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Appalachian Mountain Club Day Hike in the Middlesex Fells

Tax Deductions for Outdoor Non-Profit Volunteers

I do a lot of volunteer work for non-profit outdoor organizations including the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, on the average of  of 10-15 hours a week. This includes leading hiking and backpacking trips, writing grant proposals, teaching courses, and attending various committee meetings and conference calls. I [...]

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Scott and Michelle on Mount Hale, White Mountain National Forest

Following an Unfinished Trail by Scott “Fisher Cat” Lang

It is a typical drive north. With pre-dawn skies my only witness, I have taken flight upon four wheels. I manage to slip through the choking grasp of the Tappan Zee Bridge across the Hudson River. I bypass the vast amount of rest stops found along the parkways of Connecticut. Now, with eager anticipation, I [...]

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Remains of the Jewell Spur Trail Bridge

Trail Adopter Work Report – The Jewell Spur Trail

I was in the White Mountains over the weekend doing routine maintenance on the the Jewell Spur Trail, drawn in red above, a hiking trail I adopted in the spring of 2011 at the foot of Mt Washington. It runs between the Cog Rail Line station and the Jewell Trail which is a frequently used escape [...]

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Deep Roots

Root Fires and Leave No Trace Campfire Building

I came across this note last week when I was hiking south past Rainbow Lake on the Maine Appalachian Trail.  It reads: What is a root fire? A root fire is a fire that burns underground along the root system of a tree. It’s a very dangerous form of fire because the fire can smoulder [...]

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Trail Adopter Update

Freshly Cleaned Water Bar I adopted a trail this year called the called the Jewell Spur Trail on the western side of Mt Washington in the White Mountains. It's located near the base station for the Cog Railroad that still runs up to the Mt Washington summit. I'd never hiked on it until this May, [...]

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Ron Strickland on Bootstrapping a New Long Distance Trail

Ron Strickland is a character. He’s the founder of the 1,200 mile Pacific Northwest Trail (PNT) and the visionary behind the 7,700 mile Sea-to-Sea (C2C) Trail hiked by Andrew Skurka in 2005. His latest project is the foundation of a National System of hiking trails that links all of trails in the USA together, big [...]

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Becoming a Trail Adopter

Trail Adopter Training – How to Clean a Waterbar Volunteering with the Forest Service I volunteered to maintain a trail this year in the White Mountains, working with the Pemigewasset District of the US Forest Service. I'll be maintaining the Jewell Spur Trail, located at the base of Mt Washington. If you've ever thought about [...]

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