An artist at work: A first look at the Eliza Brook shelter

John Nininger is very good at what he does.

“Very good” is, of course, an extraordinary understatement. John is a master craftsman in full scribe log joinery, with a well-known reputation for his technical and artful skill at matching and fitting long logs of cedar and pine together. John understands wood, and how to build with it, in a way that few do.

His portfolio is extensive, from smaller log homes decorated with unique carvings to expansive multi-story lodges to backcountry shelters. This is a skill he’s refined to an art since he worked for the AMC in the 1970s as a trail crew member, building Carlo Col shelter from native timbers and hauling logs from the woods.

We are fortunate to have John building a shelter for us again, this time at Eliza Brook Campsite. John was also the craftsman behind Kinsman Pond, which was constructed in 2007.

With the opportunity to construct a new shelter, there are many options: native timbers from the forest around the campsite, dimensional lumber, primitive log construction. In choosing one of the options, we work with the Forest Service as we evaluate visual impact, historical character, visitor experience, and measuring primitive character. In the case of Eliza, the final decision was to bring in materials from off-site, and that the materials be made of full-scribed interlocking logs. So we, of course, had John’s Wooden House Company in mind.

Eliza Brook shelter started out with John selecting logs from regional sources earlier this summer, locating and collecting cedar logs as well as two forked trees that will artfully support the front roof. During the month of August, he has been constructing the shelter at his wood yard in Wells River, VT. Once completed, it will be carefully stacked for transport to our airlift location.

While John builds the shelter, we busy ourselves with preparing the footings for the foundation, assembling materials for the decking and roofing, and logistical coordination for the helicopter airlift that will fly the materials to the site in September.

Last week myself, Trails Supervisor Dave Salisbury, and Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s New England Regional Director Hawk Metheny traveled to Wells River to gather a few final measurements for the footings we’ll be putting in place before the airlift.

Fresh cedar logs glow an unbelievable yellow in a crisp morning sun with a clear blue sky. Looking at the sill logs with my layman's eye, they appeared to be tightly cut and notched together, I could see no airspace between the logs.

John, the craftsman, of course informed me that they were “not quite there yet.”

(For more information on the Wooden House Company, check out John’s website)

Dodge Journals: Special Issue - Log Ladder

When crews are run out of Camp Dodge, there are several kinds of crews one could choose to join, Spike, Alpine, Wilderness and Base Camp. All but the Base Camp crews are based out of camp sites in the woods. When the teens come to do a Base Camp crew, they come to do trail work by day and stay at Camp Dodge by night. We have run many adult Base Camp crews in years past, but this year we added three teen base camp crews. The projects that these crews work on are all close to Dodge, so close that most of the time you can walk just in and out of camp to the project.

For most of the summer I had been nagging Alex to send me in on a project. I am a trail worker at my heart and all I wanted to do some weeks was roll some rocks. Finally I got the chance to go out and attacked the erosion dragon.

Our task was to build a log ladder that was 25 five feet long. On this sections of trail there was a small log ladder that almost rotted it self in to the trail. Over the time period that this log ladder became useless people had started to walk to the left and right of the ladder, blowing out the sides of the trail. The Forest Service asked us to go in there, kick down some trees, and give the whole area a makeover. My job for the week was chain saw operator and project worker. Basically I was there to just help move the project along.

The Teen Base Camp Crew that was a part of this log ladder were super psyched to be apart of such a cool project. All of them were really hard workers and made progress on the project move efficiently. The most challenging task of the week was just moving the lumber to the project area. The new ladder that we had to put in was a great deal longer than the original. The stringers for the ladder ended up being about 25 feet long and over a foot in width. There is no way that I could begin to figure out the actual weight of the logs, but I did realize that it was extremely heavy. It took the entire crew to manage the site in a safe way and move this log. We had three holding the tension line, 7 people actually on the log trying to push it, and spotter who was watching the trail making sure that if we were to drop the log that we would not crush anyone underneath it. The project took a little over 8 days to complete fully. Now it rests in place about a mile and a half up on the north side of the Imp Loop, to provide a nice rout for the hikers to travel.

When building such a large trail features it is necessary to plan all aspects of the project very carefully. For example when just looking for what trees to cut, you have to make sure that when it is time to move the telephone pole sized logs that you have a rout that makes it possible to even extract the logs from the woods. You can not be level with the project or below, there is no way for me even to conceived how much one of these logs weighed but they are far, far too heavy to even think of trying to move in a upward direction. They had to be up hill and far enough off the trail that the stumps where not visible from the trail.

