACT

Jim Foster

Appalachian Trail Museum Society

717-649-5505

atmbanquet@gmail.com

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Children's Area Planning Committee

With the near completion of the basement renovation, we are now looking to form another committee to plan the children's exhibits and activities that will be installed there. 

We are planning a strategy meeting on January 30th on the Shippensburg Campus (Student Union Building) around 11:00 am.  If you are interested in being a part of the next stage of the museum's development, where we provide a wonderful space that children can develop and nurture the love of hiking and the AT, let me know.  

One of the things we are working on is a mini-walk of the AT.  There will be 2-sided colorful banners that would list the state(s) and the interesting thing found in that state during a hike.  These interesting things are something that need to be developed.  

The new space is going to be very cool.  Any ideas are welcome and encouraged.  

I will be sending out more information on the strategy meeting (we will discuss all museum strategy, not only basement ideas), to those interested, shortly.  

A blank slate, waiting for some inspiration

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Museum Docent Honored

The following was taken from The Evening Sun Local News web page:

The Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee, in partnership with Gettysburg College, will present the 35th annual King celebration from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 19 in Gettysburg College’s Christ Chapel.

The annual Living the Dream Award will be presented during the celebration to Gettysburg residents Judy and Bill Leslie. Both are retired teachers, from the Gettysburg Area School District and Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12. They currently work with two Burmese refugee families, helping the family members learn English, manage finances and obtain U.S. citizenship. Bill volunteers with the Gettysburg Festival, the Gettysburg Community Concert Association and the Appalachian Trail Museum at Pine Grove Furnace, and Judy has worked locally to encourage voter registration in minority communities. Both Bill and Judy are also members of the Habitat for Humanity Board.

It is great to see how active our volunteers are in the community.  Congrats to Bill and Judy on this esteemed award.
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Things Coming Down the Trail

January 23rd - 25th, 2015 - Northern Ruck - Bear's Den, VA

January 30th, 2015 - South Mountain Partnership Breakfast, Shippensburg University
February 14th, 2015 - Riverhouse Valentine's Day Fundraiser and Dance
February (TBD), 2015 - BillVille comes to help at the Museum
March 19th, 2015 - KTA Membership Celebration and Film Fest in Camp Hill, PA

March 28th, 2015 - Museum opens for its Sixth season.

Here are a few pictures to leave you with of the winter wonderland of the AT.

Lonely, sleepy Grist Mill

Tagg Run bridge on the AT

Tagg Run

Table at James Fry Shelter

AT Museum Volunteer Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 2

Volume 2, Issue 2 - December, 2014
brought to you by Joe Harold, Appalachian Trail Museum Manager

The snow is starting to fly about and the museum is all tucked in for the winter.  We removed the sensitive items from the exhibits and the water has been turned off. The ramp continues to get built, (but will on hiatus again soon, for winter). And the basement awaits a coat of paint and its new exhibits.  We moved the artifacts out of the second floor (see story below) and the second floor is getting ready for its renovation.  My winter tasks have started as I figure out what to restock for the retail sales and place the orders.

An uncommon angle of the museum

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Artifact Move

On December 10th, I gathered a crew to move the large amount of artifacts that have accumulated on the second floor to our new storage space over in Carlisle.  

The setup

Ed and Ron at work

A very successful system

I picked up a U-Haul and headed to the museum.  After some thinking, we figured out the easiest way was to use the new ramp.   We put down some decking and a couple up top would move the boxes to the ramp where people down below would take them and put them in the truck.  Margy used her mad packing skills to ensure everything would fit nicely into the truck and in about an hour and a half, we were heading to Carlisle.  

Carol, Michele and Ron at the truck (Margy is in there somewhere too)

Jack, Ed and Jim on the upper loading dock

I parked the truck at the loading dock and we started to move the items from the truck to the elevator.  Our new storage space was on the second floor and the large freight elevator would come in handy.  Everything had been going perfectly so far...

