WAMPUM CHAPTER
Some people seem to live on the trail, but GAIL BLAKELY literally does! The trail crosses the Beaver River on a bridge at the small town of Wampum, Pennsylvania, and Gail lives on that corner. When PA director Bob Tait spoke at a Sierra Club Pittsburgh meeting he asked, "Does anyone know where Wampum is?" Much to his surprise a number of people did because of Gail. But then it was her turn to be surprised when she learned that the trail passes by her front door. She joined the NCTA on the spot! Gail likes to keep busy and she belongs to many other organizations too: Order of the Eastern Star, Society for Creative Anachronism (a medieval re-enactment society), League of Women Voters, Western Pennsylvania Botanical Society, Ohio Mushroom Society, and North American Mycological Association. These last two transition her into one facet of her involvement in the trail community. Many NCTA members had the pleasure of learning about and sampling edible mushrooms under Gail's knowledgeable and energetic leadership at the August conference in Pennsylvania. Gail finds time for all these activities since she retired from teaching, and she likes being able to have a flexible lifestyle to allow for her many interests. The availability of trails makes it easier for her to pursue her love of identifying plants, trees, animals, insects all the natural wonders to be found in the wilds. "I'm a walker," Gail explained, "I'm not there to see how many miles I can cover in an hour." The more she knows what plants and creatures are to be found in the woods the more comfortable she is there. "Some people are afraid of nature because they don't understand it, " she added. Gail received a head start in understanding nature because her parents took her camping as a child, and that interest persisted. Within the Wampum Chapter she serves on the Planning Committee. The chapter regularly meets at her house. Gail points out that "a chapter is only as good as the members we have." She sees one of her roles as that of making people feel welcome, accepted and valuable. Sometimes this means taking care of lots of details to make sure that activities run smoothly. Gail has also been involved in contacting landowners to attempt to connect the trail between two sections on public lands. Blakely seems to prove the saying, "If you want something done, ask a busy person!" Thanks, Gail, for bringing your organizational skills and knowledge of nature to the trail community.
BAW BEESE CHAPTER
MONICA HAMILTON has always liked the out-of-doors. She grew up in the Girl Scouts and played softball. As an adult she looked for ways to pursue her outdoor interests in contrast to her job which keeps her indoors at a plant where they coat metal panels for paint testing. When Rich Saur placed an ad
in the paper about the formation of a local hiking club, Monica looked into it, and became a member of the young Baw Beese Chapter of the NCTA. She enjoys the chapter's work outings. Hamilton says, "I look at the trail more on work days than I do when I'm on hikes. I take time to see what will make other people enjoy it." Monica's service on work days has included a lot of cooking. One cold, rainy day when they were putting up heavy barriers to keep ATV's off the trail Monica took sloppy joes and hot chocolate to the work crew. We can smell those aromas and feel the warmth right now, Monica! She told me of Bar-B-Q events and homemade salads that made me wish for summer trail days, and she has noted that trail work helps build healthy appetites. She is glad to be able to help the trail effort in this way. Being on the trail gives Monica the chance to have some quiet time and to stay in touch with nature where she enjoys the
beauty to be found there. She is glad to have met new people and made friends in the trail community. "This is something that I enjoy and is also worthwhile," Monica concluded. She has recently been elected as Chair of the Membership Committee for this fast-growing chapter. Others in the chapter praise Monica for being "willing to do what's needed." This short but precise definition of service describes what makes a great trail volunteer.
CHIEF NOONDAY CHAPTER
NEIL JUHL and JAMBE are a "special team." Neil serves as Chapter Clown (his own description) and Jambe is the chapter's official Trail Dog. We know, however, that Neil does much more than clown around. When he is not busy selling music at his store, Flip Side Records, he serves on the Chief Noonday board of directors and National Trail's Day committee. He is a regular liaison to the radio station and a sports store, and works hard to keep information kiosks stocked. This last activity is important to him because of how he learned about the trail. While hiking in the Manistee National Forest he stopped at a ranger station and picked up some info about the trail he was walking. By this means he learned that he was on a National Scenic Trail, and he knows that many people who use the trail have no knowledge of this larger picture. One of the special times Neil describes occurred last New Year's Day in Yankee Springs Recreation Area. He suddenly had a sense of that "thread of continuity," and he felt connected to the whole trail stretching from New York to North Dakota! Neil is a long-time hiker, backpacker, and canoeist. "Nature is my absolute sanctuary," he commented with reverence in his tone. "It is there that I find the things that are real, and I can find God. I am really blessed; the trail and this chapter are the most
satisfying things in my life right now." Juhl also sees himself as a steward of the trail, and working on it allows him to give back to others. Building and maintaining trail gives him the most pleasure. He has customized a backpack for his trail tools and he loves to bench trail into side hills. It takes a long time to do this right, he explains, but his favorite tools are the Pulaski and McClod. He also maintains a section of the trail on a regular basis. Another Chief Noonday member elaborates: "Neil's sense of humor and singing add much more than just his active participation. Jambe's manners and playfulness are a part of this special team." "Trail work is 'where it's at' for me," concludes Neil. We assume Jambe would "woof" to that!