Once the two side/stringer logs were in place the heavy moving was done and all that was left was all the technical mumbo jumbo that was required to make the steps fit. We cut 36 inch long logs and then made notches in the log and a matching notch in the stringer where the step would just slip in, or that how you would hope it to work. The deep cuts into the stringer were done with the chainsaw. Then the volunteers would come in and chisel out most of the larger chunks of wood. Most the steps took little of finagling in order to get it nice and snug in the log, but now all steps sit and wait for the next hiker to come up and enjoy the service that they provide.

The groups that got to participate really got a good test of how much people actually appreciate the work that is getting done. The Imp Loop some days had hikers coming every 30 minutes. When trying to do trail work that is less then ideal, cause you have to stop and wait for the hiker to come on by. But, for the teens that were working in the project, every hiker that came by would always thank all of us with gratitude. As a teenager it is a powerful experience to work on a project were every person you encounter expresses how thankful they are for the work that you are doing.

As young members of this global community the teens that we get here at Dodge have already started to give back to society, hopefully this is a start of life long giving for the teens. It was a great and unique project, and the two crews that we had to work on it were also very productive and helpful during their time here. It was a great way to close the programs season at Dodge.

The falls winds blow ever closer, this is 51 Goose clear with Camp Dodge Journal.

Photos: Goose, Alex DeLucia, Lesley Heyl

Where's Hank?

Hank traveled to northern Maine and spent two wonderful weeks in AMC's Maine Woods Initiative region with our Maine Woods Adult Volunteer Trail Crews. Over the two weeks Hank, and the crew, worked on the Laurie's Ledge Trail installing rock stair cases and rock waterbars. Hank took every opportunity to lounge along the banks of the Lyford Ponds or hang out in the Kitchen at Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins with the Camp Crew.

We will have more photos and a story about the two weeks of crew in the Maine Woods shortly.

Photos: Ari Hunt

Berkshire Three Week Leadership Crew!

The AMC fifteen-passenger van was literally bouncing up and down as participants danced to a Lyrics Born hip-hop song featured on the accurately labeled "Awesome Tape." "Call it up, to all area crew, we gonna make this thing happen right here right now," they sang along. And thus the Berkshire Three-Week Leadership Crew got its name: All Area Crew.

The All Area Crew consisted of eight teenagers who had excelled in previous AMC volunteer trail crews, and we were happy to invite them back to take part in the Berkshire program's longest crew yet.

Luckily, everyone got along. The group bonded over an appreciation of bomber scree and Duplex cookies as they spent three weeks building and repairing stone staircases on Jug End, a section of the Appalachian Trail just north of Mt. Everett. As with all rock work, the projects were challenging and highly technical, and the crew learned how to use a grip hoist to quarry rocks on the steep slopes of the mountain and where to find mineral soil when it seemed like it didn't exist. At the end of the three weeks, the crew couldn't help but admire the three magnificent staircases that resulted from their hard labor and exceptional teamwork.

The three weeks weren't all about work, however. Due to the enthusiasm and good spirits of the crew, many camp chores became fun group activities. Harry "Bear Bag" Johnson developed a love for bear hangs and led nearly all expeditions to retrieve food before mealtimes, and for Ella, the arduous task of pumping water was a welcome arm workout. The crew also had the fortune of camping right next to Guilder Pond, which proved an excellent swimming hole on sunny afternoons after work.

Despite a few food fails (like the time Jesse forgot the hummus at lunch) and a broken stove, the crew enjoyed many delicious meals like lentil stew and stir-fry. The gorp was also superb, although the bag without chocolate was, according to Lauren, "a little rough."

For the leadership component, four pairs of participants took turns leading for one day in the third week. Some of their leadership responsibilities included morning wake-up calls, mobilizing the troops to leave camp, calling the office to check in, as well as planning and shopping for their own menu. In this way, crew members experienced first-hand what it takes to be a leader, and the leaders enjoyed a baked beans and corn bread stuffing dinner that was surprisingly delicious.