At the loading dock

I went up to the storage area to open the door and get it ready and I notice that the lock was not on the hasp and the hasp had been broken.  I looked inside and there before me sat at least 50 refrigerators, filling the space.  I was at a total loss.  I went down to the office and asked what was going on and there had been a misunderstanding and they had thought the space was rented to someone else.  

They found a temporary space where we could put the items on the third floor and we loaded up that space pretty much all the way.  Now, once they fix this fiasco, we will have to go back and move everything down to the second floor, where it belongs.

So the move achieved the first goal, to clear out the second floor, but we still have a job to do to get all those items down to where they belong.  

Artifacts gone...

Carol in temp storage room.  I think we were getting irradiated. 

Michele, Jack and Joe filling the temp space

All finished.  Ron, Jim, Joe, Margy, Michele, Ed and Jack.  (And Carol taking picture)

Much thanks to the volunteers of the day.  Ed, Carol, Jack, Jim, Margy, Michele and Ron.  I couldn't have done it without you.  It was still a fun day considering.

I treated those who could stay to a nice lunch over at Applebees (with Margy's gift card help).
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Visit to ATC for Open House

On Saturday, December 6th, my wife Lisa (AKA LoGear) and I, headed to Harpers Ferry to visit the ATC during their annual Open House.  There were plenty of goodies to eat and lots of very cool people to talk to.  The day was a little rainy, but that didn't stop us for taking a short hike to the trail (I had hiked out of and into HF a few times, but never walked the blue blaze to the ATC).  After that we headed down the hill to check out the shops.  There was a special event going on down there too and there were Union Soldiers and others in period dress walking all around.  It was pretty cool.  Laurie Potteiger had to get all the "museum" people outside for some pictures.  We all had a great time.  

LoGear, Carol, Phys Ed, EarthTone and Yellow Shoes

Two Union Soldiers walk up the "trail" in town

Unique buildings

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Things Coming Down the Trail

January 23rd - 25th, 2015 - Northern Ruck - Bear's Den, VA

January 30th, 2015 - South Mountain Partnership Breakfast  
February 14th, 2015 - Riverhouse Valentine's Day Fundraiser and Dance
February (TBD), 2015 - BillVille comes to help at the Museum
March (TBD), 2015 - KTA Membership Celebration and Film Fest

March 28th, 2015 - Museum opens for its Sixth season.

AT Museum Volunteer Newsletter - Volume 2, Issue 1

Volume 2, Issue 1 - November, 2014
brought to you by Joe Harold, Appalachian Trail Museum Manager

The season is complete and this issue starts Volume 2 of the AT Museum Volunteer Newsletter.  One year ago, I started this job as manager of the museum and also started this newsletter as a way to let all of our volunteers (and anyone who was interested) know what was going on at the museum.  I have had a wonderful year and look forward to what next season will bring through our door.  I hope you all will continue to come along with me.

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Fall Furnace Fest

On October 18th and 19th, the local community converged onto the park and gathered for the annual Fall Furnace Fest.  This festival is the biggest event of the year at the park and is put on by the Friends of Pine Grove Furnace.  Many volunteers come together to provide the visitors with a large number of things to do and see, including pumpkin carving, scarecrow making, hay rides, mansion tours, music, vendors, food... Well, you get the idea.  The whole park is involved and it is a real good time.  

A perfect autumn morning awaits festival visitors

Last year, I recall a good number of visitors coming through the museum that day, but I was pleasantly surprised when those two days accounted for our highest visitor counts of the season, pushing us up over my goal of 8300 visitors by a good margin.  

Rough Edges String Band setting up

I'm pretty sure one of the reasons a lot of Festival visitors came through the museum was the excellent music that was emanating from the Rampatheater area.  The Rough Edges String Band had set up at the ramp and provided some very good music in the early afternoon.  It was very pleasant hearing the excellent folk music coming through the front door and quite a few visitors mentioned how nice it was.

