 |
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Growing up in a
blue-collar steel town, I found the photos in my aunt and uncle’s
National Geographic magazines offering the promises of wonderful
adventure. My first taste of that adventure came as a 15 year
old. The train that left Buffalo for a Boy Scout Jamboree
in Irvine, California traveled through Canada down the Pacific Coast
before returning through the Southwest and Colorado. The natural
beauty stirred a desire to return often to share the magic of the
magnificent vistas with family and friends. On trips organized by
others or by myself, we have indeed hiked many a mile on trails in the
area bounded by Alberta to Arizona and by California to Colorado.
Working as a college student in Frankfurt, Germany, I had the opportunity to travel throughout Western Europe. I was delighted with the diverse cultural interactions and sense of history this travel provided. It was exciting to use your resources (and those high school and college language courses) to successfully cope with the challenges posed by living in and adapting to a foreign environment. As our kids were growing up, my wife, Carolyn, and I often took them camping and hiking, including a family expedition to the National Parks of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and the Dakotas. I'm happy to say that we've continued to share camping and hiking trips through the years with our, now adult, kids. A career in teaching provided my family and me with opportunities to live and travel overseas for extended periods: France (6 mo.), Greece (1 yr.), and Taiwan (1 yr.). Consulting opportunities have also added to my international experience. I came to Northern New York in 1981 to serve as the Dean of Clarkson University's Business School. We soon joined the Adirondack Mountain Club and began avidly hiking Northeastern trails. We became 46ers, Northeast 111ers and members of the Catskill 3500 Club making many wonderful friends along the way. Carolyn and I have been active in our local ADK chapter and the Club in a variety of roles. We discovered ADK's Adventure Travel in the late 80s and have participated in 12 trips (15 planned by the end of 2005). On several occasions, I have been encouraged by other participants to lead a trip. The beauty of the Austrian Tyrol and the rave reviews that the 2003 trip garnered inspired me to lead it in 2005. Though this is the first Adventure Travel trip that I have led, I have considerable experience leading a variety of groups through the years. They have ranged from extended Boy Scout trips to chapter outings and from family travel to arranging and leading several trips of college students to France and the Netherlands. One lesson that I've taken away from the many trips that I've taken with ADK is that it is important to design the trip with variety and flexibility in mind to accommodate the unexpected events and the differences in individual capabilities and interests. In 2005, I led my first two trips. I had the pleasure of exploring the Austrian Tyrol beauty and culture a delightful, diverse group of hikers whose accomplishments exceeded my and perhaps their expectations. In addition, on short notice I changed from a participant to leader of a great trip to wonderful Costa Rica. I am looking forward to the opportunity to share many memorable moments with fellow ADKers in the future. Gene |