For the first weekend, the All Area Crew came out of the woods on a sunny Friday for a Barbecue right here at the Kellogg Conservation Center, and they would have won the tug-of-war against the other crew if the bear bag rope we were using hadn't snapped in half. For the rest of the weekend, the crew took a Wilderness First Aid course, which prompted full medical inquiries ("someone clear his spin!") every time Calder fell on the trail in the following weeks. On the second weekend, the group learned how to minimize their impact in the wilderness on a Leave No Trace backpacking course over and around Everett Mt., Race Mt, and Sages Ravine.

On the last Friday, eight smelly and happy teenagers donned their new AMC volunteer t-shirts and posed for a group photo before exchanging emails and goodbyes. Working with the All Area Crew was the perfect way to spend August, and we hope to see them come back again! Maybe even as leaders...

-Rachel

Dodge Journals: Issue 4

The fall winds blow with a hint of that winter chill. Here at Dodge all are teen crews are rapped up with. The past Friday was the last Dodge barbecue, the teens and pro crew were all treated to a compilation of meats, many greens, cucumber and squash from the garden. We harvested most of the potatoes and got some great looking roots. The sun was out, the cool winds blew and people were very much enjoying themselves. With the end of summer comes the beginning of school. Anya the cook had to leave the household on the 17th so one of the head leaders, Ashley had to do the prep for the barbecue. She was on the Hut crew in years past so the daunting task for cooking for 50 plus was no big deal for her. She did a great job and we are glad for the effort she put into it.

The leaders have also started to trickle out of the camp. Marin, Joey, Tom and Nate all have vacated their tents. Most of them head back to school this fall, I wish them the best of luck. Unfortunately for me it has been raining the past few days, feels like the first time all summer, so most of them could not take down their tents.

It is amazing how quickly Dodge goes from being as busy as ever to quieter then a grave yard. The nights now are filled with not much more then the chirping of the crickets. The skeletons of the tents started to crop up around the camp, bringing flash backs of what this place looked like the first day I moved up here.

Over the next couple of weeks tent by tent will be striped down and all that will be left will be the frames. By the time that September comes around only 4 tents will remain standing, all the leaders will be gone and it will be time to really rap things up here at Dodge. Already the teen boys bunk house has been closed for the season. Watching Dodge wind down is a sad thing, it was a great year with great people. They will all be missed.

This is 51 Goose clear with Camp Dodge journal, have a great fall everybody, the leaves are starting to change.

Photos: Alex DeLucia, Goose

Welcome to Garfield

“Welcome to Garfield, my name is Eli, I’m the Caretaker” has been a familiar sentence the past few months. At first, when I would utter these words I would hesitate mid sentence with a sense of disbelief. Now it’s hard to imagine, that in eleven short days my caretaking season will end; meaning, if I find myself on campus overcome with nostalgia and inadvertently deliver this introduction, I’ll be viewed as a bit nuts. As the summer progressed (at what felt like light speed) I fully immersed into my position as an AMC backcountry caretaker. Now, I’m a little worried about readjusting into the so-called civilized world. Luckily, I have a few moments to write about my experience and hopefully ease the transition.


My season began with a bang as I spent the three days prior to my first stint patrolling with the AMC’s Trail Crew. With them I found myself near the summit of Mt. Washington enrolled in a crash course on axeology clearing a battlefield of blow downs on my 23^rd birthday. As I approached Mike Foster (AMC Backcountry Caretaker Field Coordinator) awaiting my arrival at the trailhead of Davis Path, I could not help but think I had just experienced the ultimate birthday.

Unfortunately, the three days left my legs a little tired for my first pack into Garfield. Ask Mike what I looked like when I stumbled around the final bend into the campsite and I’m sure he would reply with a chuckle. During my first few days at Garfield I spent much of my time getting familiar with the campsite and surrounding area. For those of you who are not familiar with the Garfield Ridge Campsite, it is located roughly 600 vertical feet short of the summit on the north face of Mt. Garfield, between Galehead Hut and Mt. Lafayette. The campsite includes the following: the caretaker’s tent, a shelter that can cozily hold twelve, five group platforms, and two single platforms. Due to its location on the Appalachian Trail it’s a frequent resting place for “thru-hikers.”


