Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club

Share your knowledge and skills as a workshop presenter at the upcoming Virginia Journeys 2011 which will celebrate the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  This gathering, to be held at Emory & Henry College in southwest Virginia from July 1 – 8, 2011, will be the 38^th Biennial Conference of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.  A main feature of the conference is a wide variety of workshops which will be held Saturday – Monday, July 2 – 4, 2011.  Conference organizers are inviting speakers to present sessions in the following areas of interest: 

•  Hiking and Backpacking Skills
•  Trail Management
• Natural Wonders
• Engaging Youth on the Trail
• Community Partners: Sustainable Tourism & the Trail
• A.T. MEGA-Transect: Environmental Monitoring of the A.T. Corridor
• Cultural History along the A.T
• Celebrating Benton MacKaye

If you would like to present a workshop related to any of the conference tracts, or would like to suggest a topic to be considered, we want to hear from you. The deadline for speaker registration is June 30, 2010.  Please contact Laura Belleville at lbelleville@appalachiantrail.org, 540-953-3564 / 3571, Ned Kuhns at nedkuhns@cox.net, 757-552-0292, or Mark Wenger at markwenger@cox.net, 757-253-0056.

Preparation Work Begins on the Appalachian Trail Museum Building

by Sanne “Ready” Bagby

The single, largest post-Gathering Work trip in the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association’s almost 30-year history took place on Monday, October 12that the Old Mill in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, site of the soon-to-be Appalachian Trail Museum.

One of my roles as Assistant Coordinator of ALDHA is to coordinate the trail work projects that traditionally follow the annual Gathering. This year’s project would be an especially important and exciting one: prepping the building that will become the site of the Appalachian Trail Museum!

The Old Mill, a structure within the Pine Grove Furnace State Park that has stood vacant for many years will be the future home of the Museum, operated by the Appalachian Trail Museum Society. The building was officially entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and will be restored in accordance with very stringent guidelines appropriate for such a building. While the ATMS awaits the issuance of the permits needed to begin structural renovation, there were still lots that could be done to ready the building

for that work.

An ALDHA/ATMS member, Noel DeCavalcante, who was a major player in getting people interested in this project, referred to the work trip as a “Work Party”.  That struck me as particularly fitting for this occasion, so that’s how it got billed, “ALDHA’s Post-Gathering Work Party.  The project was advertised

in The Long Distance Hiker, the organization’s newsletter, as well as on the ALDHA website (www.aldha.org) and by an ambitious word of mouth campaign to garner support and participation. With calls for donations and early registration, it looked as though our numbers for the day might reach as high as 27 volunteers, possibly the largest turn-out for an ALDHA post-Gathering work trip ever!

Clearly, our numbers were considerably higher than the anticipated 27 volunteers! Decked out with party hats, streamers and noisemakers, festive “Work Party” volunteers gathered for a group photo at the Mill entrance. (RedWolf, Marsha and 1Pint were absent when the photo was taken. Their absence was excused, as they were out shopping for grub for this soon-to-be famished crowd!)

Threading their way in several caravans along winding forest roads from Gettysburg College early on Monday morning, volunteers began arriving at the work site before 9AM, carrying with them the day’s tools. These were not the usual picks, shovels, and loppers of a volunteer trail crew. No, this time the group brought brooms, mops, rags, buckets, vacuum cleaners, and cleaning solvents. There was nary a hard hat in sight. Like their tools, the safety gear this crew would be sporting was a bit unusual, too. They included face masks and goggles, designed to keep dust and mouse droppings out of workers’ eyes and lungs, and rubber gloves, to protect hands from harsh detergents.

The tools and supplies were donated by the trail community - most, from ALDHA Gathering attendees. Some came from folks who couldn’t make it to the work trip, but wanted to play a part all the same. Boxes upon boxes and bags upon bags of cleaning supplies were toted in from cars and vans. Much was used during the course of the day; the rest stowed away for future use.

Volunteers wasted no time getting started. Items that had been on display during the Mill's days as a State Park museum, as well as some old furniture and objects seemingly stowed here for want of a better place to store them, crowded the three floors of the building. The dusty artifacts included many interesting pieces: tombstones of former residents of the mill and furnace operation from its heyday, an old cast iron stove, and numerous display cases and signs featuring flora and fauna of the Park. A Park ranger coordinated the sorting and removal process; our volunteers provided the brawn. Objects of value and interest were relocated to other buildings and sites within the Park. Trash was removed and hauled away.

