Potomac Appalachian

24 Pages·2017·1.58 MB·English

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE POTOMAC APPALACHIAN TRAIL CLUB
SEPTEMBER 2017 ‑ VOLUME 4, NUMBER 9
BATTLING THE ELEMENTS
Photos by Kirsten Elowsky
A backpacker carries a lighter version of home when travelling the
trails. As trail maintainers, the Cadillac Crew carries a lighter version
of a construction company when working a trail project. Being
prepared to battle the earth and Mother Nature, we tackle the trails
with picks, shovels, buckets, a sense of humor and sometime surprises.
In February, our crew moved rocks capable of crushing toes
on a single bounce. With a light and sturdy rock carrier
designed by Robert Fina, crewmembers maneuvered six
boulders into a safer and hardier step sequence on the Rachel
Carson Trail in Silver Springs, MD without incident.
By March, the crew was already contending with snakes making
their way across our work zone. But that didn’t slow the work
of cleaning waterbars with picks on the Nicolson Hollow and
Corbin Mountain trails with enthusiasm on two trips.
Michael Johnson covered with
mud while removing debris from
In May, the drenching spring showers were defeated with temporary
a waterbar
tarp covering. As wet Memorial Day weekend rains fell, our
HIKER"S NOTEBOOK
spirits were lifted by the engagement announcement of Ryan
5
WHAT'S THAT
FLOWER?
6
HEAVEN IS A PORCH
SWING
8
118 PARK STREET, S.E.,
VIENNA, VA 22180‑4609 John Corwith, Alan Day, Janet Arici and Anne Corwith move a boulder out of a wheelbarrow while
WWW.PATC.NET Keith Tondrick waits to place it in the trail
ISSN 098‑8L54
Suter and Brian Collins who worked PATC’S 90TH ANNIVERSARY
in the poison ivy covered AT trailhead
HIKE #4:
parking lot at Snickers Gap with loppers
and gas powered grass trimmers. SKYLAND – CORBIN CABIN AREA
This 9.3-mile route consists of two loops
connected by an out-and-back segment in
Shenandoah National Park (SNP). Ascents
along the way total 1800 feet. The hike
follows the current path of the Appalachian
Trail (AT) from Skyland, passes Stony
Man Mountain, visits Corbin Cabin, and
NPS workers taking a break from Corbin Cabin
returns on a historic part of the AT now week-long upkeep maintenance
called the Passamaquoddy Trail. Photo by Wm Needham

The hike touches or passes near sites where Skyland Resort and its owner were
pivotal events in AT development occurred significant factors in the trail’s progress.
in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Even Skyland predates both the AT and SNP. Its
as work continued on the AT between founder, George F. Pollock, played a role in
Harpers Ferry and Front Royal, PATC’s developing both. An early ally of PATC’s
early members camped at Thornton Gap founders and an energetic advocate, he
in April of 1928 to plan the route south helped to convince various agencies that
into what is now SNP’s Central District. the AT should follow the Blue Ridge past
Despite roads approaching Sperryville that Skyland rather than taking a ridge farther
Happy Ryan Suter and Brian Collins were “barely passable at times,” and despite west. When the National Park Service was
showing the two new parking spaces at having to pack their equipment up and considering creation of a park in the Blue
Snickers Gap AT Trailhead along the Blue Ridge from there, the trail Ridge Mountains during the 1929-1933
builders worked quickly. On October 6 presidency of Herbert Hoover, Pollock
of that year, club bulletin #5 declared the joined PATC in promoting the idea.
trail from Thornton Gap to Skyland open. Skyland cabins and campgrounds served
As summer approached, the buckets of
rain morphed into earth moving and rock
crushing buckets on the High Rocks trail
in Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management
Area. Buckets and buckets of joy, eh, gravel,
were maneuvered into low areas of this new
trail relocation. The tools of choice for this
trip were the sledgehammer and shovel.
The dog days of summer were upon us
by the July Antietam National Battlefield
Park trail work trip. Our main tailgate
safety-briefing topic was heat safety.