I plan on writing a few blog posts and will spend a bit of time in each recounting day-to-day stories, but for my first post I figured I would address my experience on a broader scale. It was during my first stint that I began to contemplate the importance of my role in relation to the environment and the backcountry guests. There are two quotes from the summer that I really took to heart. My boss, AMC Backcountry Resource Conservation Manager, Sally Manikian, delivered the first. During training Sally addressed the new caretakers on campsite management philosophy. She stressed the importance of not attaching yourself to the campsite. She told us that during our tenure at the campsite we would be tempted to say phrases like “I only have two platforms left” or “I have to get back to my site” (actual quotes spoken by myself). I really took this to heart and was especially mindful of how I spoke about my relation to the campsite. It was from this foundation that I built my personal management style. Over the past year I have become involved in Zen Buddhism. One of the teachings of Zen Buddhism is a concept called non-duality or as Zen Master Shunryu Suzuki says “not two, and not one.” This concept addresses the interconnectivity of life: how each one of us is connected to each other and the environment, while simultaneously being an individual within that world - not two or one.

I spent a lot of time thinking about this concept and its parallels to the advice Sally gave. From here I made sure that I treated each person that entered the campsite as complete equals, which included not elevating myself above the guests. I hoped to foster an environment where everyone would realize how they were as equally connected to the fate and well being of the campsite and the White Mountains as I was. This is a way of looking at the woods that I feel blends well with the principle of Leave No Trace (LNT). People will often thank me for my trail work and site maintenance, but each time I turn to them and say, “no, thank you.” For the most part I feel like I was successful in creating this type of environment. As I look back on the summer and try to think of what I’m most proud of, this accomplishment comes to mind.

Mike delivered the second quote during the Caretakers’ midsummer meeting. He was discussing the minimalism in which the caretakers operate, how we use simplistic tools to accomplish what seem like impossible feats. The example given was how caretakers turn seventy-five gallons of human waste into pathogen free humus with little more than a pitchfork. This however is a topic for another post. So stay tuned for the coming installment including: composting, stories of memorable people who have passed through the campsite, and the adventures of kite flying on Garfield summit.

-Eli Lieberman

Garfield Caretaker ‘10

Caretaking in August

The seasonal rhythm of the world of the backcountry caretaker program goes like this: June we train the caretakers in a frenzied two weeks, covering everything from finance sheets to trail work to swinging an axe to composting human waste to a Leave No Trace trainer course. By July, the caretakers are all planted at their respective sites, and most of them have completed their first 11 day stints. By the time they’re in the second 11 day stint, it’s time to reinforce some of the information thrown at them in training with a site visit.

Throughout the month of July, all caretakers get an overnight visit from a senior staff (usually the Field Coordinator, who this year is Mike Foster), offering that in-person guidance. For a new caretaker, this is critical: by July, the memory of how to compost human waste is aged by weeks of distance, and two days of rockwork training suddenly seems insufficient when facing a rubbled and gullied trail, mattock and rockbar in hand.

It’s not enough for us as coordinators and managers to answer their questions when caretakers come out of the woods and track us down in the valley—the best learning is hands on in the field. With 12 caretakers (7 of which are first years) staffing 9 sites, this is a logistical challenge for sure. During a visit, the Field Coordinator will set the caretaker up with a trail work project, tell them that it is a bit early to think about emptying the composting outhouse, and share their own experience with visitors, both the glorious and the somewhat challenging.

August site visits are slightly different. When we visit in August, for that second site visit, we are there to assist, to gently guide, to work as a team with a caretaker to further refine the skills they’ve developed. By now, caretakers have settled into the routine of their site, and are experts in managing the area they have begun to call home. They skillfully arrange campers’ tents and tarps on crowded nights in a game we call “human tetris,” and send folks to particular platforms on quieter nights to promote solitude. They have transplanted trees and built small scree walls in the site in response to the human impacts they have seen occur. They have completed (or near completion) on multiple trailwork projects. They have filled their first composting bin, and track the temperatures as they rise to 130 degrees. They have figured out what food they want to bring with them to sustain them for 11 days in the woods. And, of course, they have found the spring with the best water, the spot with the best sunset, and have bushwhacked to the local trailless summit.

In other words, by August, the caretakers have developed their own identity. It takes a long time to figure out how to be a caretaker. It is highly personalized, and is the result of more than the two weeks of training. It requires that hands-on experience, that in-person experience, of moving rock by alone by hand and talking to an endless stream of hikers. It also requires a certain personality, a strong sense of self and a fierce work ethic. We give caretakers the technical skills, and we redirect them along the way, but ultimately a good caretaker comes from what each person brings to the position.

