Blog Posts - Appalachian Trail Museum

Unknown Founders: Women Who Built the Appalachian Trail

5/17/2018

Thursday, May 31 at 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

While Benton MacKaye and Myron Avery are widely recognized as the “founding fathers” of the Appalachain Trail, the women who contributed to the Trail project are mostly unknown – until now. Three women – Jean Stephenson, Ruth Blackburn and Margaret Drummond – will join the ranks of MacKaye and Avery as A.T. “giants” who carried their vision and work forward to preserve the trail we all know and love today. Presentation by Gwen Loose, Vice-President of the Appalachian Trail Museum.

Record A.T. Hall of Fame Banquet Crowd Honors Trail Legends

5/11/2018

A record crowd of 109 honored the 2018 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame inductees and other honorees at the 8th Annual A.T. Hall of Fame Banquet. The Banquet returned to the newly renovated Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania on May 4, 2018. Attendance at the 2018 Banquet topped the previous records set in 2011 and 2016.
The 2018 Hall of Fame class is Bill Kemsley, founder of Backpacker Magazine; the late Elizabeth Levers, known as the "Mother of the A.T." in New York State; the late George Masa, a legendary photographer and trail builder in the Smokies; and Bob Peoples, a hostel operator and founder of the Hard Core trail crew. Ms. Levers was represented by Ron Rosen of the NY-NJ Trail Conference. Mr. Masa was represented by Libby Kephart Hargrave, great granddaughter of Horace Kephart, Masa’s closest friend and 2016 Hall of Fame inductee.

In addition to the Hall of Fame class, Museum President Larry Luxenberg honored Bob Proudman, a key leader on the Trail since 1965. Karen Lutz, Banquet MC, honored Dale Saunders, a/k/a "Grey Beard", who became the oldest A.T. thru-hiker last year at age 82. Ms. Lutz, scheduled to retire this year as Director of Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Mid-Atlantic Region Office, was honored with a custom carved hiking stick.

Ron Tipton, former Executive Director & CEO of ATC, received a lifetime membership award from the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association. Ron is a founding member of ALDHA. Music during the reception was provided by the Buc Hill Aces.

Each Hall of Fame honoree, plus Ms. Lutz, received a hiking stick custom carved by John “Bodacious” Beaudet. On Saturday, May 5, the Museum held its annual Hall of Fame Festival in Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

8th Hall of Fame Festival Features Hall of Fame Inductees, Record Setter Grey Beard and The Buc Hill Aces

5/1/2018

Our 8th Annual Hall of Fame Festival will be jam packed with entertainment. The Festival will be at the Museum on May 5.

The day starts at 10 am with a presentation by Ron Rosen on 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Elizabeth Levers. At 11, we'll have a talk by Dale Sanders a/k/a Grey Beard, who in 2017 set a record for oldest person to thru-hike the A.T. in a year, at age 82.

After that you'll be hungry, so stay for a picnic lunch at noon, featuring music by the Buc Hill Aces. At 1, Libby Kephart Hargrave will lead a panel discussing the life and achievements of A.T. pioneer and photographer George Masa, another 2018 Hall of Fame inductee. Joining Libby will be Masa scholars Bill Hart and Janet McCue.

At 2 pm, the Buc Hill Aces will perform again. Throughout the day, Linda Patton will lead tours of our research library project. We'll also be showing our new Myron Avery canoe display on the third floor.

Come and make a day of it at the Museum on Saturday, May 5. It's free!!

Richard Judy, Author of "THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story", Featured on The 2180 Podcast

4/4/2018

Constant Spring Creative is producing a new podcast called The 2180, 70 stories on the Appalachian Trail, featuring 70 people who have made the Appalachian Trail a part of their life, and in the process, have found a larger understanding of themselves and the world around them through the crown jewel of the American hiking experience. The first episode features a great friend of the Museum, Richard Judy a/k/a Peregrine, the author of THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story.
Here are links to The 2180 podcast:
iTunes Link:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/richard-judy/id1363785887?i=1000408147390&mt=2

Stitcher Link:
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/constant-spring-creative/the-2180

TWITTER:
https://twitter.com/The2180/status/981518435543912449

INSTAGRAM
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhJkXL2FAu4/

FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/the2180pod/photos/a.899425556931185.1073741828.895360364004371/899424056931335/?type=3&theater

2018 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet To Feature Hall Inductees and Additional Tributes

4/4/2018

The eighth annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet returns to the newly renovated Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania on May 4, 2018. The evening begins with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m.

