17 Years....It feels like yesterday

[walker]

Guy, you are not forgotten.
Your spirit lives with every person who traverses Franconia Ridge, finds solace in the woods, and leave no trace.

 

[jniehof]

Wow, I have a bit of a "has it only been that long?" feeling. I was hiking with somebody a few weeks ago who met him when she was quite young (single-digits, barely remembers). At a hut with her family and somebody runs in breathless: "Guy's coming!" Then this dude with a weird hat shows up and he's just (very nicely) the center of attention for the next several hours, telling stories, interacting with everybody. Santa Claus of the mountains.

Never met him myself except through their writing.

 

[peakbagger]

Years ago my brother used to spend a lot of time on Franconia ridge during the peak of guy and laura's stewardship of the trail. He spent some time with them a couple of times as they explained some of the techniques used to keep hikers on the trail while not making it obvious. Sadly a lot of their good work has degraded in the intervening years.

 

[ChrisB]

Guy, you are not forgotten.

In December of 1974 I was part of an AMC/ADK winter school led by Guy. We spent a week at Chimney Pond training on technical mountaineering routes such as the Great Chimney, Knife Edge and Pamola Ice cliffs.

Everyone was expected to get into Chimney from Togue Pond in one day. Everyone was expected to sleep out in tents, using the cabin only for evening chalk talks and seminars. Everyone managed their own food and cooking. It was truly a learn-by-doing experience with little hand-holding and no coddling.

OMG, he was one tough character that's for sure. I learned a lot from him...

cb

 

[Creag Nan Drochaid]

The first time I met Guy was on Little Haystack on June 9 1985. Three of us from AMC-NH Vol. Trail Crew were hiking south on FRT when we encountered a crowd leaving the summit northbound. When we got to the summit there was Guy wearing his tam in MacNeil of Barra tartan. As I wore my bonnet with a Clan Scott badge we recognized and knew each other instantly, and the talk turned to matters other than trailwork.

The next time I met Guy was at an Alpine Stewards conference at Moosilauke Ravine Lodge on June 24 1994. People were gathered in the hall greeting (the English word, not the Scottish one) and refreshing that Friday evening. I was circulating and offering drams from the Laphroig I was carrying, but not too many were interested, so I landed it on a wee roond table in a corner of the room. Suddenly there was Guy on my left wearing his MacNeil of Barra tartan tam, me in my Scott kilt, and John Graham from New York, empty glasses in their hands... three Scotsmen from the hills and a bottle of peaty malt... there's no place like home, the talk flowed with the water of life, and the bottle's life was short and its death honorable.

I do not know to what extent the trail tending (Laura and Guy's term) groups require the reading of their Backwoods Ethics book on trail stabilization and hiker psychology in the alpine zone, but I read them every so often for their insights, as well as offering them to other trail tenders.

Moran taing, Guy. Slainte mhath, mo caraid a beinn.

- Creag nan drochaid

 

[Pucknuts61]

Not to thread drift but years ago I met Cath Goodwin on Beaver Brook. Instead of frosty beverages as a reward for her trail work she asked that we donate to the Waterman Alpine Stewardship Fund. To this day I donate in the name of trail adopters every year and receive a nice note from Laura. Just an FYI to all that the Alpine Stewardship is still alive and well, and something to consider to continue Guy's legacy.