OK, New Englanders, turn your windshield wipers on for this
one...Floyd's here pelting my windows, and I'm hoping that the
power stays up.

Hey gang!  Yep, it's the GONewEngland Blurb, now reaching over
800 people!  And with fun trips like the LABOR DAY CAMPING TRIP,
I can see why folks tend to stick around.  Great trip report for
that at the end of the Blurb this week---thank you all for putting
it together.  It's great, Animal!  And...uhh...Sugar...????  hmmmm...

GO Y2K
Anyway, we've got *tons* of new events out there, including OUR
FIRST ACTIVITY FOR THE YEAR 2000:  A ski trip to Austria with
Samantha from Vermont Outdoor People (http://www.voppers.com).

But to get us into the final year of the millenium (I don't care
if I'm alone on that---I'm *right*, Mary!  :-) ), Suzanne will have
her New Year's Party---hot tub and all.  There may be more on
December 30th as a prelude...Stay tuned for events to be named later.

Hey, I'm just glad the Bulletin Board is Y2K compliant.  And as far
as GONewEngland goes:  Getting Outdoors and Making New Friends
is "Y-not" compliant!

...and you've got to ask yourself "Y-not" when you read about
stuff like this on the Bulletin Board at http://www.GONewEngland.org:

NEW EVENTS
- Meet the Lincoln, NH condo-goers for GONEWENGLAND'S FAVORITE
   HIKE:  LINCOLN/LAFAYETTE/FRANCONIA RIDGE!  Ruth is heading this
   up for Saturday 9/18.  Hotline mailbox #2 if the weather
   looks iffy---but so far it's looking OK.
- Not into Lafayette?  OK, Amy is running a hike to MT JACKSON
   and/or MT WEBSTER over in Crawford Notch.  Same day, 10am at
   the trailhead.  RSVP to Amy for exact plans.
- Jamie's welcoming in Fall with a SATURDAY POT LUCK COOKOUT
   VOLLEYBALL PONG APPLE PICKING GET TOGETHER BASH PARTY.
   September 25th in Salem, NH.
- The Grover Gourmet "Leg of Lamb" backcountry overnighter in
   Shelburne, NH is on for the first weekend in October.  Check it out!
- Samantha G. from Vermont Outdoor People (http://www.voppers.com)
   has sent me a few events to post, including a trip to Austria!
   * Mt. Mansfield Hike - 10/2
   * Camel's Hump - 10/3
   * SKI TRIP IN AUSTRIA! - March 2000 - Buzz an e-mail to Samantha for
     all information
- SAY G'BYE TO SUMMER with Lynne on 10/3 at a party at her home
   in Lowell, MA.  Volleyball, horseshoes, fun folks!  RSVP by 9/29
   so Lynn can get together a food list.
- Something eery is going on in Connecticut, and Machimoodus is
   in the thick of it with Sue and Nick...something about a
   night hike, haunted trails, strange noises, deserted
   cemeteries...<<chills>> -- a week before All Hallow's...

EVENT UPDATES
- Ruth's Condo Weekend in NH (9/17-19) filled up *very* quickly.
   Everyone can meet us for the Saturday hike, though.  See above!
- The "Hot Dog Hike" in CT finalized for 9/18.  Read the description.
   For novices with a few miles under their belts, this one sounds
   like a GREAT adventure and lots of fun!
- Sign up for MOONGAZING on the 18th!  Gary has a few spots left.
   The event has been given Mailbox #3 at the ol' hotline.
   A short Astronomy Club trip report from Gary:
     By the way, I made a trek up to Rangeley, ME this past
     Saturday with some friends from my astronomy club. The
     scenery up that way is absolutely spectacular, both during
     the day and at night. The Milky Way stretched from horizon
     to horizon. I got some incredible sights with my big `scope
     from there. And although I personally didn't see any moose,
     one of my friends did on the drive back to Rangeley State
     Park (excellent camp area) at about 2 AM!  It was nice to be
     greeted in the morning by the call of the loons!

http://www.GONewEngland.org gets you all the info---and more.
Remember to check out the other events.  Only the new and updated
ones are reported here, but there are *more*!!!

SOME OF THE ABOVE EVENTS...
...were revealed on the GONewEngland-Chat e-group.  I *won't*
tell you what the conversation is about this week...I'm just
going to keep it under my kilt...uhhh, I mean hat.
mailto:GONewEngland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com to join in
on whatever-it-is we do.  You *must* be subscribed to post
to the list, btw, but you can read everything at:
http://www.egroups.com/lists/gonewengland-chat

HOTLINE
Going to an event that has a Hotline Mailbox #?  Dial
978.640.0335 from a touch-tone phone, hit * and then the
mailbox number.  If there are any late-breaking changes to the
activity, you'll hear about it there.

PROMOTIONS/ADS
Reminder that we have an Ads page at the Web Site!  It's for links
to and ads for businesses who have provided *us* something in return.
The latest and greatest thing out there is Packbaskets.  Please visit,
and when you wish to purchase something from them, remember to follow
that link again to get to their site.  GONewEngland receives a small
commission for each sale which will be used to help pay for the domain
name and other miscellaneous stuff.

E-ADDRESS CHANGE
Our Motivator/Welcoming Committee Kathy K. has a new e-mail address:
	 kakelley@...

The e-addresses for the rest of the Crew hasn't changed:
kleonard@..., Renattalee@..., socialdirector@....
You may also see Your Webmaster on the AOL or Yahoo! IM thingy
as 'kltron' or ICQ at 34052014.

====
ADMINISTRIVIA
- Got questions/issues/comments?  GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com
- The Roman Baths in Bath, England were originally built by the Celts
- The Site: http://www.GONewEngland.org
- Hotline: 978.640.0335 * + mailbox number
- Events by e-mail:
   mailto:events-text@...
   mailto:events-html@...
====

Yep, a day late, and blown in by the wind and the rain.  But there
ya go!  Now it's time for me to get the Bulletin Board updated
and then get to some other things...

But before I go...

	 With the next Blurb it'll be Fall...Yep, summer's over,
	 but to many people that's the end of the outdoors season.
	 Don't despair!  :-)  Hiking is the best this time of
	 year.  Can't have pumpkins or harvest festivals in
   	 May, can we?  We always have fun things to do in the
	 colder weather, too.  It's what *you* make of it.

	 My advice?  Make it Getting Outdoors and Making New
	 Friends...:-)

I hope everyone gets out and enjoys this weekend...safely...

...kl...

=-=-=-=
LABOR DAY CAMPING TRIP REPORT
- From Adina (RogatAR@...), with contributions from everyone!

Labor Day Weekend at Scenic View Campground in Warren, NH

The weekend began innocently enough, with Sandra and Annabel (Animal) somehow
managing to lose Cheryl's car in front of them on 93. Which would have been fine
if Sandra had directions to the campground. Or for that matter, knew the name of
the campground, or the town it was in. Good thing Animal was a thinking girl and
knew that the campground was called Scenic View (which it kinda wasn't, but I
digress.)

So Sandra tried hard to be brave for Animal by not panicking. She used her
cellphone to call various friends, hoping someone could look up "Scenic View" on
the Internet. Animal's friend at the MIT tennis courts needed a little too much
technical phone support to be useful, and no one else was around. Finally
Sandra's brother in law in Vermont agreed get on the Net and try to find the
godforsaken place. It wasn't until she had hung up with him that Sandra had the
brainstorm to call Cheryl's house, where Cheryl's mom was expecting her call,
and more than happy to give her both directions to Scenic View AND Cheryl's
cellphone number. All was golden.

So we were car camping.... Weren't we? If you count an extra quarter-mile hike
to the campsite car camping. (We weren't wise to the
get-the-golf-cart-to-transport-your-stuff rule till we left Monday ...Sugar (aka
Jamie) kept that from us) No problem, though, we were pretty far off the beaten
path. The layout of the group site was a little strange, but besides Sandra and
Animal's tent ending up practically on top of Jeff and Adina's (with Gwen more
than happy to put her canine tent-opening skills to good use Saturday morning by
heading out of Jeff and Adina's tent and right into Sandra and Animal's), all
was OK.

Cheryl and Beth stayed in Jamie's tent (all Jamie's loaner tents come fully
assembled!).

Then came Saturday's hike, bright and early Saturday morning. If you count noon
as bright and early. But Jeff and Sandra had had their coffee, Adina and Geetha
had had their tea (and Geetha her hard-boiled eggs and cereal as well)-we were
all good to go. Or at least, good to hang back and relax and keep the fire going
for the rest of us, in the case of Adina, Jeff, and Gwen. As hikes will do, this
one provided a good chance for Jamie, Sandra, Animal, Beth and Cheryl to get to
find out intimate details about one another. Like, Jamie and Sandra not only
went to the same college, but they lived in the same dorm. And Beth and Annabel
both like tennis. (But Animal REALLY likes basketball.) We all caught up with
Bill and Geetha, who had started off earlier, knowing they'd take a little
longer, but Geetha had the promise of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich to
keep her going up, up, and up.

At the top, Sugar unloaded his, um, sugar.  Hence Jamie's new nickname. We had
enough candy to stock Willy Wonka. Should we mention how Annabel ran down
Moosilauke ahead of everyone so we all thought she was lost?   After Bill and
Geetha's great dinner Saturday night we had to go to the Yewt's Dance, which was
lame, although Jeff and Adina got some nice slow dances in. Awwww. (And wasn't
that Gwen trying to join mommy and daddy in a dance or two?)  Jamie and Cheryl
were the only one's in our group brave enough to join the chicken dance.

The stars, of course, were amazing. We could all find the Big Dipper, but as
for the other stuff ... well, we're sure it was there. (Sandra)

On Sunday, we found out about the 9 big (18") trout escaped from the local
hatchery down the stream from us and 2 made it down to our site.  The first
night we didn't know about the breakout so the splashing around had the hair on
some people's neck standing up. The next morning a guy with a net caught one of
the fish.  (Too bad we didn't think to take a picture!)  Cheryl should have
brought a net rather than a pole - except it is illegal to catch fish with a net
in NH.

Bill and Geetha had to head home for work - sorry Geetha! We missed you guys!

Cheryl took off and went fishing, catching a bunch of little fish that were
returned to the wild (until Monday when she finally caught a nice 12" brook
trout - we heard her dinner back home was yummy!)

The rest of us headed out to find a pond/lake for kayaking, sun and fun!  We
learned a few things - anyone can kayak - including Gwen!  When not playing
frisbee/football (and making everyone tired just watching her and her tons of
energy), she was hitching a ride with Jeff in the kayak! She looked great as a
bow ornament!!

Jamie retired as the reigning ping-pong champion (after only 2 games) though
Beth was ahead the whole game till double match point. Sandra's serve was
returned off the table most of the time.

Great food, greater people and biggest ice cream cones all in one weekend!

The perfect end of summer weekend.  Many new friends were made, and fun was had
by all!

Thank you Sandra, Jamie, Annabel, Cheryl, Beth, Bill & Geetha and Jeff & Adina!

WARNING - don't let Sandra tell you who you look like!!

=-=-=-=

Hello Get Outdoors New England-type folks!

Another week has flown by!  And I've gotta thank the
people who have signed up to receive this here Blurb---
we're now inches away from 800 people.  Yes, my original
thinking was 20 or 30 people...hmmmm...Well, if you're going to
misjudge something horribly, it might as well be something like
that.  So *welcome*, and please join in.

Lots of interesting stuff this week (as always---and I am
unanimous in that!  :-) )...

PHOTOGRAPHS AND MEMORIES
* Check out some photographs from Rob "Machimoodus" O'Keefe
(machimoodus@...), who did two hikes in the Southern
Appalachians this past weekend.  Point your Browser at
http://www.angelfire.com/ok2/machimoodus, and scroll down
to "Mitchell" and "Rogers".  Also check out the pics from his
trip to Mt. Colden.  Rob didn't want to "bore" us with any trip
reports this week, according to what he told the chat group, so
we'll just have to view the pictures.  :-)

* Mary Ennis (Mary_Ennis@...) dropped me this neat trip report
about Labor Day Weekend Camping and the hikes they did:

We had an incredible weekend in New Hampshire over Labor Day. Saturday,
most of us headed over to the Balds. If you've never hiked them because you
think that they're not big enough, you're missing a spectacular hike. After
an initial slog through the woods, you emerge at the shelter. From that
point on, there's nothing but views -- the Maine section of the Appalachian
chain stretches out behind you as you climb up the granite rockface. A
little tough if you're legs aren't long, but lots of fun! And, believe it
or not, blueberries everywhere, which we made sure didn't go to waste. From
the top, the Whites march off in front of you as far as the eye can see.
Maximum views, fun climb, no death march required. What more could you
want?

Sunday, Jefferson was the goal. The group split with half taking the Castle
Rock trail and the other half heading up Cap Ridge. This hike is now one of
my favorites in the Whites -- I love climbing up and over rocks. It's like
being a kid again. Helps preserve the feet too, though my hand may not
forgive me anytime soon.  I want to congratulate Kim, a newcomer to
GONewEngland. She wasn't sure she'd make it up, but she never gave
up. Check out http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Lane/7319/  for the
triumph on her face when she summited. That's the look of a hiker
who's hooked for life. To see the photos from the rest of the
weekend, use the index on the left and click on
Sept'99/ Mt. Bald/Mt Jefferson. Special thanks to Laura H.
our trip photographer.

Rob, Mary:  THANKS for sending those in!  And congrats, Kim!
Isn't hitting a summit wonderful??  :-)

Ohhhh...*one more* very interesting report came in on the Chat
Group this week from Ern and Anneke in Maine.  Ern had an interesting
adventure that reminds us all to be *very* careful during dry
seasons like this past summer.  The report is included below.

** Not on the e-mail discussion/chat list?  Get in on it!  It's free,
   low traffic, and fun!  Send a blank e-mail to:
	 gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com

Sometimes on the chat list we buzz e-mail around about these
things:

NEW EVENTS
- Stay at a CONDO IN LINCOLN, NH 9/17-9/19 with Ruth.  *VERY* limited
   number of spots---may even be filled already, but you can try...:-)
- Head out to the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary for MOONGAZING with
   Gary on 9/18 (weather permitting).  Please RSVP, as this fun and
   educational event will fill quickly.
- Alison is getting back into the act:  SCUBA FOR "TREASURE" in
   Newport, RI on 9/26.  Win prizes for finding "treasure"!
- Lynn M. will be running a FALL FOLIAGE BIKING WEEKEND the first
   weekend in October.  Sign up and roll 'em out!
- Mary E. and Laura H. will be spending Columbus Day Weekend in
   the Whites at LAFAYETTE CAMPGROUND.  Sign up for this fun weekend,
   and you will have the pleasure of meeting fellow hikers from
   Dublin, Ireland!

EVENT UPDATE
- Kair's 9/18 Duck Tour event had one cancellation, so there's a
   seat available!  Contact Kair at kair_tucker@... if
   you'd be interested in taking a Duck Tour.

Please remember to check back on Friday morning for any late
updates!

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com - for all your questions/comments!
   Kathy (Welcoming Committee/Motivator), Moi (Webmaster),
   Gizmo (Mascot), and Alan (Social Director)
Americans - work an average of 1966 hours per year (world's highest)
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
events-text@... - Text copy of the events by e-mail
events-html@... - HTML
=====

OK, time to update the Bulletin Board---it'll be out there in
a little while with details of some of the NEW EVENTS listed
above, certainly by the time most of you read this.  Then
it'll be time for sleepies...z.zz...zz.zz.zz.z...

But before I go...

	 Allen Funt, creator of Candid Microphone and its TV
	 follow-on Candid Camera, passed away a few days ago at 84.
	 Back in the 40s he started giving us a glimpse of
	 people "caught in the act of being themselves," and the
	 tradition continues today with his son at the helm.

	 We're always so uptight about maintaining appearances,
	 but Allen held up a mirror to all of us and let us see
	 what we're like when our guard is down.  And it made
	 the world laugh.  Today we're still laughing!

	 I guess even with our "modern society", human
	 nature hasn't really changed all that much, and I suspect
	 it never will.  We're still just as silly, just as funny,
	 just as unpredictable, and just as apt to bust
	 out laughing when someone says, "Smile!  You're on
	 Candid Camera!"

Have a safe and fun weekend!

...kl...
======-----======
(Originally posted to the GONewEngland-Chat e-group.)
From---Ern and Anneke Grover (ern-anneke@...)
Subject---Smoke in the Air

Church was great this morning, but to be honest, my stomach was grumbling
all during the sermon.  It was a good thing there were a few "amens" to
drown out my hungry stomach.

On the way home I asked Anneke, "Shall I make brunch?"

"Go for it!" she replied in her broken accent.  She's so cute when using
American slang with a Dutch accent.

Sundays are special, and they are "laid-back" days for us.  It's a time
to have a second breakfast, take a nap, perhaps a walk, and maybe go out
for an ice cream.

After we had brunch (scrambled eggs, bacon, English muffins, and coffee),
Anneke puttered in the garden.  I found a good book to read, but I soon
fell asleep in the recliner.  When she came in, she announced she wanted
to go to Wally-World to look at "dead and neglected" plants.

We headed out, arrived in a few minutes, but they had little to offer.
She brought back some tulip bulbs for fall planting, and I got some
hardware items.  I hate shopping!

Back home, I made a quick cup of Cappuccino for each of us.  The
neighborhood was unusually quiet as we sat on the deck sipping on the
brew.  Buddy was on her leash under the oak tree and begged to come up on
the deck to be a nuisance.  She must have thought we were eating
something.

I changed my shoes, grabbed the least and my "ugly stick".  I carry a
broken shovel handle with me when I go walking in order to protect Buddy
and myself from loose dogs in the neighborhood.  Fortunately I've not had
to use it but once, and then I only had to wave it in the air.  The
intruder soon fled in the opposite direction.

We were almost at the edge of the woods where the path to Beaver Hill
cuts through several acres of uninhabited woods.  Buddy stopped, then I
also smelled it.  Smoke was in the air coming from the direction of the
pathway ahead of us.  Within a minute we came upon four fires ablaze near
a large boulder.  Leaves were burning and the flames were visible.  I'm
not saying it was an "out of control" situation, but with the wind
beginning to pick up, it would soon be a problem.

1947 was the year of my birth, and it was also the year Maine lost
millions of acres of timberland during a long dry summer.  Three counties
in southern Maine were virtually destroyed by that tragic fire.
Thousands were homeless.  When spring came, hardwood seeds sprouted
everywhere because of the fire of the previous season.  Southern Maine
now has hardwood forest as being predominant.

I retreated to the closest house, but no one was home.  The doors were
open, the garage was open, but I didn't take the liberty to trespass.
Instead I went to the next neighbor.  Lin Sam and his wife, a Cambodian
couple, were home.  In my best Cambodian (I'm really kidding here), I
asked him for some water and buckets.  He also smelled the smoke.  Soon
we were running in the direction of the fire with four 5-gallon buckets
of water.

The growing flames were soon quenched, but I was amazed at how quickly
the fire had spread.  Whoever started the four fires on and around the
boulder certainly didn't realize the dangerous forest floor conditions.
Two of the fires were actually intentionally started on two flat spots on
the large boulder.  We didn't have enough water to douse the other three
areas, but the largest fire was extinguished.  We decided, then and
there, that we should phone the fire department and let them do their
job.

They arrived within minutes with Forest 1, and they began digging around
the perimeter of the boulder to check for underground burning.  One of
the firemen reeled out the tanker hose and arrived at the scene.  As he
poured the water around the area, steam rose from the hot earth.
Apparently our efforts were sufficient to dampen the spirits of the
surface flames, but the dry peat-like earth beneath was ripe tinder for a
serious fire.

From the outset, it didn't look like a very serious scenario.  However,
with the wind picking up, it could have turned to become a nasty
situation.  It wouldn't have taken very long for the dry tinder and
debris to flame up quickly with the right conditions.

So our day wasn't uneventful.  Buddy returned to beneath the oak tree to
resume her dreams of chasing the butcher truck and all her doggie
friends.  I returned to the recliner and fell asleep again with my book.

So I guess my advice to all on this list would be to exercise extreme
caution in these New England woods.

=-=-=-=-=

Hello GONewEnglanders!

Welcome to *September*!

There are about 780 of us out here now.  If you are new, you
are *more than welcome*, and I invite you to participate.  Get
Outdoors New England is yours:  YOU make it what it is!  So
find a neat activity or run one.  You will meet some fine people
and do interesting things, like:

NEW EVENTS
- Ty T. is training to run 5Ks, and he'd like folks to run with.  He'll
   be running regularly at Tufts (Somerville, MA).  And be watching
   for Ty's snowboarding lessons!
- Gary M. has a splendid bike ride planned for you on 9/5.  You'll
   be taking in the Gloucester (MA) Schooner Festival---and more.
- The next entry in Rob's weekly hikes in the evening will be
   9/8 to Ragged Mt. in CT, as folks on the chat list learned
   about earlier this week.

---> Details:  See http://www.gonewengland.org

But THAT'S NOT ALL!  There are several things going on for
the upcoming long weekend beyond Gary's excellent biking
adventure, including camping trips, beginner rock climbing (which
fills up, so RSVP to Matt ASAP!), and an outdoors fest in the
Gunstock, NH area.  Plus if someone has an event for this weekend,
just get it to yer ol' Webmaster as soon as possible---folks usually
check back to the Bulletin Board on Friday morning (Thursday
evening deadline).

And later on in the week to come, yep, it's our late summer trip to
Acadia!  Alan and Dan anxiously await your e-mail RSVP.  Everyone I've
met up with who's going to Acadia can't wait to get there---and for good
reason.  Never been?  GONewEngland's Acadia trips are a great way
to get to know this fabulous place.

THIS WEEK'S REPORTS
- MOOSE and MORE!  Ruth's great report about her recent trip to
   Nova Scotia, as promised.
- RATTLED on RATTLESNAKE MT.!  Rob & Co. tell us why a GPS can be
   a good thing.
...You'll see these reports at the end of this week's Blurb.  Thank
you Ruth!  Thank you Rob!

LAST CHANCE!
Your last chance to visit the Swap Shop page at the GONewEngland
web site for Matt's whitewater rafting gear for sale.

WEB SITE WOES
Gaak!  The Send in an Event and Survey forms keep breaking!
My ISP assures me that this will be fixed.  I take that to mean
"eventually..."  OK, if you submit either form and it does not
work, just send me the information in e-mail.  Apologies for
all this...What a pain!

STILL CHATTIN'
Don't miss another exciting episode!  Now we're into discussing
WHITEWATER RAFTING and possible events on the e-mail discussion/chat
group.  Would you like to join?  Send a blank e-mail to:
	 gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com
* Low traffic * Good discussions * Easy to unsubscribe from

=====

ADMINISTRIVIA
Contacts - GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com (Welcoming Committee/Motivator
   Kathy, Webmaster Ken, Mascot Gizmo, and Social Director Alan)
Otis, Oregon - is for sale...192 acres, buildings, post office, more.  $3M.
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + Mailbox number (if the event has one)
Events by e-mail:
	 mailto:events-text@...
	 mailto:events-html@...

=====

Whew...Well, I'm going to update the Bulletin Board now, so you'll
see the fresh activities out there in a little while (probably by
the time most of you read this).  Then it's time for bed!

But before I go...

