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Reports from Committees .... Treasurer's Report
The club is slightly over 75% of budget for expenses. However, expenditures for both Events and Special Projects are finished for the year. Inventory replacement is over 100% of budget due to a decision to try a new type of T-shirt made of Coolmax fabric, but no more will be spent this year and this item has turned out to be very popular, so sales are also over 100% of budget. Radios is over budget due to a timing difference: we decided to purchase a replacement radio last year (2003) but the bill was not paid until 2004. Furthermore, this is the time of year when expenses drop off considerably, so I expect that we will end the year on budget. When the board set the budget for 2004, we put in $2,000 for a fall trail crew even though we realized we might not be able to field it, as our projected budget was showing a shortfall of $3,000. Upon reviewing projected earnings and expenses, the board voted to partially fund ($1,000) a fall crew and rely on supplementary volunteer labor for the rest of the work as we have in the past. Our trails chairmen strongly encourage us to fund the fall crew because work in the fall greatly diminishes winter and early spring trail damage. This saves the summer crew time and effort. Trails Report
Highlights of the past season include: * Two excellent crews were fielded and hired. They worked under the able leadership of Field Supervisor Dan Rubchinuk. Key projects this year included erosion control work on Randolph Path, replacement of three log ladders on Israel Ridge Path, erosion control work on Mount Crescent Trail, and the usual miles of brushing, blowdown removal and spring drainage cleaning. Heartfelt thanks go to our eight fine crew members who have done a splendid job this year! The State of New Hampshire’s Bureau of Trails Supervisor called our work on Mount Crescent “really impressive” and said, “The crew is doing a great job on the trail.” * Establishment of a committee to investigate the possibility of building a short “accessible” trail in town to accommodate the needs of younger and walkers and hikers, and those with disabilities. The RMC received a generous $1,000 grant from the Randolph Foundation to fund the evaluation of options. We will have more to report next spring after the evaluation process is complete. * Establishment of a committee to edit a new edition of Randolph Paths. The new edition should be out in time for the summer 2005 hiking season and will coincide with a new edition of the RMC map. * Relocation of the Vyron D. Lowe Trail. Last fall, all landowner permissions were obtained and the new route marked using GPS technology, thanks to RMC cartographer Jon Hall. We hope to have the new route open in time for the hiking season next year. * Finally, a word of thanks. Maintaining RMC’s trails is absolutely a case of “many hands making for light work.” Thanks to our hardworking trails volunteers, most notably sign makers Tami Hartley and Regina Ferreria, able Trails Chair Assistants Matt Schomburg and Al Sochard, and all of you who gave an hour, a morning, or a day or more to join us for a work trip this past season. Camps Report
Former RMC winter caretaker, Pete Ketcham, has volunteered to take on the project of converting the Log Cabin’s current pit toilet into a functional composting toilet. Thanks Pete! The project will be completed in 2005. As a reminder, we are always accepting applications for seasonal caretaker positions. Generally, the RMC hires one spring caretaker (April 1 to June 1), two summer caretakers (June 1 to September 1), one fall caretaker (September 1 to November 1), and one winter caretaker (November 1 to April 1). We also hire fill-in caretakers to cover days-off and transition periods. If you are interested in applying for a job, please visit the “Mountain Jobs” area of our web site. Web Site Our most recent trail sign auction ended this past September and the club ended up raising a record $1,016.00 for trails maintenance. Thank you to everyone who participated! The web site has undergone some changes over the past few months, including a new home page, the addition of the RMC newsletter archive, and posting of volunteer work trips and weekly summer hikes. More new content is on the way! Weather conditions at Gray Knob
are back online! The page is updated weekly on Thursday.
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At
nine months into the year, the RMC should be at around 75% of
budget. In fact, that’s exactly where the club is in terms
of total income. Some categories are slightly over or under.
A few more fundraisers are planned for fall and the final grant
money has been received, so those two categories will meet budget
expectations. The camps continue to earn income throughout the
fall and winter, and some large contributions come at the end
of the year.
Increasingly,
RMC’s trail efforts are a year-round endeavor, reflecting
a change in the pattern of use of the trails and the increased
complexities and demands of trails maintenance, especially on
our more heavily used trails on the White Mountain National Forest.
The
RMC camps had yet another successful summer. Our summer caretakers,
Matt McEttrick and Jeremy Loeb, did an outstanding job. The fall
caretaker, Alex Perkins, also enjoyed a fun and productive season
at Gray Knob. Derek Schott is the current winter caretaker and
can proudly say that he is living and working at New England’s
highest backcountry facility (until next summer, of course).