So how are these caretakers doing this August?

If any of you have been near Kinsman Pond shelter, you might have noticed a set of superb bog bridges on the Cascade Brook trail, built by our first year caretaker Tristan Eames. Tristan has also excelled in outhouse management, which is important because he is responsible for the nearby Eliza Brook shelter in addition to Kinsman.

Next is Liberty Springs tentsite, staffed by third year Richard Ahlf. Richard is unique in that he has requested to work at Liberty, and only at Liberty, for the three years he has worked for the program. He thrives in visitor interaction, and takes great care of the campsite. This year, his main project has been removing the railings throughout the site and replacing them with less obtrusive scree walls. This will achieve the dual purpose of making Liberty a more rustic place to visit, while still ensuring that the fragile revegetation areas are given the opportunity to recover.

Over in the area of Garfield Ridge, two of our second year rotator caretakers, Matthew Hickey and Garrett Gorenski, are bravely tackling the reconstruction of the Franconia Brook Trail, one giant rock at a time. They work together on this trail when, every other week, Matthew is at 13 Falls and Garrett is at Garfield for three to four days. In addition to their technical skill, both are friendly faces for many hikers: Matthew possessing a compassionate bedside manner during medical emergencies and Garrett offering a thoughtful “quote of the day” posted alongside his weather reports.

Garfield Ridge and 13 Falls, being so close together, lend themselves to team caretaker projects. None of the other AMC sites are as close together. Eli Liebermann and Steph Kelliher, both first years, coordinate over the radio in the morning their work for the day: packing bark to 13 Falls from Galehead Hut (used in the composting process, and due to the location in a Wilderness area, we have to use human transport rather than helicopters), bushwhacking through the Wilderness, or working on their trail project on Franconia Brook. When I visited them, I helped them quarry a series of rocks that they will turn into a staircase and a waterbar.

Guyot is our most remote backcountry site. It is rugged in approach and high in elevation. We rarely staff it with a first year, but Ian Fitzmorris has proven more than capable to handle the challenges of the site. He has accomplished incredible revegetation and rehabilitation work within the campsite, as well as impressively structurally sound cairns on Bondcliff. He has taken initiative with signage within the campsite, paying close attention to hiker behavior. Displaying a dedication to wilderness living, Ian views every sunset from West Bond and prefers to descend to the area of 13 Falls via bushwhack. Where Ian really excels is when, at the end of his long work day, he displays an extraordinary amount of patience in managing a campsite that is brimming nightly with hikers, camp groups, and their four legged companions.

Ethan Pond is a campsite that has been staffed irregularly this summer, due to injury and then substitution. We are psyched that Ryan Wilford, a third year, has returned to us mid-season to staff Ethan. With the technical skill he is known for, Ryan, working with Mike Foster our Field Coordinator, has been working on a significant improvement to Ethan’s cooking area. What was once a muddy sloppy pit is becoming a dry and stable surface, complete with what Mike describes as a “love seat” sized bench.

Continuing East, the next site, Nauman, staffed by first year Sharon Hannigan, has been home to some superb visitor education on alpine plants. Sharon has also worked with the Mizpah hut crew to further awareness on alpine stewardship efforts, as well as build moderate scree walls on the northern side of Mt Pierce.

Imp campsite is one of those quiet sites, with moderate to low hiker use, distanced from the crowds of Franconia and the Pemi, and, as a result, it is staffed by a quieter caretaker. Scott Bockus, a first year, is the quintessential Imp caretaker, who has been quietly performing all aspects of his job: he has done his composting, he is almost done with a staircase, and he hands in his paperwork on time.

Speck Pond is the second most remote campsite, not only because of the hiking trail but because it is accessed via a 9 mile rutted and potholed logging road. Steve Frens, a second year, is about to put the finishing touches on a staircase on the Appalachian Trail. He has grown familiar with the use patterns of Speck, seeing locals coming up from Grafton Notch as well as groups struggling in late through Mahoosuc Notch and over the Arm. A huge perk of Speck? This summer weather has been superb for swimming in the best Pond of all the campsites.

Starting on September 6, we will start to close down the campsites as the summer crowds wane. This means, for caretakers, that it is time to button up their trail projects and to think about that last composting bin. And, also, what site they’d like to work at next year.