	 Wow, it's September already...But don't get discouraged!
	 4 out of 5 hikers prefer hiking in the fall.  New England's
	 foliage cannot be beat.  Think about the smell of a wood
	 stove on a cool, crisp morning.  Think about how bright the
	 moon is on clear, dry evenings.  Get ready for the multitude
	 of harvest festivals.

	 Life isn't over just because we're moving into the cooler
	 months.  It's only discouraging if you dwell on how
	 much you'll miss the summer and don't consider what New England
	 has to offer year 'round!

Enjoy the long weekend---safely!

...kl...

-=-=-=-
TRIP REPORTS
From Ruth Carson ruthcarson@...
(Our friend Ruth has taken the summer off from work, and
  she's not sitting still.  Nope, not Ruth...:-) )

I'm just back from a vacation in Nova Scotia (yeah, I know, my whole
summer has been a vacation).  Well, I can now personally confirm that
the northwestern section of Cape Breton, has an abundance of Moose.
Tim and I were hiking on a popular trail called the Skyline Trail.
We had just observed some pilot whales out in the Gulf of St. Lawrence
swimming and spouting just offshore, and were heading back to the
trailhead when we heard a rather loud branch-cracking sound nearby.  So
we crouched down and were vewy vewy quiet... and we heard some more
sounds.  And then we saw the big moose shuffling along very close to
where we were.  And she snorted at us, too - maybe to let us know that
she was aware of our presence.  So Tim thought it best that we head
down the trail a little bit, so as not to spook her.  Reluctantly I
did.  Then the moose stuck her head out of the brush and looked right
at us.  Then she stepped out in the trail and crossed over it into the
brush on the other side.  Tim should have a couple of good pictures to
show of our closest encounter yet with a moose.

Later that day - around 6:30, as we were driving up the top of a
mountain on the Cabot Trail, heading back to our hotel, we saw another
female moose come out of the woods, with a colt following right behind
her.  They were drinking from puddles of water in a gully on the side
of the road.  To our amazement, about 100 feet behind us, another
mother and colt came out of the woods and were doing the same thing.
However some lunatics that were on the other side of the road had to
get out of their car and take pictures - and then decided to get even
closer to take more pictures, thereby spooking the moose and sending
them fleeing into the woods.   We decided to wait and see if they came
back out, and they did.  In fact the baby started suckling right there!
This was National Geographic in real life.  However, a camper came
lumbering up the mountain honking its horn at the moose that were
still 100 feet behind and partly in the road - and so all the moose
went fleeing into the woods.  I can't understand why anyone would be in
such a big hurry that they wouldn't want to stop and watch the moose
for a while.  I could watch them all day.

Oh well, that's my story.  Lots of moose up there!

- Ruth

-----

From Rob O. a.k.a. Machimoodus machimoodus@...

WHEN:  August 26, 1999
WHERE: Metacomet Trail …Farmington/New Britain
WHO:   SueIamSue, Nancy,  Uncle Nick and Machimoodus (Humans)
                 Teiko and Angelica (Four legged travelers)

I've spent most of my adult life in pursuit of backcountry adventures.   I
have roamed the countryside of New England far and wide on a quest for new and
challenging destinations.  Each year I go a little father afield.  Each year I
try a more adventurous expedition than the last.  I have now been a great many
places in our quadrant of the nation.  Some areas are remote enough to require
expert navigation skills.  Others are home to ferocious beasts and terrain
that breaks the wills of men.  They are far removed from the suburban sprawl
of Central Connecticut, which I call home.

So it was a mighty queer feeling to get "lost" last Thursday in the center of
probably the most suburbanized state in the nation.   Never out of earshot of
the highway, nonetheless we were as lost lambs in some hideous labyrinth of
suburban jungle. Slippery rocks, daunting precipices, … real and horrible
pitfalls did await us.  Would we survive the wrath of the elements? Worse
still, would our cars be towed? Would our co-workers even miss us on Friday?
Who knew!!!

As with most disasters, this ordeal started out harmlessly enough.  We began our
uncertain march up Rattlesnake Mt under ominous skies, the damp cloak of mist
keeping them rattlers at bay.  That was just as well for us.  We couldn't afford
any extra diversions.  Not 100 yards into the journey and we were already
second-guessing the route we had taken.  A jumble of criss-crossing paths--all
of which were unmarked--continually weaved their way on, off and over the
(main?) trail.  Scarcely a wink of an hour went by before 4 sets of eyes were
scouring the countryside for the next blue blaze.  It was a harbinger of things
to come.

Through patient searching eventually we located the next blue-blaze and a
bunch of nifty attractions as well. We saw cliffs and crags that awakened
wonder and awe in us all.  We also found a curious little cave where it was
said some Indian squaws once hid a notorious troublemaker back in the 1600's.
Darkness was a distant worry on our minds as we reveled in our explorations.
At this early juncture, daylight was still on our side and the obvious choice
of "up" always seemed to pan out navigationally.

But night is a stealthy adversary in the woods on late summer days. It would
eventually catch us unaware as we fought to make sense of a trail that simply
seemed to vanish into the verdant thickets.  Through a tangle of prickers and
briars, we managed to regain our bearings but light now faded fast.  A few
choice words summarizing the situation were offered around.  "We're going to
die," was perhaps the most frequently verbalized among them.  The first notes
from "Dueling Banjos" ran a close second.  Mostly it was just jovial ribbing
and jest.  Despite our predicament, we were having fun!  This was Connecticut
after all.  No one gets lost in Connecticut.  Besides, we hadn't seen any
piles of rocks or strange wind-charms hanging from trees … Not yet at least!

Through the inky unknown we slogged. Progress was slow. We kept our spirits
high by amusing ourselves with the situation at hand. Finally we emerged on
the familiar ground of an old NIKE site.   Deliverance was at hand! We would
live to tell the tale.  Our trials did not end there, however.  We had to
endure other tribulations at the Friendly's in New Britain ... But that's
another story

machimoodus
-=-=-=-

Hello Get Outdoors New Englanders!

It's time for the GONewEngland E-mail Newsletter Blurb Thing!
(Unsubscribing instructions are waaayyyyy at the bottom where
I hope you can't find them...)

WELCOME TO OUR READERS!
Your Webmaster has been getting queries about GONewEngland since
our stories were printed in the Community Newspaper Company papers
here in Massachusetts.  And we have some readers out here who have
signed on to receive The Blurb.  WELCOME!  Check out the Bulletin
Board at the web site, and Get Outdoors and Make New Friends!
When you feel up to it, you can propose and run an activity yourself.
Just fill in the handy Event form at the web site, and that'll
do it.

And speaking of getting out on activities...

IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT...
Hey everyone!  If you've signed up for an event and can't make it,
please send e-mail to the person running the event.  Please
do so even if it's after-the-fact (but earlier is better).

More often than not the person running the activity will be going
out of his or her way to meet up with you, so please try to
give as much notice as you can if you won't be able to make it.

Thank you a ton and a bunch---from all of us who run these
fun activities!

And speaking of getting out on activities...

NEW/UPDATED EVENTS
...all event information:  http://www.GONewEngland.org
- Our REGULAR THURSDAY EVENING HIKE 8/26 is heading to
   RATTLESNAKE MT.  Join Rob and Sue, and read some trip reports
   below from Rob (he does a super job on them, don't ya think?).
- On Sunday 8/29 our Motivator/Welcoming Committee Kathy K. is
   running a moderate hike in the Whites:  MT. CARRIGAIN.  Looks
   like some rain, but the event will run if it's only some
   light showers.  Check the hotline anyway, mailbox 3.
- Matt and Erik's BEGINNER ROCK CLIMB in Leominster was
   erroneously listed...it is on 9/4 at 10am, so you've got
   time to sign up!  Learn the basics of rock climbing on a
   friendly wall with experienced climbers.  These events fill
   quickly, so RSVP as soon as you can.

CHOA CO-EVENT CANCELLED
- Due to a new job and a hectic work schedule, Don S. has
   cancelled the September Mt. Washington trip with CHOA.  He
   asked me to remind you that if you're in the North Carolina
   area and are looking for some outdoor activities, drop by
   the CHOA site and head out with them as a guest!
   http://www.choa.com

IS CANAAN, VT THE MOOSE MECCA?
Seems several moose have temporarily migrated to Vermont
for a quick stay.  Thanks to Eric S. for forwarding me the story:
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/234/travel/Moose_Mecca+.shtml

...and Ruth is trying to convince me there are moose *living*
in Nova Scotia.  Maybe they're only passing through on the way
back to New Hampshire.  If she'll give me permission, I'd like
to publish her story here for next week.  What say, Ruth?  :-)

====
ADMINISTRIVIA
Contact us - mailto:GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com
Ouray, Colorado - is installing a traffic light...the city's *first*
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + mailbox #
Events by e-mail - send a blank e-mail to:
* events-text@... (for a text copy of events)
* events-html@... (for HTML copies)

====

Whew...I've been working late, so it's really time for me to
get to bed!  Fortunately my cable modem is up and running, so
I'm *back on the air* and can give you the same level of
service as before...well, maybe one of these days it'll eventually
be better...;-)

But before I go...

	 The Peregrine Falcon was taken off the endangered species
	 list.  That's an important milestone---their numbers were
	 decimated by DDT in the 70s, but now they are coming back.

	 But they are not plentiful.  There are three known nesting
	 pairs in Massachusetts, and that's it.  Although they are
	 no longer protected, it shouldn't mean that folks should
	 go messing with them or evicting them from where they made
	 their home.  Nor should they be trapped and domesticated.

	 Let's hope people have learned a little bit of respect
	 for this wonderful creature and will continue to observe
	 and be amazed by it from afar.

	 I'm encouraged as animals are taken off the endangered
	 species list.  It simply means that, in general, we humans
	 are beginning to learn from our mistakes and are taking
	 steps to correct the damage.  It is unfortunate that
	 it has to be legislated, but sometimes people just can't
	 see straight to do what's right---which got too many
	 species of animals into trouble in the first place.

	 One small step...

	 And, yes, a *fly* has just been declared an endangered
	 species in the southwest, the first insect to have been
	 put on the list.  We aren't out of the woods yet (and if
	 we were, we wouldn't have those owl problems...)

OK, what's below are TWO fun trip reports from Rob!  THANK YOU!

Enjoy, and be safe.

...kl...

====TRIP REPORT!
High Peaks - Rob O. - machimoodus@...

Date: August 21 & 22
Place: High Peaks Region ... Essex County ... New York
Trail: Several (Van Hovenburg, Wright, Algonquin, Lake Colden, Avalanche Pass
and Marcy Dam)

Weather:  Cool and Cloudy ... 50's to maybe 60

This was a long and rugged route through some of the most spectacular
scenery in the East.  The grandeur was both humbling and awe
inspiring.  In all my travels, few places have I been witness to a
more sublime assembly of Earth, water and forest.  What presents
itself to the viewer at the narrow gorge of Avalanche Pass
simply can not be described with language.

Our journey began under threatening skies with a trek up Wright Peak (4,580).
Mt. Colden had been our original destination that day but the iffy weather made
us rethink our plans.  So instead of death-defying heroics on Colden's slick and
slippery slides, we opted for an ambitious 13 mile loop over hill and dale. 
This choice was far from disappointing.  After some steady climbing we reached
the steep summit cone of Wright and a solemn bit of history as well. Here,
strewn about the alpine landscape, lays the wreckage of a B-47 Bomber that
crashed in 1962.  A plaque memorializes the airmen who perished.  It's difficult
not to feel stirred by the ghosts of the men who met their fate here on this
windswept and lonely outpost all those years ago.

We moved on, spurred by the ever-pervasive chill that the damp winds supplied
unceasingly.  After dipping back down several hundred feet to the shelter of the
trees, we were climbing again with renewed vigor.  This time it was up to the
alpine garden of New York's second highest summit.  On Algonquin (5,114), we
caught up with a friendly fellow we met descending Wright.  He was doing
revegetation studies when we made his acquaintance for the second time that day.
The news for the most part is good.  The fragile alpine meadow is rebounding on
Algonquin and some of the other summits in the High Peaks region. But
restoration is excruciatingly slow.  It is far better to conserve the resource
rather than try to restore it.  My hat is off to you, Matt, for your important
work!

After a brief lunch we headed down the backside of Algonquin towards the lakes.
The view of Colden's slides loomed before throughout our descent  Usually,
reaching a summit is the climax of any hike.  Not so on this particular trek.
The scenery in the tight, constricting squeeze of Avalanche Pass rivals that of
any sweeping vista. Gazing up at billion year old rocks that plunge straight
down into the murky depths of Avalanche Lake is a spiritual experience.   Sheer
rock walls rise to stupendous heights, straight out of the water,  before
leveling out to less precarious degrees of incline.  They stretch ever skyward,
as if to grasp the clouds themselves and pull them angrily down into the
unfathomed depths below.  The trail that threads this wonderment is a series of
ladders, bridges and planks.  Every turn provides another hypnotizing vantage
point.   Every twist reminds you of how insignificant you are.  It's easy to
feel akin to a Lilliputian who has stumbled upon a land of !
gian
ts.

What a powerful story them thar hills do tell ...

====
Mt. Higby - Rob O. - machimoodus@...
[Note:  This is one of a regular series of evening hikes!  ...kl...]

WHERE: Mt. Higby ... Middlefield, CT.
WHEN:  August 19, 1999
TRAIL: Mattabasset

Four lovely ladies accompanied this lucky lad up to what is, IMHO at least, one
of the loveliest vistas in all of Connecticut.  Mt. Higby is one jewel I never
tire of.  A short but tremendously rewarding hike, this scenic trap-rock ridge
has a charm that not even the constant buzz of nearby Interstate 91 can
diminish.

Despite giving erroneous directions (I tried to recite them from memory and my
memory served me wrong) everybody found the trailhead no worse for wear. The
first 3/4 of a mile parallel busy Rt. 66 before turning up and into the woods. 
And though not extremely taxing on the body, Higby has a few steep pitches
before leveling off to a graceful ridgetop stroll.  You'll catch your breath!

The sun was dipping low on the horizon when we reached pinnacle rock. For our
efforts, we were treated to a fiery "postcard" sunset over the hulk of nearby
West Peak.  At times it was easy to imagine the sun could set the very ridge we
were standing on ablaze.  The forest in the lower CT River Valley is a
tinderbox. Effects of the drought are accentuated on the ridge.  Trees are
turning color and losing their leaves.  A "false fall" pervades the mountain's
upper reaches.  I sincerely hope the vegetation can recover.

=====

Hello Get Outdoors New England-type Folks!

A *special* update:

THE FIRST NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ABOUT GONEWENGLAND IS ON THE STANDS!

We are featured in the Sports section of several of the
Massachusetts-based Community Newspaper Company local editions,
including (at least) The Tewksbury Advertiser and The Winchester
Star.  At your newsstand *now*!  See
	 http://www.townonline.com
for the newspaper nearest you.

I just picked up the 8/19 Tewksbury Advertiser, which contains the
article:
   "Computer club keeps New Englanders posted on the best places to hike"
and an accompanying side-bar:
   "A Closer Look at some of New England's Finest Hikes"
...on the first page of the sports section.

The main article is there with a pic of Your Webmaster and
the PC where all this Blurb stuff comes from.  The article is about Get
Outdoors New England (how it started, what we do, and so on).
The second article is from the "Top Ten List" that we all did---but
it's *all us*, not mixed with anyone else!  Very cool!  Acadia,
Mt. W., and Franconia Ridge figure prominently, of course (no
surprise there).  I believe they looked at the list we sent in
with a slant toward good/interesting hiking places.

For an on-line sneak peek, The Winchester Star put a snippet of the
first article out onto the web:
http://www.townonline.com/northwest/winchester/sports/spoWShike_08-19_22.html

Oh, if you pick up the paper, you'll see photos in front of my PC
in the picture...If you can make them out at all, they are:
- Me "posing" at our *first* event (3/97, run by Dayhike with Deb's Deb)
   to Lonesome Lake.
- A bunch of cyclers resting.  It may have been in Acadia, but I'm
   not sure.
- A trip in the snow to Arethusa Falls (where we first met Tom S.
   (sans Tammy the Wonder Dog that day)).  Laura H. is there, too.
- A cross-country ski outing to Norsk.  In the pic are Mike & Tammy.

Check it out!  It's a really wonderful and positive article,
and it's taken over 2 1/2 wonderful and positive years to write
with the help of all 758 of you out there (and growing...)
My hat is off to the Community Newspaper Company for giving us
the opportunity to tell people about what we do.

Thanks to everyone for their input, especially on the "Top Ten"
survey.  You've helped make this important milestone possible.

=== ===

And now....Back to regular Blurb-type-stuff:

UNSETTLED WEEKEND
Looks like there may be some on-and-off unsettled weekend weather.
If you're planning on heading out on an event and the weather
is iffy, you may want to contact the person running the
activity to see what the rain plans are.  Chris N. will cancel
The Basin hike if it's raining, and she indicated to me she's
leaning in that direction, given the forecast.  Other folks
running the other weekend events will handle things differently, so
it's best to just ask when no Hotline Mailbox is assigned.

OK, that's it from GONewEngland Central!

Enjoy the weekend!

...kl...

Hello GONewEnglanders!

Now back to a more 'regular'-type Get Outdoors New England
E-mail Blurb Thing.  If you don't want to receive this, see
the very bottom for unsubscribing instructions.  But I think
you *do* want to continue receiving this, so you'll learn about
our NEW ACTIVITIES:

- Rob & Co's Thursday evening hike (8/19) will be Mt. Higby in CT.
- Join Matt and Erik for a repeat of the BEGINNER ROCK CLIMB
   on 8/21.  Leominster, MA.  See you on the rocks!
- From the rocks to The Basin:  Join Chris N. and Mike K. for
   a light hike and maybe a swim in/around The Basin in Franconia
   Notch, NH.  Remember your lunch for a picnic!  8/21.
- Adina and Cheryl have three Labor Day Weekend sites reserved for
   10 of us at the Lost River Campground in North Woodstock, NH.
   ** RSVP by Friday, 8/20 to RogatAR@...!!! **

If you'd like more information, just visit:
	 http://www.GONewEngland.org

...and, yep, there are MORE events out there, so check 'em out!

TRIP REPORT
Tom W. (tom3w@...) sent along the following for his
light hikes to Borderland State Park (a neat place if you've
never been):

Hi, Ken.  There is a fair amount of general interest in light hikes
(about 20 people e-mailed me about them), but on both sessions only one
other person showed up.  I am thanking Barbara & Lee again, sincerely.
While the weather was unsettled (thunderstorms possible) both days, there
was only a little light rain (on the second hike).  The dragonflies were
not as abundant as earlier in the season but still buzzed around and
provided some entertainment.  And a couple of horses made an appearance
too.

...Thanks for that, Tom!

Yes, we do have a variety of activities going on, from rock climbing
to light hikes to camping---and the occasional social event (Kair may
still have 1 spot left for the Duck Tour---ask her!!!).  Just take
advantage of what the GONewEngland bulletin board has to offer:  Great
folks, a selection of activities, and a way to Get Outdoors and Make
New Friends!

MOOSE: STILL NOT AN AIR-TIGHT CASE
Ruth C. reports from the Grout Pond Camping Trip:
Last weekend just outside the Grout Pond access road, we spotted two,
count'em two, big bull moose with great big racks of antlers.  This was
a first sighting for Martin, Ashish, and Mary E.  Mary mentioned that
her next goal was to see seals.

...Thank you, Ruth!

Mary, I hate to disappoint:  You won't see seals in Vermont.  And I'm
still not convinced there are moose living outside of New Hampsire,
although these rumors of those things in Maine, Vermont, and
Massachusetts do persist...Yeah, just rumors.

THE CREW:  HERE FOR YOUR QUESTIONS/COMMENTS/CONCERNS/SUGGESTIONS
If you ever have questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions about
GONewEngland, please drop a note to:
	 GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com
Your Welcoming Committee/Motivator, Your Webmaster, Your Mascot, and
Your Social Director will do their best to get back to you promptly.

THE KEY TO THE KEY
Q.  The Event List at the web site (along the right hand side) has
symbols.  What do they mean?
A.  Scroll down to the bottom, and the key is there.  You have
the chicken leg (it's really a light bulb) for event "ideas"
("Proposed" events) awaiting YOUR input.  The green ball is for
"Go!" and the red bulb is for "Cancelled."  The alarm clock on
caffeine is for "regular" events---like a weekly hike.  And the little
mailbox means the event needs your RSVP by a certain date, so ACT NOW!
If the symbol has a peachy background, it means the event information
was updated recently.

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com - see above :-)
Little John - of Robin Hood fame was actually over seven feet tall
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Events by e-mail:  events-text@... OR
   events-html@...
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + the mailbox number
=====

Very short this week!  I need to go to bed!  Fortunately I have some
limited Internet access at home now (sorry, no AOL or ICQ chats for
now!), so Bulletin Board updates will happen more regularly.  So keep
those events and trip reports coming in---plus whatever else you'd
like to see in the Blurb!  Now go check the Bulletin Board and
*do stuff*.  :-)

	 http://www.GONewEngland.org

But before I go:

	 From time to time people drop me a note thanking me
	 for what I do with GONewEngland.  Seeing people get
	 out there and have a good time is more than enough
	 thanks for me, and it's why I do this stuff.  So after
	 a fun activity when people send in a trip report, send
	 a quick note of thanks to the person who organized the
	 event, or drop me a line to say how much they enjoy
	 our little corner of the Internet, it really is
	 appreciated and keeps my spirits up!   Thank *you*, folks,
	 for continuing to support GONewEngland by being
	 involved in it!

	 Get Outdoors New England is *your* group.  I just like
	 to type.  :-)

Until next time...BE SAFE, and get outdoors to make more friends!

...kl...

Hello GONewEnglanders!

OK, not your 'regular' Get Outdoors New England Somewhat-Weekly
E-Mail Newsletter Blurb Thing...This one has TRIP REPORTS GALORE!
(Thanks to everyone who has submitted a report or other thing
for the Blurb!)

My home e-mail has been down and will be for a while, so please
excuse me if I did not include something you sent in, as my normally
oh-so-organized self is even less so without my e-mail program helping
me.  I still have access through work, though, so keep stuff coming
in.

Anyway, if you don't see your trip report, just re-send your submission
to me (or tell me to look for it again, because I probably just missed
it), and I'll get it out there next week.  Updates to the web will
also suffer a little, and I apologize.  Look for the events below to
be out on the web on Friday morning (8/13), but you have the e-addresses
if you wish to reply early.

One or two things before we get to all of those trip reports:

CHATTER
Wow!  Lots of folks chattering these days.  Lots of small groups
of people getting together for local walks after work and things
like that.  Subscribe by sending a blank e-mail to:
	 gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com

NEW EVENTS AND UPDATED EVENTS
View all event information at:
	 http://www.GONewEngland.org
...then contact the person running the event (the name listed along
with the event) by e-mail to ask questions or reserve your spot.
(Reminder:  Some of the updates and new events haven't made it
to the site yet---check back Friday morning!)

