AMC Mohawk Hudson Chapter

Mohawk Hudson Chapter

Message from the Chapter Chair

Another winter is fading away, but for those who took advantage of the chapter’s many outdoor offerings, the gloom of the early darkness was readily chased away. More snow than in the previous year made for more fun too! As the following pages show, we have many more activities for the coming months. One of the highlights of the winter for me was attending the AMC Summit, the new name for the Annual Meeting. There was a very full program, including several discussions on new directions for the Club, a few of which I’ll mention here.

Diversity was the main topic at both the Friday and Saturday evening sessions. The great outdoors is for all of us, yet the non-white majority of the population is underrepresented on the trails and in our membership. It’s conceivable that all our Conservation efforts could come to naught if in a generation or so, majority representatives wouldn’t love or care about our great scenic Nature. One step we can take toward more diversity is to encourage participation in our activities. We are beginning to research and contact people and organizations that can bring our outings to the attention of underrepresented groups. If you have experience in this area or know of potential contacts, please contact me or Mary Folsom, our Vice-Chair.

Our Chapter has not had a trip leadership training course in quite some time. The Summit was the perfect occasion to find out what other Chapters do and have to offer in this regard. There are general courses plus advanced courses for special activities, e.g., biking. In particular, the general multi-topic, multi-instructor program that the Worcester and Berkshire Chapters have set up together is very impressive. We are joining with them by directing future trip leaders to their course. Our small chapter could not now put such a broad course together by ourselves. In time, we could participate by providing instructors for one or more topics.

We are considering restructuring our Executive Committee roles to better fill the Chapter’s needs but the makeup of our Executive Committee is frozen into the by-laws. Therefore, we are proposing by-law changes to remove specific definition of Executive Committee membership. Other changes remove the requirement for former chairs to be on the Executive Committee, remove the current Chapter chair from the nominating committee, and improve some wording. Please review the proposed changes, posted on our web site here. Contact me if you have any questions or comments on the proposed revisions. For comparison, the original by-laws can be found on our chapter web site here . See especially Article IV-Section 2 and Article VI-Section 4 of the two versions. Chapter members will be asked to vote on the proposal on April 8 at our Quarterly Meeting and Potluck.

On that same occasion, we also have an interesting speaker on a controversial subject that should lead to a lively debate: the re-introduction of big predator species into their original environment. Hope you plan to attend, vote, and get involved with the discussions. Till then,

Arthur Fontijn

August Camp 2013 in North Cascades, Washington

Week 1: July 13 - July 20
Week 2: July 20 - July 27
Week 3: July 27 - Aug. 3
Week 4: Aug. 3 - Aug. 10

In 2013 August Camp returns to the breathtaking North Cascades of Washington State. We'll hike in the North Cascades National Park, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, and Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation areas. Choose from a variety of hikes every day, or add in backpacking, rafting on the Skagit River or kayaking in the San Juan Islands to expand your experience. No matter what you do, you'll be surrounded by amazing vistas!

Our full service tent village for 64 campers each week offers home-cooked meals, daily hikes at all levels, nightly campfires and wonderful camaraderie. The 2013 campsite is on the banks of the Skagit River, just down the road from Cascadian Farms, known for their organic food and the best ice cream we've ever had! Our site is reached by the North Cascades Highway, considered the most scenic drive in Washington State. Our designated airport is Seattle-Tacoma International, and our fleet of vans provides transport between camp and SeaTac on each Saturday.

Registration forms and detailed Camp information can found at http://www.augustcamp.org . Plan your one or two week adventure now and be part of one of the oldest camps in the AMC.

Vermont AMC Hiking Weekend June 21-23, 2013

Join the AMC Mohawk Hudson Chapter for a weekend in Weston, Vermont. Hike in the Green Mountain National Forest. We will be staying at the Colonial House Inn and Motel. Cost $179. to $216.ppdo $235. to $272. ppso Includes 2 breakfasts,2 trail lunches and 2 dinners, all taxes and gratuities.

Contact RandyMacDonald 518-766-7675 before 9 pm. randy04415@yahoo.com

July 19-21, 2013 - Flat Water Kayak Weekend

Join the Mohawk Hudson Chapter for a Flat Water Kayak Weekend, West Brookfield Massachusetts.

We will be staying on the river at the Copper Lantern Motor Lodge. Friday Afternoon Paddle at Brooks Pond. Dinner at Ye Olde Tavern. Saturday Paddle 8.5 miles on the Quaboay River. Dinner at the Salem Cross Inn. Breakfast and packed lunches at EB Flatts both days. Sunday Paddle 7 miles on the Swift River. Weekend lodging $126. to $162. + tax double.

Contact Randy MacDonald randy04415@yahoo.com 518-766-7675 before 9pm.

Barberville Falls Preserve Opens Again

Barberville Falls is open to the public once again, at least until next Memorial Day

To find out more about this lovely spot, visit its page in our Outdoor Areas Database.

Ticks and Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is on the rise in our area and early detection and treatment is the key to avoid serious complications. First it's important to thoroughly check for ticks, not only when you are outside but when you come in contact with a pet that has been outside. Lyme disease is caused by bacterium found in the stomachs of infected ticks and it may take as much as a day for the bacterium to make its way into your body. It's for this reason that the old tick removal method of covering a tick with oil or grease is not recommended as this can cause the tick to regurgitate the contents of its stomach into your bloodstream. The recommended method is to grasp the tick with a pair of tweezers as close to your skin as possible and steadily pull it away.

If you have been infected with Lyme disease it's important to get treated as soon as possible as serious complications can arise if left untreated. Unfortunately not everyone experiences the same symptoms and blood tests are slow and problematic. A "bull’s-eye" rash is often described as a symptom but the vision of multiple concentric rings this conjures is inaccurate. This type of rash just means that you will have an irregularly shaped red blotch but the center will be pale. This rash does not have to appear at all and may not appear at the site of the bite. Another type of rash that looks more like a bruise but will continue to increase in size and darkness can also occur. A fever may also occur and any fever lasting 5 days is generally reason to see a doctor, tick bite or not. Other symptoms may include fatigue, headaches, muscle and/or joint pain, or swollen lymph nodes.

Here is a document on Lyme disease from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and here is a document created by the Rensselaer County Department of Health hosted by the Rensselaer Land Trust.