December Newsletter 2023

**View from Stoney Ledge with Mt Williams, Mt. Fitch and Greylock Summit. Pic by J Berninger**

End-to-End Challenge - May 11, 2024

The next End-to-End Challenge is scheduled for Saturday, May 11, 2024, and on-line registration will open on March 1. The End-to-End One Day Challenge has been a signature event of the Taconic Hiking Club since 1966. The hikers will start at Berry Pond in Pittsfield State Forest and trek 30+ miles with over 7000 feet of cumulative elevation gain over undulating terrain to the northern end of the Taconic Crest Trail at Route 346. Obviously, this challenge is for very fit and experienced hikers! Hikers are supported from beginning to end by volunteers of the Taconic Hiking Club. See the End-to-End Challenge page of the THC website for more details.

We are very happy to report that Abbie Shoobs has volunteered to coordinate the 2024 End-to-End event for us! She comes with good computer skills and some experience with Eventbrite so she should have no trouble with setting up and working with on-line registration for the participants. Abbie has already made a couple recommendations to help us out. Additionally, we have a few of the previous volunteers and a couple of new volunteers step forward to help with other tasks. Although we do not have all the volunteers we will need, we have enough to proceed with the planning. For now, thank you to all the volunteers and everyone enjoy the holidays!

For more information or to volunteer, contact Abbie Shoobs or Martha Waldman at taconichikingclb@gmail.com (no “u” in club).

Taking a look back: Hiking attire 100 years ago

We spend a lot of time planning our gear and attire for a full day of hiking. We have so many choices of clothing that is light, wind- and water-proof, warming or cooling. It wasn’t always that way, of course.

In the 1920s, women were free from long skirts for outdoor excursions, including hiking, climbing, and fishing. They could choose knit skirts, tops and cardigans, or knickers. Shoes were either lace up boots or Oxfords with a short walking heel. Some wore an everyday skirt and blouse pairing, but most women wore sports togs. Cross-dressing in menswear or men’s inspired clothing was practical for women who took hiking and camping seriously.

In the 1920s, there was a greater variety of shirts and neckties, jackets, sweaters, and cardigans to choose from. They paired well with a pair of breeches (aka knicker pants), tall golf socks, and lace up boots or low heel oxford shoes. 1920s outdoor hats could be bucket hats, wide brim western hats, safari hats, soft cloche hats, and flat caps (golf caps). All were inspired by men’s workwear and casual clothing.

Here are some pictures of the kinds of clothes you’d see on the trails. They actually look pretty comfortable!

Fabrics for 1920s men’s outdoor clothing were either wool or cotton corduroy in a dark green or dry grass tan. Waterproof cotton duck cloth in khaki tan (like a heavy canvas) was the other popular fabric.

Men could wear breeches or long trousers. Breeches were those funny looking, wide hipped and tight knee laced short pants (sometimes mistakenly called jodhpurs or golf knickers). They had extra lining around the seat, thigh, and knee. Breeches were held up by an optional leather belt, never suspenders.

Long trousers were less common in the early 1920s but gained acceptance as the decade moved on. They featured a flat front and a tapered leg in the early 20s, and wide leg by the mid-1920s. A cuff was often added.

Outdoor shirts were the same as work shirts or casual men’s shirts. Made of heavy flannel, they were thick and heavy with two chest pockets with a button-down flap. Shirts were “coat style,” meaning they pulled on overhead and buttoned down only to the waist, with an additional 10 inches of fabric tucked into trousers. Shirts could also be made of corduroy, mackinaw wool cloth (very heavy, usually plaid), or a brushed cotton flannel that looked like suede. Plaid flannel shirts became associated with hunters and outdoor sportsmen towards the end of the decade, especially in buffalo red and black plaid.

These advances in hiking apparel were big improvements over what was used by men and women 200 years ago! So next time you’re gathering up your boots and jackets, think about the inconveniences faced by women who hiked in skirts and the layers of heavy clothing that men had to wear. If you want to go back in time, there are websites that offer vintage clothing like this for sale. It would make a statement—or an interesting Christmas present for someone!

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP for 2024 now!

You may renew online or by mail. Be sure to update changes in your contact information: email, phone, or address. If you have recently renewed - Thank You!

To renew a membership by credit card or PayPal, go to the membership page of the Taconic Hiking Club website, or click here https://taconichikingclub.org/membership

To renew by mail, make out a check payable to the “Taconic Hiking Club” in the amount of $10. (per person). Send completed check to: Taconic Hiking Club, c/o Sue Jordan - Membership Chair, 276 South Manning Blvd, Albany, NY 12208

OUTINGS: Refer to the THC website outings page for details about the outings and how to register. We schedule on a monthly and short-term basis, so check the website periodically.

Wednesday, December 6: Pittsfield State Forest – Turner, TCT, Parker Brook Loop B
Wednesday, December 13: Berlin Mtn B
HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all!

“If you think you have peaked, find a new mountain!” Anonymous