Alpine Spike Teen Crews 2010

During the 2010 summer season we had two different week-long teen crews focusing their efforts on trail work above tree-line on Mt. Washington.

The crews worked on the Boott Spur Trail starting just above tree-line on a seriously impacted viewing area. The high traffic on this sensitive area created quite a bit of trampling and killed of much of the vegetation. The crew constructed scree walls that define the area for visitor use and provides a barrier to allow for revegetation. This was challenging work because the rocks needed for the scree walls were far away making hauling rock most of the challenge.

Each morning the crew would wake at Hermit Lake Shelters, cook breakfast, pack for the day, and start the steep hike up the Boott Spur Link to the Boott Spur Trail. Often taking close to 1.5 hours just to get to the work site, this is just morning commute to a full day of work for the crews.Stunning views, amazing sunsets, steep hiking, hours of rock hauling, more steep hiking, enjoying good food, waking up and doing it all over again... it's all part of the experience of an AMC Alpine Teen Spike Crew.

A special thanks to all of our 2010 Alpine Crew participants and we hope to see you back here next summer.

Photos: Jana Svobodova'

Where's Hank?

Well, Hank has been all around the Whites this summer. So sorry we have not kept Hank's fans updated on his whereabouts. But, trust us, Hank has had some serious adventures this summer season with the North Country Trails Volunteer Programs.

In late July, Hank traveled to Tuckerman Ravine with one of our Alpine Teen Spike Crews. In between the steep hikes and cairn construction Hank was able to find a few minutes to lounge on the NH Fish & Game bear trap. The problem bear was captured at Hermit Lake Shelters in Tuckerman Ravie on the last day of this volunteer crew.

We will post more photos of Hank in the weeks to come.

Photo: Jana Svobodova'

AMC Berkshire Teen Trail Crew Rocks the Summer!

It has been another year of growth here at AMC's Berkshire Trails Office, and we have had all hands on deck hosting 36 teenagers from mid-July to mid-August on our two and three-week trail crews. This has meant epic-four-shopping-cart-grocery store trips, massive food repackaging operations, some tricky vehicle logistics, Fridays taxing our local laundromat's machines with dirty trail clothes, sweet cookouts, LNT backpacking trips, and a wonderful whirlwind of energetic crew members and staff throwing down to make it all happen.

When the season ends in a few short weeks, we'll have hosted 68 volunteer teens, ages 15-19, for 13 total weeks of back country trail crew, totaling nearly 4,000 hours volunteered to the Appalachian Trail, Mt Greylock Trails, and our local Fountain Pond Trail. This does not include the hundreds of hours of staff leadership.

So can you blame us for not updating the blog?

Here are some pictures from all this activity, dating back to early July to represent all the crews and all the great times and bomber work that we have been rocking here in the Berks.


Leave No Trace Trainer Course Backpacking Trips

We've trained 36 teens on four crews as Leave No Trace Trainers. It is a two-day backpacking trip and a participant-driven curriculum. Participants each are assigned one of the seven LNT principles, which they teach to the group with a fifteen-minute presentation. They then get feedback from the group and instructors on how they did, in the trusty "compliment sandwich" format. These trips always yield good discussions, learning opportunities and team building. It is also a chance for crew members to learn about backpacking, and we've enjoyed some lovely weather on our mellow itinerary over Race Mountain and through Sage's Ravine. Above is our August 1-13 Stewardship Crew with three-year AMC Berkshire veteran Connor Young coming back for the weekend to lead, and below is our July 18-30 Stewardship Crew with Ridgerunner Daniel Griffith leading.


Trail Work!

It is what we are here to do, and we have left a number of eroded sections of trail better than we found them. At Fountain Pond in Great Barrington, right, we made a final push, with the help of local youth organization Greenagers, to get this new two-mile trail fit to be open. We completed an impressive amount of sidehilling, set several bog bridges, using hand tools to peel and hew base logs, and traversed some muddy sections with rock steps. We also got some press from the Berkshire Eagle! This one week crew from July 11-16 also loved themselves some Mafia, the card game that is taking this program by storm, and brought some great spirit and work ethic to this important trail project.




From July 4-9, nine teenagers tackled the Appalachian Trail on Mt Algo in CT, on a steep and eroding section of trail. Here's a before and after; with no clear way to ascend, the area to the right (not pictured) was blown out, and the trail wide and ill-defined. So we stuck a little staircase in there, and thereby solved another problem.



