A nice crowd gathering to listen to the great music

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Drag'n Fly and Freckles

I like to follow hikers who publicly track their journey as they make their way along the trail striving to complete a Thru hike.  This year I was especially interested in following two local Gals.  Carolyn "Freckles" Banjak and Nan "Drag'n Fly" Reisinger, who completed what the ATC describes as an Alternate style Thru Hike.  Starting at Springer and making their way north, they eventually "saved" a little of PA, jumped up north to beat the weather and summiting Katahdin, then coming back down and filling in the gaps.  This left the wonderful situation of actually finishing their 5 millionth step at the Museum.  

The Museum awaits the Hikers

Freckles and Drag'n Fly heading for the last white blaze

We all gathered around and waited for the two hikers to show up and it was a pleasure to applaud their finish of the 2185.3 miles of the trail.  

Nan also walked herself into the AT record books by being the oldest female to complete a Thru Hike.  Congrats to both.

Here is a link to their story written by BJ Small, for The Sentinel
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Museum Receives $18K Grant

Gwen Loose, one of our Museum Board Members and a dedicated Docent worked long and hard to submit an application for a grant from the Cumberland Valley Visitor's Bureau and her tremendous effort paid off with an $18,000 grant that will be applied to the renovations taking place in the basement.  On November 12th, Gwen and I headed to the Catering Barn in Mechanicsburg and had a nice breakfast before receiving our grant check.

The funds will go a long way to making the best children's exhibits that we can for the basement space.  You can read about all of the grants CVVB awarded here.

If you haven't seen the progress that Ron Bungay and crew have made in the basement, here are a few pictures to bring you up to date.  

Utility area, wall removed

Snake central (old well) gets a new lid 

New wooden pillars were placed along the walls

Work is proceeding

Jeff Seal works on the stone wall

Work around the door

Pouring the new floor

Nice and smooth

The new wall between the exhibit space and the utility space

I guess I haven't taken a most recent picture.  I will remedy that for next month's Issue.  There is still a lot of work to be done, but the bulk if it is complete.

Much thanks goes to Gwen for her work with the grant and alto to Ron and his crew, Carol Bungay, Mike Wingeart, Martha Wingeart, Jeff Seal, Bill Dickinson, Sam Vinch and Maureen Vinch for the amazing transformation that has taken place in the basement of the Old Mill.  
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Highlights and Milestones of the Season

As the season went on, I started keeping track of the little milestones and highlight that happen as visitors come to the museum and our Docents greet them and show them the way.  Here are some I would like to share: 

Total Attendance: 9166
Total Docent Hours: 1886.7
Other Volunteer Hours: 1748 and counting
First 100+ visitor day: 4/26/14 - Mikki Williams and Howard Davis on duty
Total 100+ visitor days:20
Total 200+ visitor days: 2, Fall Furnace Fest weekend.
Highest Visitor Day: 273, 10/18/14 - Barb Culton and Joe Harold on duty
Our other busy days were Memorial Day weekend and Hall of Fame weekend.

According to my records, the following volunteers have been helping out at the museum for all five seasons.  They were recognized at the dinner.  There are probably more people who have been contributing, but I was using the spreadsheet I inherited that mainly tracked Docent hours.

Five Season Volunteers (Docent): Linda Bierly, Ron Bungay, Robert Croyle, Robert Freeman, Jim Foster, Georgia Freet, Janice Gibson, Bill Leslie, Gwen Loose, Larry Luxenberg, Joan McKean, Mary Parry, Lorrie Preston, Margy Schmidt, Jay Sexton, Dan Taylor, Mikki Williams, Kent Wilson, Jennifer Wright, Tom Wright.  

We also applauded those who served 10 or more shifts as a Docent during the season.

10+ Shifts: Joanne Firman - 41, Bill Quinn - 26, Ed Riggs - 25, Michele Burton - 22, Georgia Freet - 14, Gwen Loose - 14, Joan McKean - 13, Jay Sexton - 12, Jack Harbaugh - 11 and Rayne Debski - 10.

Thanks to all for your dedicated service.  It is truly appreciated.
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Volunteer Recognition Dinner

November 16th marked the Fifth Annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner, held at the Ironmasters Mansion in the Park.  Close to forty guests came together to celebrate the season and join us in recognizing all of the volunteers that make the Museum possible.  

