Date: August 3, 1935 

 

Over the length and breadth of our country youngsters and oldsters are joining hands in a comradeship that bids fair toward being one of the redeeming features of the recent depression. In an era when lack of spending money is a national inconvenience, the value of outdoor activity is inestimable since it entails the smallest monetary outlay per hour of happiness that can be found.

The formation of hiking clubs, the emphasis being placed on outdoor activity of many forms cannot help but produce results which will be of lasting benefit to the physical and mental well-being of America.

Possessed with an excuse for a swimming suit and an available swimming pool whether it be a canal, river, lake or creek, the individual can indulge in hours of enjoyment and terminate the adventure with a sun browned and stronger body and a store of satisfying memories. If one living in an area blessed with snow he may spend hours of perfect enjoyment to the music of swishing snow beneath flying skis.

The most versatile and available of all outdoor activities, however, is that of hiking. It may be done alone but is most enjoyable in the company of kindred spirits. In the well-balanced program of an organized group all phases of outdoor activity in their share of participation. 

During January in the winter of 1929 the Mohawk Valley Hiking Club was formed by a small group of enthusiastic “outdoorians” while gathered about the leaping flames of a campfire in the seclusion of a wooded ravine on old Yantaputchaberg. Since that time the club has enjoyed an interesting and rather fascinating existence marked at times with a good-natured argument and conflict of personalities and ideals, but emerging each time from such symptoms of growing pains with a stronger and better structure.

In the past six years the club has often departed in its policies and programs from those of most hiking clubs so that at the present time the scope of its activities are wide spread and varied. In the hope that some of these projects might be of interest in their relationship to the field of adult education a brief outline of some of them be given.

Shortly after the club was formed, informal talks on various subjects were given at the close of the regular monthly business meetings. These talks covered a wide range of subjects ranging from photography and campcraft to tree identification and canoe trips. A logical development of these programs was a series of plain talks on special subjects of interest to the members. Considerable numbers of non-members were soon asking for permission to attend the talks and as a result it was found necessary to set aside special nights for the lectures. The subsequent development was the Educational Assembly, a series of weekly meetings on a wide range of subjects conducted throughout the winter months. Attendance varied from small groups of about thirty to large ones of three or four hundred. 

The main objective of the Assembly is to provide informative illustrated talks on the subjects not covered by any other program in the vicinity of Schenectady. Moving pictures, lantern slides, special exhibits are used to visualize the subjects of the various programs. The series given last year covered subjects such as local history, entomology, geology, archeology, astronomy, botany …. In selecting speakers care is taken that their story should be suited for a general audience and yet technically and scientifically correct and accurate in all detail.

All meetings are provided without charge although when movies are rented the audience is informed of the fact and those who care to contribute a small amount do so as they leave at the close of the program. The Assembly is held in the auditorium or study hall of one of the local high schools which are available without charge during the school year for programs of the type given at the Assembly.

To augment some of the lecture series such as geology, field trips are held to provide those interested with actual experience in studying the rock formations and fossil beds discussed during the lectures. While most of the field trips are places out of doors, others are to special exhibits in museums and similar places for a more generalized study than is possible in any given locality.

Within walking distance of Schenectady, the Bozenkill has carved a way through layers of shale rock as it winds its way toward the base of the Helderbergs. On its upper reaches at a place called Williams Hollow lives a dirt farmer known as “The Poet of the Helderhills.” The rushing, tumbling waters of the stream bisect his rock-strewn farm. 

The love of Nature established a bond between the hikers and the hard working, self-taught man, his wife and large family so that members of the club were extended an invitation to camp along the picturesque stream. As the friendship continued, the hikers purchased trees and annually planted several thousand on the poor soil bordering the stream to augment ither plantings put in by the old poet as an annual custom.

Four years ago the farm, consisting of over a hundred acres was set aside as a wildlife sanctuary with appropriate ceremony and a bronze tablet unveiled by the hiking club. Subsequent years has brought continued plantings to increase the beauty of the sanctuary. A fernery containing over thirty species including most of the ferns indigenous to the state have been established in a rocky glen. A nature and geology trail are located in the interesting parts of the woodland.

The Christman homestead is fast becoming a Nature shrine visited annually by thousands. Continued reforestation by the club has covered all of the poor land on the farm leaving the more fertile land for more intense cultivation. 

While the act of hiking is in and of itself a worthwhile occupation for spending leisure time the participant misses most of the real enjoyment available unless he returns from his outing richer in mind and body as a result of his hours in the open. To achieve the maximum enjoyment the hiker should have some definite interest whether it be in historic areas, places of natural beauty, geological formations, varieties of trees, numbers of bird species encountered, kinds of wildflowers seen, species of insects observed – in fact – any one or more of the numerous branches of natural science to be found everywhere in the countryside.

In an effort to combine as large a variety of these delightful; subjects in a comprehensive method the Long Path of New York was proposed by the Mohawk Valley hikers and now fully scouted and will soon be marked so that the “outdoorsian” will be able to enjoy the hinterland that it discloses. It is offered as a branch of the great Appalachian Trail stretching for over a thousand miles along the high ridges of that eastern mountain range. While the main trail only crosses the extreme southeastern part of New York State our Long Path enables a traveler to head across the Catskills and into the Adirondacks.

As laid out the route of the Long Path meanders through fascinating countryside. Past picturesque waterfalls, unusual fossil beds, historic shrines, ancient Indian village sites, old mills, forgotten villages, or magnificent panoramas, the route has been plotted so that the entire way --- faded ----fascination to the one who delights in such things.

