documenting 46 high peaks

[Neil]

Beware of the 46er police. It's a volunteer police force but they are very dedicated. Rules must be followed.

I am quite surprised by the tenor of this post. It reminds me of a thread some time ago wherein references were made regarding the safety police. Somewhat derogatory. Of course the good news is that the family that plays together stays together. Rik, why are you hidden and why aren't you a correspondent? Leave your pack in the col once too often?

 

[dr_wu002]

I am quite surprised by the tenor of this post. It reminds me of a thread some time ago wherein references were made regarding the safety police. Somewhat derogatory. Of course the good news is that the family that plays together stays together. Rik, why are you hidden and why aren't you a correspondent? Leave your pack in the col once too often?

I'm not surprised. The whole thing sounds like some sort of cult to me. I almost expect to find out that Tom Cruise is a correspondent or somethin'. Just sayin'.

-Dr. Wu

 

[Neil]

I have attended a couple of 46er functions and really, I have not felt anything that would suggest cultism. Just a really nice gang of like-minded peakbaggers. Good people, good fun. I will be there at the next supper for sure. You should come Wu and see for yourself.

 

[prino]

Didn't Stoopid try that once?

The idea being that once thus refreshed and recharged it becomes a lot easier to deal with them.

That is until one has to start typing up your trip reports!

Neil and Wu and the rest of you "newbies" I'll see you at the next 46er dinner p**s up!

46er's rule ....48er's drool (that should get him out)

 

[dr_wu002]

I have attended a couple of 46er functions and really, I have not felt anything that would suggest cultism. Just a really nice gang of like-minded peakbaggers. Good people, good fun. I will be there at the next supper for sure. You should come Wu and see for yourself.

Nah, I bet it's not so cult-like... I mean, look at the types you and I associate with; talk about a cult.

-Dr. Wu

 

[Neil]

Can you clean a cult with Woolite?

 

[MarkJ]

I might try to clean my Shamwows with some Woolite.I"ll post the results.

 

[Rik]

I am quite surprised by the tenor of this post. It reminds me of a thread some time ago wherein references were made regarding the safety police. Somewhat derogatory. Of course the good news is that the family that plays together stays together. Rik, why are you hidden and why aren't you a correspondent? Leave your pack in the col once too often?

Hmmmm, my tenor? Maybe I should use more smilies?

Whenever one group has rules that they follow and believe in then it seems inevitable that some members of said group will police and enforce those rules. Sometimes even on groups that don't adhere to the same set of rules as the original group. To me the "derogatory" part comes from those that are imposing "their" rules on to a group that has it's own set of rules or has no interest in the rules altogether.
I'm hidden because I can. I'm not a correspondent because I might say things to climbers that some 46ers would object to and I don't find too much value in responding in a way that I wouldn't feel comfortable with. I can't see myself reprimanding someone for making the decision to leave their pack in a col.

 

[AntlerPeak]

Thanks everyone for your answers. It is a relief to know that I haven't violated the rules by missing 20 years of writing to my correspondent! You certainly make it sound a lot easier than it does on the 46er website.

I still find the correspondent part very odd. I wonder for what purpose they collect this information? Surely, they cannot use the antiquated information for the purpose of trail maintenance. Is it purely for the entertainment of the correspondent and the writing practice of the hiker?

Wardsgirl, I just came across this thread and thought I'd offer a bit of perspective. Una answered well as did a few others. I have no experience with correspondents so I cannot offer what they are like. My letters were directed to Grace as she did it all. I thought writing reports were daunting until I got into it. Yes you can write, today I climbed Tabletop, it was fun. Or you can write an essay. The point being the contact with people who share a similar interest can lead to many things. Ultimately I got to meet Grace and she became a close friend. They called her Amazing Grace believe me that was an understatement.

It is true that one must be a recorded 46R as well as recorded as climbing the White Mountains. It makes it easier for the 111 ers to qualify perspective members and is not unreasonable when you think about it. I imagine most correspondents are reasonable people. Though as with most organizations there is bound to be someone with an attitude popping up now and then.

But the writing can lead to unexpected circumstances. I recall years ago having met Grace at meetings etc a few times she called me one Saturday. She wanted to know if I was up for a hike of Sunrise Mt the next day. I told her I could not on short notice. Grace replied, "it is a shame a 70+ year old woman has to hike a peak alone." Yes it was a guilt trip, but it turns out to be the only time I ever climbed a mountain with the legendary woman. That hike coupled with a canoe trip over the Ausable Lakes with another 46R legend are two of my fondest Adirondack memories.

