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[at-l] Fwd: Temp. A.T. relocation-Bulls Br.to Kent, CT



This was sent out to the Putnam/Dutchess County Trail Maintenance members.  I thought some of you on the list would be interested in learning a bit more about the situation.

BTW, Spur will be hiking this area during this period, so we'll have to figure out some alternative strategy, I guess.  I'm gonna be doing my first bit of Trail angelling for someone I already *know.*  Cool!

Trailmixup

In a message dated Thu, 29 Jun 2000 12:16:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time, "Ron Rosen" <RRosen@alum.mit.edu> writes:

<< Hello All: Could you help post this information at our shelters/campsites ASAP? This is apparently part of a struggle involving different factions claiming
to be the rightful Schaghticoke Indian leadership, and Chief Velky is leading a group that is using the AT as a hostage in their battle.

Any help any of you can provide between now and Saturday is very much appreciated! Also, please forward this information to those without Email, especially Jane Geisler and Bob Woodin.

Thanks,
Ron Rosen
*********** BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE  ***********
On 6/27/2000 at 5:26 PM Bob Proudman <bproudman@atconf.org> wrote:

>Dear A.T. Friends and Co-workers:
>
>As some of you know, Chief Richard L. Velky of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation has informed Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, the National Park Service, the Connecticut congressional delegation, the Town of Kent, the state's Dept. of Environmental Protection and others that he intends to close the Appalachian Trail to hikers from Saturday, July 1st at 8 a.m. through Tuesday, July 4th at 8 p.m.

The affected segment of the A.T. is a short section of the Trail on the mountain (I think it's tract # 265-24 for those of you with access to NPS segment maps); however, it effectively will close the Trail from Bulls
>Bridge all the way to Kent, a distance of 7.1 A.T. miles.
>
>Chief Ranger Bob Gray has already suggested a successful interim strategy which is to use the Schaghticoke Road along the Housatonic River as the alternate location during the closure period.  CT-AMC Trails Chair Ann Sherwood has been in touch with First Kent Selectman Lori Schiesel and the town concurs with this temporary relocation.  Ann has asked Deno Contos, AMC regional representative, to organize the posting of the relocation.  I'd like Jody Bickel, ATC assoc. regional representative for New England, to lend a hand if necessary and helpful.
>
>ATC public affairs director Brian King has already spoken to the Associated Press.  Please refer any press queries to Brian here at ATC headquarters at the phone/fax numbers below and at <bking@atconf.org 
>
>By copy to Ann Lutkenhouse and Ron Rosen of the NY-NJ Trail Conference, I am letting them know about the closure and the desirability of posting it as far south as they deem appropriate to warn northbound hikers
(probably at Hoyt Road and the Wiley Lean-to).  Maybe Deno can do this posting too on NY-NJTC's behalf.  As Bob Gray pointed out, CT-AMC's Ten Mile ridgerunner
>can also inform northbound hikers.
>
>I personally feel it is fine to explain the relocation as necessary simply because of the law suits pending between the Schaghticoke Tribe and several landowners in the vicinity.  If helpful, I also feel that Chief Velky's letter can be shared by our field personnel when informing the public.  

Lastly, I recommend that the signs posting the relocation at each end tell thru-hikers that ATC will recognize their thru-hike despite this temporary
relocation.  This will minimize anxiety among the purist 2000-milers who are determined to walk every inch of the blazed A.T. as well as the possibility of misconceived trespassing by said hikers.
>
>I assume that Deno and Jody can work with Ann and AMC CT-Chapter volunteers to effectuate the relocation.  I recommend that we not only post the junctions where the temporary and permanent routes connect, but have signs
every half-mile or so along the Schaghticoke Road (if this is acceptable to the Town of Kent) to inform hikers that they are on the temporary route. We will also post the relocation on ATC's web site.  We should of course
be prepared to pull these signs down late on 7/4 or in the morning of 7/5.
>
>I understand from NPS land-acquisition chief Don King that the government's attorney will inform Chief Velky that this is our intended solution for bypassing the July 1-4 closure.
>
>Bob
>Bob Proudman <bproudman@atconf.org>
>Trail Management Director
>Appalachian Trail Conference
>P.O. Box 807
>Harpers Ferry, WV 25425
>Voice work: (304) 535-6331
>Fax work: (304) 535-2667, 
Voicemail/home: (304) 876-2573,
bobp@intrepid.net
>
>Visit ATC's web site at <http://www.appalachiantrail.org>
>Dear A.T. Friends and Co-workers:

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Cc:            at-l@backcountry.net
From:          Tim Hewitt <thewitt@fairchildsemi.com>
Date:          Thu, 29 Jun 2000 10:20:48 -0400
Subject:       Re: [at-l] To filter or not to filter..
Content-type:  text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

on 6/29/00 9:20 AM, W F Thorneloe, MD at thornel@attglobal.net wrote:

> It would be very unusual for him to get hepatitis from untreated water.
> There are many easier ways, including poor toileting habits, exposure to
> other hepatitis carriers, sexual activity, and other vectors.

A contaminated water source in the Whites was subsequently identified and
has since been posted. I don't recall which one, but I can find out.
Stitches, do you know off-hand?

There is a water quality study currently underway in Maine on the AT. It
will be interesting to get the results. One of the local Boy Scout troops
has been trained in taking water samples, and they are doing the 100 mile
Wilderness this summer.
 
> The decision to filter would not have prevented hepatitis assuming this
> came from water. Only boiling or iodination would have eliminated virus
> particles. I do not discourage water treatment, and personally pack a PUR
> Hiker and Polar Pure, with a current plan to go to the Safewater Anywhere
> inline filter. My point is that water treatment is only part (and probably
> a small part) of hygiene to avoid infectious disease while hiking. It is
> important to have the discipline of hygiene, as it also affects those
> around you - which is why sanitation is part of public health.

The First Need filter removes Hepatitis as well as other viruses.

-p
-- 
Paddler
AT Class of 1999 GA>ME
http://paddler99.trailstories.com



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