July 14, 2024
Harold L. Croxton, 1920-2024

AHC Honorary Member Harold L. Croxton died March 10, 2024, at age 103, in Spokane, WA.

Harold joined AHC in 1967 and immediately became an active member. The citation for his 1985 Honorary Member award listed his contributions as hike leader, trail worker, Trails Chair, Keystone Trails Association Monitor Coordinator, and member of the AT Corridor Management Committee. During his tenure as Trails Chair, in 1978 a trail was cut to the Yellow Spring near the Allentown Shelter, and Harold organized yearly schedules of weekend shelter caretakers for the Allentown Shelter. Under Harold’s guidance as Corridor Monitor Chair, the club began its corridor boundary monitoring and annual reporting. Harold oversaw the installation of the gate and boulders at Fort Franklin Rd. to prevent illegal vehicle access to the AT. In 1993, Harold received the Silver Volunteer award at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Biennial, and in 2001 he was honored with an Appalachian Trail National Scenic Trail Golden Service Award. Harold was also an Appalachian Trail 2000 miler, completing the trail in 1976.

Harold was born in Illinois, graduated from the University of Illinois in 1942, and was hired by the Accounting Department of Bethlehem Steel Corporation. He served in the US Navy during World War II and then returned to work at Bethlehem Steel until his retirement. He married Rosemere in 1947 and they were married 75 years when she died on Aug. 29, 2022 (Harold’s 102nd birthday). Harold and Rosemere were avid hikers and world travelers, visiting 42 countries on six continents, backpacking through the Swiss Alps, and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to the 15,000 foot level.

As a member of the Allentown Hiking Club, Harold volunteered to do whatever was needed, and he and Rosie were always willing to assist other club members in reaching their hiking goals. They were shining examples for club members to emulate.

October 30, 2023
Mary Ann, My Hiking Inspiration
by Paula Uhrin

Surrounded by fellow club members and hiking enthusiasts, long-time Allentown Hiking Club member Mary Ann Nissley recently celebrated a milestone birthday on the Appalachian Trail by hiking the Pinnacle and Pulpit loop.

Mary Ann started hiking later in life but started with gusto! Never having hiked a step previously, she reached out to the Appalachian Trail Conference (now Conservancy) to understand where to begin. It was suggested that she reach out to and join a local trail club and the rest, as they say, is history ... hiking history, that is. Mary Ann went on to hike the full length of the Appalachian Trail twice, once as a thru hiker and once as a section hiker. She has also completed a long list of other trails throughout the country; the list is several pages long!

I first really spoke with Mary Ann about ten years ago, shortly after she hiked the Pulpit and Pinnacle loop with her family in celebration of her 80th birthday. I was so in awe. After all, I had only just started hiking and knew that trek was quite the challenge. But she seemed unfazed and proudly told me that she would be making the same trek in ten years for her 90th birthday. I think from that moment forward I have always told her that I want to be like her when I grew up ... and that’s true even more today.

The day of the hike we could not have asked for more perfect weather, warm but not too warm and with minimal humidity. Mary Ann arrived at the hike start having already completed her 6 mile bike ride for the day. She was smiling from ear to ear and was ready to go! She was joined by 21 hikers, mostly club members but some who wanted to come along because they saw her on a segment on WFMZ News the day before. We couldn’t let the occasion pass without cake and before we started hiking there was cake with candles and a Happy Birthday banner. Everyone there joined in singing "Happy Birthday" and shared in the cake to help power us up the mountain. And then we were off...

Slow but steady we trekked up the almost 1000’ elevation gain to the Pinnacle, one of the most beautiful vistas on the Appalachian Trail, stopping only to drink some water or admire the flowing waters of Furnace Creek and an abundance of mushrooms along the way. And then before we knew it that big pile of rocks was in sight (if you know, you know). The Pinnacle was just ahead. Mary Ann picked up a rock and tossed it to add to the pile, a long-standing tradition, and then settled in for a snack and a surprise birthday cupcake. She truly was beaming with happiness that the club helped to make her birthday trek happen. There were lots of pictures taken up at the top. Mary Ann was a celebrity, after all, with an entourage, and everyone wanted their picture taken with her.

After another slow and steady trek back down the mountain, with Mary Ann "putting on the brakes" in the steeper spots, we made it back down to the Hamburg Reservoir and then the starting parking lot. Along the way we told every other hiker we saw about this milestone birthday and made sure Mary Ann got lots of Birthday wishes throughout the day ... and with the beautiful weather there were several dozen people out on trail that day so there were a lot of well wishes! Honestly, my face was sore at the end of the day after smiling so much, watching Mary Ann enjoy her day doing what she so loves to do.

They say age is just a number and I believe that even more now. I wouldn’t doubt we will be making this same trek in ten years for Mary Ann’s 100th birthday ... I truly would expect nothing less. And it just goes to show that hiking is indeed just one foot in front of the other, over and over, until you reach your goal. If this doesn’t give everyone the needed inspiration to get to on trail, I don’t know what does.