* BERKSHIRES WITH MARY - Get your name in!!
From Mary:  Never been to the Berkshires? Rolling hills, nature
preserves, real hiking in Mt. Greylock State Reservation, quaint
towns, antiques and artist colonies -- tons to do, all just a few
hours from Boston. Add on that Tanglewood, the Williamstown Theatre
Festival, Shakespeare on the Mount in Lenox. Put off by the no
shower thing? AMC's Bascom Lodge at Mt. Greylock has paid showers,
and I'm scoping out other possibilities. We'll be camping right
on a pond, so swimming is always an option. I'm bringing my canoe for
anyone who'd just like to spend a quiet day and get some paddling in.
Where else can you do all that in one weekend? Spaces still available.
Please RSVP with Mary E. (Mary_Ennis@...).

* Another trip to MISQUAMICUT BEACH (meet in Enfield, CT) on 8/14 with
Lisa H. (beaches200@...)

* TENNIS, ANYONE?  With Norm St. O. (nstonge@...).
Norm is looking for about 12-16 people for some "competetive but
not cut-throat(!)" tennis.  Fee of $25-30 will cover court time,
tennis balls, pizza, and prizes.  Norm would like to make this
a regular event.  Yes, you should know a little about tennis.
(No location given; you will need to ask Norm.)

* QUEBEC CAMPING TRIP - has been cancelled.  Reason?  "If only
Acadia weren't the next weekend..."  :-)

* NIGHT HIKE - BALD MT. with Troy M. (moonman@...).  Get
a great view of Maine's Rangely Lake and Lake Mooselookmeguntic
from the fire tower at the end of this short trail.  Troy plans to do
a hike earlier in the day as well.  Date:  8/28 - with an overnight
stay nearby in Rangely Lakes State Park if you like.

* LABOR DAY WEEKEND IN THE WHITES with Mary E. (Mary_Ennis@...).
Stay at a National Park Campground (Dolly Copp)---biking, canoeing,
hiking.  16 people max, so get your RSVP in!

* DEVIL'S PATH - CATSKILLS - 10/9, with Rob O. (machimoodus@...)
20 miles aptly named---dawn to dusk mega-hike.  Ouch.  You'll
probably want to arrange for a comfy B&B after this one!

BECKA'S COMING BACK!  (AND ARE YOU UP FOR A LONG CAR TRIP?)
Just a few months ago Becka and Taig waved bye-bye to the Northeast
and went for the wilds of Portland, Oregon.  I've always said that
New England is the best place in the world with what it has to
offer, and Becka realized it, too.  She's heading home.

If you'd like to help Becka drive back from Portland, please
contact her at beckataig@... or 412-298-1496.  She's
estimating 8/20 (negotiable).  Drive time is 10-14 days.  You must
like dogs, drive stickshift, and be a good companion for a long
ride in a small car.

Becka has run a number of events for us (the last one I went on
was the Nancy Pond winter hike earlier this year---just GREAT, if
a bit windy!), and she'll now be back to do it for us again!

PHOTOS
Reminder that if you have a cool photo of a GONewEngland activity,
please contact me.  (If it's scanned in, please just send me
the photo in e-mail or give me a link to it.)  It's for the newspaper!

====
ADMINISTRIVIA
The Crew - gonewengland-crew@egroups.com (Kathy, moi, Gizmo, and Alan)
The Moon - is moving away from the earth at 1.5 inches per year
The Site - http://www.gonewengland.org
The Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + mailbox #
====

Now....on to the trip reports!!!

But before we get there...

	 Years ago a solar eclipse (like the one we just had) struck
	 fear and feelings of impending doom in the hearts of those
	 who witnessed the spectacular event.  People back then just
	 didn't understand what was going on, so of course they thought
	 the world was coming to an end when things got dark at noontime
	 and the sun disappeared.

	 Although it gives us explanations for such natural things,
	 science is often looked at as boring, something only for geeks,
	 or something very distant and completely incomprehensible to
	 us and insignificant in our own everyday lives.

	 Sometimes it's too easy to forget that scientific study has
	 given us a very strong foundation to allow us to undertand
	 the things that happen in the world around us, allowing us to
	 drop the unrealistic fears of things like eclipses (and
	 possibly concentrate on things like making sure we don't
	 walk under ladders and remembering to hide indoors on Friday
   	 the 13th...EEK!  Tomorrow!!!)

Yo!  Be safe this weekend.

...kl...

+==+==TRIP REPORTS GALORE==+==+
VERMONT TENT PARTY - Samantha G. - samanthagrout@...
Ok, now for the three day party trip report. About 11 Happy Campers came
for the party (about 15-20 others just dropped in) and a party it was.
Um, well, the cops were here on Friday because some of the Voppers on
this list had too much fun with a few too many fireworks and I guess
that the cannon was a bit too loud.  Nope, no outta' control party people.

A group of people went hiking, and the rest of us chowed down on
awesome food and went for the three hour tour down the Battenkill.  Dan
brought his funyak and Max had to switch spots with him 'cuz butts
up land was too much.  Besides a few kids jumping off the bridge on
to floating tubers, all went well.  Maureen and um, a few others had
fun with Jell-O.

A few of the activities this past weekend were, volleyball,
swimming in the "oh so warm" Roaring Branch, devil carts,
alpine slides, and the famous Peru Rope Swing.  And yes,
yours truly had to show everyone how to swing from platform two.
Jeez, thanks guys.

Oh yeah, Don B, donated his two person, (old bike) to the cause and a
few party people were seen cruising around East Arlington.  Looked like
they came out of the Wizard of Oz.  Overall it was a lot of fun and I
wish that more of you came.  Oh well.  Next year.

-----

LAFAYETTE CAMPING
** Dan L. - logan3@...
Had a great time on the trip to Lafayette this weekend. Did the
Falling Waters-Franconia Ridge-Bridle Path loop on Saturday
(beauuuuuuutiful) and then canoed down the Pemi on Sunday. Great
weekend to Get Outdoors, New England!  Wahahhaaaaaa........ another plug!
By the way, gave out our URL to people on top of Franconia Ridge.

** Mary E. - Mary_Ennis@...
Boy, talk about your power of heat and humidity to make people delusional,
but somehow after a brief flash of lucidity where the possiblity of a
moderate hike followed by a swim was tossed around, we all convinced
ourselves that a brisk climb up the Flume Slide (or Falling Waters trail
for some) would be almost the same thing. Which is how we came to be
clinging to the side of a rock in 98 degree weather having our own
Gaitoraid moment. Lying down in the river at the hike's end was as close to
heaven as I've been in a while. The potluck dinner came off great (too much
food, as usual) and Jaime L. has finally mastered the art of campfire
cooking.  Not a blackened sweet potato in the batch.

Sunday Jaime and Ruth headed out on a hike, the Flume having left them
restless for some real exercise, while 8 of us headed to the Pemigawasset
(not responsible for spelling errors) for some kayaking and canoeing. We
are all grateful to Dave M. for making the arrangements. The day started
out dark and gloomy, but by river time the sun was shining and we had a fun
run, despite the low water. If anyone has a photo of Rob displaying the
proper technique for wiping out in 5 inches of water (is that class 1/2
rapids?) please send it to me -- I missed it!

Best quote of the weekend?  "I could never give up sucking on pig knuckes."

Hope we can do it again. For anyone who missed it -- sign up early!

** Ruth C. - ruthcarson@...
This was my first camping trip in about 5 years and only the second
time I ever used my tent.  To my surprise, I really enjoyed the
experience.  It was a little difficult getting to sleep the first night
since I'm not accustomed to the outdoor nighttime sounds, but it was
very comfortable otherwise.

Rob (Machimoodus), Laura, Mary, Jamie, Ashish, Sully, and Rob (from
Ocean Spray) hiked up the Flume Slide Trail, which ascends Flume
Mountain (just above the Flume Gorge).  The first 2 miles are easy but
then the last half mile is pretty much straight up.  Lots of climbing
- hands, knees, and elbows were all put to work.  It's not what I'd
call an enjoyable section of trail, but we had a real feeling of
achievement upon completing it.  We saw Norm alond the trail- a new
face in the group who was camping with us at Lafayette and is a member
of the Flume Slide Trail maintenance team.  Surely a tough trail to
maintain but in very good condition thanks to their dedication!

The rest of the hike was much more tame; along the Franconia Ridge
trail to Mount Liberty, then down the Liberty Springs Trail - complete
with ice cold drinkable water!  Some of our group immersed themselves
in the river at the end of the hike, and some actually did a little
extra hike down the bike path (bypassing the trail back to the parking
lot) then along the highway back to the cars.  Quite the hardy group!

With temps in the upper 80's, this was a very damp hike; we were
sweating even as we descended the mountain. Still I can't think of
anything else that I would have preferred doing!

On Sunday most of the group went for some paddling on the Pemi.  A few
of us - Dave P., Lisa, Karen, Norm, Jamie and myself hiked the
Welch-Dickey loop down in the Waterville area.  There was a little rock
scrambling but for a short hike (3 hours total), the rewards are great
- fantastic views of Waterville Valley, Franconia Notch and beyond.  I
can surely appreciate KK's advice about turning back if there's any
sign of rain; that would have been treacherous indeed. Fortunately,
conditions remained dry and only fair weather clouds were seen.  The
heat was quite intense whenever the sun was out - I hope the paddlers
stayed cool on the river.

Thanks to Mary E. for coordinating this camping weekend.  I can
confidently state that a great time was had by all.

It was another fantastic outdoors weekend with GONewEngland participants!

-----

RAGGED MT. - Rob O. - machimoodus@...
The Thursday Night Hike at Ragged Mountain was a success.  Sue and I
and a fellow we both know took to the trail in dusky tranqility.  We
were hiking by headlamp before exiting these woods.  Quite different
than your average worknight activities!!! [Note:  Rob is running
several others like this - find out about them on the Bulletin Board,
from Rob, and on the GONewEngland Chat List!]

GREAT HILL - Rob O. - machimoodus@...
The second installment (Great Hill) went well.  6 of us (names withheld
to protect the innocent) braved threatening skies and ventured to
the rattlesnake infested hills of Portland last night. Only a few
drops of rain pelted us on our walk.  There was even enough daylight
left to visit an old cave I had not penetrated in the better part of
a decade.

Q: Does everyone feel compelled to make the "woo-woo" sound when
entering a cave or tunnel?

So .......  We get back on track with a Thursday night offering next
week to the lovely trap-rock ridge that is known as the Sleeping
Giant. Towering cliffs and vistas overlooking Long Isand Sound are
part of what you can expect

-----

RUMNEY NH CAMPING - Cheryl G. - GingrasCL@...
We had a great time camping in Rumney, NH on the bank of the Baker River
with a great view of Rattlesnake Mtn from our campsite.  There were
7 adults and 1 dog.  Sandra arrived late and almost wasn't allowed in!
Friday night was perfect for stargazing, and there were a million or
two available...  Saturday was a great day to hike - sunny, low humidity,
good visibility.  We did the Welch-Dickey Trail.  A nice hike, not
too strenuous but with great views.  Had some initial difficulty
finding the trail - Geetha, was that a left or a right?  It was
Adina's birthday.  Cheryl baked a   Yummy chocolate cake with
chocolate frosting and made a sauce of fresh picked raspberries.
We had a large bucket of Neon green magaritas (and remembered to bring
the salt this time) and some excellent spicy chicken courtesy of Bill
and Geetha.  I wonder  why everyone went to bed early?  Boy, was it warm
or was it just me?  Sunday was "take-down-in-the-rain-day".  Anyone
want to swim in the grass?

+==+== ==+==+

Hello GONewEnglanders!

Just a *quick* Blurb this time out, and my apologies to
all those who sent in some great trip reports of recent
activities:  They will see the light of day next time!

REQUEST FOR A PHOTO
If you have a scanned-in photograph of something neat you've
done with GONewEngland, please send it to me.  Since we're
going to be in the paper, they're looking for a picture or two!
Please list who's in the photo (if you know), where it was
taken, and who took it.  You can send me the photo in e-mail or
give me a link to it on the 'net.  Pick the best one or two you
have available, and I'll forward a bunch of 'em along to the writer.

REQUEST FOR SOME IDEAS
** Mary E. (Mary_Ennis@...) has a question for you.  She writes:
Hi, I'm in contact with a hiking group (like ours) in Dublin, Ireland.
They're coming over to visit the Whites in early October and want some tips
on great hikes to hit. They're looking for some moderate/easy hikes that
are scenic/historic/interesting/or all of the above, plus some challenging
hikes for the fitter among them. Could members of our group please send me
suggestions in the next few weeks of hikes that they personally recommend?
I'll gather the suggestions together and shoot them back to Ireland. Also,
I may be arranging a joint hike with the Dublin group while they're over
here, so they can meet some American hikers. I'll keep everyone posted on
that.

EVENT UPDATES
** All event information is at the GONewEngland Web Site:
** http://www.GONewEngland.org

- Adina and Cheryl have four spots open for CAMPING IN RUMNEY, NH
this weekend.  RSVP and get your slot!
- After some e-mail snafus, Dan and Alan are now available to
answer all your questions about ACADIA.  If you have not heard from
them, it's possible your RSVP was lost.  Please re-send!  If you
haven't let Alan/Dan know what days you'll be there, please let
them know that as well.  afajvan@..., logan3@...
- Gary's STARGAZING has been moved to 8/14, and there are openings.
See stars, planets, nebulae---and now the Perseids!

NEW EVENTS
** All event information is at the GONewEngland Web Site:
** http://www.GONewEngland.org

- 8/5 - Walk in BREAKHEART RESERVATION (Saugus/Melrose MA area).  Join
Kim and Janet (and Janet's dog) for this light after work walk.  Please
note that it'll be a regular occurrence, so get yourself acquainted
with Janet and Kim and join in!
- 8/5 - How's'bout an EVENING HIKE AT RAGGED MT. in Connecticut?
Rob and Sue are starting their regular hiking.  This week it's
Ragged Mt.  CT and nearby folks:  Join in!
- 8/8 - After running an event at Mt. Tom on the 7th, Lisa running
another activity to MISQUAMICUT BEACH the next day!  CT folks and
Rhode Islanders will find that close by.
- 8/13-8/15 - PERSEID OUTING - Hiking, camping, and watching the
Perseids in northern NH.  Contact Eric E. if you'd like to come
on along.
- 8/13-8/15 - Jamie will be heading up a camping event to BEAR BROOK
near the tolls in Hooksett, NH.  Canoeing, backroads biking, swimming
pool...RSVP, as campsites are limited.
- Judith will meet you at the GUNSTOCK OUTDOORFEST on 9/5.
An all-day affair with music and activities from archery to kayaking!
- Kim would like to head to MT. CHOCORUA in August.  Please let her
know when you'll be available.

That's it for this week.  Please drop by the GONewEngland web
site http://www.GONewEngland.org for additional information.

Got questions?  mailto:gonewengland-crew@egroups.com

...kl...

=====
UNSUBSCRIBE:  gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
=====

Hello GONewEngland-type-folks!

Yes, *finally* I've got the Get Outdoors New England E-mail
Newsletter Blurb Thing together for this week.  Welcome aboard,
new folks!  This is where you find out about new events, things
going on, and so forth.  Please do not fold, spindle, or mutilate
until you're done reading.

And as of today we're at 740 of the neatest folks I've ever met.
Yep, that's you guys...

Thanks to a bunch of people who've sent in the quick survey.  Friday
7/30 is the last day, so send your three favorite places for outdoorsy
stuff in New England along to survey@....  Please
do it now while you're thinking of it---a good showing here may
get us more coverage in the paper!  :-)

This past weekend was bizarre for activities---we had way too much
going on, and it was GREAT.  This weekend we have camping and hiking
with Mary E. in NH.  Not into camping?  Send e-mail to Mary and
see if you can meet up for a hike in the area with the crew!

And coming up over the next few weeks are:

NEW EVENTS
- On August 6 join Judith for the play "BYE BYE BIRDIE" at Prescott Park
   in Portsmouth, NH.  Have a picnic, watch a play, stuff do to after.
- Summertime STARGAZING with Gary.  See the Milky Way, satellites,
   globular clusters (oops, no, a bird just flew over the lens...).
   Fun, educational.  August 7 in Topsfield, MA (rain date the 14th).
   *Sign up early* as space is limitless but attendance isn't.
- Join Bill in a BACKPACKING ADVENTURE TO SOUTH TWIN AND GUYOT, then back
   out the Zealand Trail.  Possible dates is 8/14-15.  (Bill is looking
   for a co-leader for this event as well.)  4-5 people max, so please
   RSVP to reserve your spot.
- Rob O. has TWO quite challenging hiking activities for us:
   * 8/21 - MT. COLVIN in the Adirondaks:  A challenging 35-degree slope!
   * 9/25 - KATAHDIN in Baxter SP.  Rob is hoping that his third time
     will be the charm and he will summit this one!  With such a long
     drive, Rob plans to camp over.
   Lots of folks are getting into the tough stuff with Rob:  GO FOR IT!

If you'd like more information, you can do one of two (or both!)
things:
- Head to http://www.GONewEngland.org
- Send mail to events-text@... (for a text copy of the
   events in e-mail) OR events-html@... (for HTML versions,
   kind of a locally-viewable version of the Bulletin Board)
   (Please allow 1-2 days for this request to be processed.)

AND WHERE WE'VE BEEN...
Rob put together a trip report for Mt. Adams.  What a challenge
it was!  I got a picture from him, and, well, it's kinda hard
to see the people in it with the drizzle and fog.  Rob's trip report
is at the end.

Samantha didn't want to send in a trip report about the VT Tent Party,
but I can probably just look it up on the police blotter in
Arlington anyway.  ;-)

Matt D. (Pretani@...) sent in a quick note about his climbing trip:

   I just wanted to let you know this weekend's climbing trip went terrific.
   Congrats to everyone who came out to "eat some rock".  A special thumbs
   up goes to Liesa.  She's nervous about heights yet STILL made it all
   the way to the top.  We were all very proud of her.  If anyone is
   interested in trying it, have them contact me directly.

Thanks for that, Matt---and way to go Liesa!!!

...And poor Bill's got the Poison Sumac Blues.  Somewhere on his body
he's got something akin to the "Russians invading Afghanistan" (!!??)
Let's just hope it's not the Netherlands.  Get rid of it soon, guy!

I don't believe I heard from Kathy about Chocorua.  Well, if
I did and didn't post it, I'm bad.  If I dropped anyone's
trip report, please re-send and I'll post it next week, OK?

THE SEND-IN-AN-EVENT FORM:  POSTING GOES OOPS!
OK, sometimes my ISP goes a little batty and all those wonderful
people out there who have taken the time to fill out the form
to submit an event are told the submission didn't work.  I don't
know where the problem is, but it happens from time to time.  It's
working *fine* now, though (just got three events today).  It's
intermittent and will work fine for a few weeks then take a day
off.  Aww---I don't know.

I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience or annoyance this
causes anyone.  If it happens to you, just plop what you've done
into an e-mail message to me, and it'll get posted.  Let me
know you've run into the form submission problem, and tell me
what error message you got.  I'll contact my ISP.  This
type of thing is unacceptable to me, since it works one day
and maybe not the next, and it's inconvenient to *you* (whose
time and effort are more important to me than any stupid ISP's
problems).  Let's hope it's fixed *for good* now!

NEW LINK!
On the Ads/Promotions page:  The Alpine Zone is a spot where
you'll find information about trails/hiking, ski resorts, hotels,
and other outdoorsy-touristy type information.  We have a reciprocal
link on their page.

CHATTER CHATTER CHATTER
Subscribe:  gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com
Why?  Lots of folks hooking up to do things after work and
elsewhen.  Near Boston, over in CT, over in western MA, RI...
Heck, you name it, there are people who want to hang out and
do stuff.  All the info is on the chat list.  Subscribe or
view:  http://www.egroups.com/list/gonewengland-chat

Chat folks:  Don't be shy about posting an event to the Bulletin Board
once you've gotten it nailed down!  Lots of people ask, "Do you know
of anyone who wants to ...", and my answer is, "Check out the
e-mail chat group and then run an event!"  One of the reasons
for the Bulletin Board is to put people in touch and to create
friendships by way of common interests.  E-mail chats go one step
further by making it more interactive with the ability to talk broadly
about outdoor experiences, gear, and so on.  So I invite you to
keep my typing fingers moving and the BB always updated---and
I invite everyone to join on the chatter!

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland-crew@egroups.com
Kathy Kelley (Welcoming Committee/Motivator)
Ken Leonard (Webmaster/Con-founder)
Gizmo (Mascot)
Alan Fajvan (Social Director)
Wristwatches in ads - have their hands at ten 'til two to imitate a smile
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + mailbox #
=====

Early tonight---yay!  But before I go...

	 Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France last week, a grueling
	 3-week 2300 mile bike trek across France that covers all kinds
 	 of terrain and all kinds of conditions.  Lance's nearest
	 competitor was over six minutes behind for most of the race,
	 and Lance finished about 7 1/2 minutes ahead at the end.  Lance
	 is only the second American to ever win this event.

	 Just finishing the Tour de France is an accomplishment for
	 anyone.  But it was just three years ago that Lance was
	 going through chemotherapy for cancer that had spread to
	 various parts of his body.  And he not only finished, he finished
	 with flying colors!

	 Lance Armstrong is a winner:  He fought hard against a deadly
	 disease.  Then he went further to challenge himself to get back
	 into shape, only to come out on top of one of the most intense
	 races in the world.  Two major accomplishments by someone
	 whose spirit will not let him give up.  Excellent.

Get Outdoors, Make New Friends...but do it safely---and keep cool!  :-)

...kl...

====TRIP REPORT TRIP REPORT TRIP REPORT====
MT. ADAMS - From Rob O'Keefe - machimoodus@...

Date: July 24-25
Weather: Rain/Mocking Sun/Cool Temps.
Destination: Mt. Adams (NH) el. 5,799
Distance:  Over 10 miles
Time:  10 hours.

Group: Laura, Sharon, Mark and Myself (Machimoodus)

      Some trails make for good rainy day hikes.  Other trails are best left
for clear days.  The King Ravine Trail and Lowe's Path combo on Adams fall
into the latter category.   Despite threatening skies, 3 of us brave (or
foolhardy) souls left the relative safety of Rt. 2 behind and headed into
the unknown last Saturday morning.  Resting and watering-up at the first
junction,  Mark ambled into view and we three now became the fearless
foursome....

      Frustration, not fear, however, filtered into our minds as the rain
began its relentless pounding on our clothes and our determination.  Just
before reaching the bottom of King's Ravine, the sky let loose its fury.  A
clutch of other travelers were waiting the storm out under tarps.  We
forged ahead, with some hesitation on my part I might add, and planned to
at least make the ravine.  We made that objective without incident, and the
skies cleared for the moment.   Here the vast "bowl" of the ravine
envelops you and puts matters into perspective.  Milky clouds,  whisked
along by powerful winds, advanced and retreated up the ravine and over the
headwall.  Beneath this canopy  we squirmed through the "subway" and
slithered along  in the ice caves.  It was an impressive spectacle.  Here,
innumerable tons of granite behemoths litter the alpine valley floor.  Deep
shafts plunge into unknown depths.   At times one had to vault over the
yawning maw of these traps.  At others, passage was only attained with the
removal of our packs and the careful, meticulous placement of hands and
feet.  In still other places,  the temperature fluctuated 20 degrees or
more in as many feet. What a unique place!!!

           Our elation and wonderment at the scene we found in the ravine
gave us the emotional lift needed to make a summit attempt.  We continued
up the King Ravine Trail over some of the steepest terrain in the Whites.
From the base of the headwall to the junction with the Airline trail is
only .5 of a mile.  Yet the difference in elevation between the two
points is more than 1,100 feet.  We were all panting in the thick
air when we reached the ridgetop.  Glimpses of Madison were fleeting
as the clouds embraced us.  Our summit loomed in the mist.  It had been
over 5 hours since we left the trailhead.