This crew worked on three staircases and a drainage in their productive week, and to hear it from "Marky Mark's" mom, had a lot of fun despite that heat wave that blasted us:

"My husband and I want to pass along some thanks to AMC for its teen trail crew program. Our son, Mark , really enjoyed his week on a Berkshire crew July 4-9. He said his trip leaders, Celia and Rachel, were "awesome." We are sure that they must be great, as Mark enjoyed the week despite the intense heat! Mark also noted that the food was "unusually good" and that his fellow teens were all hard workers and "very funny." I think he also found a lot of satisfaction in the physical labor and building steps and water bars.

We are very glad that AMC sponsors this program."

Cookouts!

When we've had two multi-week crews out at once, we've had to find a way to get them showers, laundry, some down time, and some good food. So after some Friday morning laundry at the Laudromat and showers at Berkshire South Community Center (thank you, thank you!), the crews come back to our lovely home base at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Kellogg Conservation Center, known simply to us as the KCC. For the first one, on July 23, it was raining and the ATC was kind enough to open up the facility's Summer Room and Barn so that we could eat and pack inside. On the second, August 6, we had lovely weather and the crews played ultimate frisbee, had a crew tug-of-war that ended comically when our bear-bag rope snapped, and lounged in the sun. The sunny pictures will be forthcoming.

It has been rewarding to pull all this work off as part of a team. We've had the support of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (housing, space and patience), Berkshire South Regional Community Center (showers and crew camping), Great Barrington Trails and Greenways (housing for Field Coordinator), Greenagers (labor at Fountain Pond), Berkshire Natural Resource Council (tools), Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (logistical support at Mt. Greylock, project supervision), the Monday Mountain Boys (tools, tents, stoves, equipment donation),and last but not least the AMC volunteer trails committees in the two states (tools, support, and advocacy).

Most of all though it has been the Berkshire Trails Staff that have banded together and consistently risen to the occasion with a positive attitude. They have given their sweat, labor, and heart to these projects and the teenage volunteers, and have been sterling role models, leaders, and team mates. Go over to our Berkshire Trails 2010 Staff page and see the updated staff and photos.


Just a few more weeks in this busy summer season. It has been a blast.

-Matt

Photos: Berkshire Trails Program

Dodge Journals: Issue 3

Well I guess mid summer is here and maybe even gone, we have now finished over half of our programs and the summer just feels like it is getting started. Crews have been super busy out fixing the damaged trails. Here at dodge we have been busy with projects to try and get this place into the twenty first century. The garden is growing the trees are lush and wild berries and fruitful. Working in the shadow of the northern presidential’s has really been awe inspiring.

At the beginning of the year the laundry room door was busted and stuck shut.The only solution I could come up with was to kick the door in. Never having had the chance to really try and do this I was excited at the opportunity to really go at it. I steadied myself lifted my leg and thrusted it forward with more then enough force to kick in this beat door in. It blew open with great satisfaction on my part and my problem was solved, except for having a busted door. Mind you, I only kicked the door because it was a piece of junk so it was on the list to be replaced. It took a while to finally have every thing inline to replace the door. In order to meet federal regulations for size, every time we have to install a door it has to be 36 inches wide from now on.

All the current doors are 30. So small chunks of the concert had to be chiseled away so the door could be put into place. The door was installed in one after noon thanks to the help of the central rotator caretaker, Matthew. With a new door, a new laundry table, a deep basin sink, and new washers and driers, the wash room is more prepared to clean our clothes then it has ever been since I have ever been here at camp dodge.

Every week people have their off days at camp dodge, so far this season, I have gotten a good couple of handfuls worth of help from those who are around. From garden work to basic grounds needs, to moving furniture. It is a nice thing to have people randomly offer their assistance. It makes my job easier and it makes me feel like that the residents that live here care just as much about this place.

At the beginning of last week there was a huge pile of recycles that I was dreading having to deal with. Any normal trash run takes about and hour to complete after you have taken all the different materials to the places were they need to go. But on this fateful Monday we had a double load to take cause all vans were in use so there was no way for Anya or I to take them the week before, Megan was awesome and offered to take the trash to Pinkham. Little did she know what she was really getting her self into. As far as I knew, she had never done this before so the pile was not out of the ordinary for her. Not wanting to scare her away from the chore I deceivingly managed to not mention that this run could take well over an hour. Later that night I was sure to thank here for the dedication of her time to battling the brave fight against the trash.