Happy Trails!

October 4, 2023
Club Member Completes the Appalachian Trail

Club member Hal Wright ("A.T. Pokey") has finished the Appalachian Trail after 25 years of section hiking.

Having started in the late 1990's by hiking outward from Pennsylvania in both directions, Hal's last hike was on the northernmost 115 miles of trail, the Hundred Mile Wilderness and Baxter State Park in Maine. The weather during his summit of Katahdin was perfect - 70's and clear with low winds - after downpours aplenty in the Hundred Mile Wilderness.

Hal thanks the many people who offered inspiration and practical assistance, especially Judy ("Peanut"): his wife, hiking partner for over 300 miles, and support person for every section from beginning to end. This journey would not have happened without family, friends, the hiker community, and of course the staff and volunteers of the ATC and the other organizations which support the trail. It is a team effort and a team accomplishment!

February 1, 2023
The Allentown Hiking Club ... this is OUR Club
by Paula Uhrin

As we are about to embark into a New Year, I'm once again reminded that everything the Allentown Hiking Club does is for and because of its members. Members continue to be what makes the Allentown Hiking Club thrive, and that includes new and long time members with both new and tried and true hikes and ideas. It is that combination of old and new that helps the club draw from past experiences to further our goals and mission.

I want to make the time for a few introductions and thank yous.

I first want to thankoutgoing Treasurer Michelle Hinkle for all of her time and support over the past six years in that role. While having been a club member for some time, Michele stepped up when the opportunity arose and her support has always been greatly appreciated. I want to welcome Liz Uhl into the position of Treasurer and thank her for similarly stepping up when additional support was needed. I look forward to her input and support in the future.

Along those lines, I couldn't help but notice the ever presence of our Secretary Dick Fink, who has been dutifully fulfilling his responsibilities for the past 18 years. I can hardly recall a time that his soft spoken leadership wasn't there to keep the club on track and I want to thank him for his continued support.

And finally, Karen Gradel has been serving in both President and Vice President roles for the past ten years. Her ongoing leadership and overall support in those roles and others has shaped the club into what it is today.

I simply cannot imagine where the Allentown Hiking Club would be without the support and guidance of these individuals. All the said, there are always opportunities to get more involved and help to shape our future. In the new year I encourage members to find new ways to support the club, with nothing being too small of a gesture. If there is a hike or walk you enjoy and think others would enjoy it, then add it to the club calendar. If there is a role within the club you think you may be interested in, then reach out for more information. If you're unclear what roles and opportunities are even out there, I'm happy to have that conversation. If you've recently made a trek that you would like to share with the club, let us know and you can present at at upcoming meeting. Plus there are always ongoing trail maintenance opportunities, our annual Trail Magic in June, snacks for monthly meetings, and countless other activities that keep us going throughout the year. Again, no support is too small or insignificant. Thank you all for another great year on trail, hiking and maintaining and sharing the magic.

August 21, 2022
Barb Wiemann Receives 50 Year Service Award

Barb has been a member of the club since 1971 and became an Honorary Life Member in 2002. Here is a list of Barb’s contributions to the Club and ATC.

April 1, 2022
Frank Bertalan 1920-2021

AHC Honorary Member Francis "Frank" A. Bertalan died November 10, 2021 at age 101.

Frank joined the Club in 1977 and became an active member. Frank and Ed Ritter were appointed AHC Trails Co-Chairs in 1989. Frank orchestrated the installation of a trail gate on the paved access road north of PA 309 to prevent vehicular trespassing on the AT. He and Ed then led a crew in two relocations - one taking the AT off of the paved road into the woods at PA 309 and the second to construct a new wooded access trail to the New Tripoli Campsite. In October 1993, Frank and Sparky and Bev Wuerstle laid out the trail relocation south of PA 309 around the restaurant. Frank, Ed, and Harold Croxton directed the July 1994 work crew that relocated the AT north of Jacksonville Road.

In 1993, Frank resigned as Trails Co-Chair in order to assume the duties of AHC Monitor Chair (taking over from Harold). Frank held this position until September 2005, directing the Club's corridor monitors and submitting yearly reports to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Frank was elected an Honorary Member in 1991.

Frank was a 1938 graduate of Allentown Central Catholic High School and service in the US Army during World War Il from 1942 to 1946 achieving the rank of Master Sergeant. He graduated from Villanova University in 1950 with an Electrical Engineering degree and then worked for Air Products for 30 years. He was predeceased by his wife Olga "Ronnie" in 2014 and is survived by 3 sons.

April 1, 2021
New Year's Eve at the Allentown Shelter: An AHC Tradition
by Barbara Wiemann

Al and I were married in 1976 and we wanted to do something different on New Year's Eve to end that Bicentennial Year. Since we met on an Allentown Hiking Club Appalachian Trail hike, we decided to backpack to the Allentown Shelter.

