Leave No Trace training October 2010

This past weekend, I took a Leave No Trace "Trainer" course, offered by the Baltimore Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. In some ways, it was "just another weekend in the woods." In other ways, it was more an eye opener than many camping and/or training events.

I'll summarize only a few of the lessons imparted/shared this weekend, using the 7 principles of LNT, more or less, as headlines.



(1) Plan Ahead + Prepare

We as students had prep work to do. Some of us realized that earlier than others; I read the email in detail a few days ahead and had time to print up lesson papers, hunt down drawing utensils (crayons), and think through the teaching process. There were more students than I expected (like, twice as many), so I had them use the buddy system. I also printed on two-sided sheets, which I guess I didn't explain. The wrap up wasn't sensational, though I think with the hands-on activity the class was more engaged and interested than if I had lectured for 10-15 minutes.

Below is a shot of Tom Willis, the main instructor, handing over the group to Tony and Al for their segment. As you can tell by the projection screen, hanging materials, course paperwork, DVD, candy, and etc. etc. that you can't see (food, training books, props, flotsam, jetsam, stoves, fuel, more food, more papers) Tom and the other instructors planned a lot more than we did.



(2) Travel + Camp On Durable Surfaces

As mentioned above, the second part (camping) was my topic. We camped in 2 areas - front country and back country, though they were literally separated by mere footsteps. Below is a shot as we set tents up in the "pristine" area.

If you observe closely, this is typical Eastern seaboard camping zone, with somewhat mature second growth trees, and practically no undergrowth, young trees or loose material other than leaves. 60 years of Scout camping has thinned out the vegetation and trampled the soil. More later...




The phrase Tom used for the active compaction process was "sacrificial sites", those areas closest to the roads and parking lots to attract the majority of visitors. Large parts of Broad Creek are closed to camping, off-limits for fires, and only accessible after serious hiking. But the most public areas are the most impacted.


(3) Dispose of Waste Properly


We had several different views of waste, including minimization, best practices for disposal, and reviews of animal behavior impacts. This shot demonstrates a lower impact clean-up process than the traditional 3 tub method (wash, rinse, sanitize). It's more like a 1-and-a-half tub method, as only 1 tub gets dirty water in it. The one on the right is supposed to be hot (nearly boiling) water, and is used as a source for the rinse, done by pouring our of the small cup. Don Martin set this up for us (I think), and he had to instruct some of us more thoroughly than others not to dip dirty dishes in the rinse. We're so used to the "dip, dip, dip" process that this takes a little thinking.

Cutting down on the dirty water (also by not dipping plates with food particles still on them) reduces the generated waste and thus the impact of broadcasting that gray water over the ground when the cleaning is done. Or is it ever?





(4) Leave What You Find

This one is hard to illustrate, but there's a simulated artifact (cubical cardboard box) circulating through the class, picking up graffiti on the way. Chris, the segment instructor, took a "before" photo so we could appreciate how the relic was degraded by overuse. Very effective.



Also in this category was a discussion on non-native, or invasive species, led by Mike Huneke, a Forest Service professional and Baltimore Area Council Conservation Committee member. He's holding a tuft of "Japanese Stilt Grass" which I had seen but not recognized as invasive. A couple links related to this species:

• http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mivi1.htm
• http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/plants/stiltgrass.shtml
  

We walked on the road for most of this hike, but did go through a campsite to assess its impact.


(5) Minimize campfire impacts

Fire damage - see below.


(6) Respect Wildlife

To the right of the picture below, with the bright reflective strips flashing back the camera strobe, is one type of bear bag (cylinder in this case). Again, hard to illustrate in a photo, plus I missed shooting a video of the rope throw attempts over the rafters.



Very sharp eyes will note the official Leave No Trace stainless steel water bottle. I have one just like it, but that one is not mine. I carried the old, Nalgene, deprecated plastic bad material, with all of the seven principles rubbed off. And my old school Sierra cup, plus my newish spork, with the broken-off caribiner.


