Monday, March 29th, 2021
Congratulations! You’ve joined nearly 10,000 other people in the New York and North Jersey area who love the outdoors.
Whether you’re new to the trails or love paddling, AMC’s New York-North Jersey Chapter organizes lots of activities led by experienced leaders to get you out in nature and meeting new people. Join us for backpacking, bicycling, climbing, canoeing and kayaking, hiking, skiing, trail maintenance, and more. We’ve got urban walks exploring New York City and family trips too. Sign up for the Chapter’s Meetup page, Eventbrite page, and watch the AMC’s Activities Database to learn about new events. But don’t wait: Our trips fill up fast!
The New York-North Jersey Chapter is also committed to conservation and making the outdoors a welcoming space for all. Learn from our Conservation Committee how you can take action on local environmental issues. Join our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee’s (DEI) weekly meetings to find out how you can help bring social justice outdoors. In your 20s or 30s? Get involved with our Young Members Committee.
During the pandemic, the Chapter also pivoted to develop a vital #BeOnlineWithAMC series of virtual talks, featuring experts on conservation, adventure travel, recycling, and more. Join us for our virtual Tuesday Lunch and Learns and Thursday Happy Hours to explore new ideas and socialize with other members.
Be sure to get out and explore activities at AMC properties, including The Stephen & Betsy Corman Harriman Outdoor Center in Harriman State Park and the Fire Island Cabin.
Finally, keep an eye out for our monthly e-blast highlighting the latest Chapter news and follow us on Facebook, join our Facebook group, and add us on Instagram and Twitter for more updates. In the meantime, we’d love to hear your thoughts on what you like about AMC and what we can do better. Reach out to us here.
Thank you for choosing to #BeOutdoorsWithAMC. We look forward to seeing you online or on the trail soon!
Sincerely,
Kaspar Alexander
New York-North Jersey Chapter Chair
Appalachian Mountain Club
Photo: by Steve
Saturday, March 20th, 2021
Do you enjoy hiking in Harriman State Park and visiting The Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center? If yes, then come volunteer for the 2021 season!
The volunteer season is weekends, mid-May through mid-October. Here’s some of what you’ll do:
· Welcome guests and direct them to the Corman Outdoor Center for information.
· Assist guests with lending gear such as hiking boots, hiking poles, kayaks, canoes, and personal flotation devices (PFDs).
· Providing information regarding activities that are available in the park.
· You will also be expected to hike around the lake to check on remote campsites.
· Have fun!
This is a great opportunity to get involved with the AMC and to promote AMC’s mission and activities to park visitors!
If you’re interested in volunteering, reach out to Kyra Salancy, AMC’s Outdoor Program Centers Volunteer Coordinator, at ksalancy@outdoors.org.
We hope to see you out at Harriman soon!
Wednesday, March 10th, 2021
With declining Covid cases and increased vaccinations, this spring is looking a lot rosier than last year with a full season of activities planned. “While we may start off maintaining our reduced size and some of our Covid precautions, there’s a chance by end of summer/early fall that we may be able to if not move back into ‘fully normal,’ then something that looks much more like normal by the end of the summer,” says Herb Zoota, the Facilities and Services Chair for the AMC New York-North Jersey Chapter.
Zoota oversees the Harriman Program Committee, Wilderness First Aid, the Fire Island Cabin, and the Trails Committee. He’s looking forward to a full season of hiking, canoeing, kayaking, yoga, and activities for members at The Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center. The 26-acre camp on Breakneck Pond in Harriman State Park is located about 35 miles from New York City.
“We’re looking forward to having a diverse group of programs, from the type of activities and the different themes and skills as well as the different interests of our members that we want to come out,” Zoota says. New activities will increase access to the outdoors, with Introduction to Camping and car camping activities planned. Volunteer cleanups at AMC’s new project in Harriman State Park, the Baker Camp on Lake Sebago, are also in the works.
In terms of accommodations, Zoota anticipates that camping will continue through at least June, with cabins potentially opening back up in August or September. The season opens the weekend of May 15, so keep your eye on the Activities Database for new trips and come out and join us! If you have ideas for new programs or want to volunteer, contact Zoota at harriman@amc-ny.org.