Even Gracie, our dog friendly member,
joined the crew during the heat of the
day on the Snavely Ford trail. Double
duty wheelbarrows were repurposed for
lunch in the shade. Through a generous
donor, the crew refreshed at the Shepard’s
Spring Retreat bringing back the great
smiles that end all our trips in the battle to
maintain great trails in the PATC region.
~ Kirsten Elowsky
More photos can be found on page 20
Signs of trail maintenance on the AT near its junction with Nicholson Hollow Trail
Photo by Larry Broadwell
2 SEPTEMBER 2017 • POTOMAC APPALACHIAN
FOR MORE:

Directions to the trailhead and along the
route are now available at www.patc.net.
Articles on other hikes in this series are also
found there.

OTHER REFERENCES:

PATC’s “Appalachian Trail Guide to
Shenandoah National Park;” PATC
Map #10; “Breaking Trail in the Central
Appalachians,” by David Bates (PATC,
1987); “A Footpath in the Wilderness,”
edited by Carol Niedzaliek (PATC, 2003);
”Origin of the Skyline Drive through the
Shenandoah National Park . . .” by Walter
W. Mallonee (1995 monograph); and
George F. Pollock’s “Skyland, the Heart
of Shenandoah National Park” (Virginia
Book Co., 1960); “Shenandoah Secrets” by
Carolyn and Jack Reeder.
ABOUT THIS SERIES. . .
Between 1927 and today, PATC’s founders
and their successors built a 240-mile
section of the Appalachian Trail, created
the Tuscarora Trail, made dozens of cabins
and shelters available to hikers, and took
on maintenance responsibility for over
1000 miles of paths in the club’s 4-state
service area. The hikes described in this
series pass landmarks in PATC’s history
and celebrate nine decades of remarkable
evolution in our national trail network.
Larry Broadwell and William Needham
co-write the series, and Brian Goudreau
provides maps. Tom Johnson contributed to
On hot summer days, clouds above 3000 feet around Skyland and Stony Man Mountain may cool
this entry.
hikers
Photo by Larry Broadwell
as a base for PATC’s trail builders and, a of PATC’s first cabin; Corbin and Lambert
few years later, for construction of the first cabins (the core of Lambert being among
stage of Skyline Drive. The Depression- the oldest of the club’s facilities, dating
era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) from before the Civil War); the ruins of
also worked in this area, relocating AT the mountaineer community in Nicholson
segments to make room for the Drive. Hollow; and Stony Man Mountain.
Among sites within hiking distance are
Hoover’s retreat at Rapidan Camp; the site
SEPTEMBER 2017 • POTOMAC APPALACHIAN 3
• Financial and operational transparency, JIM’S JOURNAL –
ethics and wise spending. We need a good
SEPTEMBER 2017 POTOMAC
business plan that provides us with all the
APPALACHIAN
information we need in order to make
sound business decisions. We need to make
decisions carefully, wisely and in the open.
There are three people who were
We need to realize that PATC money is
JIM’S JOURNAL – instrumental for me becoming a
finite and must be managed carefully.
PATC member. One is a close relative,
AUGUST 2017 POTOMAC
one is a close friend and one I never
• Growing PATC awareness and
APPALACHIAN had the opportunity to meet.
membership. We need to attract new
members of all ages, but I would like to
On a sunny, perfect spring day in April
JIM TOMLIN
focus primarily on two groups: (1) college-
1968, my next-older brother George
age and very young professionals (so that
invited me to hike Old Rag with him. I
the world can benefit from their enhanced
Due to an unforeseen error, part of Jim was a pre-teen and had never really hiked
awareness of nature and volunteerism);
Tomlin’s journal was left off for August. before, although I had been outdoors for
and (2) the newly-retired (in order to fill a
His August and September columns are picnics and on rare occasions, my family
variety of PATC volunteer and leadership
included in their entirety. accompanied George’s scout troop for
positions that require significant time
weekend events. But this hike was just
I am very grateful and honored to have been demands, and to provide a richer and
George, one of his friends and me. I
selected to serve the remainder of this term deeper purpose in life for retirees).
absolutely loved it. George is the one I
as your President. I will be doing the best
need to thank for introducing me to hiking.