                A hundred yards or so after leaving the peak, the situation
deteriorated rapidly.  Fog was so thick that the cairns were barely
visible.  It was disorienting and we did not have the luxury of buffer-time
to get lost.  The specter of darkness loomed.  We managed to find the trail
again without too much delay.  Nonetheless,  an even more ominous threat
engulfed us.  Thunder now boomed in our ears. Treeline was at yet a good
distance away.  Each step towards that goal seemed an eternity.
Thankfully, Thor had other plans that day.  We were pelted yet again with
driving rain but were spared  the full force of his wrath.  He let us go
with a warning.

      Peace now returned to the valley ... and the mountain.  Many more wet,
weary miles lay ahead but most threatening aspects of our passage lay
behind.  We would live to tell the tale ...
=====

Hi GONewEnglanders!

Nope, this isn't the regular Blurb, but a preliminary
drop so I can do two things:

- Remind you of the SURVEY--see below for why it's a VERY COOL THING
   for as many folks as possible to answer ASAP!  Extra, extra--read
   all about it!  (hint, hint...)

- Let you know that Lisa H. (beaches200@...) is running a
   hike from the Delaney House on Rte 5 out there near Northampton
   on Thursday evening 7/29 at 7pm.  Should be a hike on the lighter
   side.  It'll be something fun to do on a nice evening.

I'll get the "usual" Blurb out tomorrow evening, complete with
a trip report or two!  So if you have an activity you'd like to
post for the weekend or have a trip report or other thingy for
the Blurb, please send it along.

AND NOW:  THE SURVEY!!!
Your Webmaster has been given a little extension on
getting the results in.  Extension???  You mean it's not just
for The Webmaster?  No-sir-ree-Bob!!!

* We are going to be in the newspaper!! *  Yep, our first
time.  Very cool.

OK, maybe not national news, but I have been interviewed by a
freelancer for the Community Newspaper Company in the Boston area
for a column about...well...*us* and maybe other similar setups.

As a side-bar or for information for a future article, the writer
has requested that we let him know what we think our favorite
places are in New England for outdoorsy type stuff.  I need to
compile the results and get them to the writer later this week, as the
article is due very soon.  I think Friday is as late as I can go.

How do you participate?  Easy!  Send an e-mail to
survey@... with your *three* favorite places
in the outdoors to do something...Hiking, camping, fishing,
whitewater rafting, hanging around, whatever.  So far I've
heard about Baxter, Arcadia, Acadia, Monhegan Island,
Mt. Washington, places on Cape Cod, as well as specific
trails/climbs/areas such as Falling Waters up over Franconia
Ridge---and many more beyond this short list.  What are
*your* favorites?

My initial list matched Dayhike With Deb's...Go figure!!
I thought that was amusing.

I thank all the people who have responded so far---most excellent
reading.  And everyone else---yep, just buzz your list of three
along, and you can take part in this fun survey of the Ten Best
Places in New England for Outdoorsy Stuff as well!

I'm working a tad late this evening, so I won't be
able to get The Regular Weekly E-Mail Blurb Thing out,
but stay tuned!  And, as always, please make it a point to buzz
by the Bulletin Board at http://www.GONewEngland.org for new
stuff, expecially on Friday mornings when any late events for
the weekend will be posted.

Until later...

...kl...

Hello (again!) GONewEnglanders!

Just two quick mentions to round out the week:

1)  Survey!  Thanks to the people who have already responded.
Everyone else:  Keep 'em comin'!!  Create a little e-mail with
your three favorite places in New England for outdoor activities
and send them to:
	 survey@...

(For more details, visit the 7/21 Update at:
	 http:://www.egroups.com/list/gonewengland)

Thank you!!!

2)  NEW EVENT:  Riverside Park on Saturday 7/24:

Michael Cohen - mcohen@...
RIVERSIDE PARK - AGAWAM, MA - 7/24, 10am
A day in the sun and fun at Riverside!
Admission: $28.99 (48" and taller); $14.49 (36"-48" tall); free for
3-footers and under. Catch up with Michael and get a $4 off coupon
and kids at half price.
Meet at the Park at 10am. Number for Riverside Park: 888.693.7227
Contact Michael to confirm and for places to meet up (to get your
coupons and hang out with the group).
This activity started as an idea on the GONewEngland E-mail Chat list, and there
are a few people heading to Riverside. RSVP if you'd like to meet up!

That's it!  Great weekend, everyone!

...kl...

Hello GONewEnglanders!

SURVEY TIME!

YOUR INPUT NEEDED FOR A SURVEY:  THE TEN BEST ...
I need to put together a list of THE TEN BEST PLACES IN NEW ENGLAND
for outdoors-related stuff--hikes, rafting, X-C skiing, camping,
rock climbing, nature walks, seaside walks, snowshoeing, swimmin'
holes, mountain biking, kayaking, place to think, whatever.
Where do you most like to be when you do this stuff?

My list would start with something in Acadia, but after that I'd have
to ponder a bit.  Maybe you have a favorite trail, or you really dig
Purgatory Chasm for a neat place to hike, or you love rock climbing at that
place in Leominster so much that it's gotta be on the list for you!
Perhaps it's the view from the top of Iron Mt. that you like the best.
Or maybe there's an area you like to go to in order to do a bunch
of things.

Please send mail to survey@... with your three top
favorites, putting your most favorite first, and I'll compile the votes.
Should be interesting to see what everyone comes up with!  We
need lots of responses, so fire away to mailto:survey@...
with your top three.

Just New England favorite places only this time out, 'kay?  Sorry, the
Adirondacks will have to wait, Rob.  And one vote per customer---no
stuffing the ballot box.  :-)

Deadline is Tuesday of next week.

Thanks in advance for your responses.  More on what'll be happenin'
with 'em in next week's Blurb!

Lots and lots this week, so I won't bother with the "usual" drivel,
other than to say WELCOME to the new folks joining our well over 700
people out here!  :-)

ABBEY IS OK
Chris N. reports that Li'l Abster is OK.  Some German Shepherds
go through "growing pains" because they grow so quickly, and Abbey
may simply not have had her hiking legs that day.  :-)  Chris plans
to run the Kanc Hike-n-Swim again soon.

VT TENT PARTY!
Samantha's going to be picking up a few items, so if you're
considering heading by her place in Arlington, VT this weekend for
the three-day affair, RSVP *now* so she'll know how much of everything
to get.

QUACK QUACK!
Three spots left...or something like that for the DUCK TOURS with
Kair.  Get yer RSVPs and bucks in.

BUMPKIN BUMPED
Unfortunately Mary will not be running the Bumpkin Island camping
trip.  Perhaps next time.  She may toss together a dayhike instead.

NEW EVENTS
- On July 24 assault ADAMS.  Mt. Adams, that is...With Rob.
   Level:  Difficult with huge elevation gain.
- On July 24 maybe you want something a little lighter.  Dayhike
   with Deb's Deb will meet you in Concord, NH and head off for
   a 4-6 mile hike to someplace not quite as challenging at Mt. Adams!
   ***RSVP by Thursday 7/22***.  This'll be a light-to-moderate hike.
- Go CAMPING in Rumney, NH (Lost River, Polar Caves, more to do!)
   with Cheryl and Adina the weekend of August 6-8.
- Head to CROW HILLS in the Leominster, MA State Forest for a good hike
   with some great views and interesting things to see.  August 21 with
   Matt D.
- WHITEWATER RAFTING IN MAINE, anyone?  Join Bonnie on the weekend
   of August 27.  In association with HI-AYH.  But it's NOT JUST WHITEWATER
   RAFTING!  B&B, some hiking...a GREAT weekend planned.  RSVP by 8/20.

TWO PAIRS
- Tom's walk in BORDERLAND is slated for 7/24 *and* 8/14.  C'mon
   along on this *light* hike---on either or *both* days.
- MOONLIGHT CANOE with Bonnie and HI-AYH on 7/27 *and* 8/24 along
   the Charles River.  RSVP to reserve your canoe.

Browse to http://www.GONewEngland.org for all the info on these and
other activities.  Or request a copy via e-mail (see below).

AND COMING UP THIS WEEKEND...
Literally too much to list all the details here!  We've got:
   VT 3-DAY TENT PARTY, DANCING AT THE AVALON, DAYHIKE W/ DEB,
   MT. ADAMS, BORDERLAND LIGHT HIKE/WALK, MT. CHOCORUA, JET SKI
   LAKE WINNISQUAM, and MOONLIGHT CANOEING (during next week).

pant, pant...'kay, it's at http://www.GONewEngland.org!

AND FINALLY...
*TWO* trip reports at the end!  Very cool...Thanks Rob and Kathy!

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com
- Kathy Kelley - Welcoming Committee, Motivator
- Ken Leonard - Webmaster
- Gizmo - Mascot
- Alan Fajvan - Social Director
The average rock concert ticket price - $39 (not including fees)
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
UNSUBSCRIBE - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + Mbx (Mailbox) #
Events by e-mail - Send a blank e-mail to
- mailto:events-html@... ...OR...
- mailto:events-text@...
=====

Tons this this week!  Well, the activity and buzz among everyone is
really keeping me hopping and the Blurb full!!!  Everyone should
be out doing something this weekend---there's stuff there from
light hikes to dancing.  All that it takes is a bit of e-mail
to the person running the event, and you're *in*.

But before I hop *out*...

	 Humans are explorers.  Millions of years ago it may have
	 been ol' Grogg who was curious about what was over the
  	 next ridge, later the ancients in sailing ships around the
	 Mediterranean, the first humans to cross the Bering Straits
	 into the western Americas, those who braved the Atlantic
	 to land on our eastern shores, those who ventured through
	 the wilderness across continents, and now those who venture
	 under the seas to see what's there...

	 It was 30 years ago this week that Neil Armstrong set foot
	 on the moon.  Humankind broke free of this planet for good,
	 pushed by this very strong urge to explore and see "what's out
	 there."

	 This urge for adventure is so strong that people in the Space
	 Program were recently asked, "If you could go to Mars to explore
	 it even if you would not have a way to return, would you?"  And
	 hands were raised...

	 I don't know where it comes from, but this push into the unknown
	 is very strong.  Without it, New England would not have us
	 running around.  We wouldn't have computers if people weren't
	 interested in exploring physics and electronics.  Cures for
	 diseases wouldn't have been found without exploration into the
	 body.

	 What's out there?  How do things work?  What makes something
	 "tick"?  Our minds buzz with these questions constantly as
	 individuals and as a species.

	 It's a big universe.  And 30 years ago we took a baby step
	 into it.  It was an amazing achievement...yet inevitable,
	 considering who we are and the long way we know there is to go.

Have a safe, enjoyable time participating in the activities we've
got goin'!

...kl...

=====TRIP REPORTS TRIP REPORTS TRIP REPORTS=====
* Indian Pass - from Rob O.

- Date: July 10-11
- Weather: Rain/Sun/Cool Temps.
- Destination: Indian Pass, N.Y.
- Distance:  10.6 miles.  +600 ft el. gain.
- Time:  8 hrs.

Sharon's guidebook described the trail through Indian Pass as the most
"spectacular" walk in the East.  I'd be hard pressed to say that it fully
lived up to that billing but ... spectacular was the adjective of the day.

Rain and mud proved spectacularly abundant from our first steps out of the
ADK parking a lot all the way to the last stretches of our journey. For the
most part the going was easy and in some respects rather unspectacular.
The first scenic anonomly to break the monotonous drone of the unyielding
precipitation was Rocky Falls, which we hit about 2 or 3 miles in.  Further
up, we stopped for lunch at one of several lean-tos we passed.  That
night's inhabitants were just arriving and stringing up their food (this
area is infested with bears).  Over a soggy meal, we chatted amiably enough
with them about the merits of cannibalism and other light banter.

Back on our merry way, just a-singin' in the rain, we were forced to ford
yet another of the spectacular number of streams in our way.  Shortly
thereafter, we made Indian Pass and Summit Rock (2,800 and change) which
marked the half-way point.  All sarcasm aside, the grandeur of these 1000
foot cliffs was indeed spectacular.  A tangle of boulders, some larger
than a two-story house, proved ponderously awe inspiring as well. The water
that we once cursed, now danced playfully down the sheer cliffs and
meandered teasingly though the caves and crags.  In fact, the rain and damp
chill made this part of the journey seem even more remote and pristine.  It
is a sight I will not soon forget.

The specter of fading daylight and wet clothing necessitated our pressing
on to the truck.  The sun poked out in spectacular fashion as if to taunt
us on the last mile.  Nonetheless, only part of our journey was nearing
completion.  Everything is far away in this part of the 'dacks.  Though
our crow's-eye-hike was only 10 miles, we were 60 or 70 miles away form our
starting point by road.  In a muffled mutter of agreement, we headed for
the nearest restaurant to fill our aching bellies.  It was approaching
midnight before the last of us would turn in to slumber.  It had been a
long day!

Sunday broke true to its name but the dual factors of yesterday's ordeal
coupled with the one looming on the horizon (the 4 + hr drive home) made us
all agree that light side-excurions would be better than another long trek.
And in doing such, we found a number of spectacular diversions (John
Brown's Farm, Moose on Wheels, the Mountaineer, et al)

Among them ... the B&B I stumbled upon in Keene for $60 a night ... is
worth checking out!  More info, contact Rob (machimoodus@...).

======
* Welch-Dickey Loop - from Our Welcoming Committee/Motivator Kathy K.

Eric, LeighAnn, Martin, and I headed out on the Welch-Dickey loop on a hot
Sunday morning. It was actually cooler hiking in the woods than it would have
been hanging out in my hot apartment in Cambridge, although as we hit the
steeper sections, we could feel the heat.

However, we had a little adventure while there that cooled us off. As Martin and
I reached the first summit, we caught sight of a thunder storm off in the
distance which was moving in quickly and coming from the direction into which we
were hiking. Within only minutes, we heard thunder and Martin saw
lightning, so we decided to head back down and get off the mountain. We
ran down and met up with Eric and LeighAnn, who were just nearing the
summit, and we all started back down.

As we got off the highest part of the mountain, we caught part of the storm
and took refuge in a gorge through the middle of a big rock. The storm
passed quickly but we headed down anyway, and I'm glad we did because
10 minutes later, it came back and poured on us for almost the rest of
the hike. The sun, of course, came out (as it always does on rainy hikes)
for the last 1/2 mile. We were all soaked but felt much cooler than
earlier, so most of us didn't mind.

After that, we ate a much-earned hearty meal at Jigger Johnson's in
Plymouth.  :-D

I'd really like to get back there again, perhaps in fall for foliage hike, but
maybe sooner. The scenery was beautiful and the terrain interesting. Would like
to do it when it's dry out, however, as some of those ledges were a bit
dangerous when wet.

Good news, though!  No tick sightings! :-D
=====

------------------------------------------------------------------------
GONewEngland - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Unsub - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com

===
UNSUBSCRIBE: gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
===

Hello GONewEnglanders!

Time for the Get Outdoors New England Weekly-or-so E-Mail
Newsletter Blurb Thing...Now being sent to some 720 people!

Wow!  Another week has gone by, and it was enough time for
lots of these to find their way to Your Webmaster:

NEW EVENTS
- Leisurely walk around BREAKHEART RESERVATION on 7/15 with Janet D.
   C'mon out to shake off the midweek blues, and bring your pup.
   Just north of Boston on Rte 1.
- Join Judith for a return to MT. MAJOR on 7/17, but this time
   you can hit ELLACOYA STATE PARK to cool off if you like!  Supposed
   to be gettin' hot again!
- HIKING SKINNER MT. 7/18 with Lisa.  This is an easy hike
   to a 1400' peak in western MA (near Northampton).
- WELCH-DICKEY LOOP on 7/18 with Kathy K.  Five miles, hits two
   peaks!
- DANCING 'TIL 2 at the Avalon (Boston) w/ Ty on 7/23.  Start with a pop-in
   to Jillian's at 10, then run on over to the Avalon.  (Dress code,
   see details.)  Ty would like to run this often if he hears from ya!
- JET SKIING/WAVE RUNNING ON LAKE WINNISQUAM (Tilton, NH) with Ty
   on 7/25.  Respond now so you'll have a machine reserved!
- MT. CHOCORUA HIKE with Kathy K. on 7/25---get in on this GREAT hike.
   If you hike slowly, that's fine, as KK will be running sweep.
   Lots of chatter on the GONewEngland-Chat group about this---just
   at the same time that Kathy sent the event in...Coincidence?
   Twilight Zone...?  :-)

And now some of these:

EVENT UPDATES
- GRAPE ISLAND CAMPING has a few spots available.  Give Mary a
   shout!  Guarantee some nice, cool weather for sleeping!  :-)
   7/16-18.
- Kair's DUCK TOUR is set for September 18.  Get on board for this
   fun day (in association w/ the Hub Club) by sending an e-mail
   to Kair.  Quack quack!  ** At last count there were just 9 spots
   left---many seats already taken by Hub Clubbers and GONewEnglanders! **
   Cost looks like it will come in under $20.

Whew!  Visit the Bulletin Board, folks, for all the information.
It's at http://www.GONewEngland.org.  Yes, the Breakheart event
is the *15th*, so RSVP *right now* so Janet will know to wait for you.

WHERE HAVE WE BEEN???
Great Pond was simply wonderful.  Sarah's mom and dad were most
accommodating and are just great.  We did everything from a lobster
dinner to hiking Saddleback Mt. to water skiing to kayaking to...well,
too much really.  ow...ow...twist my arm to go back...ow...ow!!!  :-)

Your Webmaster heard that the last trip to Lincoln Woods for the
Kanc Hike-n-Swim was lots of fun, too---and there was water enough
for sliding!  Chris's pup Abbey hurt her leg though, so the two of
them couldn't finish the hike and had to turn back.  I hope Abbey
is doing better now, Chris!

Darn---I thought there was one more trip report that came in.  Maybe
not.  Well, with all the above events going on, I'm sure to find
one or two in my mailbox soon.

MORE TICK TALK
Bikers!  Paul F. does a great deal of off-road biking around
Millbury, Sutton, and Grafton.  He's heard all the commotion about
hikers picking up ticks, and he wanted me to remind you that
those on two wheels can also come out of the woods with some unwanted
riders.  So dismount and check for those nasty critters.

THE MATTER ON CHATTER
The GONewEngland E-mail discussion group has been lively this week.
Already we've found a number of people interested in doing stuff out in
the Adirondacks, walks in Melrose and nearby, and Mt. Chocorua.
And GONewEnglanders have responded by posting events (or will post
them soon).  Excellent!

Check out the banter.  It's just e-mail---no costs, it's easy,
unsubscribe at any time, yadda-yadda...
View posts:  http://www.egroups.com/lists/gonewengland-chat
Subscribe:   mailto:gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com

Note that you cannot post to the e-group if you're not
subscribed, so please subscribe first.

GOT PHOTOS OF NEHG/GONewEngland ACTIVITIES ON-LINE SOMEWHERE?
If you have put together a web page of photos from our activities,
I'd love to link to 'em from the GONewEngland web site.  If you
don't have one, please make one---be creative, have fun, and let
me know where it is!

=======
ADMINISTRIVIA
mailto:GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com:
Kathy Kelley (Motivator, Welcoming Committee)
Ken Leonard (Webmaster)
Gizmo (Mascot)
Alan Fajvan (Social Director)
The Queen Mary - made 1001 trips across the Atlantic before she was
   retired and is now a tourist attraction and floating hotel
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Events by e-mail:
   mailto:events-text@... OR mailto:events-html@...
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + mailbox # (listen to updated event info for
   events with mailbox numbers)
=======

OK, that's enough Blurb this week.  I took most of my typing frustration
out on the database with all those neat NEW EVENTS anyway!  :-)

But before I go...

	 OK, yes, I was in "vacation mode" while in Maine...I admit it.
	 You know, that blank stare, slow speech, interest in sitting
	 outside and watching the pond or the stars..."people on ludes
	 should not hike"---that kind of thing.  A time when
	 "whatever" is used to answer most questions.

	 Just don't try it at work, folks.  :-)

Be safe!

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------
GONewEngland - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Unsub - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com

=====
UNSUBSCRIBING:  gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
=====

Hello GONewEnglanders!

I hope everyone had a great Fourth!

Yes, the Get Outdoors New England E-Mail Blurb Thing is a day
early.  Your Webmaster is disappearing for a long weekend, so
he thought he'd take care of this tonight!

Please check the GONewEngland site for all event information and
updates.  If anything new comes in, it'll be out there for Thursday
morning.

And, yes, we've got new stuff out there already!

NEW EVENTS
- For July 10, Gary M. will lead a small group biking around
   the North Shore (Hamilton, Ipswich, Topsfield).  You must RSVP
   by the morning of 7/9 to confirm your spot.  Please see the
   event description for more information.
- Proposed:  BORDERLAND SP LIGHT HIKE/WALK with Tom sometime
   around the end of July or early August.  RSVP and let him
   know when you'll be available.  Your Webmaster has done this.
   Very light hiking/strolling, some ponds, some structures.

...plus other fabulous activities going on this weekend (Adirondack
Hike, Great Pond, Rock Climbing...)

** http://www.GONewEngland.org for all the info! **

NO TRIP REPORTS YET...
Hello Acadians!  I hope your weekend trip went well.  If I get
a trip report from there (or for any other activities we've
done---hint, hint), I'll post it next week.

LIGHT HIKERS HAVE SPOKEN!
I've had a few people ask about lighter hikes.  This is GREAT!
Your Webmaster posts one every now and then (King Philip's Rock,
Wachusett Meadows, Maudslay, Boxford SF), and there's some interest
in the next one I do.  Just stay tuned!  And thanks for getting
back to me.

Oh!  If *you* have a light hike idea, please don't hesitate to
post it as an event.  Running an activity isn't all that hard,
especially a light hike.  It's fun, actually!  Your Webmaster and
the rest of the GONewEngland Crew will be happy to answer any
questions/concerns you may have.

LINKS PAGE
I just added Dana M's home page to our growing collection of
links on the GONewEngland links page.  And thanks for the link
back, Dana!

Do YOU have or know of a site that needs a link from the GONewEngland
links page?  Just drop a note to Yer Ol' Webmaster.

======
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com
- Kathy Kelley - kakelley@... - Motivator, Welcoming Committee
- Ken Leonard - kleonard@... - Webmaster
- Gizmo - Renattalee@... - Mascot
- Alan Fajvan - SocialDirector@... - Social Director
The Flag Marking the South Pole - is on a glacier that moves some 35 feet
   per year, and the flag is moved back to the correct spot every January 1.
The Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Events by e-mail - send a blank e-mail to:
   events-html@... OR events-text@...
Chat/Discussion E-Group - gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com
Old Blurbs - http://www.egroups.com/list/gonewengland
======

Weird getting the Blurb out this early, but there ya go!  So I'm going
to head to bed early, thank you very much!  Oh, darn, maybe not---laundry
is still underway...OK, whatever.

But before I go fold something...

	 Whew---it's been hot.  Your Webmaster has been spending
	 far too much time indoors, but that's where there's air
	 conditioning and liquid refreshments at the ready.