Sunday, March 7th, 2021
By Janet Basilone, Secretary of the Fire Island Cabin Committee
Come visit one of the most beautiful locations on the East Coast this season. The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Fire Island Cabin is one of AMC’s 10 self-service Volunteer-led Camps and Cabins (VCCs). The cabin is located in the town of Atlantique, one of 17 residential communities that comprise this car-free, barrier island designated the Fire Island National Seashore. Perfectly situated on waterfront property on the Great South Bay, the cabin is a five-minute walk to the Atlantic Ocean.
After being required to close last season due to Covid-19, the cabin’s volunteer management committee has been brainstorming ideas for opening safely in 2021. We anticipate more flexibility in club-wide operations so long as state and local health guidelines continue to evolve in a positive direction.
Special Offer: Book an Early- or Late-season BYOP: Bring-your-own-pod & do your own thing
In the before (Covid) times, the cabin accommodated 20 guests and two volunteer managers in two 11-bunk dorms. Our tentative, pandemic-conscious plan is to offer block bookings to two pods with a maximum of five people each—one pod in each dorm. The midweek block would be four nights (Monday–Thursday) and the weekend block three nights (Friday–Sunday). We expect that managers will be accommodated in a glamping-style tent on an outdoor platform.
The pod would be booked and paid for by one individual responsible for forming a group of up to five who are Covid-comfortable with each other. Children over age 6 are welcome during midweeks. Shared indoor bathrooms and hot outdoor showers are right outside the dorms.
Each pod will bring their own food and prepare it. We will assign a kitchen slot to each group for each meal period, e.g., dinner 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM and 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. As always, guests are asked to clean the premises prior to departure. The cabin manager will supervise an extra cleaning session between guest bookings. No smoking, no pets.
There will not be scheduled activities as in normal seasons, but the usual assortment of canoes, kayaks, Sunfish for authorized sailors, beach umbrellas and chairs, and yoga mats and blocks will be available free of charge. There is a lovely gazebo that contains a library and board games. You can also walk or water taxi to points of interest such as the Sunken Forest and Fire Island Lighthouse.
Access to Atlantique is by ferry from Bay Shore, Long Island. You can take the Long Island Railroad to Bay Shore or drive to Bay Shore and park your car near the ferry terminal.
Our pod program is subject to change based on future Covid guidance from the AMC. We will be updating the Fire Island Cabin page on the AMC website later this month. If you would like more information about booking a five-person pod, please email fireislandres@gmail.com.
***Reservations for the Fire Island Cabin are not yet open. There will be an update in the April Chapter email blast and on the AMC website in April.
Sunday, March 7th, 2021
The New York-North Jersey Chapter is excited to announce a new Hiking Chair: Elizabeth “Liz” Rodano. The Executive Committee unanimously approved Liz’s appointment during its February meeting. She replaces Vlad Rud, who recently stepped down from the post.
Liz is an avid hiker, sometimes backpacker, runner, and lover of the outdoors. She is originally from Buffalo, but has lived in the New York-North Jersey area for the last ten years. She currently lives in Orange County, NY.
Liz is a teacher by trade and holds a Doctorate of Education. After completing the Nature-Based Teaching Certification program with the Eastern Region Association of Forest & Nature Schools, Liz launched a nature-based early childhood program at the German International School in Westchester, where she serves as both teacher and coordinator.
Liz has a passion for sharing the outdoors with others, especially families and children. “I am especially interested in launching more hiking programming for families, especially those with young children,” she says. Liz is also a member of the Chapter’s DEI Committee, and she is involved in some cross-committee brainstorming on how to get more families outdoors.
Having had the opportunity to live and work in both Europe and Asia, Liz has hiked trails in Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Austria, South Korea, India, Japan, and Cambodia. She now primarily hikes and camps in the Hudson Valley region with her husband Matt, and 6-year-old daughter, Ariana.
Another goal? “To increase our number of hike leaders and offered hikes, especially as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, and we start to return to normal,” Liz says.
Please join us in congratulating Liz on her new role! To learn more about the Hiking Committee, visit here.