(7) Be Considerate of Other Visitors

It might be tricky to spot in this small image, but through the right side of our pavilion you can just see the next pavilion. We're so close that we might have been able to hear our respective snoring, if ours wasn't overpowering loud. The neighboring group had a largish campfire, brought plenty of vehicles right up to their tent sites (road or no road), yet were otherwise well-behaved. We probably should have asked them what they thought about our group.



Campfire impacts: Images From Space

I brought a clipped image of the Susquehanna site to the LNT course, showing it to my fellow students when we talked about campfire impacts. Of the many fire rings at Broad Creek, that one probably shows up the clearest from satellite photos as it is in a large open grassy area, while others may be closer to trees that diminish their contrast. As you look at the images below, visualize the tendency of a large circle to motivate Scouts to build large fires, sitting farther away from each other, and creating more and more ash.

Service projects to reduce the size of the fire rings, cutting down on multiple rings in the same camp site (note the 3 or 4 visible in the Camp Spencer view), and shrink the amount of wood consumed are noble goals. Will Scouts respond? Perhaps more likely if they see these are discernible from miles away, in space!

Camp Saffran

Pioneer site


View Larger Map


Susquehanna site



View Larger Map


Flint Ridge site


View Larger Map


Camp Spencer


View Larger Map



But don't forget the food! We used several LNT methods for food preparation, including camp stoves, pan fires for minimal impact, and as few pots as possible. The menus were awesome, the portions satisfying, and we still squeezed in a Saturday night cracker barrel with actual crackers. Not sure about the barrels, unless the bear vaults qualify.

Best Trip Evah

Tilman and his father sat next to the SAP Community Clue Train contingent, between Frankfurt and Berlin, on 09-Oct-2010. We six, or seven, or eight bloggers, mentors, and SAP code exchange stalwarts enjoyed ourselves with Mark Finnern's homemade Linzer Torte.

Craig Cmehil shared his "big boy" toys with young Tilman, letting him watch movies on the iPad and Touch to while away the hours on the train ride. I think the earphones also permitted us to share state secrets without the chance of Tilman overhearing.

I had asked my fellow riders for a quote about the trip; near the end our young friend pronounced this his "best trip ever!" I've used American vernacular for this post title, which I'm unsure how to translate into German (Deutsch) idiom. Perhaps a community member will fill me in?

Baden-Powell Visits Fort McHenry Camporee

Saturday October 2nd turned out to be a stupendous day, a complete weather reversal from the tropical storm remnants nor'easter that came through the area Thursday. Thousands of Scouts, Scouters and the general public came to Fort McHenry, the National Monument in Baltimore, for the Star Spangled Camporee.

Some units got to camp inside the fort itself. Pictured here is a visit by Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the world Scouting movement, within the camping grounds.

I'm only sorry more Scouts could not have experienced this!

[update - clearer image than cell phone live blog]

A large bottle of water, please, very, very large.

We drink "city water" at our house, the kind the comes from the tap, and is collected, prepared, stored and delivered by the City of Baltimore. Years ago as a junior high student, or maybe elementary school age, I toured the Montebello Filtration Plant in northeast Baltimore, one of 2 water supply operations run by the municipal government. There, supplies from one of 2 reservoirs, or in times of extreme drought, river water from the Susquehanna some 50 miles away, is treated. The growing population, and shrinking "woods" around the reservoirs, adds to the risk of contaminants, as does the aging infrastructure.

I'm happy with the water quality, drinking it from the faucet, cooking and cleaning with it on a daily basis. When I get the water bill, I just pay it. At times, literature comes with the bill, either news the government wants to pass on, or this quarter, news that must pass on. Before that, here's a tangential web page showing our water consumption, if not the cost:

http://www.editgrid.com/user/jspath55/SPATH-HOME-WATER-USE

It's about a year out of date as I write this, but since I have the recent bills in a folder, I'll get it updated shortly. I hope.