Eventually we plan to record in some way the significance of each point of interest along the way. The trail has been routed as far as possible along existing ways. Thus, most of the route is already passable following as it does old carriage roads, military routes, Indian trails, fisherman trails—yes and even cow paths and deer runways.

It is available at many points to boat, train, trolley and bus lines so that a trip of a few hours or several months be planned with real convenience. Cooperation with several other hiking clubs and scout troops are being secured for maintaining the wooded trail and establishing markers and trail guide.

A well-organized outing club is in a position toward coordinating public opinion in order to stimulate activity in special fields.

Feeling the need of increased and better organized activity in the field of winter sports which had been sadly neglected in the Mohawk Valley region the hiking club sponsored a winter sports committee designed to crystallize sentiment toward a more active participation in that field particularly in the division of skiing.

As a result of this effort snow trains were planned for transporting large groups of people to distant snowfields when local conditions were not good. The committee selected by the hiking club formed the nucleus of a winter sports club which was formed and soon grew into a large and very active organization. 

Snow trains carrying from four to eight hundred enthusiasts now run throughout the winter on a scheduled basis, about ten miles of ski trails near Schenectady have been constructed and are used by large numbers of people thought out the season. Instruction and help in constructing complete ski equipment are available to those interested \, ski schools are held on the local slopes every weekend, trail maps are issued and weekly columns on winter sports are carried by the local newspapers edited by members of the club. 

One of the interesting developments as a result of these activities may be mentioned because it illustrates the vast influence a small group of enthusiasts may have if the work along fundamental ideas.  The destination selected by the club for its snow train --------------not legible-----------. In the middle of November the village folk would figuratively hibernate, to stay in that state until the opening of trout season in the spring when they would start looking forward to the coming tourist season of the summer. From this former state of lethargy one could hardly recognize the transformation effected as a result of the activity caused by the winter sports enthusiasts. Following close behind the enthusiasm of the city folks the mountaineers of the village are developing into exceptionally fine kiers. The demand for food, lodging and transportation has converted the winter season into one with activity more than in the summer. And the youngsters swarming over the hills and mountains during every available minute throughout the winter is a most promising sign for the future of those mountains because of the mental and physical stimulus which such activity engenders.

Interest in the more strenuous forms of outdoor recreation is followed by a desire to secure the best types of equipment that the individual can obtain. By far the most economical and at the same time the most satisfying source for getting equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, parkas, socks etc. is to make them. 

Much thought experiment and time has been spent by the Mohawk Valley hikers ------not legible – original development of patterns for equipment have been prepared and are available. Thus, articles which if they had to be purchased would be only available to only a few because of their high cost. Instead the club in making equipment within reach of everyone because of the small cost of the materials. An interesting by-product of this activity has been the experience the individuals have gained in planning, cutting and sewing the articles. For some of the girls and most of the boys it has been their first sewing lesson.

Locating a source of spinning wheel yarn in the mountains north of Schenectady a number of the girls in the club are making woolen socks and mittens of excellent quality. Because of the large demand for raw material occasioned by the activity in making equipment, the club makes it a practice to keep a supply of the necessary materials on hand which is unavailable in local stores.  This is passed on to individuals as they need it at cost. Considerable time and experimentation has been devoted to the development of light weight equipment and compact and well balanced grub lists. As a result of the effect complete equipment for a comfortable sojourn of seven days in the wilderness weighs but thirty pounds.  This equipment includes every item for comfort and is all contained in a rucksack of the type equipped with a carrying frame. Bulletins carrying this information are issued from time to time by the hiking committee.

One of the natural interests closely associated with the love of the out of doors is an active desire to preserve the areas in which the greatest enjoyment is obtained. In most instances the closer the territory resembles the primitive wilderness the more perfect the pleasure experienced by the true hiker.

In our country there exists a constant encroachment of commercial interests into the few remaining areas of natural unspoiled woodlands. Commercial enterprise road builders and other groups which combine to tame or destroy the forests are the interests which must be held in check if the natural beauty and accompanying quiet and restfulness is to be retained.

One of the most active committees in the hiking club is that dealing with conservation. Since its formation various members have been active in the field and with the facts uncovered by their actual research their work has been very effective. It has been said with pardonable pride that…. not legible….crew of the Mohawk Valley Hikers doing some form of conservation every week and throughout the year.

During several election campaigns when commercial interests threatened to overthrow safeguards in the Constitution which protects the state forest preserve, flying squadrons of hikers equipped with pamphlets explaining the true facts of the situation, and with moving pictures, lantern slides, photographs and other paraphernalia made fast trips throughout the state explaining the actual conditions of the controversial matter backing up their contentions with facts and the knowledge they had acquired by actual contact with the issues in the field.

As a result of these actions and the contacts made among militant conservationists the local group has had the satisfaction of knowing their arguments were potent by seeing their antagonists lose their issues before the electorate of the state. 

The experience gained in the fields of photography, forestry, the working out of scenarios in producing coherent movies of their subjects and the invaluable training in public speaking which result from this form of activity is of immeasurable value.

The purpose of this description of a few of the activities of the Mohawk Valley Hiking Club of Schenectady NY has been to indicate the possible avenues in true adult education which may be developed in a community if the right leaders nay be obtained. A number of new developments wherein newer fields are being explored would merely add to the length of this discourse. The social and economical aspects of such a group has hardly been mentioned. Volumes could be written on this phase alone.

We hope as time goes on to meet more of you on the Long Brown Path that leads wherever we choose.