I possibly can to serve the Club by putting • Alignment of PATC ExCom, Council,
the Club’s best interest first and foremost. and paid staff with the new business The Old Rag hike was such a watershed
This is a Club that has been organized to environment. PATC has grown that I knew right then that hiking was
run by consensus so I will be striving to tremendously since the 1970s and now has for me. I wanted to know more about
find the best ideas and build Club-wide a gigantic budget, slews of cabins, more it. Somehow I found a 1965 edition of
support for them. I will need every PATC trail mileage, more partners, has to deal PATC Map 10, created by Maps Chair
volunteer to pitch in and help me with this. with more bureaucracy, and is involved in and PATC cartographer Egbert Walker.
many issues in many places. Gone are the That map went everywhere with me – at
My goals are: days when we could operate with only a every free moment, I would study the
smile and handshake. It is imperative that trails, fire roads, and all other features,
• Building enhanced PATC support for our we review and reorganize in order to be imagining myself being at each. I have
volunteers. We are in an era of diminishing able to efficiently and effectively meet our to thank Mr. Walker – who I never
agency partners’ support and increasing current needs. met – for fueling my interest in trails by
agency partners’ bureaucracy. They want producing such an eye-catching map,
us to do more and more, and they are • Modern online organization of Club by which I found out about PATC.
supporting us less and less. We also need documents, policies, procedures. We
to be ready for a generational change of need a better system for referencing I was deflated to learn that one needed
volunteers who have more of a desire for and reviewing what has been done to be sponsored by a current member in
social interaction and who have fewer previously. We have had a good start order to join PATC in those days. As I
options for transportation. We need to on this but much more remains to be continued hiking and acquiring more
provide our volunteers with: done. Future officers will thank us. PATC maps as a teenager, I kept hoping

to meet someone who could sponsor me.
• Better tools to do their job I will provide details about my long
background with the Club, and go into When I started a student summer job
• Better facilities more detail on each of these goals, in with the National Geodetic Survey in
future columns. Please stay tuned. 1976, my wish was granted. Down the
• Better training hall from me worked Bob Moose, a PATC
Thank you for your support in furthering volunteer who was the Trail Overseer for
• Better safety the mission of PATC for another 90 years. both Corbin Hollow Trail and Robertson
Mountain Trail in SNP (Bob oversaw
~ Jim Tomlin
• Better transportation those two trails for 20 years.). Bob
had been sponsored by Ed Garvey, the
• Better coordination with our supporting famous AT author and PATC member.
organizations Not only did Bob sponsor me into the
Club, but he also began asking me to
help him with large, difficult blowdowns
and other complex maintenance work.
4 SEPTEMBER 2017 • POTOMAC APPALACHIAN
I quickly found out that maintaining a HIKER'S NOTEBOOK: All that changed in 1876 when a New York
trail was – gasp – even more fun than horticulturalist named Samuel Parsons
AMERICAN CHESTNUT TREE
hiking. The extremely rewarding feeling of received a shipment of Japanese chestnut
tackling and solving a difficult task to clear seeds which he planted in order to sell the
APOCALYPSE APPALACHIA
or improve the trail, often learning about exotic Asian trees to his orchard customers
new tools in the process, is incomparably in several states. Unbeknownst to him,
enriching. Bob’s enthusiastic optimism PART ONE the Japanese seeds were a horticultural
and total enjoyment of the work was Trojan horse; a fungal pathogen lurked
Photos by Wm Needham
contagious. Without Bob, I may never in their midst. Unlike its related Chinese
have joined PATC or discovered how and Japanese chestnut trees, the American
The American chestnut tree was a key
gratifying trail volunteering is. I was chestnut lacked immunity to the Asian
indicator species of the Appalachian
hooked for life. Thank you, Bob. invader and antibiosis ensued. The
uplands from Maine to Georgia for 2,000
devastation began with little fanfare; blight
years as it migrated north with arboreal
I went on to be a Trail Overseer on my was first discovered almost thirty years later
steadfastness at the end of the last ice
own, later becoming a District Manager, on chestnut trees growing in the New York
age of glaciation. Its heritage extends
helping with shelter construction, Trail Zoological Garden by Herman Merkel,
to the first glimmers of the Holocene
Patrol and trail crews. I led many hikes for the chief forester. Working with the noted
two casual (but more or less in line) hiking mycologist of the New York Botanical
groups. Later still I began volunteering Garden, William Murrill, the fungal
at PATC HQ for a variety of Committee culprit was identified and named Endothia
Chair and Elected Officer positions, but parasitica. By 1906, almost all the chestnut
never losing my ties to hiking or trail trees in the Bronx were infected, a
volunteering. Before my retirement harbinger of the disaster to follow. With
from the National Geodetic Survey in a touch of irony, Parsons became the
2016 and being elected Supervisor of landscape architect of New York City in
Trails, I had the delight of using my 40 1895 and served in that capacity until 1911.