Anyway, the 1-page insert talked about the fact that the city was being required to make improvements by the federal government (the EPA, where I once worked), and the state was involved as well (MDE; I worked there too). I had to re-read it to understand the background. EPA wants the city to cover the "finished" water reservoirs, for health and safety reasons. Sounds reasonable, until one thinks about the domed stadiums that were trendy for a few decades, starting I think with the Houston Astrodome in the mid-1960s. On another tangent, Google is celebrating the 25th anniversary of "Bucky Balls", one of the inventions of Buckminster Fuller, the man behind the geodesic dome.

The finished water is just one of the storage phases between the uncovered reservoirs and the covered conduits that deliver the liquid over hundreds of miles to homes and businesses. I recall flocculation and settling tanks, under roof, from my tour decades ago, and have seen new structures spring up as the technology and population have changed. We drove around Lake Montebello many times, and Druid Lake on the west side of the city is a landmark near the zoo. Those are uncovered, but I'm not sure if they're the target of this latest regulation. Five locations are listed as needing new covers, with Ashburton, Guilford and Towson the others beside the 2 sites I mentioned.

Searching online, with the keywords "EPA maintains that the city failed to comply with LT2", I found 2 hits, one on a Baltimore City site, and one for Anne Arundel County (with the latter including a PDF file with a scanned image of the letter for some reason).

• http://www.baltimorecity.gov/Government/AgenciesDepartments/PublicWorks/PublicNotices/PublicNotification.aspx
• http://www.aacounty.org/DPW/Resources/DrinkingWater_20100810.pdf

What caught my eye, probably, was the suggestion that nothing is wrong, but that one part of the government disagrees with another part, or parts. The EPA says the city missed a deadline. The city says that the state order to them was tardy. It sounds like the penalty for missing the deadline is that the public notice needed to be mailed out.

I particularly liked that the notice included a sentence starting with "Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water...". So I am!

Geocoding note. Of the 5 lakes or reservoirs listed, I found Panoramio photos nearly only 3 of them. Sounds like a hike plan to get shots of the other 2. Here they are, if you want to armchair travel to them:

1. Lake Montebello
2. Druid Hill Lake
3. Lake Ashburton - 39 19 14.63 N 76 40 12.02 W
4. Guilford Reservoir
5. Towson Reservoir - 39 23 35.67 N 76 35 27.40 W

For the missing two, copy and paste the latitude/longitude pair into maps.google.com.

Baltimore Historical Trails, Hike # 3 - The "Railroad Segment"

(Previous hike segment posts [1] [2] )

Hmm. Part of the reason I decided to "reenact" the 4 Baltimore Historical Trails was to research the safety factor of the previous routes, not to mention discovering which of the previously suggested landmarks and stopping points are still extant. The third trail turned out to be the most risk (so far), and least similar to the views projected 2 decades ago. I would definitely not recommend anyone repeat what I did, exactly, and I'd probably also suggest talking to local police precinct officers before walking a few of the "Streets of Baltimore."

This post isn't to throw cold water into the face of downtown renaissance and heritage, merely to put the "be prepared" Scout dogma into urban existence.

My idea for the "Railroad Segment" of the Historical Trails was to include the Baltimore subway, also known as the Metro, into the hike access. As I live in Eastern Baltimore County, it made more sense to start at the terminus at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions at Broadway in the city, though parking is at a premium. Parking is free at some of the northwestern subway stops, so others may find these handy. The round trip fare is $3.20, plus I ended up paying $5.50 for parking, so unless you can find a downtown lot under $10, the subway is an option. Plus, for me, the comparison of the most modern technology with the historic stations, rolling stock and passengers of railways gives one something to consider.