The 2018 class of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame class will be inducted at the Banquet. This year’s Hall of Fame honorees are Bill Kemsley, founder of Backpacker Magazine; Elizabeth Levers, known as the "Mother of the A.T." in New York State; George Masa, a legendary photographer and trail builder in the Smokies; and Bob Peoples, a hostel operator and founder of the Hard Core trail crew.

The cost of the reception and dinner is $40 for museum members and $50 for others. Complete information on the Hall of Fame Banquet is available at https://2018athalloffamebanquet.eventbrite.com Tickets may be purchased either at that website, or directly from the Appalachian Trail Museum by sending a check to:
                                                    Appalachian Trail Museum
                                                   1120 Pine Grove Road
                                                   Gardners, PA 17324

Questions about the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet may be sent to atmbanquet@gmail.com.

The Hall of Fame Banquet will be the kickoff of the Museum’s Hall of Fame Weekend. For lodging options during the Hall of Fame Weekend, follow THIS LINK.

About the Appalachian Trail Museum Society The Appalachian Trail Museum Society, a 501-C-3 not-for-profit organization formed in 2002, organizes programs, exhibits, volunteers and fundraising nationwide for the Appalachian Trail Museum. The museum opened on June 5, 2010, as a tribute to the thousands of men, women and families who have hiked and maintained the approximately 2,190 mile long hiking trail that passes through 14 states from Maine to Georgia. Located in the Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Gardners, Pennsylvania, the museum is conveniently near Carlisle, Gettysburg and Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Additional information is available at www.atmuseum.org.

2018 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

3/8/2018

The eighth class of Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame honorees will be inducted on Friday, May 4, during the annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet at the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania.
The 2018 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame class honorees are William Kemsley, Jr. of Taos, New Mexico; the late Elizabeth Levers of New York, New York; the late George Masa, of Asheville, North Carolina; and Robert Peoples, of Hampton, Tennessee.

Bill Kemsley

There was no one publication that spoke to the needs of backpackers until Bill Kemsley started Backpacker Magazine in 1973. At Backpacker, he published numerous articles and editorials on the Appalachian Trail. He lobbied, held meetings and testified before various hearings in Washington to pass HR8803 in 1978, providing $90 million for land acquisitions to permanently preserve the Appalachian Trail.

He later co-founded the American Hiking Society. As the national voice for America’s hikers, the American Hiking Society promotes and protects foot trails, their surrounding natural areas, and the hiking experience. Among Kemsley's publications are The Backpacker & Hikers Handbook, The Whole Hikers Handbook, and Backpacking Equipment. Over several decades, Bill has provided leadership, inspiration, service and achievement to both the A.T. and the hiking community.

Liz Levers

Elizabeth Levers was known as the "Mother of the A.T." in New York State. She was known for her key activity in the early land acquisition planning for the A.T. in New York as well as setting the standard for AT management for that region. Liz was a no-nonsense woman who devoted her energies seven days a week to the AT after her retirement from an administrative post at Columbia University.

Lever's disgust over the trashed conditions of Harriman Park shelters inspired the creation of Litter Day in 1965. Among her many trail-related roles, Liz served as President of the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference, and director of the Appalachian Trail Conference (now Conservancy).

George Masa

George Masa was a photographer in Asheville, NC early in the 20th century, and his nature scenes were instrumental in garnering support for the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Masa was an immigrant from Japan who arrived in the US in 1914. He also laid out much of the route for the Appalachian Trail on the land that was eventually incorporated into the park. He was a founder and early leader of the Carolina Mountain Club and famously responsible for the club's motto, "More walk, less talk."

Masa's photographs of Mount Oglethorpe contributed to its selection as the initial southern terminus of the AT. While Masa did not live to see the creation of the park and the completion of the Appalachian Trail, he is remembered in the naming of Masa Knob, near Charlie's Bunion. He worked tirelessly with his colleagues Horace Kephart and Paul Fink to preserve and protect the lands and trails of the Smokies.

Bob Peoples

After retiring from the U.S. Air Force in 1988, Bob Peoples decided to devote his life to hiking trails. He initially helped to maintain the Long Trail in Vermont, a portion of which is also the A.T. Then, in 1994, Bob and his late wife Pat purchased a cabin adjacent to the A.T. near Hampton, TN and founded the legendary Kincora Hostel. Thousands of A.T. section and thru-hikers have received Bob’s gracious hospitality there.

