peakbagger
In Rembrance , July 2024
So folks, what is the interest level in the traditional fall gathering? The normal dates have been the 3rd week of September which would be Sept 19th and the 20th. Pushing it forward a week would run it into the Flags on the 48 weekend, pushing it back to the 26th and 27th moves it real close to leaf season in the whites and the inevitable rainy stretch that seem to coincide with leaf season.
The tradition had been to rotate it to different locations in the northern new england. The ones I can remember off hand have been in Eustus Maine (Cathedral Pines, site of the first gathering and one subsequent gathering), White Mountains (White Birches in Shelburne and Crawfords Notch Campground), Vermont (Gifford Woods near Killington and one other location), NY ( the Catskills) and a few others that I cant remember offhand but Stan, Chris, Pat and Audrey could probably fill in. For some reason, I do not believe the ADK's have been honored with a Gathering, mostly due to the long drive for the membership base which tends towards southern NH and Mass, although the BBQ has become an excellent defacto event. Over the years, Eustis has been well attended due to the proximity of the Six Pack of 100 highest peaks and the closeness to the cluster of 4000 footers in the area. The White Mountain events have also tended to be popular with Vermont somewhat less.
Originally, the event was a hiking weekend that morphed into a hiking and music weekend. Unfortunately, as the event got bigger and more complicated, it took almost a full time organizer to set up the event and inevitably the organizers got burnt out. The last event in 2008 at Shelburne White Birches Campground was a last minute event which intentionally went back to the roots of the event mostly as a way of reducing the need for a major organizing effort. Unfortunately it too also had a 10 PM quiet time .
Unless someone wants to step up and organize a full blown event, I suggest that this years event be similiar to the White Birches event where a block of adjacent campsites are picked at a commercial campground and if folks want to attend make reservations. This most likely woudl impose a quiet time although the Eustis group campsite appeared to be far enough away that the infamous "man with the belt buckle" didnt visit.
With that I leave it to the crowd for comments
Editied the date (thanks)
The tradition had been to rotate it to different locations in the northern new england. The ones I can remember off hand have been in Eustus Maine (Cathedral Pines, site of the first gathering and one subsequent gathering), White Mountains (White Birches in Shelburne and Crawfords Notch Campground), Vermont (Gifford Woods near Killington and one other location), NY ( the Catskills) and a few others that I cant remember offhand but Stan, Chris, Pat and Audrey could probably fill in. For some reason, I do not believe the ADK's have been honored with a Gathering, mostly due to the long drive for the membership base which tends towards southern NH and Mass, although the BBQ has become an excellent defacto event. Over the years, Eustis has been well attended due to the proximity of the Six Pack of 100 highest peaks and the closeness to the cluster of 4000 footers in the area. The White Mountain events have also tended to be popular with Vermont somewhat less.
Originally, the event was a hiking weekend that morphed into a hiking and music weekend. Unfortunately, as the event got bigger and more complicated, it took almost a full time organizer to set up the event and inevitably the organizers got burnt out. The last event in 2008 at Shelburne White Birches Campground was a last minute event which intentionally went back to the roots of the event mostly as a way of reducing the need for a major organizing effort. Unfortunately it too also had a 10 PM quiet time .
Unless someone wants to step up and organize a full blown event, I suggest that this years event be similiar to the White Birches event where a block of adjacent campsites are picked at a commercial campground and if folks want to attend make reservations. This most likely woudl impose a quiet time although the Eustis group campsite appeared to be far enough away that the infamous "man with the belt buckle" didnt visit.
With that I leave it to the crowd for comments
Editied the date (thanks)
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