[Subway video]





My mind must have wandered when the Lexington Market stop opened, as the next thing I knew I was at State Center, a mile from where I wanted to be. I thought about waiting for the next train in the other direction, but as it was a beautiful day and I knew I'd be at the Market within a few minutes, I hoofed it south on Eutaw Street. One route to Mount Clare Mansion in southwest Baltimore would have been to travel along Martin Luther King Boulevard. I opted to stay on smaller streets since King Boulevard as little foot traffic, not much greenery, and many vehicles whizzing by.

I crossed King Boulevard by the University Hospital complex, then went on a few back streets before emerging onto Washington Boulevard around the 1200 block. It was only a few more blocks to the edge of Carroll Park. I assumed that the mansion was at the top of the only hill in the vicinity, so headed that way. Typical Saturday afternoon in the park, though not as many neighborhood kids playing as I might have expected; probably in front of video screens.





Once at the top of the hill, I found I had missed the last tour of the day (it was already 3:30 PM, not a wonderful time to expect museums to be open). I learned quite a bit about the house, and the neighborhood, from the receptionist, including parking locations, good times to take the tour, and more. After viewing the parlor, it was back outside for a stroll down the hill, back along Washington Boulevard and an attempt to find the previous landmarks. I missed Babe Ruth's house (didn't see Emory Street), and the next stop was supposed to be Mount Clare station, via Poppleton Street.










I should have known, but you can't get into the train museum from the south any longer (the guide pamphlet I have is rather old). So it was back down the edge of a large warehouse, with gross scenery like the photo below, and back around the western edge of the old roundhouse.




And of course, the train museum closed at 4PM, so it was onward again.

The Edgar Allan Poe House, on Amity Street, by Lexington Avenue, isn't much to look at, and once again, tours were done for the day (or are by appointment). The neighborhood was a little grim looking, heading east on Lexington back towards downtown.





Further east on Lexington Street, several people were sitting on porches of row homes, relaxing in the shade of a muggy late Saturday afternoon. I said hello to several, and talked to one gentleman near King Boulevard, who thought at first I was taking pictures (I was tweeting; said I was texting). He opined that I was a teacher, based on how I spoke. Nice compliment, from an unlikely source.

I visited Poe's grave, not for the first time, having seen it in passing many times; probably the most memorable was when John Astin did a Poe reading in Westminster Hall.

From there, the trail led to Camden Station, which has changed demeanor several times since the original trail guides were published. I think we're lucky the building is standing, though it is sad to see it as a memorial to "sports legends" as if that's the epitome of historic legacies. Ah, America.







The directions said to continue on Camden Street to Old Otterbein Church, but at that time, the Convention Center wasn't built, so another detour, under breezeways. A wedding was going on, and by that time I was rather perspired, so I passed on. That's the official end of the hike, but I needed to get back to my car.

My return route was back through Harbor Place (refill water bottles), up Calvert Street to the Metro Station, down underground, and due east once the train arrived. A minor glitch with the ticket was easily solved by the MTA attendants. Aboveground, I came out an a different spot than I went in, which caused a minor head spin.

A Tweet recap, reverse chronological order:

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1. Headed home - Metro station had no cell coverage :( #BaltHistTrail3 6:05 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
2. Harrbor Place, behind the William Donald Schaefer waving statue. Inside for water bottle refill, then headed home. Chalk up #BaltHistTrail3 5:16 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
3. Ugh. The big ugly hotel N of Oriole Park at Camden Yards totally obliterates former views in + out of the baseball stadium #BaltHistTrail3 4:54 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
4. Westminster Hall + Burying Ground, more popularly known as the tomb of Edgar Allan Poe. #BaltHistTrail3 4:39 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
5. Edgar Allan Poe Housen Amity & W Lexington st. Many evil stares. I'm foolish 4 walking these streets alone #BaltHistTrail3 (but exhilirated) 4:37 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
6. Pratt + Arlington. Poppleton was blocked. Amity had a blackened teaspoon - Mr. Yuk! #BaltHistTrail3 Near Mount Clare Station. 4:09 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
7. Missed the last tour (3PM) of Mount Clare Mansion. Onward. #BaltHistTrail3 3:44 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
8. Last tweet delay loop... now at Washington Blvd + Bayard. #BaltHistTrail3 (train whistles blowiing - Howard St. tunnel maybe?) 3:24 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
9. South Poppleton + Ramsay - in sight of the B+O Museum #BaltHistTrail3 3:22 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
10. Oops. Subway didn't stop at Lexington Market, or I blinked. Now at Fayette and Arch Streets. 2:57 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
    