	 Even though it's a tad cooler now, it'll be hot again soon.
	 Drink liquid like a fish (no alcohol---it makes you *lose*
	 water!), remember the sunscreen and a cap, and don't
	 strain yourself physically too much as the mercury approaches
	 triple digits.  That includes outdoor activities of the
	 GONewEngland variety as well...Lighten up 'til it cools off!  :-)

I'll see a bunch of you for the Great Pond weekend.

And to all:  Get Outdoors *safely*.  Keep your cool!

...kl...

------------------------------------------------------------------------
GONewEngland - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Unsub - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com

=====
UNSUBSCRIBING INFORMATION
Send a blank e-mail to GONewEngland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
=====

Hello GONewEngland type folks!

Another award comes to the Get Outdoors New England Web Site:
We received the Web Site of the Week award from http://www.nh.com.
Got a nice little write-up, too!

So it encourages me to keep pumpin' out the GONewEngland Weekly-or-so
E-Mail Newsletter Blurb Thing, which is what you're reading.
I'm just here to let you know about new stuff and other bits
of random information.  Watch out---some of it may even turn out
to be useful!

Rob sent me a trip report for his trip to the Adirondacks over
this past weekend.  He included some pics, which showed some really
awesome scenery (to save space in the Blurb I did not include
them here).  Please put NY on your list of places to go.  Rob is
running another event out to that area next weekend, so hop on in!
His trip report is below---THANK YOU, Rob!

And my trip reports for this past weekend?  OK, Watatic by night
was simply wonderful---again---even though we didn't get the
moonlight 'til *after* we'd gotten back out to the parking lot due
to overcast skies (and occasional drizzle).  Five of us headed on up.
And two folks joined me at the Boxford State Forest on Sunday for
a leisurely walk.  Although it was very hot, it was actually much
cooler under the forest canopy---something I was counting on.  But
a post-hike ice cream at Richardson's was a moral imperative anyway.
Hey, Beth!  Where's my "nice e-mail", huh???  You promised!!!  :-)

Then there were some folks who hit Tripyramid, but they didn't
let us all know they were going.  Booooooooooo!!!  So I won't
tell you that they had fun, too.

JUST GETTING INTO HIKING?  NOVICE?  NOT-QUITE-IN-SHAPE?
Next time I do the Boxford State Forest, c'mon along!  It's
a relatively short hike, mostly flat, with one or two
interesting things to see (ssshhhh---won't tell ya, you have
to just come on along next time).  The Boxford SF and others
we do that are light are GREAT if you're just in need of
some outdoors time, haven't gone out into the woods for a while
and may not be in the best of shape, are just starting out, would
like to bring the kids along and get them into hiking, or
just want to meet some fun and interesting people.

If you're not sure that a particular event is for you, just
ask the person running the event.

Speaking of things to do...

CAMPING AVAILABLE THIS WEEKEND
Karen and Kim have a few sites reserved out near Greylock.  Drop
them a note if you'd like to head out there for the weekend.
http://www.GONewEngland.org for all the info.

For those interested in the Acadia trip, it's booked and then some.
Adina and the crew are renting kayaks and doing all kinds of
stuff---HAVE A BLAST, EVERYONE!

Matt's intro to rock climbing filled up within a day or so.  He'll
probably run a second one to try to accommodate more people.  Yep,
these events fill up, so get your RSVP in early to make sure you've
got a spot.

NEW EVENTS
- A leisurely stroll to some natural waterslides at one of
GONewEngland's favorite events:  KANC HIKE-N-SWIM on 7/3
with Chris N.  Bring your bathing suit!
- "The most spectacular hike in the East!"  It's INDIAN PASS as
part of ADIRONDACKS HIKES on 7/10-11 with Rob and Sharon.
- Lisa H. is heading back to MT. TOM in the Northampton, MA
area for a HIKE-N-PICNIC on 8/7.
- Join our co-founder Don and his group Charlotte Outdoor
Adventures for a trip up MT. WASHINGTON in mid-September.  He's
bringing a group up from North Carolina, and GONewEnglanders
are invited!

>>>> http://www.GONewEngland.org for more info! <<<<

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Be careful with that car, Eugene...The Boston Globe reports
that moose are on the loose in MA and several have been
struck by cars.  Eric S. sent the following URL to check out:
http://www.boston.com/news/daily/29/moose.htm

Although we joke about being able to drive under a moose
(and those with a Miata may come close to doing it), it
really doesn't work out that way.  Nice idea, but very often
neither you nor the moose come out of a collision very happy.

Mary E. dug up a good article about our good friends
poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac, and their wonderful poison
bretheren.  The article explains how to avoid them, what to
do if you come in contact with them, and so on.  NOBODY IS IMMUNE.
http://www12.nytimes.com/library/national/science/062999hth-brody.html
(note that you must register with the NY Times to read this,
but it's FREE with NO STRINGS ATTACHED according to Mary).

Thanks Eric and Mary!  Oh---these articles are available for
only a short time.  Head there now if you'd like to read 'em.

And a THANK YOU to Rob who noticed that the old links document
somehow wound up back on the web site.  I dunno...Gremlins????

You folks keep me on my toes---I need it!  :-)

OLD BLURBS, OLD CHATS
Did you know that you can read the old Blurbs (cures insomnia)
as well as GONewEngland Chats?  Yep!
http://www.egroups.com/list/gonewengland
http://www.egroups.com/list/gonewengland-chat

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com - The Crew
- kakelley@... - Kathy Kelley - Motivator, Welcoming Committee
- kleonard@... - Ken Leonard - Your Webmaster
- Renattalee@... - Gizmo - The Mascot
- SocialDirector@... - Alan Fajvan - Social Director
Phoenix & San Antonio - fastest growing cities in the US
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Events by e-mail:  Send a blank mail to...
- events-html@... OR events-text@...
E-mail Chat/Discussion Group:
- GONewEngland-Chat-Subscribe@egroups.com
=====

Wow, it's getting late.  Better wrap this up.  Unfortunately
Your Webmaster will be unable to hit the trails with y'all
this weekend, but I'll be catching up with everyone for
the Great Pond trip next weekend---it'll be fun!

For now, though...Time to go sleepies.

But before I go...

	 Wishing everyone a fun and safe Fourth!
	 Happy birthday to us!

Get Outdoors, Make New Friends...

...kl...

==========
** Trip Report:  Adirondacks - from Rob O'Keefe (machimoodus@...)

Date: July 26, 1999
Weather : HHH ... 90's
Travel Time: (from Htfd, CT.)  4.5 hrs ... 263 miles
Destination: Algonquin and Iroquois Mnts.
Trail Specs:  11 miles (RT)  3,200 el. gain.

      Saturday was a gorgeous day for my triumphant return to the
Adirondacks, a mountain range which had not heard the trampling of my feet
since 1978.  I arrived at the Adirondack Loj at about 9:45 a.m. in bright
spirits, checked-in, and was on the trail by 10.  The first mile or so of
the route up Algonquin follows the Van Hovenberg Trail before branching
right on its own course.  This part of the walk is almost flat in places.
The hardwood forest seemed very similar to the forest I'm used to back
home.
      That all starts to change at the at the fork.  Birches and spruce
replace oak and maple as the remaining 3 miles grows steeper, at first
incrementally then seemingly expotentially.  Near the top, slick rock
slides form intimidating barriers to progress.  Water on the trail would
have make these sections much more treacherous.  But lingering drought
made my trek dry as a tinderbox.  I pushed ahead a steady, methodical pace
making the summit in just under 2 hours.
      Algonquin (5,114 ft.) has a respectable amount of acreage
above treeline and phenomenal views of the High Peaks region.  Most
impressive was a huge slide (pitched at 45 degrees, well over 1,000 feet
long and probably twice that in length) directly south on Mt. Colvin.
Equally awe-inspiring are the vertical cliffs of Wallface,
far-off Lake Placid, and the verdant carpet of forest which cloaks the
undulating land.  Such scenery throngs of hikers on sunny days.  An ADK
"ridgerunner" was on-hand to answer any questions but mostly to remind
people not to trample the fragile alpine vegetation.  Seeking a bit more
solitude, I traveled the extra mile and a half to Iroquois via a "herd
path".  My efforts were rewarded.  Where I shared Algoinquin with scores of
fellow travelers, Iroquois was mine to savor alone.
======

------------------------------------------------------------------------
GONewEngland - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Unsub - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com

Hello GONewEnglanders!

Wow!  Just had a nasty t-storm rumble through not far from
GONewEngland's Central Office.  The weather bulletin talked about
hail large enough to cause injury and take out windows.  Fortunately
I was on the southern side of it, so all I got was a little rain.
I hope nobody got pelted too badly by this one.

And "little rain" is about right.  It's great to be in an outdoors
group when the weather is good (like the fabulous Get Outdoors New
England at http://www.GONewEngland.org with a fun-filled weekly-or-so
e-mail newsletter blurb thing, which you're reading now).
But in my 35 years I've never seen people who actually
*miss* the rain.  I have to admit, I think we could all
use a shower.  uhhh...that wasn't quite right...ummm...
Well, you know what it's like after a rain---how clean the air
is.  It is something you miss.

So...What's been going on here in GONewEngland Land?  Plenty!

* CANNON MT. on Sunday brought us some excellent views.  The Kinsman
Ridge trail is a bit of a challenge with its steep spots, but it's
worth the climb.  Great group, new faces!  Thank you for putting
it together, KK!

* From MT. MAJOR, Judith reports:
Just wanted to let you know a bit about our Mt. Major hike.   The
weather was perfect, and we headed out early so we didn't see too many
other people.  There were four adults, three children, and a dog.  About
thirty feet out of the parking lot, Emily (the seven year old) started
complaining that her legs hurt, so I was a bit dismayed, but she rallied
and ended up being the first one to reach the top.  The views were
tremendous. Jane called her mother on her cell phone and we all waved
down at Echo Point.  I never heard whether she saw us or not.

* And here's Ruth with the latest results from the SMUGATHON:
It was another great year for the Smugathon.  Jamie L. joined me this year,
and not only did we complete the race (which was on a tougher new route this
year), but we also hiked up a couple of peaks in Smuggler's Notch after the
post-race BBQ (complete with Ben & Jerry's Peace Pops).

After the hike there was a moose sighting - a female moose right in front of
our car walking slowly down the notch road (just to get everyone's
attention).  Actually there were lots of furry and feathered friends to be
seen:  Holsteins, shaggy Highlanders and Jerseys, herds of horses, hawks,
hummingbirds, an indigo bunting, and the usual assortment of friendly dogs.

No trophy for me this year, but I did finish and I wasn't last, so I'm
content with that.  Jamie finished ahead of me - probably because of his
fancy new kayak.  We also biked about 20 miles Friday afternoon and paddled
about 10 miles on Sunday.  When I returned home Sunday night, I was indeed a
little tired.  Jamie on the other hand stuck around and hiked Spruce Peak
with another Smugathoner.

If you're planning an outing with Jamie, then you'd better rest up!  But I'd
be happy to go and do it all again.

---Thanks to Ken, Judith, and Ruth for those reports.

Now, some NEW EVENTS to get more trip reports generated...
- Another evening hike to MT. WATATIC on 6/25, with Your Webmaster.
This time we should have a moon!
- CARDIGAN is a possibility for 6/26, but Judith hasn't made any
firm plans.  Drop her an e-mail if you think you'd be interested
in a hike!  And then tune back in to the Bulletin Board on Friday
morning to see if this activity or others have been updated.
- Over the July 4th weekend, you can attend Karen's GREYLOCK HIKE/CAMP
event!  Camp out at the Sperry Campground, then hike up Greylock.
Note:  Kim is handling the RSVPs and coordinating for this while
Karen is away.  See the event description for info.

EVENT UPDATE
- Mary E. reports that she has added another site for the NH
camping weekend, bringing the maximum to 15.  If you're interested,
get onto the list and get your deposit in ASAP, as this will fill,
and Lafayette is *booked solid* for that weekend.

HOTLINE
The Hotline is there for late-breaking information on
an activity if there's a mailbox assigned to it.
Dial the Hotline Number (see below), hit the * key then
the mailbox, and you'll get a message from the person who's
running the event.  Please do not leave messages on the
Hotline for the person running the event or for Your Webmaster.
Please use e-mail instead.

Well, anyway...

Hey, wait!  Did Ruth say MOOSE SIGHTING?  This was Vermont, right?
Hmmmm...Maybe there *are* moose in Vermont after all?

Nahhh...Just on vacation from New Hampshire again, I'm sure.

====
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com
- Kathy Kelley - kakelley@... - Welcoming Committee/Motivator
- Ken Leonard - kleonard@... - Webmaster
- Gizmo - Renattalee@... - Mascot
- Alan Fajvan - socialdirector@... - Social Director
Friday - Take Your Dog to Work Day
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + mailbox #
E-mail Discussion - gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com
Unsubbing from here - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
Events by e-mail: events-html@... or
	 events-text@...
====

Well, methinks that'd be it for this evening.  Tune back in
to the Bulletin Board on Friday for anything new over the
weekend---if Cardigan doesn't go, Your Webmaster may try to pop
something out there for Sunday (suggestions welcome).  I'd like
to see some more new faces (as well as repeat business, of course...and
maybe some folks we haven't seen in a while---that'd be cool).

But before I go...

	 GONewEngland has eclipsed 700 people on the e-mail list.
	 The GONewEngland-Chat group is just shy of 100.
	 Thank you all for participating!  With my original estimate
	 of 20-30 people *total* for the good ol' NEHG, I'd say
	 we've done quite well.  But there's always room for more
	 good people, so if you know of someone who's looking for
	 some fun folks to do outdoorsy kinds of stuff with,
	 just have him or her drop by GONewEngland.org.

Get Outdoors -- Be Safe,

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------
GONewEngland - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Unsub - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com

=====
UNSUBSCRIBING FROM GONEWENGLAND E-GROUPS:
Send a blank e-mail to:
- gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
- gonewengland-chat-unsubscribe@egroups.com
=====

Hello GONewEnglanders!

Yep, this is the Get Outdoors New England E-mail
Newsletter Blurb Thing.  Unsubbing instructions are
above---but we're almost to 700, so why would you want
to go away *now*???  Ugh!

Anywho---Lots and lots this week!  So skip down to NEW EVENTS
and sign up for stuff, then browse the rest of this at lunchtime.
(Unless you're LIESA or YVETTE, who should read the next thing
below...)

But first, a closed-circuit message for:
[[ LIESA and YVETTE:  Jim F. from the Hub Club (who is
running the NEWPORT HORSEBACK RIDING event) cannot
respond to your e-mail addresses--they bounce.  Please
double-check your Reply-To address and get back to him.  I
have a phone number if you need it.  Money needed ASAP, is $75
(now includes a tip). ]]

AND WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP TO...?
Got a few trip reports in!  The Memorial Day Camping at Dolly
Copp is at the bottom.  Enjoy!

** From VT:  Mary reports on the VT CAMPING TRIP...
Hi, the trip went very well. We had gorgeous, hot weather the whole time,
but it was still nice and cool under the trees and Ben & Jerry's ice cream
helped to keep everyone happy. Saturday some people hiked up Camel's Hump,
some mountain biked, and everyone swam in the river. We had a great
smorgasbord dinner, including Jamie's famous (infamous?) blackened
vegetables [and blackened burgers, chicken -- maybe next time we won't let
him do the cooking :-) ]. Everyone was stuffed, but somehow we still had
room for Oreos (thanks Karime!) and s'mores.

If you missed out, don't worry -- we're definitely going back next year.

** From Raymond, NH:  Your Webmaster reports on PAWTUCKAWAY...
Wonderful---if buggy!---hike, about 10 miles (or so, we think...),
interrupted by two 1000-foot (or so, we think) hills.  Seven of
us ventured out onto the trail, and it was a half hour before we
were lost---a new record!  (We're usually lost after about 15
minutes.)  Back on the trail, we rounded out the hike rewarded
with super views from the two hills and a romp through the Boulder
Field.  One mystery, though...Does anyone know what that weird
billboard like metal structure is on top of the hill to the north???

And, 'tis true, you needn't pay $2.50 to get in if all you're
going to be doing is hiking/biking.  There's a back entrance that'll
get you close to the hiking trails.  Your Webmaster now knows
the secret!  Pawtuckaway is a great spot for long and mostly flat
hikes (with a hill or two if you want 'em).  Mountain biking, too.

** From Easthampton, MA:  Lisa reports on the MT. TOM HIKE...
The hike to Mt. Tom went well. We hiked along a ridge that overlooked
Easthampton, MA.

Two cool gals and two guys showed up, and we hiked for 4 hours.  It seemed
like they had more stamina than me.  Anyway it was a good time.
I would like to do another hike on the first Saturday in August.
It will be a short hike and then Picnic.  Everyone must bring one dish, like
salad, or dessert.  I have to find out if you can cook on grills there.

>>> Hey, Lisa...Just let Yer Ol' Webmaster know, and I'll be glad
to post the activity.  Meantime, if you think you'd be into what Lisa
may post, drop her a note to nudge her along:  beaches200@...

Thanks for all the trip reports.  I love 'em!  Check out David's
at the end, too.

FODDER FOR NEW TRIP REPORTS
Yes, *we've got more events* coming up:

NEW EVENTS
- MT. MAJOR, 6/19, with Judith (this Saturday, folks!).  Will not
include Ellacoya SP, but you can head there after the hike if you
like!  RSVP to Judith for this neat hike with wonderful views.
- CANNON MT., 6/20, with Kathy K (this Sunday, folks!).  Great
hike, great views.  Your Webmaster last did this one on snowshoes!
- YOUR CHOICE OF NY HIKES await you and Rob on 6/26 (and *maybe*
6/27 if you pick Marcy!)  Leave from West Hartford, CT, and go
to the 'dacks or the Cats.  Your pick!  Please RSVP to Rob and
cast your vote...
- Contact "The Big Vopper" Samantha (http://www.voppers.com) if
you'd like to do BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING ON GROUT POND (Arlington,
VT) in mid-August.  Lots and lots to do in that area!  Samantha
will show you around!

For all event info, drop by http://www.GONewEngland.org

CHATTER!
Lots of discussions on the chat list about Greylock and other
possible hikes.  You can join - gonewengland-chat@egroups.com
(just a blank e-mail to that address will get you on there).
Traffic is relatively low.  To see what we're talking about, head
to:  http://www.egroups.com/list/gonewengland-chat where you
can check out the archives of the latest e-mails.

SURVEYS
Just cherry-picking some of the latest surveys...
- Evan in Natick has 42 of the 48 4000 footers and is looking for
folks to do the rest with him.  Evan---post 'em, and you'll get
some company!
- Allison likes bad jokes and bad singing
- Eric from Portland seems really into this stuff!
- Ken from Nashua wants to meet some new faces (we got 'em, Ken)

Thanks for sending those along.  It's neat to see who's
out here...I wish I could really pin it down to "oh, everyone
is about this old, and there are 49.5% women, 49.5% men, 1% other,"
but, wow, there are all kinds of people with all kinds of interests.
So Get Outdoors and Make New Friends with these folks!

...and one of those people, Becka Roolf, and her side-kick Taig
The Dog will be movin' out to Oregon.  All the best, Becka,
in your new adventures out west.

NEW LINK
...to Scouts NewEngland, a compilation of handy information about
the Boy Scouts chapters in our area, plus other information
resources:  http://members.tripod.com/~SNE

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com - General questions, comments, etc
- Kathy Kelley - kakelley@... - Motivator/Welcoming Committee
- Ken Leonard - kleonard@... - Webmaster
- Gizmo - Renattalee@... - Mascot
- Alan Fajvan - socialdirector@... - Social Director
Bambi - number of words spoken in the motion picture:  800
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + Mailbox number
events-text@... or events-html@... (for
   events by e-mail...allow a day or two for a response, please)
=====

Well, that's about it!  I'm going to bow out gracefully now to
get some sleep...and with the trip reports this Blurb is already
hefty.  So that's enough for me!

But before I go...

	 You were "just a country doctor," but we'll miss you, Bones.

GET OUTDOORS, MAKE FRIENDS, BE SAFE!

...kl...
==================
TRIP REPORT - MEMORIAL DAY CAMPING TO DOLLY COPP
...from Dave P. - David_Pariseau@...
-= =-
Trip report, Memorial Day Weekend at Dolly Copp in the Presidentials

The weather was great.  17 adults and 2 children attended.  10 made it to the
top of Mt. Madison at 5366 feet on Saturday and 4 made Mt. Hiete ? on Sunday. 
The views were stunning.  As many as 10 miles were hiked each day.  The
campsites were great - grassy and private.  Excellent people.

Other activities included Full moon walks along the river, watching fireflies,
Friendly campfires, and great cookouts.

PEOPLE:
· Laura brought her big tent and took in 2 others that needed tent space.  She
bumped her head and found out (after hiking the second day) that she had a mild
concussion
· Don hurt his knee on the way down and had to bag the second day hike.  He's
all better now (he thinks).  He took some great pictures
· Kim somehow forgot Karen at the showers at Pinkham Notch Visitor's Center on
Saturday - not sure what happened there. But by the end of the weekend, she had
redeemed herself by bringing back an extra person from the showers on Sunday -
maintaining her perfect record.
· Cheryl had the locksmith come open the trunk of her car when the keys were in
Jamie's truck that was open all along
· Lisa burnt her toe on the fire.  Her "say your name rhyming game" did work-
after that I knew and then didn't forget anyone's name.  We learned she could
hike 10 miles if she wanted to.  We weren't sure
· Jeff was the best camp chef.  He even made brownies on his camp stove
· Troy was the trail expert.  He'd been there and done that before.
· Marshall had the best food.  Tuna grilled in foil on an open fire
· I saw Dave walking around with his assembled tent over his head looking for
the perfect spot to place it - did he not like our neighbors to the right?  He
also brought his tent poles this time--good job Dave!!
· Karen got a bit frightened after she went a bit off the trail on Sunday while
hanging out around 19 mile brook, but she explained her dilemma to other hikers
that relayed her message to us on the trail.  She thought she missed us and that
we left her or something like that.  She seemed better when we met up
· Jamie was the best hiker, but Laura tried like hell and kept up
· Elizabeth loved to be camping again and enjoyed the hike to the Falls, but
beware, without a shower and her Diet Coke, she's meaner than the bears! (I
didn't notice though).  She enjoyed the campfire the most. In fact, she and
Peter kept Friday night's fire going until 4 a.m., while all the other campers
were fast asleep!  Elizabeth had a great time camping and enjoyed the falls
hike.
· Cheryl brought her nephew Darin who tended the fire, helped cook and got
charcoal all over himself!
· Adina supplied everyone with s'mores--no camping trip should be without
s'mores!!
· Be sure not to leave small children unsupervised in Jamie's presence - did
anyone see who tripped Darin? Marshall, did you see who did that? Was it Jamie
again?
· At the last minute Peter and his daughter Katelyn decided to join the group on
the Falls hike. Surprisingly, Katelyn, age 7, led the hike to the Falls!
· My car overheated all the way up and the traffic on 128 was horrific, but once
I got there thing got much better.  The car is better now too
· Those who took time to read the historical plaque learned that Dolly Copp
moved to the area when she married Harry Copp in 1829. She ran a sort of
B&B and her maple syrup was much appreciated by the city folk.  After 50
years of marriage, she decided that 50 years was long enough to stay with
any man, so she left old Harry and moved away.