There were many skilled helpers around to give a heads up about what kinds of remodeling and renovation might be needed in the future. Singer, an electrician with plumber’s skills, looked over the building's lights, wiring and two bathrooms, while another expert on timber frame restoration, Ishmael, offered insight into the work that might be required to rejuvenate the building’s worn, but lovely, wide floor planks. An architect will offer his services down the line, helping to make decisions regarding the best placement of exhibits of AT artifacts, many of which are already in the possession of the ATMS, much of these stored by members, Terry and Kent Wilson.  Also in storage is the Earl Shaffer shelter that the SATC helped dismantle an artifact that is sure to be a key feature of the museum when it opens. This was certainly an excellent start!

Outside, weeds were cleared from the base of the building’s foundation and climbing vines were removed from the tall stone walls. Windows, doors and balconies were scrubbed squeaky clean. President of the ATMS, Larry Luxenberg, was almost giddy with joy to see the results of the clearing and cleaning of the building. The volunteers had removed all remnants of the past by 11 AM! All that was left to do now was sweep away all the dust and cobwebs, a task left to a handful of workers. By 4PM the building literally shone!

As work wound down at the Old Mill, volunteers made their way over to the nearby Ironmasters Hostel, to do some cleaning up and sprucing of the grounds under the direction of our very affable host, Ray Burt.  By late afternoon, all the workers were at the Hostel, sweeping, vacuuming, dusting, weeding, hauling trash, and tidying up there, as well.  Our crew was comprised of all types and ages, men and women, and even a few canines! Having a few current AT hikers as part of the team was a particular treat. Castle and Snags (and his lovely boxer), who’d interrupted their hikes to attend the Gathering, opted to join us after the Gathering instead of heading straight back onto the Trail. A third thruhiker, Rocketman, just happened to arrive in Pine Grove Furnace and was delighted to lend a hand!  The Museum lies right on the Appalachian Trail, so many more thruhikers will grace the doors of the Museum in years to come, but these three can boast of being the very first to visit while actually thruhiking.

Red Wolf, his sister Marsha Damato, 1Pint, and others were busily preparing a scrumptious supper for everyone. The smells of lasagna and garlic bread baking in the kitchen were enticing.  As twilight approached, I went back to the Old Mill building to snap some final photos of the tidy, newly-pristine building. A local resident stopped by to see what all the commotion had been earlier in the day. I learned that her name was Suzanne and that she hopefully will be part of the docent team that sees to the daily operation of the museum once it opens in 2010. We wandered through the Old Mill, making sure the lights were out and all the windows and doors securely latched. We paused to admire some of the artifacts still stored in the basement and chatted about the future of the AT Museum. It was truly humbling

to meet a member of the local community who would be part of the volunteer base making the Museum possible, while, back at the Hostel, the crew who’d worked earlier that day - folks from all parts of the country (representing 19 states) - was winding down for the evening. The Appalachian Trail Museum will truly be the result of efforts of a trail community that spans the USA, from individuals, to conservation and historical groups, to AT clubs such as the SATC.

We closed and locked the door, said our goodbyes, and I headed back to the hostel, where dinner was already over.  The sense of community was palpable and spirits were high as the talented Takoma Tedd brought out his guitar for an evening of musical entertainment. I glanced around the room at the many faces Ð some of these people were “regulars” to these ALDHA work trips, others brand new to a work trip and even to ALDHA, itself. I couldn’t help but wonder at what can be achieved by people with a vision and some hard work. No doubt about it: this group of volunteers will have played an important part of making a dream become a reality. All, I hope, will participate in future ALDHA events and all too, I hope, will continue to be an integral part of the Appalachian Trail Museum.

Photos by “Ready” and Wayne “Walking Eagle” Greenlaw

The Appalachian Trail Museum is scheduled to celebrate its Grand Opening on National Trails Day, June 5, 2010.  Visit the ATMS website (www.atmuseum.org) for news of events and to learn how you can get involved and offer your support!