There was plenty of food and even some drink and lots of good stories passed around.  The good feelings I feel as we acknowledge the accomplishments of the museum and the people who give their time is amazing.  I thank all who did what they could during the season to make this one of the most successful years of the Museum's existence.  

The day had started out with some warm cider and cookies over at the museum in the new basement space.  Ron and Carol set up some chairs and heaters and were showing some pictures of the work of the summer.

A nice social hour started at four with light snacks and drinks.  I passed out a little quiz for all to play with where we could also gather some ideas for retail items and what to do with the new exhibits that will be going into the Children's Area of the basement.  

Next a LOT of food was put out buffet style for all to enjoy.  We had to put the desserts in the kitchen as there was not enough table space out in the dining area.  I'm pretty sure everyone had their fill and I know I was pretty stuffed when I was done.  

After dinner we started the recognition phase of the night.  I started out with the facts and milestones of the year, so that the attendees could see how their hard work had paid off for the museum.  I also announced the Five Season Recognition and 10+ Shift Volunteers and awarded each with a special AT Museum Gift Certificate of $20 and $10 respectively.  We also shared stories of working at the museum during the season and there were some very interesting and funny stories to tell.  

Next Larry Luxenberg (President of the AT Museum Society) spoke on the great things that we did this year and gave us a little preview of what was to come.  Larry also mentioned our need of some special people.  We still need someone to lead the Sunday Programs and we are looking for someone with HVAC skills to help install a heating/cooling system in the museum.  We also need to get a committee for logging all of the wonderful artifacts that keep coming into the museum.  

Each volunteer received a complimentary one year membership in the AT Museum Society, a nice card from Red Wolf the membership secretary, a Museum support sticker and a special 2014 Volunteer Patch.  (Those of you who couldn't attend the dinner will be receiving these things in the mail shortly.)  

Special Thanks was given to: Roger and Kathy Stone (caretakers of the mansion and our hosts).  Robert Freeman, Barry Flicker and Jack Harbaugh (lawncare).  Georgia Freet (gardening, landscape). Jim Foster (Computers and Hall of Fame Banquet). Red Wolf (for all he does). Michele Burton, Steve Dodd, Robert Freeman, Howard Davis, Vern Graham, Carolyn Banjak, Nan Reisinger and Chris Firme (Road Scholar Hikes).  Ron Bungay, Carol Bungay, Mike Wingeart, Martha Wingeart, Jeff Seal, Bill Dickinson, Sam Vinch and Maureen Vinch (Basement Renovation). Jack Adams, Ed Riggs and crew (Second Floor Ramp).  And Sean Benson and the Pine Grove Furnace State Park Staff.  

We created a new award this year called The President's Award.  This award recognized outstanding contribution and extended service which exemplifies the true spirit of volunteerism and the Appalachian Trail.  This award went to Alan "Gonzo" StrackelJahn.

Lastly, we honored our Volunteer of the Year.  The winner of this award was Joanne Firman.  Joanne only started volunteering at the museum last season, but she quickly became one of my most dependable Docents.  Her 41 shifts helped ensure we were open all the days we advertised and the trials and tribulations she had to endure were a testament to her dedication.  Her warm welcome to all the visitors helped make them feel comfortable and she proved her fortitude by mastering the credit card machine and was responsible for the highest cash and credit card sales days throughout the season.  We are lucky to have Joanne on board and hope she continues to help us out with her magnificent Docent skills.  

Joanne Firman, 2014 AT Museum Volunteer of the Year

It was a very good night that marked a wonderful season and I thank all who helped out with the setup, cleanup and all the wonderful food that was provided.  
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Things Coming Down the Trail

November 24th, 2014 - Exhibit items removed, Museum put to bed for the winter.  

December (date TBD), 2014 - Move artifacts from second floor to Carlisle storage facility.
March 28th, 2015 - Museum opens for its Sixth season.