Thanks to all.  It was a very memorial weekend.  Hope to see you all again! 
Maybe Labor Day weekend??
-= =-


------------------------------------------------------------------------
GONewEngland - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Unsub - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com

Hi Folks!

Just a few quick notes from Get Outdoors New England Central:

NEW EVENTS
- PAWTUCKAWAY WALK/HIKE w/ Your Webmaster on Sunday 6/13 (southern
   NH; no pets, unfortunately)
- MT MONADNOCK EVENING HIKE (southwestern NH) on Wednesday 6/16 at 6pm
   with Deane

UPDATES
- VT CAMPING this weekend:  A spot has opened up...Please contact
   Mary
- HORSEBACK RIDING w/ the Hub Club in Newport:  RSVP is due *today*!

Info:  http://www.GONewEngland.org

Weather:  Fabulous.  Get out and enjoy it!

...and please be safe,

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------

eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/gonewengland
http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications

=====
TO UNSUBSCRIBE:  Send a blank e-mail to
	 gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
=====

Hi there GONewEngland!

This is the Get Outdoors New England E-Mail Newsletter
Blurb Thing.  I put the unsubscribe instructions up top
in case someone's thinking of jumping ship.  But please
don't!  We've got some announcements and some gross things
to talk about.  Uhhh...fun stuff, yeah, that's what I meant.

First:  GONewEngland gets awards and stuff...

THE GONewEngland SITE WINS...
...the StudyWeb Excellence Award!  This means that
http://www.GONewEngland.org has been recognized as
a site full of valuable information for students and
teachers to use in research (hmmmm...I wanna go to *that*
school).

THE GONEWENGLAND E-MAIL NEWSLETTER BLURB THING WINS...
...the GONewEngland Drivel Award!  I just made that up.

NEW AT THE SITE...
OK, I thought I'd try this again:  A Swap Shop.  Got outdoor
gear you are looking to sell?  Is there gear you're looking
for?  Let Your Webmaster know.  Matt D. (our Rock Climbing
Point of Contact...Not Matt *P.*, my mistake!) has some
whitewater rafting gear out there.  Drop by and visit!

...and there's now a link to Rob O'Keefe's home page on our
links page.  He's looking for hiking partners!

TRIP TICKS
Heads up!  Our trip to Red Hill in the Squam Lakes Region
of NH picked up *many* uninvited guests:  wood ticks.  The
area was logged a few years ago, and now there are a lot of
low bushes, small trees, and grass alongside the trail.  Yep,
great spots for those little red beasties to wait for passers by.
Gordon took the record with 12.  Your Webmaster was way behind
with only 3.  But nobody got bit---whew.

...but Red Hill was a wonderful climb, and we got to visit
the fire tower at the top, which is manned.  After the hike
we wandered to a lake right across the street from the trailhead.
Nice.  Thanks, Kathy!

We had a number of new faces on the Red Hill hike, which
is always good to see.  Let's continue that trend!

Oh!  Yes, that's right...Cassie (whom I met for another hike in
the Watatic area in February) joined me for my evening/night hike
up Watatic this past Friday.  When I tell you it was *wonderful*,
I'm not doing it justice.  Something you just have to experience
for yourselves, I guess...And I *may* be running it again later on
in the month, so stay tuned...Get some new batteries for that flashlight!

AND...There's a trip report brewing for the Memorial Day camping
event that Dave P. ran.  I'll buzz it right along to you when it's
done, perhaps in the next Blurb.

So perhaps we should take a look at what's coming up, huh?

NEW EVENTS
- LAFAYETTE, WE ARE CAMPING with Laura H. this weekend.  Camp at
   the Lafayette Campground, then do some nasty hikes (Osceola,
   Mousilake, Franconia Ridge---something like that).  Camp or
   just meet up for the hikes.
- HORSEBACK RIDING with the HubClub, 6/26.  I saw this event in the
   Hub Club e-mail newsletter and asked if I could post it at the
   GONewEngland web site---it sounds great.  **Must sign up by
   June 11.**  Two hour ride in Newport.
- BEGINNER ROCK CLIMBING with Matt D. (our PoC for Rock Climbing) on
   July 10.  Ever wanted to give it a try...?

THIS WEEKEND
- NORTHERN MAINE BACKPACK starting on 6/10 with Dave D.
- CAMPING WITH MARY IN VT all weekend...Please note that some
   GONewEnglanders have grabbed additional sites so there may
   be some room for you.  Weather:  I've heard *excellent*.
   See the event description for more info.
- MT. TOM on Saturday with Lisa H., out there in the Holyoke, MA
   area.  Well-trodden trails to a 1202' summit.  Bet there are
   some *nice* views from there.
- Our Welcoming Committee/Motivator has made noise about running
   another hike on Sunday.  Stay tuned---I suggest you check back
   to the web site on Friday or, better yet, hop onto our
   e-mail chat group (gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com) where
   you'll probably hear about it first!

Details:  http://www.GONewEngland.org

...and remember to look at all the things coming up and
start signing up!!!

SIGNING UP FOR AN EVENT
Want to head out on something?  It's easy!  Next to each event
is a person's name.  Just send that person some e-mail if you have
questions.  If you'd like to go along, mention that in the e-mail.
Then gather any necessary gear (be prepared!!!!) and show up.
Oh---remember to HAVE FUN.  :-)

CARPOOLING FROM THE CITY
I've heard from a few folks who live in one of the large
cities and don't have a car.  NO PROBLEM.  Ask the person
running the event if there's the possibility of a carpool.
I often pick people up from the Malden Center train stop or commuter
rail stations near my home in the Andover, MA area.  You may even
be able to hitch a ride with someone coming from your area.
Just ask the person running the event for a hand if you'd like
some help getting to the event.  Granted it may not be possible
to get a ride for everyone all the time, but it's worth asking.

Please remember to pitch in for gas and tolls whenever you
carpool.

MY, MY................
Lots of folks know Eric S. and LeighAnn P.---they've been on
various events with us (North Pack, Mt. Major, many social things)
and were recently ogling over li'l Will Cronin and Alana O'Donnell
at the Second Anniversary Party.  Well, recently Eric and LeighAnn
settled into their new house in Billerica, MA, and on a recent
hike to South Pack with some friends, Eric and LeighAnn got
engaged.  Congratulations and best wishes, LeighAnn and Eric!

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com
- Kathy Kelley - Welcoming Committee/Motivator - kakelley@...
- Ken Leonard - Webmaster - kleonard@...
- Gizmo - Mascot - Renattalee@...
- Alan Fajvan - Social Director - socialdirector@...
15 broad stripes, 15 bright stars - on the flag observed by Francis Scott Key
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + the mailbox #
GONewEngland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com - c'mon and e-chat!
events-html@... - events via e-mail (HTML)
events-text@... - events via e-mail (text)
=====

Wheewwww...By the time I'm done, I've spent a few hours between
updating the site and writing the Blurb.  {big stretch!}
So I'm going to take the rest of the night off, if that's OK
by you.  :-)  Oh, darn, there's an event with the wrong
date...gotta go fix it and update the site again...sigh...

But before I go...

	 I bit into a peach today at lunchtime, and the smell
	 and taste of the fresh fruit triggered a memory that
	 for a split second transformed my office into a picnic
	 on a warm summer day...Nice.

Be safe this weekend.  NO RUNNING UP THE TRAIL---right, Laura?  :-)

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------

eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/gonewengland
http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications

Hello GONewEnglanders!

I must say it was a hot one this past weekend!  Our Holyoke
Range hike was only slightly "cooler" than the first time
we did that same hike.  I always seem to pick the really hot
days to do that one!

This here is the Get Outdoors New England E-Mail Newsletter
Blurb Thing.  It's where I tell you stuff about GONewEngland.
Don't worry---unsubscribing instructions are below if you can't
handle all this excitement!

If you're new, *welcome*, and pull up a log and have a seat.
Join in with the hundreds of people already out here and
become part of this neat thing we've got going.  Get onto the
e-mail chat group and meet up with fellow GONewEnglanders.  Get a
plan together for an activity and post it.  Get out on an activity
that someone else is running.  Get involved---yes, it's *your* group!

Hot, hot, hot.  OK, yes, I know my socks really looked goofy
this weekend, but I was hiking, ya know?  Hmmm...Actually, I
dress that way most of the time.  Go figure.

Anyway, I though I'd see a trip report or two from this weekend,
but I do know that Dan & Co. had a wonderful time fishing off
Gloucester.  Liesa caught some sizeable yummy codfish while
everyone else was pulling up stuff that wasn't so yummy.  I've heard
from Laura about the camping in NH---they got the good weather,
too, and went on several major hikes in the area---GREAT!  And the
hikes that I ran this past weekend were quite hot
but very cool.  (Did anyone get that?)

More to come.  Very often people post things like hikes rather
late, so I advise you to check back to the GONewEngland Bulletin
Board on Friday mornings for the latest info.  It's likely
there'll be something in the way of a hike coming up for Saturday
or Sunday.  Right now I'm too tired to think that far ahead!  :-)

So, let's see what's new, shall we?

NEW POINTS OF CONTACT
* Interested in ROCK CLIMBING?  Matt P. would be happy to answer
any questions that you have.
* Another PoC for SCUBA:  Sue-I-Am-Sue is there along with Alison
and Darren to answer those underwater questions.

As all of our other Points of Contact, no, neither Matt nor Sue
are the be-all-and-end-all for expertise---that's not the idea.  When
we get into some new activity, it's good to get a few pointers
from someone who's been there and done that.  The Point
of Contact can suggest places to go or equipment you'd need.
It's the sharing of information, ideas, and experiences that's
important.

For the list of the Points of Contact, visit the GONewEngland
web site - http://www.GONewEngland.org

NEW LINKS
Check out the Links Page at the GONewEngland web site for
some new links:
- OUTSIDE INTERESTS:  A message board for discussing all things
   outdoors, sponsored by the Green Mountain Club.
- Big on moose?  Well, MT. MOOSILAUKE, that is:  A new web site
   with lots of information about the geology, history, and literature
   about Mt. M. and surroundings.

NEW EVENTS
A few new activities have landed out there:
- Want to try an AFTER WORK HIKE ON MT. WATATIC?  Drop a note
   to Your Webmaster - Friday 6/4, 7pm.  Bring a flashlight.
- Join Eric E. for the SOLSTICE HIKE ON TWIN MT., June 19.  The
   traditional dinner of herring and potatoes will be served.
- Proposed for September, Kair T. and the Hub Club would like everyone
   to c'mon out for a waddle around Boston on the DUCK TOUR!
   Everybody QUACK!!!

Got something you'd like to run for the group?  It's *easy*.
Yes, you can run an event at the same time as something else---not
a problem.  And, no, you're not alone---if you need assistance,
contact the GONewEngland Crew!

Toss together an idea for an activity you'd like to coordinate and
head to the Get Outdoors New England site.  There you'll find the
handy-dandy Run An Event form that'll let you send the information
along quickly and easily to Your Webmaster for posting.

EVENT UPDATES
- Mary's VT CAMPING TRIP may have one or possibly two openings.
   Drop her a note if you'd like to head up to the Waterbury area
   next weekend!
- Sarah's GREAT POND event is FULL!  Your Webmaster will be seeing
   you there!  Last minute reminder that Sarah is getting a group
   together for the AIDS Walk on the 6th.  Please buzz her some e-mail
   if you'd like to participate.

For all event information, please head to:
	 http://www.GONewEngland.org

====
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland-crew@egroups.com
- Motivator/Welcoming Committee - Kathy Kelley - kakelley@...
- Webmaster - Ken Leonard - kleonard@...
- Mascot - Gizmo - Renattalee@...
- Social Director - Alan Fajvan - socialdirector@...
Black Boxes - (as in an airplane) are now appearing in some new cars
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Unsubscribe - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + mailbox
Chat - gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com
Events - events-text@... or events-html@...
====

That's about it for this week, folks!  Let's get out and enjoy
the good weather!  Wow...June already...

But before I go...

	 You can sit there in front of your PC or your TV and
	 experience the worlds presented there with at most two
	 senses.

	 Next time you're outdoors, stop for a minute and make a
	 conscious effort to bring it to four.  You'll be amazed
	 at the things you'll see (the view, a snake, caterpillars),
	 the things you'll hear (birds, chipmunks, a mouse rustling
	 in the leaves), things you'll smell (clean air, flowers),
	 and things you'll feel (scruffy bark on a tree, fuzzy moss
	 on a rock, a handhold helping you to climb up to the next
	 ledge).

	 Ohhh, it's a bit more subtle than MTV and you don't have
	 control of the remote, but it certainly gets high ratings
	 from yer ol' Webmaster.

	 And the best part?  No commercials!

Be safe,

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------

eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/gonewengland
http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications

Hello GONewEngland Folks!

This is the Get Outdoors New England E-Mail Newsletter Blurb
Thing.  Unsubscribe instructions are below---somewhere, but I
won't tell you exactly, since I really don't want you to unsub
anyway.  In the Blurbs I like to pass along news, some
tidbits about activities, trip reports, and contributions
from the awesome folks out there who read this every week.

Some people read the Blurb.  Others use it as an argument for SPAM
control.  Still others forget why they signed up for the Blurb
in the first place.  But here it is anyway.

And coming in to the GONewEngland News Desk over the past
few days...:

MOOSE MAYHEM!
Been a long time since we've heard from our pals the moose.
Well, The Boston Globe ran an article debating many of the
things we already knew, thanks to the hard-hitting journalism
of The NEHG/GONewEngland E-Mail Newsletter.  The Globe article
goes one step further with "A Guide to Spotting Moose in
New England" at
	 http://www.boston.com/globe/sunday/travel/
...but I'm still not so sure that we've settled the debate on
where the moose are...

Thanks to Dave K. and Eric S. for the pointer!  Get over there
quickly, as the stories don't hang around forever at the Boston
Globe's web site.

DEVIL CART DECEPTION!
Word has reached the news desk about the "devil carts" in
Vermont (remember that they don't have any moose, but they
have devil carts).  From "The Big VOPper" by way of my secret
source, "Deep Moose":

"Devil Carts are located at Bromley Mountain.  A little cart that
you sit in and go down the ski mountain as fast as possible on your
track!!!  Sounds like fun, huh?"

...sounds like something akin to Attitash's Alpine Slide, but
you'll have to see for yourself by heading over to the THREE DAY
TENT PARTY at Samantha G.'s place in Arlington, VT.

TICK TALK
Hmmmm...several reports coming into GONewEngland Central about
ticks.  Seems the predictions were right:  about two years after
a major acorn crop, out come the ticks---in droves.  Yes, you *do*
want to check for these and you *do not* want them on you or
your pets.  Remember that the deer tick can be poppy seed size or
the size of a grain of sand...or smaller.  Talk about *small*!

NEW EVENTS
'kay, Your Webmaster will be running two events this weekend.
If you're hanging around looking for some nice ways to stretch
your legs, try:
- WACHUSETT MEADOWS - Saturday 5/29 - 4-6 miles (I think), a small
hill here or there, swamp area, birds, animals...Light, very nice.
I may have talked Suzanne into heading there with me as she had
knee surgery a few months back and doesn't want anything too heavy
just yet.
- HOLYOKE RANGE - Memorial Day - Yes, we've done this one before.
Enjoy the never ending series of peaks in the Holyoke Range (western
section).  You get wonderful views and a peek at the old
hotel-turned-museum (which should be open).  This hike is deceptive
in that it *is* moderate to strenuous, given the number of peaks
and valleys.  Optional trip to Bub's afterward, if not for the food
but just to make Tom S. jealous.  ;-)

See details at http://www.GONewEngland.org!

EVENT UPDATES
- For Mary E.'s VT CAMPING TRIP:  The event is FULL, but there are
   still sites available in the campground if you'd like to meet up with
   the group.  The phone number for reservations is in the updated
   event description.
- Lisa H. tells me the MT. TOM HIKE is a "GO!" for June 12 with
   a few people signed up.  If you'd like to go, you can sign up, too!
   Out in the Springfield, MA area, btw.
- And for September's ACADIA TRIP:  If you are thinking of going
   and would take a pet, please contact Alan F.  The currently selected
   campground does not allow pets, and he'll change the campground
   location if need be (or find one nearby that allows pets).

NEW POINT OF CONTACT
Great!  Got one more Point of Contact to add:
- Rich Salter ...for all those biking questions...Thanks, Rich!
...see the "Points of Contact" page on the GONewEngland web site.

What's a Point of Contact?  Nope, not an "expert", but someone
who wouldn't mind answering a few questions about how to get
into an activity, like biking (equipment questions, where to
ride, the types of bikes available and what to look for,
whatever).  Just GONewEnglanders helping GONewEnglanders---yep,
it's the kind of thing we've got going here.  Very cool.
If you'd like to be a PoC, just drop Your Webmaster a note.
Pick a category or invent a new one!

E-MAIL DISCUSSION/CHAT LIST
Some questions and event ideas are buzzing around the chat list.
We're up to almost 100 people!  Subscribe by sending e-mail
to GONewEngland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com and take part.

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
The Crew - GONewEngland-crew@egroups.com
- Kathy Kelley - kakelley@... - Welcoming Committee/Motivator
- Ken Leonard - kleonard@... - Writer o' Blurbs, Keeper o' Webs
- Gizmo - Renattalee@... - Mascot
- Alan Fajvan - socialdirector@... - Social Director
Fares - on the "T" cover less than 20% of the actual cost of the ride
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + Mailbox #
Events by e-mail, send a blank e-mail to:
	 events-text@... for text
	 events-html@... for HTML
Unsubscribe - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
=====

Wow, it's just after 10!  I'm going to try to hit the sack early.
I hope everyone has a good weekend, and I'd like to see a
bunch of folks out on the events we've got planned----from
David P's CAMPING AND HIKING IN THE PRESIDENTIALS to
Lynn's SUNAPEE B&B to DEEP SEA FISHING.  And, of course,
Your Webmaster's hikes.  And Joe D. begins the LONG TRAIL
THROUGH-HIKE on June 1...Best wishes for a fun and safe journey,
Joe & Co!

But before I shut down Eudora for the evening...

Here's your chance to participate in a cool experiment if you've
got a computer that sits idle most of the time but connects to the
Internet now and then (doesn't have to be attached all the time,
a modem dialup will do).  Mac, Unix, or Windows.

The folks who bring you SETI---the Search for Extraterrestrial
Intelligence---have developed a screen saver that crunches data
for them.  Using thousands of computers across the world, the
"SETI@home" program hopes to speed up the processing of radio
signals from who-knows-where by turning idle, wasted computer time
into good number crunchin' time.  Over 350,000 computers are
crankin' away right now---many more than planned (kinda like
the number of people reading the GONewEngland Blurb!  Well,
it's a very happy boo-boo on my part seeing 25 times more
people than I originally anticipated...:-) )

I have this running on four machines between work and home.
It's fun, and it's neat to know that I'm participating in a
huge experiment that, should it bear fruit someday, will have us
looking at ourselves and our place in the cosmos very differently...

Get info at the SETI site:
	 http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu

If you have questions on how this thing runs or whatever, you
can drop me a note, too.



Have a good long weekend, and make it a safe one!

Your Space Cadet,

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------

eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/gonewengland
http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications

Hello GONewEngland-type-folks!

...and what a weekend it was.  Gary's Stargazing event *finally*
happened---read the trip report he was very kind in sending me.
I've attached it at the end.

And the Cape Camping was superb, thanks to the fine weather
we had.  The bugs were beaten back by the cool nights and dry
weather, and we were able to thoroughly enjoy our hiking, biking,
and sitting by the campfire.  There are rumblings about going back
to Nickerson in the fall---perhaps late September.

Yep, Your Webmaster got his steamers after all---Jean and I
stopped at Moby's on the way back.  Yummy!

Oh, sorry.  Those new to the list are probably thinking, "Ummm,
what the heck is this...?"  Why, it's the Get Outdoors New England
E-Mail Newsletter Blurb Thing.  It is designed chiefly to remind
you we're here, but folks have used the printout to produce
desirable oregami products.  If you'd prefer not to see this again,
unsubscribe by sending mail to gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com.

Lots of new events on the list, plus updates.  So let's get
to that as well as the latest news...

MICROSOFT OUTLOOK DOESN'T KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS--AGAIN!
You know how Thanksgiving is a day early in Microsoft Outlook's
Calendar?  Well, Memorial Day is *NOT* this coming Monday the 24th.
It's the 31st.  Make sure you show up at work on Monday despite what it
says!  Dave P.'s event to Dolly Copp and the Presidentials is happening
over Memorial Day Weekend, the 28th-31st.  (Actually, the dates listed
are to the 30th.  Dave---Should it be the 31st?)  Anyway, there
are spots open for that, so drop Dave an e-mail if you'd like
to go!!!  And *don't* go on the 24th, 'kay?

While I'm thinking about calendars:  National Trails Day is June 5.

RAG TAG DOES A.T.
Mike C. of the Rag Tag Rangers has just done 572 miles of the
Appalachian Trail.  View the log of his adventures at
	 http://www.ragtag.org/mclogmain.html
...including pictures!  Well done, Mike!

POINTS OF CONTACT
Wow!  We've got three brand new Points of Contact!
- Stephen J. - "Family Camping & Hiking"
- Judith P. - "Activities With Kids"
- Debora C. - "Sea Kayaking"
See the Contacts page at the GONewEngland site.  If you'd
like to be a POC, just let me know.  A POC is someone who
knows a little bit about a certain topic dealing with the
outdoors---just enough to give someone new to the activity
some ideas or pointers, 'tis all.  Thanks to Steve, Judith,
and Debora for getting back to me and to the others who are
currently on the list!

NEW EVENTS
- CATSKILLS HIKE (with optional backcountry camp) 5/22 with Robert O.
   He needs at least one more person to do spot cars for a 10-12mi hike
   in the fabulous Panther/Slide Mtns. Wilderness Area.  Carpool leaves
   from West Hartford, CT on 5/22.
- MT. MAJOR AND ELLACOYA STATE PARK, a great event for families with
   kids who can hike a little but don't want to spend all day doing it.
   June 19 or July 17---or BOTH!  Run by Judith P.
- THREE-DAY PARTY IN VT with Samantha "The Big VOPper" G.  All kinds of
   activities to do in/around Samantha's home where the party will be
   (hiking, tubing, biking, whatever).  July 23-25, RSVP please!  And
   will someone please tell me what a "devil cart" is?
- CAMPING AT PITTSFIELD SF with Mary E. 8/20-22.  Hang out, do a bit
   of hiking, perhaps hit some of the cultural activities in the area.
   Stay at a site near Barry Pond.  Cheap at just a few bucks for the
   weekend.  My thanks to Mary who's running a number of events for
   us this summer!  Take her up on 'em!
- ACADIA with our Social Director and Dan L., Sept 9-14.  The
   fall trip to Acadia has been posted, so start signing up!

EVENT UPDATES
- Adina has informed me that the JULY 4 ACADIA TRIP has some open
   slots.  Please fill 'em by sending some e-mail to Adina.  Great
   time of year in Acadia---nice and warm.  Lots to do and see.
- Sarah's GREAT POND WEEKEND is filling quickly.  Very few spots
   left---if any by this time.  E-mail Sarah to find out.

