Evening star., 1936-07-04
Br s. NJ. MuHen.

I am. on the one day of the
week set aside for late sleeping, ten
chances to one it is the start of
Potomac Appalachian Trail hike.
Milling around in the back of the
Treasury Building, they will soon be
embarking in the big busses for the
Blue Ridge in Maryland. Virginia or
Pennsylvania
The people are of both sexes, all
eizes. shapes and ages. Most are
young, some are of mature years, but
hl are young in spirit. There are
Pirls in riding breeches, jodhpurs, and
he initiates in shirts, slacks or
brothers knickers Some are pretty,
some plain fat, thin. long or
short legged Some short -winded,
others with endurance and light
footedness The variety Of men and
their costumes is equally great. Hunt
ins boots from Maine and Wisconsin,
high shoes, tennis shoes and the regu-
lar garden variety shoe. All types of
rousers, sweaters, jackets or shirts.
The most popular shirts are of plaid
wool They not only cheer up the
interior of the bus, but also the trail
end later the dinner table.
Have we forgotten hats? There is
bne hat that so outshines the others |
that the owner has been immortalized .
by newcomers as the man with the /
hat" 1t is a hand-knit overseas cap
of multicolored wool 1t puts all
others in the background-even the |
lO-vear-old weather-beaten and mis- |
shaped wool hat whose red ribbon |
bangles jauntily in honor of trip |
leadership some years ago.
Each selects his own outfit for |
hiking. The generally accepted for
mula is Anything in which you are
comfortable and for which you have
no respect"
One day, not so long in the dim past,
q group of respectable, fun-Seeklng
mixers even before the disarray OF a
day's outing, we're mistaken by some
equally respectable citizens of Middle
town, Md, for hunger marchers.
(Hunger marchers were then holding
some political and social attention In
and about nearby Washington.) The
best story is of the waitress in drug
store in Leesburg, Va, who. while set
ting up a soft drink for a customer,
conversationally inquired how he en-
joyed working on the local road-build-
ing project of the c. c. c. The GUS
TONER happened to be the head of
well-known welfare organization-out
for a Sundays recreation with the
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club.
(P. A. T. CO
"a S DIVERSE as the clothing are the
- weekday vacations of this group,
whose Sunday avocation is trip to
the mountains. In it will be found
high Government officials, secretary
of national chemical organization,
an economist. newspaper editorial
writer, a correspondent for a Russian
news service college students. and
q widely hiked man who has mex
haustible and interesting stories OF
his climbs in the Rockies and Alps
and who studied Greek for a climb
on Mt. Olympus. and is now study
ing Russian for a trip to the
Caucasus.
These people have diversity OF
| interests-just walking, wild flowers,
bros, geology, rock climbing. and
during the past couple of Winters
skiing and snowshoeing. For the trail
is in use in all seasons and all
weather. The mixers are equipped
for rain or sun, and few are they
who give up their reserved places
on a gray and rainy day.
When I took my first club hike,
20 or so climbed out OF the bus Tor
an eight mile work trip cleanup
"trip to clear the trail of new growth
TO the 6-foot regulation width, and
to remove overhanging branches. A
series of cloudbursts that day wet
most to the skin. The rain stopped
onlv long enough for fire to be
built, ard a half-hour lunch TO be
eaten. The mixers returned to the
bus after an unusual day, glowing
with the satisfaction of work well
done and hungry for dinner.
1t is hard to choose the season
in which the mountains appear at
their best. In the Spring, trips are
MANNED to coincide with the full
bloom of certain particularly luxuri-
ant stands of wild flowers. Worth
the climb for those not interested
for its own sport is the breath-taking
FIRST view of the dazzling brilliance
of wild azalea, or the lovely, airy
laurel thickly scattered through the
mountain forest. There are blankets
nf trillum. stately ladyslippers and
pther thriving examples from the
husky larger shrubs, to the dainty
little plants that hide and hug the
ground.
THERE are cool spots to be found
in Summer. Bubbling springs re-
all Summer lunches, light breezes
nd birds singing in the trees. Many
re the private overnight hikes at
his time of year, when escape from
he hot city is enjoyed in one of the I
rail shelters for a week end or week.
These shelters contain all needed I
tamping equipment. Groups bring
|ood or arrange to eat nearby. They
blan short hikes for the day, or loll
round and read. Swimming is en-
oyable in nearby lakes or streams
n the Summer, and Winter sports !
vhen snow is on the ground. Some !
II the shelters hold as many as 20. {
.n6 the shelter diary has accounts 9
u many successful and varied parties I
pent there. {