years of surveying knowledge from NGS
to organize the PATC GPS Rangers, a The fungus, having been renamed
very fine group of volunteers who are Cryphonectria parasitica by Murrill, is
still avidly collecting superb data for all commonly known as either Chestnut blight
trails and fire roads on all PATC maps. fungus or Chestnut bark disease. It is one
of a family of pathogens in the Division
Every PATC member should ask themselves Ascomycota that includes Ophiostoma
“what can I do to introduce more people The characteristic toothed leaves of the ulmi which causes Dutch elm disease,
to PATC?” Can you take a young relative American chestnut give it the species and Ceratocystis fagacearum responsible
on their first hike? Can you show one of name dentate for oak wilt. They occupy a niche of
our outstanding maps or guidebooks to a the Kingdom Fungi whose parasitism
Epoch; pollen in New York confirms its
hiker new to the area? Can you introduce stands in stark contrast to the beneficent
presence there about 40,000 years ago.
a hiker to the soul-enriching benefits of mycorrhizal fungi without which many
At the turn of the 20th century, and
helping to maintain a hiking trail (or trees could not survive; both groups of
perhaps marking the beginning of the
any one of our other many important
Anthropocene Epoch, the trees slowly
volunteer jobs) for others? PATC needs
but inexorably succumbed to an Asian
as many Georges, Egberts, and Bobs as
fungus in what is considered by many to
we can find to spread the good news.
be the most devastating environmental
~ Jim Tomlin onslaught by an invasive species in
recorded history (discounting the literal
decimation of North American natives by
European invaders – mostly by diseases
- that preceded it by four centuries).
The mighty chestnuts once ranged in
dense ranks along mountain ridges and
comprised about one-quarter of all trees
in the 200 million acres of woodlands.
Shortly after his Walden Pond sojourn,
Henry David Thoreau wrote “Now is the
time for chestnuts. A stone cast against
The mission house in Pocosin Hollow is
the trees shakes them down in showers
testimony to the resilience of chestnut
upon one’s head and shoulders.”
wood used in construction
SEPTEMBER 2017 • POTOMAC APPALACHIAN 5
fungi are subject to the same trophic The nuts of the American chestnut were
needs they share with animals as only prodigious – a large tree produced about
plants make food directly. Chestnut blight 10 bushels of nuts that fell in prickly piles
begins with spores that land in a crack that that blanketed the ground so thickly that
bypasses the tree’s protective bark armor. they could be shoveled into collecting
The spores germinate to form the growing buckets. And, unlike the other nut-bearing
hyphal filament of fungal physiology that oak and hickory trees that produce nuts
ultimately evolves to a rust-colored canker, every 3 to 5 years (a phenomenon known
or visible tree wound. The canker can grow as masting), chestnuts produced an
outward, in which case it is called swollen, annual crop. Beyond the practicalities
or inward which is called sunken; the of food, clothing and shelter, chestnut
latter gradually kills the tree by girdling. leaves were steeped in water to make a
tisane tea as a palliative for coughs and
Trees are the vascular masters of all botany an ointment to quell the maddening itch
in the movement of water and dissolved of insect bites and poison ivy, practices
minerals upward in the xylem at the center adopted from the local Native American
The nuts of the American chestnut were
of the bole to feed the photosynthetic Cherokee. The American chestnut
prodigious – a large tree produced about
engine of individual leaves. Their product “essence,” called somewhat whimsically
10 bushels of nuts that fell in prickly piles
sugars are returned to the roots through extractum castanea fluidum was in the U.