SOME PROPOSED EVENTS
- Anyone up for going to Niagra Falls, possibly in June?  Contact
   Suzanne S. at zanne@....
- Gary M. would like a partner for light recreational fresh water
   kayaking in the MA/NH area.  His favorite spot is Pawtuckaway Lake
   in southern NH.  Drop Gary a note if you'd like to hook up:
   gmeehan@...

CHATTER ON CHAT!
Some folks are tossing around hiking ideas for this weekend
on the e-mail 'chat' list.  If you would like to find out what's
up, subscribe to the chat/discussion list by sending e-mail to
gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com.  Then read up on some
of the recent posts at
	 http://www.egroups.com/list/gonewengland-chat
...and hook up with the folks out there who enjoy doing what
you like to do, too:  Getting Outdoors and Making New Friends!

If you're chatting about doing something, Your Webmaster would
be glad to post it.  Folks tend to check back to the Bulletin
Board on Fridays to see if anything new has been added for
the weekend, but the sooner you get stuff in to me the better.

====
ADMINISTRIVIA
GONewEngland Crew - GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com
- Kathy Kelley - Motivator, Welcoming Committee - kakelley@...
- Ken Leonard - Co-founder, Webmaster - kleonard@...
- Gizmo - Mascot - Renattalee@...
- Alan Fajvan - Social Director - socialdirector@...
Barry Pond - in the Pittsfield SF is the highest body of water in MA
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org -- tell your friends!
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + mailbox number
Events by e-mail:  Send an empty e-mail to:
- events-text@... (text)
- events-html@... (HTML)
====

Well, Your Webmaster got back from the Cape late on Sunday evening
and has been running to catch up on sleep ever since!  So it's
time to take care of a few things and nod off.

But before I go...

	 Before everyone showed up for the Cape camping trip, I wandered
	 off for a walk and discovered a small pond.  A duck swam out as
	 I approached, hoping to draw attention away from the Mrs.
	 and the brood, which were all hanging about mostly hidden in
	 the weeds.  Chickadees flitted about and tittered in the trees
	 nearby, and a raccoon showed up to have a look around.
	 Other birds with weird calls wandered around the low
	 bushes along the edge looking for dinner.  And not far
	 from shore a frog sat on a lily pad in the late afternoon sun
	 while some of his friends were floating nearby, their two little
	 eyes like bubbles breaking the surface of the water waiting for
	 a meal to fly by.  Noisy squirrels involved in some domestic
	 dispute scurried around in the dry leaves on the other side of
	 the pond while pollywogs swam back and forth in the murky
	 water near the bottom.

	 Sometimes you just have to stop and have a look.  Amazing what
	 you'll find.  I discovered that my walk in the woods "by myself"
	 really *wasn't*.

Have fun, be safe...

...kl...

====STARGAZING TRIP REPORT
...thanks to Gary M.

    Thought you'd like to know that the
star party was a huge success! We had a total
of 5 people (Tom and Matt S., Sharon S.,
Suzanne S., and Liesa P.). They all agreed
that the telescope is reminiscent of a big
cannon!

    We had fine views of Venus, which the
telescope revealed was in its gibbous phase
(the same shape the Moon takes on between
first quarter and full Moon). A peak at bright
red Mars showed its North Polar Cap, as well as
some dusky surface features.

    Progressing further out from the solar system,
we spied: a neat pairing of galaxies; a compact
cluster containing about half a million stars;
the stellar corpse of a star (known as a planetary
nebula); some binary stars; a couple of shooting stars;
and a bunch of artificial satellites.

    Oh, yeah. And two bats! Uh, but we didn't use the
telescope to see them! ;-)
=====

------------------------------------------------------------------------

eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/gonewengland
http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications

Hello Get Outdoors New Englanders!

...and welcome to all the new folks out there this week!
We're nearing 700 on the e-mail list, by the way!

Anyway, this is Le Blurb.  Unsubscribe by sending e-mail
to gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com, and you'll miss...

>>...important stuff, like:

RATTLER WARNING:  BLUE HILLS
Dan L. has passed along a note from the Boy Scouts Organization
about rattlesnakes in the Blue Hills---more than just a few
out there this year.  Watch your step, and stay on the trail!
Recommendation:  Carry a snake bite kit and know how to use it.

>>...and event stuff, like:

EVENT UPDATES
- SPRINGTIME STARGAZING was clouded out---again!  Gary is running
   it again on 5/15 at 8pm and *there are spots available*, so
   buzz Gary some e-mail.  ** Check Mailbox 2 on the Hotline **
   before heading out.  Any kind of cloud cover cancels, but I've
   heard good news about Saturday's weather.  Gary can be reached
   at gmeehan@....
- The GREAT POND WEEKEND has been updated---July 8 (or 9) thru 11
   is confirmed.  RSVP, as spots are filling---only five left!  Your
   Webmaster just put his name in the hat.  Reminder that the AIDS
   Walk is June 6, but if you wish to walk with Sarah (and a few
   others who have responded), your registration is needed by
   May 28.  Contact Sarah at sheumann@....

>>...and GONewEngland Web Site stuff, like:

ARE YOU A POINT OF CONTACT?  WANNA BE?
A point of contact is a person who, although not an "expert",
can point you in the right direction if you'd like to get into
something.  These folks are listed on the Points of Contact page
at the site.  For example:  Want to get into X-C skiing next winter?
Yours Truly is the contact for that.  See a hole where you'd like
to contribute?  Drop Your Webmaster a note.  As a Point of Contact
you just need to field e-mail questions from folks who want to learn
about what you're up to.  "Activities for Children" is one Your
Webmaster is asked about now and then...and...ummm...I wouldn't have the
foggiest notion of where to start.  :-)

Also---if your name is out there and you'd like something changed,
please let me know:  Amy F., Gaye H., Adina R., Ian C., Greg G.,
Dan L., Jamie L., Cathleen L., Darren M., Ruth C., and AO.

CHATTER ON THE CHAT LIST
Subscribe to the chat list by sending e-mail to
gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com.  This week someone
is looking for ideas about what to do in Acadia.

>>...and some queries, like:

NIAGRA FALLS, ANYONE?
Suzanne S. is thinking about going to Niagra Falls, perhaps
in June.  Interested?  Drop Zanne a note - zanne@....

PADDLING, ANYONE?
Gary (who's running the stargazing event) owns a Klepper folding
sea kayak, and is looking for some fellow kayakers with whom to
do some leisurely paddles this summer. He enjoys recreational
kayaking on lakes not much further than 1 or 2 hours from Boston.
His favorite local spot is Pawtuckaway Lake in southern New
Hampshire.  If you'd like to discuss kayaking trips with him,
send e-mail to gmeehan@....

>>...and *that* is the Blurb this week.  :-)

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
The Crew - GONewEngland-Crew@egroups.com
- Kathy Kelley - Motivator/Welcoming Committee - kakelley@...
- Ken Leonard - Webmaster - kleonard@...
- Gizmo - Mascot - Renattalee@...
- Alan Fajvan - Social Director - socialdirector@...
Teddy Roosevelt - the first President to travel abroad
The Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + the mailbox #
Events by e-mail, send e-mail to:
- events-html@...  (for HTML)
- events-text@...  (for text)
=====

Short and to the point this week.  Your Webmaster is still gathering
gear together for the Cape Campin' trip to Nickerson this weekend.
It's neat---more GONewEngland folks called up the reservation line
and grabbed their own sites near the ones I set aside earlier.
We'll see everyone there on Friday.

'kay, Your Webmaster needs to pack some duffles and get some sleep.

But before I go...

	 I wanted to include something from one of our
	 GONewEnglanders this week (see below).  Dan Logan grew up in
	 the Boy Scouts, and recently he decided to get involved
	 in the Scouts again by taking on a leadership role
	 in the organization.  He'll be giving back to the Scouts
	 by teaching the young 'uns new skills and the concepts of
	 teamwork, preparedness and safety, and they'll wind up
	 with a healthy dose of confidence and a new feeling
	 of self-worth that is very hard to come by at that age.
	 We've all been there, and we know what it's like.
	 In light of the recent tragedy in Colorado, it only becomes
	 too clear how important what Dan and many other dedicated
	 folks are doing.  Good luck this summer, Dan!

See you on the trail...And Get Outdoors -- safely!

...kl...

==== From Dan Logan...logan3@...
Hey Ken!
   As of June 26th I will be in Barnstead, NH, until August 21st.
As you all know I have rejoined the Boy Scouts this past year As a Unit
Commissioner, and I have enjoyed it.  I was offered a job up at a
Boy Scout Camp for the entire summer.
   So now I bet you are all wondering what am I going to be doing up there.
Well I was offered and accepted the position of "Rifle Director". I will be
basically in charge of the rifle, the shotgun, archery, and the sports field.
I'll be in charge of approximately 15 counselors and a couple hundred Boy
Scouts! I'll be going away for training in June for riflery.
   I have to take a training course to learn more about the rifle and all
saftey rules and so forth and become certified. And then I have to go to
camp and teach these boys the fundamentals of these weapons. And teach them
that the rifle is for survival (hunting)---not for killing people. I'm
looking quite forward to this opportunity, due to the fact that after June
I'll be a licensed Rifle instructor for the next 5 years.
   Also! I've been throwing this idea by a few folks and some are quite
interested! On Saturdays and Sundays, the counselors are kinda bored because
most of them can't go home or just live to far away. So they try to run
activities with other camps and so on! I was considering having the Boy
Scouts invite the "GONewEngland" group up for a weekend of fun. There's
plenty to do and plenty of places to go hiking.  The only fun part is
that we can put you guys in HUGE army size tents.  Hey! If i have to
be in one, so do you guys. I'll post the event with Ken. If anyone is interested
let me know!
= = = =


------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/group/gonewengland
http://www.eGroups.com - Simplifying group communications

Hello GONewEnglanders!

Many, many new events this week!  Keeping my typing fingers
flying!  This here is the Get Outdoors New England E-mail Blurb
thing.  In it you'll find new activities, updates to old ones,
a few apologies, and other miscellaneous information.

APOLOGY #1:  Yes, I forgot to put the new Bulletin Board out there
last week.  Guess what?  It's *already* out there for this week.
Ohhh boyyy did *I* hear about it!  So this week I wanted to be
sure.  Thank you for keeping me on my toes.

APOLOGY #2:  My ISP is messed up, so events you may submit using
the forms on the GONewEngland Site aren't getting to me.  If you
get a nasty message, just use your Back button and send the
information directly to me in e-mail.  I have a trouble call
in to my ISP on this.  Ugh...I expect the standard, "No, O Mighty
Customer, YOU messed up..." response.  Anyone work for MediaOne
who wouldn't mind doing Your Webmaster a little favor by sneaking
a peek at an error log...?

Now, some stuff about the GONewEngland Web Site...

>>> LINKS PAGE UPDATE!
Finally!  All the nice folks who linked to the old NEHG web site
are now linked to our new site, and I'm now properly linked to
them.  Yay!  Well, all the nice folks I know about anyway...
If there's a dead link, please let me know.

>>> ADS/PROMOTIONS
What???  Huh???  Some of you may already have seen that link off
the main page.  Here's the scoop:  GONewEngland now has an Ad Policy.
Not just *any* Ad Policy, though.  Your Webmaster has been receiving
inquiries about advertising on the site, and I've been turing people
away.  Then I thought, gee, if I could do it in a way that wouldn't
be obtrusive *and* get some benefits for GONewEngland, why not???

So here's what Your GONewEngland Crew and I came up with:
* The e-mail lists will remain free of ads, except the one that E-Groups
   sneaks in at the bottom (because I'm too cheap to fork over $4.95/month).
* The site will remain free of in-your-face ads, except for the one
   that VirtualAve sticks in the corner (because I'm too cheap to pay
   $14.95 or more per month for a real web site).
* There'll be the Ads/Promotions Page on the site, where we offer ad
   space in exchange for something (not money, but maybe some kind of
   benefit for the group).  I think that's win-win for us!

The whole (boring) text of the Ad Policy is available off the Ads
page.  Just my chiropractor is out there now...He mentions us on
his radio show, and some of you may be out here now because you heard
it there!  So I figured we should mention him out there in trade.

If you have questions or suggestions, just send them to moi.  If
you know of someone who'd be interested in posting an ad at
our site or having us link to a commercial site, please have
the person check out our Ad Policy and drop me an e-mail.  Thanks!

Yes, please try to keep the chat group free of ads---I've had to
reject a few SPAMs, in fact.  But if you have experiences good or
bad with a particular product or service related to the outdoors
and would like to share them, that's fine.  A free exchange of information
about all of our experiences is why we have a chat group in the first
place!  If you think your experience will help improve the safety
and comfort of those active in the outdoors, then it's OK to chat
about it.  Heck, I don't mind telling everyone how much I dislike
my C------ S------ tent and only have it because a) it is small,
and b) my father wasn't using it anymore.  ;-)

Subscribe to the e-mail chat/discussion group if you haven't!
Send mail from your regular e-mail account to:
   gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com
Yep, you must subscribe before you post.  That helps keep out
the SPAM.

OK, that's about it.  On with the show!

NEW EVENTS
- MONADNOCK with David P. on May 9.  Perfect event for Mom to help
   her break in that new backpack you bought her for Mother's Day!
   Moderate terrain; David tends to go at a good, steady pace.
- MEMORIAL DAY IN SUNAPEE...Back to Bob & Tracy's Mountain Lake
   Inn with the Lynn Matt & the AMC Memorial Day Weekend.  Biking,
   hiking, boating, and more!  RSVP ASAP--this will fill.
- Join Lisa H. as she offers to run her first event for
   us at MT. TOM STATE RESERVATION on June 12.  Thanks, Lisa!
- Wonderful WEEKEND IN MAINE ON GREAT POND with Sarah H...Yep, the
   "On Golden Pond" pond!  Room for plenty in the cabin, or you can
   tent out.  Tentatively for July 9-11.  ALSO---Sarah would like to
   get together a team for the upcoming AIDS Walk in Boston, see the
   Great Pond event description for more information.  Hey, it's
   Sarah's first posted event, too!  Great!
- Join Mary for a camping trip north of the border, this time it'll be a
   long Labor Day Weekend in the SOUTHERN LAURENTIANS (QUEBEC), near a
   Provincial Park (nice!) and resort towns.

NEW PROPOSED EVENT
- Dan L. will be away at camp for the summer, but we can
   head on up and keep him company during a SUMMER CAMP FOR
   GROWN-UPS weekend (yeah, kids are welcome, too.  :-) ).  Dates
   TBD for this "Proposed" event.

EVENT UPDATES
- REGULAR ROLLER SKATING in Tyngsboro with Adina and Jeff has been
   cancelled:  Massive price increase!  So Adina would like to
   find some folks who'd like to rollerblade outdoors during
   the warmer weather.  E-mail:  adina@...
- DEEP SEA FISHING with Dan has been moved to May 29.
- FOURTH OF JULY TRIP TO ACADIA:  Reservations are getting snug!
   Please hurry up and RSVP by 5/11 to snag a spot.  Adina is running
   this one, too:  adina@....  18 folks are going,
   just six spots left!
- MARY'S CAMPING ADVENTURES have had the final costs added
   and need your RSVP, as *space is limited*.  One to Vermont,
   one to New Hampshire.  Mary leads a very balanced life.

EARN $100!
Yep---$100 for voicing your opinion!!!  People are needed to review a
web site.  Sorry---those who were in the weather site focus group before
are ineligible!  This'll take an hour or two some evening, and it's to get
your feedback on a new web site dealing with the weather.  Contact
Mona Patel by Friday morning: mpatel@....  Lexington, MA.

NEXT WEEK
Remind me to tune in on someone who's run a lot of events for
us and will be dedicating his time to the Boy Scouts this summer.
We'll find out what he'll be up to!

...AND TRIP REPORTS!
I like to mention what fun and neat things we're doing, so if
you have a "trip report" (a few sentences is fine!) for an event
you've run or been on, please buzz it my way!

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
The Crew - GONewEngland-crew@egroups.com
- Motivator/Welcoming Co-mmittee - Kathy Kelley - kakelley@...
- Webmaster/Co-Founder - Ken Leonard - kleonard@...
- Mascot/Co-hounder - Gizmo - Renattalee@...
- Social Director/Co-mingler - Alan Fajvan - socialdirector@...
Team Salary - Orioles, over $70M / Cuban National Team, $2500 (Cubans won)
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Unsubscribe - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
Chat - gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com
Events by e-mail:
   events-text@... - for text
   events-html@... - for HTML
Hotline (needed for the STARGAZING this weekend!):
   978.640.0335, * + the Mailbox number
=====

Your Webmaster signing off to go take care of a headache...:-(
So go check out the new events at the web site, and sign up!
Watch the deadline on the July 4th Acadia Trip, and, if you're
doing or would like to do the AIDS Walk, give Sarah a shout.
And so on...:-)

But before I go...

	 Magicians never give away their secrets---or at least
	 until that masked magician gave away a ton of them
	 on TV recently.  And Penn and Teller do their "balls and
	 cups" routine completely in the open, showing you what they
	 do every step of the way...

	 ...except they do it so darn well and so fast you can't
	 figure out *how* they did it...

	 Even though some of the "secrets" may be out, watching a
	 skilled magician perform his tricks and illusions is still
	 a joy.  You know it's an illusion, but you still appreciate
	 the skill and the artistry, and there's still always that
	 nagging feeling that somehow the conjurer has defied the
	 laws of physics.

	 Nope, just skill.  And we can all appreciate someone
	 accomplished in his craft, whatever it may be.

Have a fun and *safe* weekend...

...and Happy Mother's Day to the new GONewEngland moms...:-)
OK, and Laura's mom, too.  Umm, yeah, OK---and any mom out
there on the list, too.  :-)

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/group/gonewengland
http://www.eGroups.com - Simplifying group communications

Hi (again) to all of you (hopefully)
   *patient* and *forgiving* GONewEnglanders!!!

I "oopsed" last night and forgot to send the Bulletin Board
updates to the Web Site.  Here is a one-liner and contact
information for the three new events:

- CONWAY, NH AREA HIKE - 5/1, 10am
   Sharon Arkoff (sharonwrites@...) - Moderately strenuous
   hike up Kearsarge (more likely) or Middle Moat.  E-mail Sharon
   for meeting spot directions.

- LONG/ELL POND HIKING - 5/8, 10am
   Kristen Domenico (Krisdom12@...) - 4.5 mile hike near
   Arcadia SP in RI that sounds *most* interesting:
   "...strenuous 4.5 mile walk to three ponds, a 'cathedral' of rocks,
   and a 'magnificent mile' of wild rhododendrons and hemlocks."
   Directions will be at the web site with the next update.

- MEMORIAL DAY CAMPING - Memorial Day Weekend
   David Pariseau (David_Pariseau@...) - At the Dolly Cop
   in Pinkham Notch.  Full details/directions will be at the
   web site with the next update, but feel free to RSVP for one
   (or more!) of the 16 spots currently reserved.

Full details for these and the "updated" events will be available
later this evening when I remember to push the latest Bulletin Board
stuff out there.  Please check back on Friday morning.  oops...

I apologize for the inconvenience, but it's GREAT to see folks
jumping all over me to find out how to sign up for these
wonderful activities.

Hmmmm...Yeah, that's right, I'm only testin' yas...yeahhh,
that's it!  :-)

Have a great weekend, all!

Your brain-cramped Webmaster,

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/group/gonewengland
http://www.eGroups.com - Simplifying group communications

** Apologies if you get this twice.  E-Groups didn't send it
    earlier, so I thought I'd try again.  ...kl... **

Hi (again and again) to all of you (hopefully)
   *patient* and *forgiving* GONewEnglanders!!!

I "oopsed" last night and forgot to send the Bulletin Board
updates to the Web Site.  Here is a one-liner and contact
information for the three new events:

- CONWAY, NH AREA HIKE - 5/1, 10am
   Sharon Arkoff (sharonwrites@...) - Moderately strenuous
   hike up Kearsarge (more likely) or Middle Moat.  E-mail Sharon
   for meeting spot directions.

- LONG/ELL POND HIKING - 5/8, 10am
   Kristen Domenico (Krisdom12@...) - 4.5 mile hike near
   Arcadia SP in RI that sounds *most* interesting:
   "...strenuous 4.5 mile walk to three ponds, a 'cathedral' of rocks,
   and a 'magnificent mile' of wild rhododendrons and hemlocks."
   Directions will be at the web site with the next update.

- MEMORIAL DAY CAMPING - Memorial Day Weekend
   David Pariseau (David_Pariseau@...) - At the Dolly Cop
   in Pinkham Notch.  Full details/directions will be at the
   web site with the next update, but feel free to RSVP for one
   (or more!) of the 16 spots currently reserved.

Full details for these and the "updated" events will be available
later this evening when I remember to push the latest Bulletin Board
stuff out there.  Please check back on Friday morning.  oops...

I apologize for the inconvenience, but it's GREAT to see folks
jumping all over me to find out how to sign up for these
wonderful activities.

Hmmmm...Yeah, that's right, I'm only testin' yas...yeahhh,
that's it!  :-)

Have a great weekend, all!

Your brain-cramped Webmaster,

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/group/gonewengland
http://www.eGroups.com - Simplifying group communications

Hello GONewEnglanders!

Yikes!  We've jumped to nearly 670 people on the e-mail list.
That's gotta put the Get Outdoors New England Weekly Blurb
Thing up there on *some* kind of list somewhere.  :-)

But if you would like to protest that number by unsubscribing,
instructions are further down.  Please don't.  Instead welcome
the new folks (Hi!) and continue doing fun stuff outdoors with
us...

...like these things:

NEW EVENTS
- CONWAY NH AREA HIKE with Sharon Arkoff (whom many of us know
   as Sharon Block and editor of the Charles River MUD) on 5/1
   (yes, *this weekend*).  Kearsarge or Middle Moat...now what will
   it be...?
- LONG/ELL POND with Kristen D. in Rhode Island near the CT
   border and Arcadia SP.  Sounds *really* interesting based
   on the description!  5/8.
- MEMORIAL DAY CAMPING WITH HIKE IN THE PRESIDENTIALS - Car camp
   at Dolly Cop (near the Pinkham Notch Visitor's Center at the
   base of Mt. W.), and head out on hikes in the area, including
   the Presidentials.  Sites are reserved already, so RSVP to
   David P. and Get Outdoors for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

These events came in this week from people who'd like to get
outdoors and are looking for hiking and camping partners.

David noticed in horror that nobody claimed the Memorial Day
Weekend, but there's something there now.  (Can *you* run something
that weekend, too?  Of course!  We often run different events
on the same day.)

On the GONewEngland Web Site is a "Run An Event" link.  Click there
to learn how you can run an event, what it takes, and how to
get me the information so I may post it for everyone to see.

I think I'm B&B'ed out after the past two weekends.  Jackson
the previous weekend and Sunapee this past weekend.  Yow!
I can almost get used to having some yummy breakfast waiting for
me when I get up, that's for sure.  I think everyone who went
along would agree!

So now it's on to do-it-yourself camping for the summer.  But
that's fun, too.  If you've never tried it, check out the Camping
Gear link on the GONewEngland site.  I'd forgotten that I put
a bit in there about what you need and what to expect if you're a
first-time camper.  I invite you to try it!

