Harriman Hike on Dunderberg Mountain

Harriman Hike

This Saturday, Nov. 1, we'll be having another in our series of Harriman Park hikes on Dunderberg Mountain and the Timp. While fall foliage is past peak, the colors should still be good. The pictures above were all taken on Dunderberg Mountain this month.

For more information on the park, see the websites below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriman_State_Park

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/

http://www.nynjtc.org

Pennsylvania Forest Fire Museum Meeting

Museum Meeting

A half dozen small museums gathering at the Pennsylvania Forest Fire Museum Association annual meeting this past Saturday. It was encouraging to hear how determined each of the groups are to establish a museum and how seriously they take their efforts. The most advanced is the National Museum of Forest Service History in Missoula, Montana. They are hoping to break ground this coming year and use the museum to teach visitors about some of the major problems in the national forests.The A.T. Museum Society presented and we explained how the museum will attempt to tell the story of the entire A.T. community and how the trail has a powerful hold on so many people around the world. The A.T. Museum's exhibit was judged the best, thanks to the work by Bill O'Brien, including a new section on the Earl Shaffer Shelter project, and the photos of Charlie Duane.The A.T. Museum is hoping to cooperate with many of these museums and has been in touch with the Pennylvania Forest Fire Museum for several years.The Forest Fire museum is hoping to open in a renovated building in Caledonia State Park, across from Park Headquarters, by mid-2009.

Fall Colors at Harriman Park New York

Sunday was a spectacular day to be hiking in Harriman Park. The sky was crystal clear and the fall colors were still bright even if they were a little past their peak. I climbed the Kakiat Trail in the southwestern part of the park and had a clear view of the Manhattan skyline (barely visible in the last photo). When I missed my intended turnoff, just short of Grandma and Grandpa rocks, I came across a Korean hiking group that was way off course. They had no map and no plan for getting back. My route on the SBM trail coincided with theirs for a mile and I was able to put them on course for Pine Meadow lake and their cars. With the views and mild weather, it was one of the best days of the year to be out hiking.

New Appalachian Trail Books

Two recent Appalachian Trail books have surprised me quite a bit. In both cases I had known the authors for many years and thought I knew their stories well. In neither case am I impartial and I've enjoyed both books. In one case I wrote the forward and in the other, I wrote a pre-publication blurb. Still, without hesitation, I can heartily recommend both books.The first, by Gene Espy, the 1951 A.T. thru-hiker, is "The Trail of My Life: The Gene Espy Story." www.geneespyhiker.com. Over the years I have heard Gene tell his trail stories many times but most of the material in the book was knew to me. It is engaging and in places hilarious and is a faithful account of a unique life. The other book is "Racing Light: The Soft Power of a Day's Walk" by Charlie Duane. www.cduane.net. It is an account of his walks covering the entire East Coast. Charlie is also a highly skilled photographer and blends photos and text in a distinctive way. I had read an early manuscript of part of the story and had heard much about it. Even so, most of the material was new to me, so much so that it compelled my attention. After reading many dozens of trail books over the years, I still find it astonishing that authors continue to find dramatically fresh approaches to trail accounts. These are two books that will find a distinguished place in the trail community for many years.

40th Anniversary of The National Trails System Act

Oct. 2, 2008, marked the 40th Anniversary of The National Trails System Act. It was a pivotal step in the building and protection of the national long distance trails. It followed four years after the Wilderness Act, which with the trails act provided for the protection and enjoyment of the wilderness.

For the anniversary this year, Bridgie and Bart Smith arranged, in combination with the American Hiking Society and several Federal agencies, to have a celebration at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The occasion also marked Bart's completion of all the national scenic trails and 16,500 miles of hiking. Bart became the first person to hike and photograph all of the trails (taking 100,000 photographs) and is believed to be only the second person to have hiked all of the trails.

Here's a link to the press release about Bart's journey and a link to his website:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/National_Trail_System/Bart_Smith/prweb1388654.htm

www.WalkingDownADream.com

Fall Foliage Hikes -- Harriman Park New York

The foliage is still outstanding in Harriman Park (Rockland County, New York) and should be worth viewing for several more weeks. Over the weekend I had a chance to hike in several parts of the park and here are some pictures of Lake Tiorati, Lake Skenonto and the Hudson River near Dunderberg Mountain. For more information on the park, see the links below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriman_State_Park

http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=143

http://www.nynjtc.org/about.html

Walkin Jim Concert Poster

WALKIN’ JIM

In concert Nov. 8, 2008
At the Carlisle Theatre,
40 West High St., Carlisle, Pa.
SATURDAY, NOV. 8, at 7:30 P.M.