Yes it is a little quirky and a bit old fashioned to have a writing requirement for your hikes. I was researching the archives for a 46R project by reading trip reports piled in boxes at Grace's house and those accounts by hikers spanning fifty years told interesting stories. Most of the names meant nothing to me but each one said "we are the same, we have the same experiences."

Grace wanted a letter every time you hiked but she was happy to hear from you every fifth one. So yes writing those reports can be considered lame but in the end without them I never would have experienced a long time friendship with Grace and many she introduced me to. You never know what kind of correspondent you will get. that should dictate the length of your letter.

Skyclimber
I did not know there was a paper sheet size requirement or the one side only writing. Good grief Grace would have had some interesting comments about that. My goodness you could have written to Grace on a paper bag in crayon.

 

[Skyclimber]

Skyclimber
I did not know there was a paper sheet size requirement or the one side only writing. Good grief Grace would have had some interesting comments about that. My goodness you could have written to Grace on a paper bag in crayon.

Not my rule.

Please go to http://www.adk46r.org/ click on "How to Join" - Guidelines

It's to save Archive Space in the Library. Different odd size papers will bulk up in the files and use more space in the Library.

Writing on one side of paper only, saves time for those at the Office when photocoping the letters.

Also the letters are required to be in a #10 envelope, as manila envelopes do not fit in the PO Boxes.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

A few days after this thread began I re-read the 46er requirements on their website which are detailed and specific. As I read the fourteen points, in my mind's eye I could hear the skit from Monty Python as the hardy band stood outside the cave -

"First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin, then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it." Amen.

As for the 46er's being a 'cult' - occasionally we read about an organization, a company, or even a country (i.e. North Korea) being dominated by one person, and the term "cult of personality" is sometimes used in describing how that entity functions. It would pointing out the obvious to suggest the 46ers operate in the same manner.

 

[1ADAM12]

Writing on one side of paper only, saves time for those at the Office when photocoping the letters.

You can do what I did. I sent in two copies of my reports to save those at the office some time

 

[PA Ridgerunner]

You can do what I did. I sent in two copies of my reports to save those at the office some time

Now there's an interesting approach -- acknowledge that the people who take care of this are all volunteers, that the procedures are in place for very good reasons, then decide to go above and beyond, just to be a nice guy.

No sense of entitlement whatsoever. Way to go, Adam!

 

[wardsgirl]

Thanks for your wonderful perspective AntlerPeak. Grace sounds like she was truly one of a kind. I look forward to starting the correspondence process in a few years. I can't wait to find out who my correspondent will be! I have absolutely no problem with any of the requirements or rules for membership in the 46ers.

As a reminder, my concern with the correspondence process was that I had hiked several of the 46 in 1995 and did not plan to return to the Adirondacks until my son was old enough to split the driving with me. If not for dalespring's post, I never would have known that such a correspondence process was required for 46er membership.

From the rules on the 46er website: one must write annually at a minimum. This would mean that I missed 14 years of correspondence. Would I have to start over again? This truly wouldn't be a problem because I carried my baby son up many of the peaks, thus he would need to re-climb them on foot to become a 46er. (And, for goodness' sake, we like hiking anyway!)

You might think that I would have figured out sooner or later that I needed a correspondent, but realistically, I hiked my first ADK peak 14 years ago, have been an active member of the northeast hiking community, and heck, I even wrote an article about hiking in the Adirondacks, but I only found out about the need for 46er correspondence a couple weeks ago from this post! Call me stupid, but if I didn't read VFTT, drove to the Adirondacks and climbed all the peaks, when would I have learned about the need for a correspondent? When I applied for membership? That might incur the scorn of my freshly assigned correspondent, and perhaps rightfully so!

Question for the 46er powers: How do you advertise that this correspondence is required? Is it posted at trailheads?

 

[Tom Rankin]

From the rules on the 46er website: one must write annually at a minimum. This would mean that I missed 14 years of correspondence. Would I have to start over again?

I think this has already been answered. They want you to do this, but in the absolute sense, no, you do not have to start over.

Question for the 46er powers: How do you advertise that this correspondence is required? Is it posted at trailheads?

No, it is on the web site. Where it was before the internet, I will leave for others to answer.

 

[una_dogger]

Yup, I did the same thing as Adam.

Spencer/peak_bgr a few years ago posted either here or on one of the other forums very thoughtful guidelines for turning online trip reports into 46r formats, and little tips that streamline the process for correspondents, such as making two copies and using paper clips instead of staples.

Like most things, its all in the way you are asked that can make a big difference in how the request is received.

And as was said before, we are asking to join the club, so why fight it?