the annular phloem that surrounds the S. Pharmacopoeia from 1873 to 1905.
the die-off. When the cankers appeared in
xylem just beneath the bark. In disrupting
this flow circumferentially, which is called Pennsylvania’s vast forests, even quarantine ~ Wm Needham
was attempted by cutting a swath across
girdling, the canker kills the epigeal tree in
the Appalachian Mountains as a physical
a matter of years – but it does not entirely
barrier to the advance; ignis fatuus is
kill the tree below the encircling canker.
evident in the lack of adequate scientific
American chestnut tree relicts resprout
knowledge of the long-range transport
from their immortal roots, surviving for
WHAT'S THAT FLOWER:
of nearly weightless spores. When it
several years before the process of canker
was discovered that chestnut blight PEA FAMILY
and demise repeats. Like the chained
had extended to the southern terminus
Prometheus whose liver is consumed by an
Photos by Richard Stromberg
of the Appalachian chestnut forests in
eagle only to grow back so that the agony

Georgia the government- unded effort
can be prolonged indefinitely, the Greek
version of eternal damnation is played out was deemed futile and curtailed. The As summer blends into autumn, some
in the truncated chestnut life cycle with American chestnut began its slow but Pea Family species are still flowering.
inexorable decline; by 1940, the dystopia
its revenant stunted trees. Recrudescent
of acres of dead trees became reality. Hog Peanut (Amphiocarpaea bracteata)
chestnut trees are encountered with some
is a twining vine. It stays low and often
regularity on the trails of the Appalachians,
The American chestnut tree was the just lays across other plants rather than
their rebirth an inspiration for those who
linchpin of the economy of the southern wrapping around them. The leaves alternate
seek to restore their former grandeur.
Appalachian Mountains – the nuts, along the stem and have three leaflets. The
The epic struggle to contain the chestnut bark and wood provided food, clothing leaflets can be almost three inches. They
pandemic blight began as soon as the money and shelter to its denizens. The have a round base from which each side
decay-resistant wood was strong, easy to
devastation became manifest; federal
split, and ideally suited to construction of
funding for chestnut blight investigation
houses, fences and furniture. The tannin-
was appropriated by Congress in 1911. A
rich bark was stripped from the trees
USDA study concluded in 1913 that the
to sell to tanneries for the treatment of
canker disease was also found in both
leather. According to Reeder’s Shenandoah
Chinese and Japanese chestnut trees
Secrets, “Generations of mountain men,
in mostly mountainous areas, which
sometimes aided by wives and children,
ultimately resolved the provenance of the
cut bark ….peeling it all off with a metal
fungus. However, due to the immature
tool called a spudder. The bark was stacked
state of knowledge concerning fungal
to dry … and delivered to the tannery.”
propagation (fungi were considered to
American chestnut bark comprised more
be plants), remediation measures were
than half of the tannin for the 21 tanneries
limited to the standard tree disease
in the southern Appalachian region, which
methods employed by arborists. Chemical
were so successful that they operated
sprays, tree surgery - which amounted
complementary lumber companies to
to selected removal of infected trees
maintain the chestnut bark resource.
and branches - and the application of Partridge Pea flowers occur in groups of
primitive fungicides did nothing to stop 1‑5 along the stem
6 SEPTEMBER 2017 • POTOMAC APPALACHIAN
extends straight for two-thirds of the leaflet
to a point. They have been teasing us all
summer and only put out flowers at the
last moment before cooler weather. The
half-inch purple-pink flowers are arranged
in a raceme. They hardly seem to open, the
banner petal peeling back from the other
four petals, and the wing petals barely
unwrapping from the two petals that are
fused into a keel. These flowers produce
small, scimitar-shaped pods. Hog Peanut
also has cleistogamous flowers, flowers
that self-pollinate and do not open.
The cleistogamous pods are usually
underground, hence the name Hog
Peanut. The genus name means “fruit
of two kinds." Each flower is subtended
by a small bract, hence the species
name. It is common in forests but is
found mostly on base-rich forests, so
it appears mostly on the basalt based
sections of Shenandoah National Park
rather than the poorer, acid sandstone-
Kudzu at Staunton River parking
to six feet tall. The leaves have 5-10 pairs of fold up when touched, hence the name
leaflets. It is not common. The word senna “sensitive." The species name nicititans
derives from an Arabic word meaning means “winking” from the movement of
brightness. I have seen it on the AT near the leaves. It is common throughout the
Harpers Ferry along the Canal towpath. area, but I have not seen it along a trail.
Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata— Last and, hopefully, least is Kudzu (Pueria
in bunches) flowers occur in groups of 1-5 montana). You have no doubt heard of
along the stem. The flowers are similar this non-native vine that can overwhelm
in size to Wild Senna, but the leaves have everything in its path in the southeastern
10-15 pairs of leaflets that are smaller than part of the U.S. In our part of the country,
Wild Senna. Chamaecrista means “crests it dies back every winter, but gets going
on the ground”--I’m not sure why. And again every spring. Its leaves have three
I suppose the fruit are at eye-level of a leaflets, each one up to eight inches. They
partridge. It is common in the Coastal are round, coming to a point at the tip.
Partridge Pea flowers occur in groups of 1‑5
Plain and Piedmont and infrequent at Its purple flowers have the typical pea
along the stem
low elevations in the mountains. Finding form and grow in a dense spike up to ten
Wildflowers in the Washington-Baltimore inches long but they are insignificant in
dominated mountains to the west. Area by Cristol Fleming, Marion Blois comparison to the massive vines, and are
Lobstein and Barbara Tufty says it can not an important factor in its invasiveness.
We have three Pea Family members that
be found in Huntley Meadows Park Fortunately it does not grow in shade,
do not have the typical pea flower. They
and Prince William Forest Park in so it does not penetrate to our woodland
have five petals, one much larger than the
Virginia, and Sandy Point State Park trails. You can see it on a hillside on the
others. This large petal equates to the
on Chesapeake Bay. I have seen it east side of US-340 between Front Royal
banner petal of the typical pea flower. The
on the Sherman Gap Trail on the east and Luray and next to the parking lot at
two lower petals that are fused into a keel
side of Massanutten, near Chesapeake the bottom of Staunton River Trail just
in other Pea Family flowers are separate in
Bay and along the road at my house. outside Shenandoah National Park.
these species. Their leaves and fruits are
typical of the Pea Family: pinnate (like Wild Sensitive Plant (Chamaecrista ~ Richard Stromberg
a feather) leaves with entire leaflets and nicititans) flowers appear singly or in
seeds in pods. The flowers are yellow. pairs tight against the stem. The flowers
are half the size of Partridge Pea. The
Wild Senna (Senna hebecarpa—hairy
leaves have 7-20 pairs of leaflets that are
fruited) has panicles at the top of the plant
smaller than Partridge Pea. The leaves
with many half-inch flowers. It can grow
SEPTEMBER 2017 • POTOMAC APPALACHIAN 7
HEAVEN IS A PORCH
WITH A SWING
There is a popular saying that goes, “The
best kind of friend you can have is the kind
you can sit on a porch swing with, never say
a word, then walk away feeling like it was
the best conversation that you ever had.”
I started working as the Blackburn
caretaker in mid-May and one of my
favorite places is our porch. (I know that
I’m not the only one who feels this way
either.) Most of the time when I hear
people outside I turn the corner to see them
sitting on the wooden swing, or already
rocking themselves to sleep after their ride
on the infamous “rollercoaster” of the AT!
The porch seems to literally be the key to
this cabin.  Some days it’s like a magnet
that draws people down the mountain.
One hiker recently told me, “I stopped here
in 2004 and I just wanted to sit on this
porch swing again and look at the view.” After I do my work I often retreat to
the porch with a cup of coffee and I
South Africa. The boy said “I thought
Weary hikers stream in and out of this pause. There is something magical about
this place was just some old shack in
porch throughout the day to get water or the gentle rocking of the porch swing
the woods, but when we got here it was
have lunch. We pour glasses of lemonade that brings me peaceful serenity. I can
like……it was almost like magic.” 
and sweet tea on sultry summer days. feel the cool breeze whip up from the
We offer refuge from thunderstorms. valley below, listen to the songbirds I smiled quietly, nodded and said, “I know.”