The garden has really taken shape, potatoes and corn are waste high, the cabbage is sprawling like a city and beans, lettuce and kale are all being harvested on a weakly basis. Having planted the seeds that produced food that I eat on a daily basis has really been an amazing experience. With the help of the crews, the work in the garden has been limited to the harvesting and Friday afternoon rush of weeding. The leadership crew has lucky enough to get the duties of some of the harvesting. We have been getting enough rain that all that has to be done is letting the plants do their growing thing. Maybe not as fast as the plants in the valleys, well actually I know they are not growing that fast, but the plants try. I have to remind my self that some of our plants our not as big as I would like, mainly for the reason that up here in the higher valley it is always much cooler and we never get as much sun light.

We just got a new helper for the facility, her name is Emily. She was a participant earlier in the year, she loved it so much she asked to come up and volunteer for three weeks. This fall she is going to college for sustainable agriculture. So one of here duties is to to have almost a daily presence in the garden. This has been a really huge help. In August we are going to start really pulling plants like the potatoes, onions and every thing else we can. All to feed the hungry mouths that come rushing out of the woods.

It is a rare occurrence to be working with someone for more then half a summer and never ever see them. The back country caretakers that work for the AMC, for witch there are 16 staff, rarely ever see one another when they are in season. One day a summer they all come out for mid summer meeting where they eat and talk about all the different and exciting things that happen to them. What they find in there privy or silliest question they have been asked. They hang out all day and just remember what it was like when they were all training together. August 2 was the day of this meeting and on this day I copped a bunch of trees that were threatening the phone line and with the help of on of the caretakers, Tristan who works at Kinsman, dragged it all down the fire pit.

I started the fire at 11 am and burned through the day just picking away at the brush. As the day faded into night, the rain started. It had held off all day until the night hours approached. I really wanted to give the care takers a pleasurable experience, for there gathering. So I continued to stoke the fire and slowly pile more and more brush. Bringing the level of flam higher and hotter. The rain seemed to have no affect on the fire and it was hot enough that no rain coat was needed, one half of you would be dry from the heat, rotate 180 degrees and dry the other side, rotate and repeat. The rain started to pick up even more and they only solution we could come up with was throw all the green wood onto the fire pit. As the rain increases so did the flam. At one point it seemed that the fire it self was evaporating the rain before it even was touching our skin. All in all the night was high and dry, thanks to a fire that burned into the mid night sky. It kept every one warm and happy, that when the night was through no one was blue.

They say looking into fire stimulates your brain the same way television does but more endorphins are released. Living at dodge we do not have television, but the dance of a fire is more then enough to satisfy my brain.

This is 51 Goose clear with issue 3 of the camp dodge journal, have a great day everybody, celebrate excitement!

Leadership Crew on the AT Corridor

The AMC 4-Week Teen Camp Dodge Leadership & Conservation Crew have been working non-stop on conservation and education throughout their crew experience. The first week the crew was up on Twinway working on installing bog bridges between Zeacliff Pond and Zealand Mountain. Their second week the crew was working up at Lonesome Lake. Over the past two weekends the crew has taken a Leave No Trace Trainer course and a SOLO Wilderness First Aid course.

As the crew started their third week we began with a morning “classroom” session on land management and recreation management in northern NH. We then talked about the Appalachian Trail and specific management of this National Scenic Trail and the role AMC plays in a portion of the overall management structure of the trail. We finished up looking at maps and learning the basics of AT Corridor Boundary Maintenance.

We headed out into the field for a day trip on the AT corridor to clear the corridor boundary of small trees and brush, repaint the survey paint and locate the AT survey monuments along the corridor. We had a great day “treasure hunting” of sorts as we searched for each monument.

Where the AT travels though private lands, as it does in the southern Mahoosucs in NH there is a corridor roughly 1000 feet wide to serve as a buffer of protected lands in which the trail is then laid. Working along the east or west boundaries to clearly define the line between private lands and National Park lands is very important work. Far more adventurous, off-trail work was an appealing project for this crew.

The 4-week crew has one week left after this and they all have been doing a great job. We are happy to have these volunteers with us for 4-weeks and we hope to see them again, possibly as AMC staff, in the future.

Photos: Alex DeLucia