It was a bitterly cold night. We slept with our boots and water bottles in our sleeping bags. Al is an amateur radio operator, he carried a 2 meter handheld radio and, using a repeater, was able to make a phone patch to place a phone call to Harold Croxton, AHC's Trails Chair. In the morning, we discovered that it was so cold and windy that the Philadelphia Mummers Parade had been canceled.

We had so much fun that in 1977 we placed the backpack on the club schedule. Two hearty members joined us. As the years went by, more and more people ventured out with us, providing entertainment and conversation far into the night. One year a teenager brought his guitar, serenaded us, and led a sing-along. We had human joke machines to keep us in stitches, and storytellers to regale us. And we could always count on fireworks down in the valley at midnight.

Naturally a highlight of our evenings was food and a fire. Each year, different participants brought new choices. We fried steak sandwiches, roasted potatoes, cooked hot dogs, and even feasted on the traditional Pennsylvania German pork and sauerkraut, we drank cocoa and toasted in the New Year with sparkling juice served in plastic flutes.

In 1994, when she was 12, our daughter Liz joined us. Three years later, with a nice snow on the ground, she was the first person to reach the new club shelter and snapped a photo that was selected for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy calendar. And in 2016, our 5 month old grandson Curtis made it a three generation event when Liz carried him to the shelter.

After 30 years of backpacking, in 2006 we switched to a day hike format. As a result, the group size increased dramatically. Some years, 30 to 40 people have trekked to the shelter. This, of course, has provided for plenty of socializing and even more noshing choices on the picnic table. On occasions when I have not been able to lead the trip, other club members (MaryAnn Wagner, Karen Gradel, and Paula Uhrin) have stepped up as leaders.

Over the last 45 years, through snow, icy snow, rain, freezing rain, wind, and, occasionally, balmy (temperature above freezing) weather, the Allentown Hiking Club has celebrated the New Year at the Allentown Shelter. Plan to join us in 2021 as AHC marks its 90^th anniversary!

April 1, 2021
50,000+ Miles... On Foot!

Since 1985, Ginny Musser has kept track of her miles walked on trails and around town.

Virginia (Ginny) Musser, a longtime member of the Allentown Hiking Club, has been keeping track of miles hiked/walked since 1985. Her first hike with AHC was in 1978 with the venerable Earl Raub on an A.T. hike thru St. Anthony's Wilderness. Earl was known to schedule hikes on the A.T. in Pennsylvania so that if you did all his hikes you'd complete the A.T. in the Commonwealth. Although this hike was in Earl's series Ginny did not get in on the beginning of the series. But as a result of getting hooked on hiking she picked up the missing sections and completed the PA section with the rest of the club on July 13, 1980.

Ginny credits Earl with teaching her everything she needed to know about hiking and safety on the trail! Although Earl passed away in 2005 she still maintains contact with his wife, Anna.

It wasn't until 1985 that Ginny began recording the miles hiked/walked on a calendar, totaled at the end of the month and then a final tally at the end of the year. At the end of 2019 she realized that if she kept her pace she'd hit 50,000 miles by the end of 2020. Actually she passed the 50,000 mile mark back in the spring but didn't realize it because she doesn't total for the year until the end of December.

Included in those 50,000 miles are the A.T. from Georgia to Maine completed over an 11 year period as well as the 18 state hiking trails in Pennsylvania, the Allegheny Trail that runs the length of West Virginia, as well as the miles accumulated doing trail work around the State as well as on her AHC assigned section of A.T.

She also tracked the number of miles on various pairs of hiking boots!

Included in those 50,000 miles are her daily jaunts around town and on local rail trails.

February 19, 2019
The Start of a New Year
by Karen Gradel

We look forward to many activities in 2019, as we say goodbye to some old friends and welcome new ones.

As we were honoring Holly Vogler with an Honorary Membership for her longtime service to the club, I looked around the room and saw a number of dedicated people who have served the club for many years. These people are the backbone of the AHC. This year and in the past few years we have seen the passing of some members who have been fundamental to the function of the club. We’ve been fortunate to have new members step up to fill these open positions in the club. We also have some new hike leaders this year. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has given their time to help the AHC preserve the physical trail and the spiritual ideals of the Appalachian Trail.

This upcoming year we have numerous opportunities for you to get involved. As always we have our Maintenance Events on the Appalachian Trail, at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center and at Lock # 2 on the D & L Trail. There will also be lots of hikes, some old favorites that are scheduled year after year and some new trails to explore. We are also going to add more family hikes to our schedule to get kids out into nature and excited about outdoor activities. Kayaking and camping trips will be offered. We will also provide Trail Magic again on June 27th and 28th. It’s always a good time to sit with the Thru Hikers and hear their stories. And one of the things we always hear is how well maintained our Shelters and section of the trial are. This is a testament to our hard working volunteers!

Have a great New Year of hiking,

Karen Gradel
AHC President