And we share stories. I feel a strong sense and watch the deer crossing through
of connection in this space. It’s almost the woods. For those few minutes I am How fortunate we are to have
like a wraparound hug from my mom. I in my own “screened-in” Heaven. the Blackburn Trail Center.
sometimes wonder who has been here in
years past. Who else sat on the porch swing One of the most memorable conversations ~ Cheryl Hadrych
reading a book? Then I wonder who may I’ve had was a farewell to a father and son Blackburn Center Caretaker Summer 2017
come walking down those stone steps next. in late May. They were thru-hikers from
VOLUNTEER WITH THE POTOMAC APPALACHIAN!
We are looking for volunteers to serve on the Potomac Appalachian staff!
Volunteers can assist in 3 different ways:
Proofreader
1
Proofread and edit articles for the monthly publication
Content editor
2
Organize photos for monthly publication. Assist proofreaders
with their tasks. Follow up on articles and photos
Layout editor
3
Layout articles and photos for publication
No experience is necessary. All volunteer work can be done from the comforts of home!
Contact Dan Pulskamp at [email protected] if interested.
8 SEPTEMBER 2017 • POTOMAC APPALACHIAN
MEMORIAM
CHARLIE IRVIN put in rather than the original straight PATC’S FIRST PAID
shot uphill. For their extraordinary
EMPLOYEE
PATC NORTH CHAPTER – DISTRICT efforts, Charlie and Jack received the
American Hiking Society Volunteer
TRAILS MANAGER
of the Year award for Pennsylvania
Norma Hoffman, PATC’s first paid
in 1994. The next year, he received
employee, passed away on June 11, just
Goatskin gloves. PATC’s Honorary Life Membership. shy of what would have been her 92nd
birthday. From 1970 to 1982, Norma
As well as coordinating monthly work
Roasted corn. worked, often alone or with her dog
trips, in the spring of 1997 Charlie directed
Creech, at the PATC headquarters
the building of a bridge over Birch Run
No wasted time. in downtown Washington, DC.
near the shelters of the same name. A
new bridge over Falls Creek after a section
Norma went on from PATC to an
relocation was done in the ‘90’s as well as
Charlie Irvin epitomized a man of action. extraordinary life in conservation and
other Trail relocations, tread improvements
From a farming background, he gave his volunteerism. Perhaps her greatest triumph
and shelter work. Just keeping up with all
time generously to his community and to was helping to save Huntley Meadows
the Trail overseers and reminding them to
the A.T. He joined PATC in 1971 after Park in Fairfax County - the last and
send in their hours kept Charlie on his toes.
completing the entire Trail over 17 years largest wetland in the county - from
of section hiking. As one of the founding development. Over a period of more than
Charlie instigated spring overseers meetings
members of PATC’s North Chapter in a decade, she organized opposition to a
bringing together representatives from
1984, Charlie served for many years as proposed highway that would have gone
ATC, local foresters and park rangers
Pennsylvania district trails manager along straight through the middle of the park.
as well as PATC supervisors and chairs
with Jack Danner. He got things done! After a long fight, approval of the road was
to meet with North Chapter volunteers.
rescinded and the park was saved. In 1992,
Shared information with an opportunity
No stranger to hard work, he led the the Sierra Club named her one of their 100
to meet face to face and interact through
First Saturdays work trips meeting at Environmental Heroes for her efforts.
discussions and questions always proved
Caledonia, and ending with group
invaluable. Charlie’s leadership over
suppers at The Hermitage. Access to this In an article in the January 2000 PA,
a long span of years strengthened the
primitive cabin is ½ mile downhill! The Norma credited her time with PATC
foundation of our group, with the
tired volunteers came for an evening of and what she learned about protection
hallmark of willing workers unafraid of
fellowship and some of Esther Aulthouse’s and preservation of natural resources
hard tasks and new challenges, mixed
filling repasts. Charlie took 3 days to make for helping her to her later successes.
together with pride in teamwork.