Just *don't* put your tent where the morning sun will hit it.
You'll be up at sunrise, I guarantee it.  Find some shade!
Unless you like sleeping on rocks (and I'm sure someone out
there does), remember a pad.  Showers usually cost money.
There is no maid service.  Morning rituals may include removing
a salamander from your tent and letting it go---again.
Yep, it's fun.  :-)

Anyway, before I rattle on into meaninglessness, here are some...

EVENT UPDATES
- The CAPE CAMP in mid-May will be at Nickerson SP.  If you wish
   to c'mon by, give the MA State Park camping reservation line
   a jingle and get yourself a site!
- The SMUG-A-THON description has been updated and the cost
   has been *lowered*.  Head on out to cheer Ruth on---or get into
   the triathlon yourself!  Jamie is jumping into the fray,
   I think.  Cool!  Weekend of June 18.

Info for these and all events can be found at
http://www.GONewEngland.org, of course.

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR EVENTS?
It's easy.  Head to http://www.GONewEngland.org and find
something you'd like to do.  There's an e-mail address along
with the event.  Send that person an e-mail indicating your
interest, and ask any questions you may have.  If you need
to drop out, please let the person running the event know.
Then just show up for the event (prepared with the right
equipment) and *have fun*!

LONG-HAUL BIKING PARTNER NEEDED!
Rich Salter (rts3@...) is preparing for back-to-back 100-mile
days in Vermont at the end of June.  If you are a hardcore or
semi-hardcore biker and like to do about 50 miles on New England
terrain, please drop Rich a note---he'd like to hear from you.
If there's enough interest, Rich will put together some
long-haul biking events for us as he prepares for his 200 miles in
two days.

====
ADMINISTRIVIA
The Crew - gonewengland-crew@egroups.com
- Motivator/Welcoming Committee - Kathy Kelley - kakelley@...
- Webmaster - Ken Leonard - kleonard@...
- Mascot - Gizmo - Renattalee@...
- Social Director - Alan Fajvan - socialdirector@...
Shares - traded on the NYSE last week - 4.7 billion
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
Unsubscribe - gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com
Chat/discussion list - gonewengland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com
Events by e-mail (allow 1-2 days for response):
- events-text@... (text)
- events-html@... (HTML)
====

There are some new things for everyone to do and some old
things updated.  Don't forget to check the event list for
*regular* events and *proposed* events, too!  And those wonderful
events that may be a month or two away but may need your RSVP.

Oh, I'm nagging again.  I'll stop.  :-)

I think "Voyager" is getting bumped again tonight, so I
may just have to go warm up the Mellotron for a while.

But before I go...

	 Just wanted to pass along something to the people
	 who were with me in Sunapee.  Not only did we all
	 have a wonderful weekend, Tracy and Bob (the new
	 owners of the B&B) did, too.

	 Tracy expressed to me what a *wonderful* group of
	 people we are, and she's looking forward to seeing
	 us again.

	 It's nice when I'm not the only one who notices.  :-)

Get Outdoors New England!  And when you do, please be safe.

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/group/gonewengland
http://www.eGroups.com - Simplifying group communications

Hello Everyone!

It's time to:

	 GET OUTDOORS NEW ENGLAND ! ! !

Yes, if you haven't gone to the old New England Hiking Group
web site and asked Gizmo to bring you to the new web site,
that's our new name and new theme.

We're the same old group, though.  Great people and fun things
to do.  Just look at what's new:

NEW EVENTS
Lots in the way of new events this week.  Please drop by
the *new* web site if you haven't for information about
great activities like...
- AN ALL-MUSIC SATURDAY, 4/24:
   * NEW ENGLAND FOLK FESTIVAL with Mary E.
   * WBOS EARTH DAY with Joe H.
- AN ALL-HIKE SUNDAY, 4/25:
   * MONADNOCK via the Marlboro Trail with Dave P.
   * The TIPPECANSETT TRAIL in Rhode Island with Dan L. and
     Ashish M.
- A CAPE COD CAMPING WEEKEND with Your Webmaster mid-May, but
   you must RSVP by 4/26
- CAMPING WITH MARY:
   Not only is Mary E. taking over Dan's Boston Island Camping events,
   she has posted *two* camping weekends:
   - VERMONT in mid-June
   - NEW HAMPSHIRE in late July

EVENT UPDATES
- Last weekend's STARGAZING was clouded out, and it has been
   moved to May 8.  If you were signed up, you get dibs.  Else
   your spot will be given to someone on the waiting list.
- Mary's (formerly Dan's) Boston Island Camping trips will be out
   of Hingham, not Boston.  Better parking, easier access!

I hope that's enough for everyone to find something to do
over the next few weeks.  And there'll be more coming up.

More information is available at http://www.GONewEngland.org

All the information you'll need is a mouse click away.  We're
*free* because of all the good people who donate their time
to GONewEngland and because we're not bogged down by postal
and telephone costs and the great amount of time these things
take.  So I regret that we're unable to handle requests
for information using those channels.  But the Internet
is available in public libraries, and e-mail accounts are free
for the asking at any one of a few dozen sites.  So although
you may be reading this because someone printed it for you,
don't give up!  We invite you to join in with all of us at
the Internet terminal nearest you!  :-)

Anyway...

This is the *first* Get Outdoors New England (formerly-known-as-
The-New-England-Hiking-Group) E-Mail Newsletter Blurb Thing.
WELCOME to everyone who's new---and a WELCOME BACK to everyone
I brought over from the old NEHG e-mail lists.  Unsubscribing
(why you ever would I don't know!) is as easy as e-mail to
gonewengland-unsubscribe@egroups.com (if it doesn't work,
please send e-mail to Your Webmaster).

FYI
Just a few things you need to know with all these changes
going on:
- NEW WEB SITE:  http://www.GONewEngland.org
- BLURB archive:  http://www.egroups.com/list/gonewengland
- CHAT LIST: GONewEngland-chat@egroups.com (subscribe before
   chatting, though: GONewEngland-chat-subscribe@egroups.com)
   Archives:  http://www.egroups.com/list/gonewengland-chat
- THE CREW: GONewEngland-crew@egroups.com - that'll send e-mail
   to Your Motivator, Your Webmaster, Your Mascot, and Your Social
   Director---if you have a concern, question, or whatever.  We're
   out there!

The new web site is really easy to remember:  GO New England!
(dot org, of course...:-) ).  Please pass the word along.  Through
word-of-mouth and a few links here and there, we've gone to
over 650 people out there reading this (or I hope...:-) ).

Onward with a new name, new web location, new friends, and
new things to do!

But not without...

THINGS LEFT BEHIND...
...at Dave Miller's house (dmiller@...) and the 2nd
Anniversary Party:
1.  bowl and cover, clean

...at the Carter Notch Inn this past weekend:
1.  men's bathing suit, black
2.  foot powder, powdery
3.  plastic generic soap bottle (shampoo?), small
4.  tool in a small leather pouch, "Leatherman"

Contact Deb M. (Deb.L.MacAuley@...) to arrange
to get the Carter Notch Inn items back.

Wonderful weekend, by the way.  Martin has a TRIP REPORT, which
I'll include at the end.  Martin and Joe climbed up into
Tuckerman Ravine to ski "The Bowl"---hear how they did!

GETTING EVENTS BY E-MAIL HAS CHANGED!
To request an event list by e-mail send e-mail with any
subject/body
- To: events-text@... --> for text
- To: events-html@... --> for HTML
...allow a day or two for processing.

KEEPIN' IT SHORT!
Yes, I'm going to KEEP IT SHORT this week!  Why?  *THREE* trip
reports to follow!  Thanks Darren, Adina, and Martin!
Hear all about SCUBA in Cozumel, hiking Wachusett, and
skiing Tuckerman Ravine...

=====
ADMINISTRIVIA
Kathy Kelley - Motivator/Welcoming Committee - kakelley@...
Ken Leonard - Webmaster - kleonard@...
Gizmo - Mascot - Renattalee@...
Alan Fajvan - Social Director - socialdirector@...
Centenarians - in the US:  64,000
Site - http://www.GONewEngland.org
* For events, the hotline number, and all kinds of information!
=====

Well, I have to get the trip reports edited and put on the back
end of this thing, so I'll quit while I'm ahead.  I'll see
a bunch of folks at Sunapee this weekend.  Everyone else I hope
will have a good time hiking or checkin' out the tunes!!!

But before I go...

	 Whew...Lots of work getting the new web site going,
	 the e-lists changed, and all that.  THANK YOU to
	 everyone who helped and continues to help, as I could
	 not have done it without your looking over my shoulder.

	 And thanks to all the kind words, too.  :-)

	 I guess this past weekend really showed me *why* I do
	 this---and why any of us participate:  Excellent people,
	 good fun.  And more to come.

Hike safely,

...kl...

=====TRIP REPORTS=====
Three of 'em!  Yikes!!!
-----
COZUMEL - From Darren
Ken,
	 We all made it back alive !!!!!!!!  Nine of us ventured to Cozumel
for 8 days.  We had a great time.  We quickly learned how to barter with
everyone you talked with.  Never pay full price.  The diving was great.
Jerry, Brian, Jim, and I went out almost every day. Angels joined us one day
after a little refresher.  Rachel, Tuyet, and Jean had a chance to
experience scuba after one of our morning dives.  Tuyet and Jean liked it so
much they took a Discover Scuba Diving class at one of the local shops.  We
have some great photos of the underwater world, including my first 6 ft
Nurse shark.  We saw another bigger one, but we were too far away to get any
pictures.  We saw groupers bigger than people, barracuda the size of your
leg, and colorful angelfish that posed for the camera. The 9 ft green moray
eel swimming out in the open was definitely a highlight for diving. The
night dive was spectacular.  I saw several things I had not seen anywhere in
the Caribbean before. Fortunately we did not get stung ( much ) when we came
up through the millions of jelly fish that were attracted to the boat's
lights.
	 Above water our adventures were just as wild.  Most of us gave
parasailing a try - and we all loved it.  I think Jean is still in a bit of
shock, but I did see her smile after she landed.  Bungee jumping was a total
rush.  We had two first timers, and they both walked away with giant smiles
( and the shakes ).  We rented several mopeds for the week, and a punch
buggy convertible that stalled every 30 ft.  We were able to see the entire
island.  Outside of town there are some incredible beaches.  We saw several
sunsets and sunrises.
	 The night life was a lot of fun.  We found some local bars with live
music and sampled the native tequilas and Caronas.  All I can say is WOW.
The dancing was great, the company was great, and we sold the women to the
locals.  Amazingly we only got kicked out of the pool once, then they
watched for us to make sure we didn't make it back in.  Thanks Jean for
teaching us the Chicken game :-).
	 Four of us made a day long adventure to Chichen Itza, about 230
miles inland from the nearest port.  We rented a jeep and set off.  What an
adventure that was.  We were out in the middle of nowhere, almost out of
gas, and having a great time.  We pawned some gas off some policemen with
rifles so we could make it to the next town.  You know it's unofficial when
they use a funnel and bucket to put the gas in.  The Mayan ruins were
incredible.  We climbed the pyramid, walked through the Temple of the
Warriors and the coliseum, and learned a bit about the culture of the Mayan
people.  Boy am I glad we don't live like that anymore. Eating kids' hearts
and daily human sacrifices were common.  When you lost a game in the
coliseum you might be sacrificed.

	 It's hard to be back to the real world.  We're all still dreaming of
the past week.  It may take several more days for our minds to return, but I
think a part of us will always be there.
+++++
-----
WACHUSETT HIKE ON PATRIOT'S DAY - From Adina
Well Monday was a perfect day for a hike.  We met in the parking lot and
saw a bunch of hawks flying around the area (best guess was hawks or
vultures, we rather think they were hawks).

We headed out, eight of us plus Gwen (mascot for the day), and headed
up the mountain.  The trails were good, not much mud at all.
It was a leisurely hike and the pace was good, Jen, Amy and Cheryl
led the way all the way up the mountain.  Cheryl was the official tour
guide taking every opportunity to point out flora of interest along the way.  
She was on the eternal search for the perfect walking stick, throwing away
six or seven possible candidates before settling on a suitable stick.
The rest of us kept walking through the wake of discarded bark from
Cheryl's choice.

We got to the summit in just over an hour and settled down for
lunch at the official summit.  The views were great, and you could see
Worcester and Boston clearly from the summit.  The clouds were slowly
moving in and certain individuals seemed to think it was cold up top
of the mountain.  We headed back down and had a good time down as
well.  We got a little off track and ended up going a little farther
than we expected, but no one cared.  We went by echo lake and saw a
couple of turtles sunning themselves on a floating log.  The rest of
the way home was a little trek over the rocky trail.  We just
missed some afternoon showers that were teasing us about damping
the group.

The rain didn't fall on this group and we all had a great time.
So chalk up one more event for Get Outdoors New England!
+++++
-----
CARTER NOTCH INN, SKIING THE DOME - From Martin
Tuckerman's Ravine weekend was exciting, very challenging, scary,
amazing, ... !

10 GONewEnglanders met at the Carter Notch Inn which turned out to
be a perfect B&B for our purpose. We all enjoyed the outdoor hot tub
and the healthy breakfast with homemade pancakes and pies.

On our ascent to Tuckerman's Ravine there was little rain and big clouds
but it soon cleared up and we had an amazing view of Tuckerman's bowl.
By that time we were already quite exhausted from the more than 2 hour
snow hike. Joe and myself carried skis, boots and related equipment
up the mountain.

At the "Lunch Rocks" there was a party-like atmosphere with 300
hikers cheering for the skiers and snowboarders on the slope. Most
didn't make it without a wipe out and did slide down about 500 feet
to the bottom of the bowl. It was always a big relief when the
skiers and snowboarders survived without injuries. A small avalanche
with 3 skiers in it and many "yard sales" reminded us on the dangers
of the Bowl.

Joe and I climbed in ski boots up to the top of the Bowl (ice-wall)
behind a very slow moving group. We didn't want to risk passing them
because it was very steep and the snow too hard for new footsteps.
We were on a traverse when a girl right in front of us missed a foot
step, lost control and found herself sliding 400 feet the bottom
of the ravine.

When I got ready to ski, I realized my exhaustion. There was not much
time to recover because clouds were moving in.  Looking down the
55-degree steep slopes is very scary and my only thought was how I
would react once I started sliding. Joe is an excellent skier and managed
a few good turns before he slipped (and some GONewEnglanders really
appreciated his wipe out!).

After stopping 2 times to relax my muscles I was able to ski all
the way down to the bottom. It was quite an adrenaline rush going
down this steep mountain!

In the evening Sheldon and Joe were playing great blues-jazz music
on piano, guitar and harmonica at the Inn's fire place. On Sunday Deb,
Marjie and Victor enjoyed the sun with a hike around Jackson, NH,
while the rest of us including Cathy, Ken and Dan hiked Arethusa Falls.
David, Sheldon and Milada joined me for the loop over Frankenstein Cliff.

All in all I had a great weekend with very pleasant friends and I
want to encourage everyone:  If you want to do something but don't
want to do it alone then let Get Outdoors New England folks know
about it.
+++++
*** Thanks a ton for the trip reports, everyone!!! ***
=====

------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/group/gonewengland
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

Hello Former NEHG-type Folks!

Yes, this is the *last* New England Hiking Group E-Mail Newsletter
Blurb Thing.  We're new, we're fresh, we're different, we're
formerly-known-as-The-New-England-Hiking-Group!

Want to know the new name?  Want to see the new site?
- Those at the 2nd Anniversary Party on Sunday did...
- Those on the NEHG-Chat list already did...
- ...and now it's *your* turn!

All you need to do is let Gizmo lead you there.  Head
to http://welcome.to/nehg (or
http://www.ultranet.com/~kleonard/hiking if the welcome.to
address doesn't work), and pat Our Mascot with your mouse.
He'll lead you to the new site.  Enjoy.  :-)

When you get to the site, have a look around, and let Your Webmaster
know of any problems.  You do not need to sign up for
the new e-groups:  I will move everyone over before the next
Blurb.

Soooo...Did we all meet enough new people *and* have enough
great food on Sunday at the 2nd Anniversary Party?  I think so!
First a HUGE thank-you to David M. for hosting the party this
year.  Thanks also go to our Social Director Alan and Motivator-and-
Welcoming-Committee Kathy for putting the whole thing together.
Decorations had the help of Barbara R. and...ummm...probably
other people I didn't see putting up banners and stuff.
And a further thank you to our Social Director for cooking and
for ordering the good weather.  And to everyone else for the
goodies *and* for just being there and hanging out with us.
What a super group!

Hey!  We had not two but *four* babies at the party!  It
was a pleasure meeting Will and Alana (cute as buttons, both).
And Susan and Bill brought by Maggie, who's just a tad older
than Will and Alana but still just as much of a sweetie.  Then
there was that baby with the huge ears who liked to gnaw on
things and had to be kept on a leash---and she had such a full
head of hair at such a young age!!  Chris N.'s new German Shepherd
pup is certainly adorable and lots of fun.

The unveiling of the new name was an hour late.  Well, we were
chowing down, and you *don't* want to get in between a formerly-
known-as-NEHG'er-type-person and his or her food.  So we held off for
a while, made the announcement, and watched lots of people wander over
to Dave's PC to have a peek at the site.

And the photographs!  Loads of 'em.  There was a box of duplicates
which people were allowed to take---look for blackmail photos
showing up on a website near you!  I have what was left and will
bring them to future activities for people to look at and bring
home if they like.

Excellent day!

And, as usual, there were some articles left behind.  Please
send mail to David Miller (dmiller@...) to claim them:
1. Cooler complete w/ beer and soda (identify the type of cooler to
    claim it.)
2. Camera with valuable blackmail photos in it?  Or maybe a few
    surprises... (identify brand to claim)
3. Baby's burb rag... the first one to lay claim gets it...

Hmmmm...Why don't I see anyone clamoring to get what's behind
door #3...?

SO WHAT'S NEXT?
** IMPORTANT:  You will receive a note in your e-mail that
you have been added to a new E-Groups e-group.  Don't be afraid--
I'm just moving everyone over.  All 642 of ya.  :-)  Chat
groupies, too---you'll get an e-mail about being moved.

IF YOU FIND SOME OLD LINKS
If you're cruising around the Internet and discover links
still pointing at the old NEHG web site, please tell the keeper
of the links page or Your Webmaster.  I sent out a number of
e-mails to let the link keepers know about the changes, but
I'm *sure* I missed a great number of pages.

Remember to update your bookmarks, too.

OK, STOP CROWING ABOUT THE NEW GROUP NAME!
I will!!!  I will!!!  I wanted to change the subject and introduce
Darren's Cozumel Trip Report, but...well, he's probably still
underwater somewhere and hasn't come up to write one, at least
not yet.

Now, let's see...

NEW EVENTS
- From Adina and Jeff:
   * Regular ROLLERSKATING at Skate 3 in Tyngsboro.  Need something
     to do every Wednesday and/or Sunday evening?  Adina and Jeff
     get in some regular skating/blading at Skate 3!  Rentals available.
   * WACHUSETT ON PATRIOT'S DAY - You have it off, don't you?  If so,
     Adina and Jeff would like you to head on over for a moderate hike
     to the top of Wachusett.  Bring a lunch!
- The SMUG-A-THON of Smuggler's Notch is back---June 18-20!  Join Ruth
   and Go for the Gold (or just go and watch).  Ruth won in her
   category last year and is looking to repeat.  Hey, I *just*
   got Ruth's Event Proposal and will update the site shortly.

EVENT UPDATES
- STARGAZING this weekend:  Gary says there are a few open
   spots if you'd still like to attend!  (Gary:  I accidentally
   erased Mailbox 2 if you recorded something...oops, sorry...)

..and I'll see a *ton* of folks at Tuckerman's this weekend,
I'm sure!

IMPORTANT DATES...
1)  April 15th.  Need I say more?
2)  April 30th.  Your WMNF Parking Sticker expires.
Thank you.

WHITE WATER CANOE - EXPERIENCED PARTNER SOUGHT
Becka and her dog Taig (beckataig@...) are looking for
a skilled/experienced white water tandem canoe partner.  They're
hoping to run Class II rivers, including 4/18 where an experienced
partner is needed for the Pascataquog South Branch.

=====
Motivator/Welcoming Committee - Kathy Kelley - kakelley@...
Webmaster - Ken Leonard - kleonard@...
Mascot - Gizmo - Renattalee@...
Social Director - Alan Fajvan - socialdirector@...
1918 - The last time the Red Sox opened the season 5-0.  'nuf said.
Site - HA!  http://welcome.to/nehg - this week only!  :-)
Hotline - 978.640.0335 * + mailbox
Events by e-mail - send e-mail:
	 - To: kleonard@...
	 - Subject: nehg-auto
	 - Text in message: bb-text (text) OR event-list (HTML)
	 ...please allow a few days.
=====

Wow, I'm beat.  Two weeks off from v-ball, and I really didn't
do so well tonight.  Amazing.  That's it, I need more activity
outside!!!  Can you guys help me?

But before I go seeking help...

	 OK, our 2nd Anniversary was really about 2 months late,
	 but it was extra special because we weren't just
	 celebrating two (plus!) wonderful years of friendship
	 and all kinds of activities.  We also had the chance
	 to help push the NEHG into a new direction, giving
	 it and all of us a unique identity on the 'net, a new
	 identity to those just getting familiar with who we are
	 and what we do, and a new, bright attitude for ourselves
	 who are already part of this wonderful group of people.

	 We *are* unique.  No memberships, no fees, no dues aside,
	 it's a GREAT group where there really is no pressure as well---
	 no pressure to spend oodles on equipment when it isn't
	 necessary, no pressure to attend anything or be cut from
  	 the list (heavens, no!), and no pressure to run anything (but
	 it's greatly appreciated when you do, of course, by Your
	 Webmaster and those who attend your event).  People appreciate
	 all that and the fun, comfortable atmosphere that just seems
	 to happen at our events.

	 As we move further into our third year, I expect to
	 continue toward our original and permanent goal:
		 Get Outdoors, Make New Friends!

	 Thanks to ALL of you for helping to make such a fun
	 group possible.  Thank you for your help, your participation,
	 your kind words (which always seem to reach me at *just* the
	 right moment), and for just being out there reading the ol'
	 Blurb every week.

	 Now let's get outdoors, New England!

Ski and gaze safely this weekend...

...kl...


------------------------------------------------------------------------
eGroup home: http://www.eGroups.com/list/gonewengland
Free Web-based e-mail groups by eGroups.com

Get Outdoors New England is an Internet bulletin board for outdoor activities in
and around New England---and beyond.  No memberships, no fees, no dues, no
pressure.  We're here to get outdoors and make new friends in a safe,
comfortable atmosphere.  Activities are run by and for those associated with
GONewEngland, and activities include hiking, camping, fishing, biking, blading,
skiing, horseback riding, skydiving, stargazing, socials/get-togethers, BBQs,
nature walks---and almost anything else you can think up!  All activities are
pay-as-you-go with no "organizational" fees.  The "GONewEngland" e-group is
where you sign up for the weekly (or so) e-mail newsletter.  We also have the
"GONewEngland-chat" e-group where you can have e-mail discussions with other
folks associated with GONewEngland.  So sign up for one---or both!---and Get
Outdoors New England!  Also visit our web site at http://www.gonewengland.org
where you'll find all kinds of information as well as a list of activities that
are running.

Group Manager: gonewengland-owner@egroups.com

To subscribe, send a message to gonewengland-subscribe@egroups.com or go to the
e-group's home page at http://www.egroups.com/list/gonewengland