FUTURE EVENTS FOR APRIL 2010 AND BEYOND Mark your calendar for the following upcoming events. More details will appear in future hiking schedules. Contact a Pathfinder if you would like to preview a future event. WILDFLOWER HIKES - Tuesday's in April Mary Ann Layman will lead 4-6 mile wildflower hikes each Tuesday afternoon in April. A 1 PM start time will give the flowers a chance to open up. Each week will be at a different location known for a diversity of wildflowers. These hikes, several of which will include lunch suggestions before the hike, are very popular and informative, so plan to attend as many as you can. 13th ANNUAL SMOKY MOUNTAINS GETAWAY, TN - April 15-17 The Club's annual trip to Smoky Mountains National Park is right around the corner. Jean Ballinger and Ron Mutzl will share leading all day hikes and, once again, Jim Shoufler has volunteered to lead moderate hikes. It's time to make your room reservations. Some suggestions are Riverhouse at the Park (865-436-2070), Riverhouse Motor Lodge (865-436-7821) and Carr's Cottages and Motel (865-436-4836). Contact Jean Ballinger at 696-2120 or skierjean@yahoo.com if you have any questions. C&O CANAL ONE-DAY HIKE, WV - May 1 After skipping last year our long distance hikers will once again attempt to tie the Club single day distance record. Although it requires a lot of conditioning, please consider joining them for the mid-Atlantic's oldest long-distance day hike - 100K (62.14 miles with shorter options) from Washington DC to Harper's Ferry, WV. The hike is an annual event sponsored by the DC Sierra Club. Check www.onedayhike/org for details on registration, lodging, etc. Registration is limited and filled up early last year, so sign up as soon as possible. If you think you might be interested, contact Cindy West, who is coordinating IHC's participation, at cwest@binghammchale.com or 299-7829. Look for long distance training hikes starting in the February hiking schedule. LABOR DAY WEEKEND - NEW HARMONY, IN - Sepember 4-6 Join us for three days of hiking in and around historic New Harmony in southwestern IN. The Club has reserved a block of 35 rooms at the New Harmony Inn. IMPORTANT - Everyone will be responsible for making their own reservations and guaranteeing it with the first night's deposit. This is different from past Labor Day outings. Contact the New Harmony Inn at 1-800-782-8605. Group room rates will be $85 plus 7% sales tax per night for a standard (one queen bed) or a deluxe (two double beds)room. This special rate is available only until Wednesday, August 4. Cancellations must be made 48-hours before check-in to receive a full refund; any cancellations within the 48-hour window will be non-refundable. Also, any reservations made after August 4 will be at the Inn's regular rates, which start at $109 plus tax. New Harmony was the site of two attempts at communal living in the early 19th century. Many original structures remain. We will visit the Labyrinth, a restored maze of hedges, the Roofless Church and many other historic buildings. There will be hikes along the Wabash River and around the beautiful grounds of the New Harmony Inn. We will also hike in nearby New Harmony State Park. For additional information contact Mary Ann Layman at 881-8416 or malayman@earthlink.net. GETTYSBURG, PA - September 17-18 An information sheet had been posted on the website at www.indyhike.org/trips/Gettysburg which should answer most of your questions about this trip. Most people see America's most famous Civil War battlefield from their car. We will retrace the battle on foot as it was actually fought between July 1-3, 1863. Thursday, September 16 and Sunday, September 19 are considered travel days. Friday morning's hike will retrace the battle's first day concluding with lunch in the Gettysburg town square. That afternoon we will visit 2nd day battlefields, including Culp's Hill, Indiana memorial, Cemetery Hill, the national cemetery and the spot where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address. Saturday's hike will retrace major fighting on the battle's 2nd and 3rd day, including Seminary Ridge, Devils Den, Little Round Top (we will have lunch here), the Wheatfield, Peach Orchard and Cemetery Ridge and the Angle. We will finish by retracing Pickett's infamous charge to the High Water Mark of the Confederacy. Hiking speed will be 3-3.5 MPH with time to read many of the 1,300 monuments erected by survivors of the battle. All hikes will include shorter options. Although we will hike only two days, there is so much to see and do in the area you may want to spend an extra day on the front or back end. A block of 25 rooms has been reserved at the Quality Inn-Gettysburg Motor Lodge (where we stayed in 2005), which is where the morning hikes will start. Make your own reservation (check-in Thu 9/16 and check-out on Sun 9/19) by calling (717)-334-1103. Ask for the Indianapolis Hiking Club discounted nightly room rate of $98 sgl, $103 dbl, $108 tpl and $113 quad. These rates are valid if you stay an extra day on the front or back end. Taxes are extra. When you call say you are a member of the Indianapolis Hiking Club group and identify how many people will be staying in the room. Rate includes a deluxe continental breakfast, heated pool, lounge and laundry facilities. 17 eating establishments are within a 3-block walk. Many more hotels and camping facilities are listed in the free Gettysburg Visitors Guide, which may be requested by calling 1-800-337-5051 or through www.gettysburg.travel/visitor. Driving directions will be provided in future schedules. For additional information contact Ed Wright at 219-5536 or ewright@indyhike.org. HIKING IN BAVARIA GERMANY, September 24-October 1 Join us for a week of hiking in beautiful Reit im Winkle in Bavaria, Germany. This will be similar to the trip we led in August 2009. We will stay at the Hotel Gaesthaus Am Hauchen and hike daily from that location. Rates should be around $80 per day per couple and this includes breakfast. Fights in late September should be lower than during the summer. To get an idea of what the area and the hikes are like, visit www.datasink.com/bavaria2009.shtml. The length and difficulty of the hikes will be adapted to those who come. For non-hikers there are opportunities for golfing, swimming and sightseeing. For further information contact Bob Hackenberg at 773-2934 or by email at rgh3@datasink.com. KAL-HAVEN TRAIL AND WARREN DUNES STATE PARK, MI - October 2-3 We will hike 10 miles on the Kal-Haven Trail on Saturday and 7 miles in Warren Dunes State Park on Sunday. A block of 25 rooms is being held for the nights of October 1-2 at the Hampton Inn in South Haven, MI (269-639-8550) at a discounted rate of $89.10 + tax, which includes a hot breakfast. Ask for the Hiking Club rate when you call. Leader: Jean Ballinger (696-2120) SLEEPING BEAR SAND DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE, MI - October 4-5 We will hike 3 days (Mon-Wed, Oct. 4-6) at Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes following the weekend at South Haven. You can check out the park at www.sleepingbeardunes.com. All rooms (25) are being held for the nights of October 3-6 at Maple Lane Resort in Empire, MI (231-334-3413) website www.maplelaneresort.com at the significantly reduced rate of $89 fpr standard room and $99 for kitchenette. This resort is on Little Glen Lake, which is almost in the park. Be sure to indicate that you're with the Hiking Club. On July 31, rooms not reserved will be released and the discounted rate may not be available, so make sure to make your reservation by July 30. Leader: Jean Ballinger (696-2120)