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Another Year, Another Great Gathering!
JUST ANOTHER HIKER GATHERING? HARDLY!!
Hikers came to the Gathering planes, trains, and automobiles. They traveled from 13 different states and Canada. The tall firs and cedars set a scene at Camp Arrah Wanna, now a Christian Camp, but once a stage coach stop in another era. Cabins, some new and clean, the others older and quaint and others overlooking a small canyon were scattered about the grounds. Although we were on the steppes of Mt. Hood our proximity and environment hid her presence; she was felt nonetheless.

Blue skies, fresh sweet air, and warm sun met us as the attendees began to arrive. Bert began processing registration and the "official" ALDHA-West banner went up. Camp staff introduced Phil and Strider to the various requirements and audio-visual details. A professional looking presentation room with impressive audio and visual equipment, where all of the presentations were to be held, was large and well lit, yet several hundred yards away from the eating area. This was probably the finest presentation facility ALDHA-West has been able to secure for the Gathering.

Friday evening began with a talk by Linda Rostad on her preparatory hikes for a 2008 PCT thru-hike. She featured beautiful scenes of severa Glacier Peak detour and other routes. After dinner Ken and Marsha Powers led us across the entire US on their American Discovery Trail (4,900 miles!) trek.

On Saturday morning Ned Tibbets tried to wake us up with tails of frostbite, hypothermia, and offering great strategies for recognizing these and preventing them. This was followed by a somber tribute by Greg Hummel and Meadow Ed to John "Seabreeze" Donovan, Ray "No Way" Echols and others who have perished pursuing a long distance hiking dream. Appropriately, Steve "Moondancer" Brill followed, that afternoon, with an interactive discussion of First Aid in the Wilderness and gave a ton of good sense advice.

After lunch Cliff "Cliffhanger" Hardin gave a beautiful musical presentation of his Triple Crown hikes, set to the great trail music of Walkin' Jim's songs. The handsome couple of Owen and Jenny McCarty then presented their Himalayan trek to the base camp of Everest. The soaring peaks, classic high elevation villages and the challenging effects of ultra high elevation adjustment were inspiring.

Ken Rait, the Campaigns Director for the Campaign for America's Wilderness outlined the many challenges, opportunities, compromises and victories facing the preservation of remaining wilderness areas.

Saturday evening Jonathan Ley and "Camper" Dave Cobb presented A Walk Across Iceland and Still Walking. The walk across Iceland was amazing. The complexity of the geology of Iceland and the remote environment make for fantastic colors, spectacular scenery, incredible waterfalls.

Squatch, aka Scot Herriot, presented his latest professional quality film with clip after clip of off thecuff hysterical bits on the trail and in the trail supplytowns.

Another clear, cool night with great stars and good fellowship followed and conversations could be heard here and there on the porches of many cabins.

Sunday morning, after a hearty breakfast, we had our biggest raffle ever!As always, we owe a great debt of gratitude to our vendors and other supporters who make this raffle/fundraiser possible with their generous contributions.

The final showing had Greg Hummel awing the crowd with his "Geology of the PCT" talk.

The member's meeting followed and an election reelected Bert Ewing, Rachel Ginsberg and Greg Hummel and elected Bob Turner and Rick Alway to the board.

After almost two days of constant pesentations and visiting, and fellowship it was a noticeably quieter and somber group that wished each other fond good-byes and best wishes. Another Gathering had come to an end.

But, there is always next year!