Each year, immediately after the Trail Days festival in Damascus, VA, Bob leads the Hard Core crew, comprised of the current year’s class of thru-hikers. For a couple of weeks, Bob and his crew take on the most difficult and challenging trail maintenance tasks on the A.T., before they resume their adventure on the trail. Bob is perhaps the A.T.’s greatest living ambassador, inspiring young people who have experienced the Trail to give back afterwards.
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Seven classes have previously been elected to the A.T. Hall of Fame. The Charter Class, elected in 2011, comprised Myron Avery, Gene Espy, Ed Garvey, Benton MacKaye, Arthur Perkins and Earl Shaffer. Members of the 2012 class were Emma Gatewood, David A. Richie, J. Frank Schairer, Jean Stephenson and William Adams Welch. The 2013 Class was Ruth Blackburn, David Field, David Sherman, David Startzell and Everett Stone. The 2014 Class was A. Rufus Morgan, Charles R. Rinaldi, Clarence S. Stein and Pamela Underhill. The 2015 Class was Nestell K. Anderson, Margaret C. Drummond, Stanley A. Murray and Raymond H. Torrey. In 2016, Maurice J. Forrester, Jr., Horace Kephart, Larry Luxenberg and Henry Arch Nichols were inducted. The 2017 Class was Harlean James, Charles Parry, Mildred Norman Ryder and Matilda Wood.
Jim Foster, chair of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame selection committee, said a 6 p.m. reception will precede the dinner, which begins at 7 p.m. The cost of the reception and dinner is $40 for museum members and $50 for others.
Complete information on the Hall of Fame Banquet is available at https://2018athalloffamebanquet.eventbrite.com Tickets may be purchased either at that website, or directly from the Appalachian Trail Museum by sending a check to:
                                                    Appalachian Trail Museum
                                                   1120 Pine Grove Road
                                                   Gardners, PA 17324
Questions about the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet may be sent to atmbanquet@gmail.com.

The Hall of Fame Banquet will be the kickoff of the Museum’s Hall of Fame Weekend. Questions about the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet may be sent to atmbanquet@gmail.com. For lodging options during the Hall of Fame Weekend, follow THIS LINK.

Appalachian Trail Museum Announces Karen Lutz As Banquet Host; Buc Hill Aces As Reception Musicians

1/10/2018

Karen Lutz will be the Master of Ceremonies for the Eighth Annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet. Karen is the Mid-Atlantic Region Director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. This year’s Banquet will return to the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, PA on Friday, May 4, 2018. Several new members will be inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame during the Banquet. The 2018 Hall of Fame class will be announced in April.

Karen Lutz

Karen joined the staff of the ATC in 1988, after volunteering and being a founding member of the Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club. She is a 1978 2,000 miler and holds a BS degree in health and physical education and an MS in recreation and parks from Penn State. She works closely with 12 volunteer Trail Clubs in the region and dozens of state agency partners. Karen has announced that she will retire later in 2018.

Larry Luxenberg, President and Founder of the Museum, said: “Karen has been a big supporter of the Museum since it was just a concept. She has served as a director of the Museum for several years.”

The Buc Hill Aces will provide music during the reception prior to the Banquet. Based in south-central Pennsylvania, the Buc Hill Aces are Patty Carson, Glenn Carson, Nancy Lockman and Brian Lockman. They play and sing old time Southern Appalachian music on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and bass.

Buc Hill Aces

Jim Foster, chair of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame selection committee, said a 6 p.m. reception will precede the dinner, which begins at 7 p.m. The cost of the reception and dinner is $40 for museum members and $50 for others.

Complete information on the Hall of Fame Banquet is available at https://2018athalloffamebanquet.eventbrite.com Tickets may be purchased either at that website, or directly from the Appalachian Trail Museum by sending a check to:
                                                   Appalachian Trail Museum
                                                   1120 Pine Grove Road
                                                   Gardners, PA 17324
The Hall of Fame Banquet will be the kickoff of the Museum’s Hall of Fame Weekend. Questions about the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet may be sent to atmbanquet@gmail.com.

Nominations for 2018 Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Accepted through January 31

12/1/2017

Nominees for the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Class of 2018 will be accepted through January 31, 2018. The Hall of Fame recognizes those who have made a significant contribution toward establishing and maintaining the approximately 2,190 mile footpath that passes through 14 states from Maine to Georgia.
"The eighth class of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame will be inducted in 2018, and nominations are open for Hall of Fame nominees," said Larry Luxenberg, president of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society – the organization that oversees the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame. "Nominees should be people who have made a significant positive contribution to the Appalachian Trail and who have unselfishly devoted their time, energy and resources toward making the Appalachian Trail a national treasure."

