You've never seen the Appalachian Trail like this: Photos from the sky above

AMC's Mark Zakutansky, Director of Conservation Policy Engagement helped set up this event.

Story and lots more photos

Larry Priori, combines his creative talents and love of the outdoors to lead hikes to many interesting and off the beaten path locations in Southeastern Pennsylvania. His easy going nature and sense of humor has gained him a following among AMC members and also attracts new hikers looking for a fun and challenging experience.

Larry has recently created a new alternative to keep people active with a weekly hike at Valley Forge. This hike provides a short lunchtime option for the "gainfully employed" to get some exercise and outdoor stress reduction and then continues into a longer hike for those who don’t need to return to work.

Off the trail, Larry is an active and accomplished musician. The DV Chapter is fortunate to have the talents of Larry and all our diverse leaders providing varied ways to enjoy the outdoors.

Our Volunteer of the Month program was initiated to recognize volunteers nominated by their peers. Chapter members can nominate volunteers by e-mail to recognition@amcdv.org.

This year's Appalachian Trail ridge runner is Scott Simon, who brings experience and maturity to this position. having been a ridge runner in the Cumberland Valley two years ago.

In addition, he is employed by Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) during the colder seasons as a corridor boundary technician. In this capacity he works with trail clubs in maintaining and reporting on the integrity of the boundary lines of National Park Service land bought to protect the AT.

The ridge runner program on the Appalachian Trail enters its 26th this year. A ridge runner is an AMC employee who works on the AT five days a week including weekends and holidays between Memorial and Labor Days. His or her job is to meet and greet trail users, educate on Leave No Trace, and help preserve the trail experience for future generations.

Our chapter and the larger AMC have been directly involved in supporting this program in Pennsylvania for all of those years. The program has been coordinated by the ATC and the National Park Service, with a continuing grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The section of trail covered stretches 42 miles from Delaware Water Gap to Lehigh Furnace Gap and includes Wind Gap, Little Gap and Lehigh Gap in northeastern PA, including the 16 miles of the trail maintained by the DV Chapter. There are two other ridge runner programs on the AT in Pennsylvania, one in the Cumberland Valley, and the other in southern PA near Michaux State Forest.

 If you'd like to keep updated on the Ridge Runner program and Scott's experiences on the trail, go to his Facebook page

AMC volunteers clean up Monocacy Way

Our volunteers, led by Dan Schwartz. walked five miles along the the Monocacy Way trail in Bethlehem between Illick's Mill (the AMC office) and Broad St and collecting trash. The walk follows the Monocacy creek past the mill, through the woods, by the Paint Mill Pond which usually has swans, past the Burnside Plantation and down into the center of Bethlehem.

Twenty students graduated from the DV Outdoor Leadership Training course this past weekend. They were an interested and enthusiastic group of people who should be a most welcome addition to the DV leadership ranks when they complete their co-leads in the coming weeks.

If you or anyone you know would be good potential AMC leaders, but were unable to attend this past weekend's event, there is a course offered by the Connecticut Chapter in the fall. and that they may become DV Chapter leaders by attending that course and doing their two required co-leads with the DV Chapter. Click here for more information.

Volunteer vacations, new for 2018; volunteer trail crews and teen trail crews

Adult Volunteer Vacation participants will lend a hand to maintain trails and do similar work and have some time to enjoy the sights and sounds of different and locals. More info.

For more information on volunteer trail crews and teen trail crews, click here.

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