 

[Skyclimber]

In reality one just has to inquire with the Forty Sixers and fill out a Mountain List and Questionnaire to join the Forty Sixer Club.

For some, they learn about the Forty Sixer Club on the trails. There are Correspondents who actually carry a Forty Sixer address card with them, in their backpacks and give the card to the climbers upon talking with them along the way, if they are not familiar with the Club.

Before the Internet, we had bought a book "Guide to Adirondack Trails, High Peaks Region" by Tony Goodwin, in the book it had an address to write (Grace) about joining the Forty Sixers and this is how we learned about the Club. I wasn't sure if I would get a response, so just wrote a brief letter to the Club and in a short time heard from Grace. We then just continued to write her from that day forward.

 

[wardsgirl]

Wow. I usually don't read these NY threads very often, but I'm glad I did. I am completely flabbergasted right now to find out that I have to write letters to a correspondent in order to be recognized as a 46er.

Forgive me if I sound ignorant, I mean no disrespect to the organization, but how would one know, when they go hiking, that they need to submit climb paperwork to a correspondent?

I'm completely blown away by finding out that I have to write these letters at all.

Here's something that will likely interest those who have worked recently to promote involvement in the 46ers, and give credit to today's correspondents who are spreading the word about the organization and its merits. I may have an earlier edition of the same book Skyclimber mentioned. FWIW, last night, I dug out my 1980 "Guide to Adirondack Trails, High Peak Region, Tenth Edition." There is no author listed, but the preface is by Lawrence E. Cotter, Chairman of the Map and Guidebook Committee of the Adirondack Mountain Club. This is the guide I used to climb the peaks. I may be wrong, but I have combed through the book and find only one instance where the term "Forty-Sixers" is even mentioned: From Page E1-1:

"By retaining the 46 we offer the visitor to the Adirondacks a single, contiguous climber's list, shared for the present by the two foremost organizations in the region, The Adirondack Mountain Club, Inc. and The Adirondack Forty-Sixers."

Strangely enough, there is no description of the 46ers organization. I couldn't find an address to write to, any mention of Grace, the Albany State Library, Historian Office, correspondents, or anything of the nature about what has been discussed here, whatsoever. IIRC, when I hiked the peaks, it was likely midweek, when there were very few hikers about. I'm quite sure that no one I ran into on a random peak marketed the 46ers or how to join. It seems like the 46ers of today are doing a great job of getting the word out about the organization. But still, absolutely no disrespect meant, and at the risk of beating this dead horse further, I wonder why I only found out about the need for correspondence by reading dalespring's post...

...just sayin'

 

[Puma concolor]

I hiked 'em between 1993 and 1995 and honestly don't recall how I found out about the Club requirements, but somehow I did. The address doesn't appear to be in the 12th Edition of the High Peaks Region (which is what I used) and I certainly didn't hear about it via word of mouth since I don't talk to anyone when I'm hiking (seriously).

The 46R Club address (at least from that time) is in Bruce Scofield's 'High Peaks of the Northeast,' which I possessed prior to completing the 46 so that's a strong possibility. I just sent one big letter after I finished them and still have the "Congratulations" letter from Grace.

I'm not always thrilled with everything the 46Rs say or do, but I do still like the Club. Excellent tradition and they are about more than "look at me, I'm so awesome." What's that saying ... "Being a 46R is harder than becoming a 46R."

 

[Daniel Eagan]

I dug out my 1980 "Guide to Adirondack Trails, High Peak Region, Tenth Edition." --snip-- I may be wrong, but I have combed through the book and find only one instance where the term "Forty-Sixers" is even mentioned: From Page E1-1:
--snip--
Strangely enough, there is no description of the 46ers organization. I couldn't find an address to write to, any mention of Grace, the Albany State Library, Historian Office, correspondents, or anything of the nature about what has been discussed here, whatsoever. --snip-- It seems like the 46ers of today are doing a great job of getting the word out about the organization. But still, absolutely no disrespect meant, and at the risk of beating this dead horse further, I wonder why I only found out about the need for correspondence by reading dalespring's post...

...just sayin'

Sadly, I do not have the 1980 High Peaks Guide.

However, I do have the ADK High Peak Guides from 1950 (p. 90), 1962 (p. D-2), 1972 (p. D-3), 1985 (p. 264), and 1992 (p. 30). Every single one supplies the name, purpose, qualifications, and address for The Adirondack Forty-Sixers.

It's possible, but in my opinion highly unlikey, that the 1980 edition omits this information. I think it is more probable that you did not read it carefully enough.

By my rough count your questions have been answered about a dozen times in this thread. Are you now complaining that they weren't answered twenty-five or thirty years ago?