32 individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame in the first seven years. Their names and biographies can be found on the Museum's website, www.atmuseum.org "These pioneers played critical roles in building, maintaining, protecting and publicizing the Appalachian Trail", Luxenberg said.

Nomination criteria and the nominating and selection processes for the 2018 Hall of Fame are:
Criteria - Those eligible for inclusion include anyone who has made an exceptional and positive contribution to the Appalachian Trail or Appalachian Trail community. This could be by leadership, inspiration, service, achievement or innovation. This includes, without limitation, pioneers who conceived of and developed the trail; those who organized or directed major trail organizations like the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Appalachian Trail clubs; maintaining clubs; longtime trail maintainers; leaders who promoted and protected the A.T.; hikers who have made significant accomplishments, and other persons who have enriched the culture or community of the Appalachian Trail by their association with it. Eligible persons can be living or deceased. The emphasis will be on persons who have made their contribution to the A.T. over a long period, whether or not they are still active. Eligibility and selection will be determined without regard to race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, or national origin.
Nominations – Nominations will be solicited from throughout the hiking and trails community. The easiest way to submit a nomination is by using the online site https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B9CSYYF Nominations also may be submitted using the paper nomination form. Copies of the form can be obtained at https://tinyurl.com/y8h2buy2 or by requesting one from the museum. A nominator need not be a member of any hiking organization to submit a nomination. A nominator may only make one nomination per election cycle. Nominators will be asked to justify their nomination in a brief statement that describes the nominee and why he or she fits the criteria.

Deadline for nominations – Tuesday, January 31, 2018.

Hall of Fame Committee; Election – An Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Committee has been selected by the Appalachian Trail Museum Society Board of Directors to supervise the election process and to submit the finalists to the board. That committee is chaired by Jim Foster. Other members of the committee are Noel DeCavalcante, David Field (a 2013 Hall of Fame inductee), Tom Johnson, Brian King, Gwen Loose, Larry Luxenberg (a 2016 inductee) and Bill O’Brien. The Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Committee will deliver the slate of finalists to the museum board in March, for subsequent review and elections. The Appalachian Trail Museum Society Board elected six people to the 2011 Charter Class, five to the 2012 Class, five to the 2013 Class, and four each to the 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 Classes.

Announcement and recognition of inductees – Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame inductees will be announced in early April and the induction ceremony will be on Friday, May 4, 2018, at the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet. Follow THIS LINK for tickets to the Banquet. The inductees will be enshrined on an Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Wall of Honor at the Appalachian Trail Museum. Located in Pine Grove Furnace State Park and at the midway point of the Appalachian Trail, the museum is across from the Pine Grove General Store on Pennsylvania Route 233.

Museum Featured On Podcast

11/13/2017

Recently, the A.T. Museum was featured in the podcast "Effing Weird Museums". HERE is a link to the episode, in which host Emily Morman interviews Museum Manager Nate Shank.

Appalachian Trail Museum Announces Eighth Annual Banquet On May 4, 2018

11/10/2017

Several new members will be inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame on Friday, May 4, 2018, at the eighth annual Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet. This year, the Banquet will return to the Allenberry Resort in Boiling Springs, PA. Allenberry hosted the first six Hall of Fame Banquets. Since being acquired by new ownership in 2016, the Allenberry Resort has been completely renovated.

Jim Foster, chair of the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame selection committee, said a 6 p.m. reception will precede the dinner, which begins at 7 p.m. The cost of the reception and dinner is $40 for museum members and $50 for others.
Larry Luxenberg, President and Founder of the Museum, said: “We’re excited to be able to return to the Allenberry Resort for our 2018 Banquet. The new owners have extensively renovated the Resort. It looks great!!”
Complete information on the Hall of Fame Banquet is available at https://2018athalloffamebanquet.eventbrite.com Tickets may be purchased either at that website, or directly from the Appalachian Trail Museum by sending a check to:
                                                            Appalachian Trail Museum
                                                            1120 Pine Grove Road
                                                            Gardners, PA 17324

The Hall of Fame Banquet will be the kickoff of the Museum’s Hall of Fame Weekend. Questions about the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet may be sent to atmbanquet@gmail.com.