[at-l] The Gathering Day One

[ARTCLOUTMN@aol.com (ARTCLOUTMN@aol.com)]

What a great weekend.

    I left CT about 2:30 PM hoping to arrive at Hanover before 5:30.  About 
10 miles south of White River Junction the muffler fell off of my van.  After 
a few minutes delay while I crawled under the van to coathanger the remaining 
portion of the tailpipe I was back on the highway.  About 5 minutes too late 
to register at the Storrs pond campsite I pulled in with considerable noise.  
This being my first successful gathering, I was not sure what to do.  I asked 
someone at the registration building ehst to do with the 9X13 sheet cake I 
brought for the 20 years of ALDHA birthday celebration.  No one there seemed 
to know.  They told me to find a tentsite and report to Cook Hall at 6 PM to 
register and get rid of the cake.
    Aimee DuFresne and her sister Rachel were hoping to arrive at the 
campsite by 5 PM.  I promised them the loan of a tent.  I waited for awhile 
for their arrival then set up two tents so they would not have to do it in 
the dark when they were tired from travelling.  Every tent is different.  If 
you've never set the thing up in daylight how easy will it be in the dark?  I 
waited a little longer then headed back to campus to register and enjoy the 
opening ceremonies.  
    At CooK I registed and asked where I could leave the cake.  They told me 
to find Ramblin Rose.  I had never met the lady so every woman that walked by 
had me staring at her name tag.  I was just hope'n no one thought I was some 
kind of a kinky name tag pervert.  No luck.  It could wait.
    The opening exercises were wonderfull.  With the exception of some poetry 
read by Warren Doyle I was totally absorbed in the emotions of the Gathering. 
 Looking around the room I discovered a few people I already knew.  Sly was 
two rows back.  It took him awhile to remember who I was.  During a break, I 
reintroduced myself to Felix.  I met Felix on the last day of my summer hike 
through the Mahoosucs.  The class recognition had me choked up and I haven't 
even hiked the whole trail yet.  Then came the music.  Brook Wiliams was 
"assume".  But in the middle of his performance I realized I had not eaten 
food since noon.  So I set out on a quest for a sandwich.  I assumed I would 
be spending a few meals alone.  Not so.  As I walked toward the business part 
of Hanover a fellow ALDHA member said hello and asked where I was headed.  He 
said the sold great sandwiches at the convenience store.  We walked together. 
Bought some food and headed back to Cook.  I wish I was better at remembering 
names.  I do know he was not on the AT L list.
    Back at Cook I cought the last few minutes of the concert, went out to 
the lobby where Aimee and Rachel found me by looking at nametags.  They had 
car trouble on the way.  The muffler fell off of their car.  Sounds familiar. 
 What great people they are. Aimee wants to Thru hike Rachel came along for 
the ride and a chance to spend some quality time with her sister. We went to 
the newbies meeting presided over by Warren Doyle.  Then we headed back to 
Storrs Pond for some sleep.