1. On the Baltimore Metro at Johns Hopkins Hospital for #BaltHistTrail3 parking / trailhead . Ticket "punched" at 14:32. All aboard! 2:26 PM Aug 28th via PockeTwit
2. heading downtown for third segment of Baltimore Historical Trail - the Railroad Segmet - #BaltHistTrail3 1:40 PM Aug 28th via Twobile

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Baltimore Historical Trails, Hike # 2 - The "Shot Tower Segment"

Barely a week ago, I started on a reenactment of historic trails through Baltimore City, each of four a segment that would have qualified me for a patch segment from the Baltimore Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Though the patches are no longer actively promoted, the routes seemed worth exploring and sharing. In the 30 years or more since the original trails were established and documented, many changes have happened in the area. Besides several of the landmarks either no longer being in existence, or closed to the public, new buildings and even streets have appeared. I'm hopeful that my trail notes will help Scouts and members of the general public explore history and the future in Baltimore.

Segment #1, the Cannon Trail, took me from East Baltimore, through downtown, to Locust Point. While a physically longer trail, at 7+ miles, I didn't make a lot of stops, so completed it in just over 2 hours. Segment #2, the Shot Tower trail included so many stops to choose from, that I was not done for over 4 hours. Planning was similar to the previous segment, with many views of the legacy brochure maps and landmark descriptions, research into which sites are still open, and when. Parking in the downtown area is also a premium, with garages charging $10 or more for a few hours, parking meters only operating for 4 hours, including Saturdays and Sundays. Complicating the logistics was the route, like the first, is not quite a straight line, but certainly doesn't end anywhere near the start.

[Anything indented with a bullet below is a tweet, done either by me, or by someone else during my hike.]

• Started #Scouts "old" Baltimore Historical Trail number 2 at Dolphin + Howard Streets (free parking)" Headed to Md Historical Society next. 11:02 AM Aug 14th

My parking choice was near the light rail, though rather than go to a suburban spot and travel both ways, I picked a spot close to the beginning of the trail - Dolphin Street at Howard. I had thought to park a little further south, next to the O'Connor State Office Building, but even though the entire complex is closed on Saturday, the meters are still in effect. Dolphin Street has no meters.

The additional walk to the Maryland Historical Society was just 3 or 4 blocks on Howard Street, including passing landmarks such as Maryland General Hospital, the Eubie Blake Jazz Center, and the A.T. Jones costume shop. Arriving at the "historic" entrance to the Historical Society on Monument Street, I found signs defining one of those doors as the school tour entrance, and pointing out a Park Avenue general public entrance. Yes, it's been a very long time since I was in this museum - 40 years? They still have the original manuscript of the Star Spangled Banner, though now it's on a timed cycle display, I suppose for protection from light. I particularly enjoyed a third floor display of local furniture and cabinetry, though the skills and craftsmanship displayed in those artifacts make my humble woodworking attempts seem quite primitive.

• Marylamd Historical Society #BaltHistTrail 11:16 AM Aug 14th

After about 45 minutes in the museum (not enough to properly appreciate the entire collection, but to see many highlights) I headed east on Monument Street to the Mount Vernon parks around the Washington Monument, as described in the early brochures. As might be found in any urban park these days, there were neighbors, transients, shoppers and tourists strolling through, or occupying benches. I took photos of a few of the statues, as well as part of the monument itself. Over the past 50 years or so, I know I've been through those parks, but I doubt that I ever deliberately stopped on all four sides. The easternmost park has the largest slope, and includes some great fountains.

