Summer is here in full force! Please take precautions when hiking or working on trails so you don’t become a casualty of the heat.
New Hike Leader
Congratulations to Rich Stowell for completing the requirements to become a hike leader. Rich recently completed his two mentored hikes and is now ready to lead hikes on his own! I hope you will join him on a hike soon.
Save The Dates!
Saturday, August 29, 2026 – SSVC picnic at Sherando Lake. We are in the process of putting a schedule together for the day. We will be offering several hikes of different lengths and difficulty before the picnic. You are welcome to join us for the hikes, for swimming at the lake, and/or the picnic in late afternoon. Bring food to share. More details will follow next month.
October 2-4, 2026 – PATC’s CentennialFest.
This weekend celebration will be the kickoff event for PATC’s 100 th birthday in 2027. The celebration will take place at Caroline Furnace. There will be lots of workshops and hikes offered. There are cabins available for overnight lodging or you can camp in your own equipment. You may also just come for the day on Saturday and enjoy the fun. Registration fee includes a BBQ dinner on Saturday night. Check out the PATC website for more information: https://www.patc.net/centennialfest
Earlybird registration opens August 1.If you would like to volunteer to help at the event, contact Jean Stephens at [email protected]
Help Celebrate the Women Who Shaped PATC’s First Century
As the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club prepares to celebrate its Centennial, Kristine Villatoro is excited to be leading a special initiative to recognize and preserve the stories of the remarkable women who have helped shape PATC over the past 100 years.
This initiative includes three connected projects that will celebrate our past while inspiring the future:
discussion featuring women from different generations of the club, we'll honor those who maintained trails, cared for cabins and shelters, led hikes, served on committees and the Executive Council, preserved our history, protected public lands, and quietly strengthened our PATC community.
enduring historical resource that recognizes the many ways women have contributed to our club throughout its first century.
Because of your contributions to PATC, I would be honored to include you or any woman you know in this project. Start by completing a questionnaire that will help gather information about your PATC journey and experiences. Please answer as many questions as you are comfortable with. There are no right or wrong answers, and you do not need to complete every question. Your memories, experiences, and reflections will help preserve an important part of PATC's history. If you would like the questionnaire, please contact Jean Stephens at [email protected] or Kristine Villatoro (email below). If you have photographs, newspaper clippings, newsletters, certificates, or other memorabilia that help tell your story, I would be grateful if you would consider sharing copies for the presentation and historical project.
I am also looking for women who may be interested in participating in a panel discussion during the Centennial presentation. The panel will feature women representing different generations of PATC as we reflect on the club's past, celebrate the present, and look toward the future.
Finally, if there is another woman whose contributions to PATC deserve to be recognized, I would greatly appreciate your recommendations. Many of the most important stories have never been written down and live only in the memories of those who experienced them. My hope is to preserve these stories before they are lost, ensuring that the women who helped build and strengthen PATC receive the recognition they deserve.
Please feel free to share this information with any current or former PATC women volunteers who may be interested in telling their PATC story. Whether they served in a leadership role, maintained trails, cared for cabins and shelters, led hikes, worked behind the scenes, or quietly gave their time and talents over the years, every story is an important part of PATC's history. No contribution is too small—every volunteer has helped shape the club we know today.
Thank you for everything you have done to help build and strengthen PATC. It would be a privilege to include your story as part of this Centennial celebration and to help ensure your legacy is preserved for future generations.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. I look forward to hearing from you and learning more about your PATC journey.
With sincere appreciation,
Kristine Villatoro (Email: [email protected])
Footsteps Through Time: Celebrating the Women Who Shaped PATCCentennial Initiative – Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
New Hike Leader
Congratulations to Rich Stowell for completing the requirements to become a hike leader. Rich recently completed his two mentored hikes and is now ready to lead hikes on his own! I hope you will join him on a hike soon.
Save The Dates!
Saturday, August 29, 2026 – SSVC picnic at Sherando Lake. We are in the process of putting a schedule together for the day. We will be offering several hikes of different lengths and difficulty before the picnic. You are welcome to join us for the hikes, for swimming at the lake, and/or the picnic in late afternoon. Bring food to share. More details will follow next month.
October 2-4, 2026 – PATC’s CentennialFest.
This weekend celebration will be the kickoff event for PATC’s 100 th birthday in 2027. The celebration will take place at Caroline Furnace. There will be lots of workshops and hikes offered. There are cabins available for overnight lodging or you can camp in your own equipment. You may also just come for the day on Saturday and enjoy the fun. Registration fee includes a BBQ dinner on Saturday night. Check out the PATC website for more information: https://www.patc.net/centennialfest
Earlybird registration opens August 1.If you would like to volunteer to help at the event, contact Jean Stephens at [email protected]
Help Celebrate the Women Who Shaped PATC’s First Century
As the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club prepares to celebrate its Centennial, Kristine Villatoro is excited to be leading a special initiative to recognize and preserve the stories of the remarkable women who have helped shape PATC over the past 100 years.
This initiative includes three connected projects that will celebrate our past while inspiring the future:
- Centennial Presentation (2026) Footsteps Through Time: Celebrating the Women Who Shaped PATC
discussion featuring women from different generations of the club, we'll honor those who maintained trails, cared for cabins and shelters, led hikes, served on committees and the Executive Council, preserved our history, protected public lands, and quietly strengthened our PATC community.
- Legacy Project (2026–2027) 100 Women, 100 Stories
enduring historical resource that recognizes the many ways women have contributed to our club throughout its first century.
- Leadership Event (2027) PATC Women's Summit – Honoring Our Past • Connecting Today • Inspiring Tomorrow
Because of your contributions to PATC, I would be honored to include you or any woman you know in this project. Start by completing a questionnaire that will help gather information about your PATC journey and experiences. Please answer as many questions as you are comfortable with. There are no right or wrong answers, and you do not need to complete every question. Your memories, experiences, and reflections will help preserve an important part of PATC's history. If you would like the questionnaire, please contact Jean Stephens at [email protected] or Kristine Villatoro (email below). If you have photographs, newspaper clippings, newsletters, certificates, or other memorabilia that help tell your story, I would be grateful if you would consider sharing copies for the presentation and historical project.
I am also looking for women who may be interested in participating in a panel discussion during the Centennial presentation. The panel will feature women representing different generations of PATC as we reflect on the club's past, celebrate the present, and look toward the future.
Finally, if there is another woman whose contributions to PATC deserve to be recognized, I would greatly appreciate your recommendations. Many of the most important stories have never been written down and live only in the memories of those who experienced them. My hope is to preserve these stories before they are lost, ensuring that the women who helped build and strengthen PATC receive the recognition they deserve.
Please feel free to share this information with any current or former PATC women volunteers who may be interested in telling their PATC story. Whether they served in a leadership role, maintained trails, cared for cabins and shelters, led hikes, worked behind the scenes, or quietly gave their time and talents over the years, every story is an important part of PATC's history. No contribution is too small—every volunteer has helped shape the club we know today.
Thank you for everything you have done to help build and strengthen PATC. It would be a privilege to include your story as part of this Centennial celebration and to help ensure your legacy is preserved for future generations.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. I look forward to hearing from you and learning more about your PATC journey.
With sincere appreciation,
Kristine Villatoro (Email: [email protected])
Footsteps Through Time: Celebrating the Women Who Shaped PATCCentennial Initiative – Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
