The President's Corner

November and December hikes are typically among the very best of the year. Temperatures are often comfortably cool and the hikes include the beauty of fall foliage as well as open views resulting from newly fallen leaves that now line the trails.

Thinking about the change of seasons and the months covered by the Trailmarker brought back my memory to a book I first read over 40 years ago, Aldo Leopold’s 1949 essay collection A Sand County Almanac. The book includes a series of essays divided into twelve segments, one for each month of the year. Leopold wrote much of the book from his farm in the Baraboo Hills of Sauk County Wisconsin; one of my favorite places on the planet. The essays mostly follow the changes in the ecology on Leopold’s farm throughout the year. The first line of the foreword to the book reads “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.” He suggests that humans will cease to be free if they have no wild spaces in which to roam. For all who enjoy roaming in the outdoors in all seasons, for whom the best reward is the experience itself as well as the character building aspects of the activity, the book is highly recommended reading. A Sand County Almanac, along with Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, are often considered the most significant books related to the environment of the 20th century.

Thanks to Vance Barron, Outings Coordinator for November and December, and to the efforts of fellow club members, we have an impressive lineup of outings. Once again, thank you to Clare for editing and publishing the Trailmarker.

Please note the presentation planned for our November monthly meeting. The Superintendent of Pilot Mountain State Park will be giving a presentation covering the history of the park and will discuss some of the current park projects. Take special note of
the PHOC’s Annual Holiday Party which is scheduled for December 6; in the enduring words (slightly modified) of a classic 1975 song (and one-hit wonder) from the band Funkadelic…”Bull crap! Hot damn! Get off your butt and jam!” Signing up early is the way to go.

Enjoy the cooler weather. It’s a great season to be outdoors with good friends.

Happy Trails,

George Crouse
PHOC President
Email