[at-l] Trail Clubs/Organizations

[Cosmo.A.Catalano@xxxxxxxxxxxx (cosmo catalano, jr.)]

ATC, AMC (Berkshire Chapter), GMC, Trustees of Reservations (Mass).

I concur with Weary's thoughts on the difference between an "Outing
Club" like the AMC and a trail maintaining club like the MATC.  As
the leader of the "AT Committee" of the Berkshire AMC Chapter, it is
a constant and ongoing effort to attract "hikers" (and paddlers, and
climbers) to do trail work.   In fact we try to run the Committee as
if it were a separate trail maintaining club, independent of the
vagaries of Joy St. and the bureaucracy of the Chapter management
structure.  Connecticut operates in a similar way.

I also find that most maintainers and monitors are not fond of the
social requirements needed to hike in a group and are often unclear
what a hiker needs from a trail.  They are even more unclear on the
different needs of a long distance hiker as opposed to a day hiker.
That's one of the reasons I stay on this list...

Cosmo

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Cosmo Catalano
AMC Berkshire Chapter
Massachusetts Appalachian Trail Committee
http://friends.backcountry.net/MassAT/ATCommHome.html