Experience Jim’s mix of stunning photographs,
inspirational stories and original folk music
in a benefit for the Appalachian Trail Museum.
Call the Carlisle Theatre box office for tickets: (717) 258-0666.
$12 in advance, $15 at the door and $5 for children 12 or under.

http://www.carlisletheatre.org/

www.walkinjim.com

Speech at Pennsylvania Forest Fire Museum Association

Pennsylvania Forest Fire Museum Association

This Saturday, October 25, I will be speaking at the Pennsylvania Forest Fire Museum Association's annual meeting at the Fayetteville Volunteer Fire Department, 101 West Main Street in Fayetteville, Pa. They will be having several small museum's present. The idea isthat each of us can learn from the other's efforts and that we will cooperate with the others where possible. We have already met several times with the Pennsylvania Forest Fire Museum and we expect that our initial locations will be close to each other. More information is available at the museum's website,

http://paforestfiremuseum.org

Walkin Jim Benefit Concert

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact: Larry Luxenberg
Tel. 845-708-5306
Email: info@atmuseum.org
Website: www.atmuseum.org


FOREVER WILD: A CELEBRATION OF WILDERNESS
A Benefit Concert to Establish the Appalachian Trail Museum in Central PA.

One of America's most unique folksingers and backcountry travelers, Walkin' Jim Stoltz, on tour from the mountains of Montana, will bring his powerful multi-media show, Forever Wild, to the Carlisle Theatre, 40 West High Street, Carlisle, PA, on Saturday, November 8, 2008, at 7:30 p.m. The mix of stunning photography, stories, and music make this one-of-a-kind concert an inspiring journey into our nation’s last wilderness areas.

Walkin' Jim gets his name from the nearly 27,000 miles he has walked through the wild country of North America. Carrying a guitar and writing his songs along the way, his lyrics express a great love and respect for the Earth and the wild places he knows so well. Known for his powerful baritone and emotion-packed vocals, Stoltz’s Forever Wild show is much more than a concert. It combines live music and poetry with stunning, multi-image slides to create a stirring celebration of the natural world. Stoltz is a veteran of more than 30 years of performing. In this year’s show, he will be sharing songs and images of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, his Yellowstone to Yukon walk, the Utah canyon country, the Northern Rockies, and wild places all across America.

Walkin' Jim has toured extensively throughout the U.S. for the past 22 years. In 2006, he organized a 45-state outreach tour with other musicians and authors and worked with hundreds of community organizations to gain support for clean water, roadless lands, and wildlife. Jim has been presented with the Environmental Protection Agency's Outstanding Achievement Award for his sharing of nature and wilderness across America. Stoltz will have copies of his recent book “Walking with the Wild Wind” to sign at the event. His songs from nine different CDs get regular airplay on National Public Radio and will also be available. Visit his website at www.walkinjim.com

This event is sponsored by the Appalachian Trail Museum Society and is a fund-raiser to help establish the Appalachian Trail Museum, designated for Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Michaux State Forest, Cooke Township. Tickets for the concert will be available at the Carlisle Theatre Box Office (717-258-0666) for $12 in advance, $15 at the door, and $5 for children 12 and under or from representatives of the museum society. For more information, contact Larry Luxenberg at 845-708-5306.

Harriman Hike and A.T. Talk

Update: Larry's talk at Campmor 10/22 and Hike 10/18

We are planning the next Harriman hike (Car Pond Mountain) on Saturday, October 18th. Details to follow.  Also, Larry will be speaking at Campmor in Paramus on October 22 at 7 p.m. as part of the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference Author Series.

October 22, 2008 Campmor - Larry Luxenberg, A.T. Thru-hiker and author of Walking The Appalachian Trail.


Join the Trail Conference every Wednesday evening in October when we host a series of speakers at Campmor on Route  17N in Paramus N.J.  Guest presenters will begin at 7 P.M. and run approximately 1 hour. Authors will be available to sign their books.

www.Campmor.com