sure everything was ship-shape, including
stocking up firewood, getting everything Those who remember Norma will
Charlie received a plaque and a letter
organized, and then cleaning up. By 1998, remember her as always upbeat and ever
of congratulations from President
Ray Fadner’s Gypsy Spring cabin with cheerful. The PATC President when
Bush in 2004 as a recipient of the
electricity and plumbing became available Norma was hired, Jack Reeder, said
“President’s Call to Service” award, one
with easier access. This location provided that “a more helpful person there never
of only 644 in the entire country.
more space for Charlie to set up his famous was before.” Norma will be interned in
August Corn Roast (still continuing today)! Arlington National Cemetery on a date to
One wet, miserable, rainy Saturday, I
be determined. Her family has requested
worked alongside Charlie while he wrestled
Charlie took great pride in the years-long that in lieu of flowers, donations be made
with a downed hemlock across Red Run
effort to successfully reopen the Tuscarora to The Friends of Huntley Meadows Park,
Creek near Beartown. As he was sawing
Trail by 1995. My hiking mentor, to Hassadah, or to a charity of your choice.
away a blockage, he suddenly stopped
Elizabeth Johnston, accompanied him with
and stood up for a moment. “Goatskin
Jack, Peter Muschamp, Ethel Nelson and
others, and she proudly recalled how many gloves!” he gestured to me. “These’ll stay ~ Kit Sheffield
soft even once they dry out! Better than
times they would emerge at the end of a
the other leather ones!” he affirmed.
long day, tired, scratched and bloodied.
He was responsible for relocating the AT
He was right! Thanks for the
Hemlock Hill shelter from Maryland to
advice, Charlie! I think of you
the Wagon Wheel site along the Tuscarora
every time I slip mine on.
Trail in Pennsylvania. South of Cowan’s
Gap, he arranged to have switchbacks ~ Kathy Seiler
PATC North Chapter
SEPTEMBER 2017 • POTOMAC APPALACHIAN 9
TRAILHEAD
ND HOODLUMS' WEEDY
SATURDAY
According to the old song, April showers
bring May flowers.  That may be true
but in Shenandoah National Park, the
North District Hoodlums found they also
bring June and July weeds: black cohosh,
Virginia creeper, mile-a-minute, Japanese
stilt grass, you name it-- OR all the usual
suspects and then some. If anything 2017
was getting to look like a record year so
the Hoodlums decided to give the ND
overseers a hand and declared their July 15
work trip a "weedathon."   The good news is
that the weather was near perfect: blue skies
and low temps and humidity, especially
compared with the preceding week 
With nearly 20 in attendance including Hoodlums Ed Clautice and Terry Shaw rehab a waterbar on North Marshall
some new recruits, the Hoodlums divided Photo by Janice Cessna
into four crews. DM Noel Freeman
took one down Piney Ridge to deal with
AT section on Neighbor Mountain.  As
HELP WANTED
the weeds filled the air, Head Hoodlum
Janice Cessna's crew returned for the
third time this summer to North
Cabin overseers wanted
Marshall to do some more waterbar and
for the following cabins:
checkdam rehabbing and win the thanks
of new co-overseer Tom Troutman. 
• Lambert Cabin
End of the day, the Hoodlums gathered
at Elkwallow Picnic Area for their • Meadows Cabin
usual potluck. But as with this year's
other potlucks, this one was far from • Rock Spring Cabin
"usual" as the theme was "breakfast for
dinner."  Needless to say (but we'll say it
• Mel Merritt
anyway) there was a raft of Entenmann’s
Claire Connor tends her cauliflower fritters
boxes.  Julie Johnson's rugelachs and bagels
at Hoodlums' July potluck.
from New York's fabled Kossar's bakery,
Photo by Julie Johnson
however, stood out and top marks went For more information:
to Claire Connor's fresh fried cauliflower
what one crew member called a "jungle" fritters.  Recipe upon request. Now if the [email protected]
and large blowdown while DM Wayne Hoodlums could only find something
Limberg took another to Compton Gap to do with all those cut weeds.... 
410-703-6372
where encroaching weeds had turned the
fire road the AT runs on for a mile or so
to a path.  Meanwhile, Dave Nebhut, Jim
Fetig and James Farley went with new
co-overseer Paul Wambach to weed his
10 SEPTEMBER 2017 • POTOMAC APPALACHIAN