FUTURE EVENTS FOR DECEMBER 2024 AND BEYOND ANNUAL WINTER BANQUET - Saturday, January 11, 2025 Our traditional awards banquet will be held on Saturday, January 11, 2025, from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. at a new location: St Therese - Little Flower Parish, 4720 E 13th St, Indianapolis, IN 46201. We will be using the same caterer as last year. Expect to receive an invitation in the mail in early October along with your Annual Dues Notice. As in prior years we will announce the winners of the 2024 Achievement Awards and recognize our new 25-year members. GULF SHORES ALABAMA - February 2-7, 2025 This year everyone will be booking their own accommodation (i.e., no block of rooms). This will allow members to have a more personalized trip. The hike plan is for no more than 3-4 easy miles per guided hike and/or no more than 8 miles each day. We will be traveling to Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park in Florida for a longer hike (about 5-6 miles) with a group meal after at a local restaurant. The hikes will be on all types of surfaces: sand, dirt, gravel and pavement. There will be lots of opportunities to go off on self-guided excursions alone or with other members of the group. Two group meals (lunch and dinner) have been booked at popular Gulf Shores and Orange Beach restaurants. I've had several people ask where to stay for the trip. There will not be a group rate at any of my suggestions. All the following hotels are within a mile or two of Gulf State Park: The Lodge at Gulf State Park (Gulf Shores) - 251-540-4000 Where most of last year's attendees stayed. No free breakfast but restaurants on the premises. Gulf side. Beautiful Hilton owned hotel. Hilton members can get some pretty good rates here. Sleep Inn (Orange Beach) - 251-981-6722 Free continental breakfast with a made to order omelet bar. Gulf side. The lobby area is nice and bright with lots of tables to play cards, games, etc. This is where Jim and I stay the night before we check into our condo. Hotel Indigo (Orange Beach) - 877-846-3446 No free breakfast but restaurants on the premises. Across the street from the Gulf right next to Rosemary Dunes trail head where a few of our hikes will begin. There are many other condos and hotel chains in both Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Most of our hikes will be at Gulf State Park so I would suggest staying close to that area. Please let me know when you make your reservation and where you are staying. I want to make an email distribution list of those attending so as not to bombard the entire club with details as we get closer to the trip. Do not hesitate to email/call me with any questions and to let me know where you will be staying; Karen LeClerc at kmleclerc58@gmail.com or 920- 883-9477. ANNUAL WINTER WEEKEND - SPRING MILL STATE PARK - March 2025 Since the Spring Mill Inn is still undergoing renovation, our rooms are not yet available to book for our annual winter getaway. Check next schedule. 28TH ANNUAL SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK - April 22-24, 2025 (Tue-Thu) Mark your calendar for the Annual Club Trip to Smoky Mountains National Park. I recommend you book your room reservations in Gatlinburg, TN soon. Most members stay at Riverhouse at the Park (865-436-2070). The Bearskin Lodge on the River (865-430- 4330) is another good choice. It is very near the Riverhouse. We will repeat the Monday evening pool-side social hour at Riverhouse. There will be a good range of morning, afternoon and full-day hikes. We're scouting out a few new hikes. The hike leaders will include Tim Braun, John Lyghtel, Konnie and John Schlechte. Contact: John Schlechte 317-294-2021 cell or jschlechte@fastmail.com. See future schedules for more details. HIKE IN THREE DIFFERENT STATES - Wednesday May 7 - Friday May 9, 2025 Join us for a fun three day trip that will include hikes in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. On Wednesday afternoon we will hike in the Audubon SP in Henderson Kentucky. It is just across the river from Evansville. On Thursday we will hike in Indiana's Harmonie SP and on Friday morning in Beall Woods SP in Illinois. We have rooms held at New Harmony Inn for Wednesday and Thursday nights. The rate is $115.00 + tax. To make a reservation phone 812-682-4431 telling them that you are a member of the Indianapolis Hiking Club. Any questions? Don't hesitate to contact trip organizer Mervyn Cohen by email at mecohen@iu.edu or by phone at 317 417-2628. PRESIDENTIAL RANGE, WHITE MOUNTAINS, NEW HAMPSHIRE - mid-July, 2025 Enjoy the most spectacular hiking in eastern North America on a proposed 5-6 day trip, the first and last day will be considered travel days. The total hiking miles for the four hiking days will be about 20 miles, but don’t be lulled into thinking that the hiking will be anything but strenuous. At times we will be lucky to do one mile an hour. Here is the tentative plan: Day 1: Fly from Indy, meet at AMC Highlands Center Lodge, Crawford Notch, Bretton Woods, NH for pre-trip rendezvous, bunk or your private room, buffet supper, showers and buffet breakfast. Day 2: Hike the Crawford Path -- oldest continuous-use recreational footpath in North America -- to Mizpah Hut, about 4 rugged, steep miles including side trips to a waterfall and mountain views. Huts in the Whites provide family-style supper, bunk and breakfast. Day 3: Continue hiking the often-arduous Crawford Path along the Presidential Range, above the tree line and over awesome alpine scenery, 5 miles to Lakes of the Clouds Hut. Day 4: Climb Mount Washington, highest peak in the northeast, then hike to Madison Springs Hut, total 7 miles for the day. Day 5: From Madison Springs Hut, descend via the Airline Trail 4 miles to the Appalachia Trailhead, catch the shuttle bus to either AMC Highlands Center Lodge or to Joe Dodge Lodge. Final hiking day, head home or stay another night in a lodge. As of now the dates and itinerary are still tentative and flexible. We should make reservations by early April 2025. Accordingly, I will schedule an information meeting in March to consider group desires and schedules. Your individual trip cost, excluding your travel to/from the Whites, should be about $800.00. If you think you might be interested, I recommend joining the Appalachian Mountain Club to get member discounts at the lodges, huts and shuttle bus. There is a limit of 8 IHC hikers on this trip. Prospective participants will be screened for fitness and mountain hiking experience. A waitlist will be developed if more than 8 hikers commit to this spectacularly strenuous trek. In the meantime, don't hesitate to contact me if you think you might be interested or have any questions or suggestions: James Kendall, trip organizer, at phone 812-968-487 or by email 4hickory1950@gmail.com.