[at-l] Gathering Trip Report

[jbullar1 at twcny.rr.com (Jim Bullard)]

WOW! What a weekend...

Drove thru the Adirondacks on a glorious day with peak to just past peak 
color, over the bridge at Crown Point (start of the North Country Trail?) 
over the Green Mountains (more peak color) and on down to Hanover.

Opening night ceremonies included a "hiker wedding" (in lieu of the actual 
wedding to take place later) of Grizzly and Stacy Mikkalsen conducted by 
Friar Woodelf, a very touching presentation of a "Final White Blaze" 
memorial to Larry McDuff in honor of his late wife Ann. Spur and Ready 
topped off the evening with a very nice slide show.

I did a workshop! Photography of course. It's what I know best. 
Unfortunately (my wife would say typically) I planned to much for the time 
I had so it got a bit muddled toward the end. I attended 2 great hammocking 
workshops with Ed Speer (I gotta build one of those) plus several others 
and of course met lots of people. By nature I'm a fairly shy and reserved 
person and I have been struck by readily I have been accepted by the ALDHA 
community. I get less acceptance where I live and even had less acceptance 
from some people I worked with for nearly 30 years. For a loner like me, 
the openness of this group is a bit overwhelming at times and I fear that 
my reserve may be misinterpreted. I'm getting used to it but I still do 
much better on-line. It feels more like one-on-one.

Saturday night's slides of hiking the Munros and Tops in Scotland were 
awesome. I hope that Chris Townsend has or will put out a book of those 
photos. That's the sort of scenery I like to haul out and look at on cold 
winter nights by the fire. Sunday night's program was truly climactic. The 
movie on Katahdin was very good and Bill Irwin was awesome. I'd been 
meaning to buy his book for years but "something lead me" (those who were 
there will get the reference) to wait and now I have a signed copy. I even 
got to shake his hand, twice.

John O did an awesome job as Gathering Coordinator IMHO. Thank you John. 
I've only attended two Gatherings but I think this one must be hard to top.

Drove back home today through more beautiful autumn color, pausing for 
photos all the way. By the time I got home I was higher than a kite. It was 
a truly outstanding weekend.

Saunterer