• Done wth Md H S, east on Monument Street to, well, the Washington Monument, and parks around it. #BaltHistTrail Saturday, August 14, 2010 12:03:08 PM

That park segment also borders the Peabody Institute; the trail brochures don't require a stop but I recall having walked past and heard piano practice and other music. It just depends when you're there, I guess. Next to the southern park segment is the western entrance to the Walters Art Gallery, and as I recall from school days, was the original entrance. With a 1970s expansion, the formal glassed-in entrance is on Centre Street, where I exited after about 15-20 minutes wandering through the Egyptian and Greek/Roman collections, a tiny fraction of the entire museum. I kept moving as I knew the final stop had tours on the hour up until 3PM, and wasn't sure where else I might stop.

• The Walters Art Gallery. Free! #BaltHistTrail Saturday, August 14, 2010 12:13:21 PM

• @Baltimore21201 We love the Walters. RT @jspath55: The Walters Art Gallery. Free! #BaltHistTrail

Subsequent to the Walters, I went on a smaller street (Morton) to another small street (Hamilton) to take a shot of the older and newer Walters buildings. Then I headed down Cathedral Street to the Basilica and to the Enoch Pratt Central Library. The earlier brochures say to go south on Charles Street, but if you leave the Walters on Centre Street, Cathedral is a simpler route. I did not tour the Basilica -not sure if it was open, but the gate seemed closed. I went into the library for a few minutes, noting the almost total lack of the old card files, now replaced with computer stations, though there were a few places that might contain file drawers or microfilm spools. I was happy to see still-working water fountains in the main lobby, next to the large assortment of printed bus schedules. Some things are still old school.

• At th Enoch Pratt Free Library, Central Branch. Have visted here since the 1950s, or early 1960s for sure. #BaltHistTrail. Saturday, August 14, 2010 12:39:17 PM

• @rwang0 @jspath55 Go Baltimore! #BaltHistTrail

Beyond the library complex, my destination was the City Hall area, containing municipal offices, more statues, and the former Peale Museum. I was fortunate to have visited that building while it was still in operation several decades ago.

• North Charles Street, heading east on Lexington Street. #BaltHistTrail Saturday, August 14, 2010 12:52:56 PM

• Peale Musem (closed), Baltimore City Hall (closed), headed for the War Memorial Building (also closed). #BaltHistTrail Saturday, August 14, 2010 1:12:20 PM

City Hall was closed, on a Saturday, and there were a few people wandering around the park between there and the War Memorial Building. The latter was also closed, and had conspicuous signs directing that rest rooms were for employees only. The park across the street (Veterans Park), as well as the area around the War Memorial Building, state that the areas are closed from dusk to dawn.




As I took photos at various locations, I was thinking about which might be uploaded to Google Earth. As in the prior hike, I looked there to see where images are already available, and where there might be large gaps or angles not recorded yet. Uploading 30 or 40 photos, and geo-coding them, takes some time, but should help in future hike or trail planning.

Also, the overlap with the Baltimore Heritage Walk routes was most noticeable once I headed further east from the municipal buildings, past the Shot Tower and up to the area south of the Main Post Office. The recommended route was east on Fayette Street, then south on Exeter, though it's probably a more interesting walk to stay further west. I did not go as far as Central Avenue this time.

Oh, right, the Shot Tower:



I found Lloyd Street to be very quiet, though I could hear children playing in nearby streets. I took a few images of the synagogue and Museum buildings, then decided lunch on Corned Beef Row was in order.

• Weiss Deli (Lombard Street - Corned Bee [sic] Row) lunch, corned beef on rye, what else? Saturday, August 14, 2010 1:41:20 PM

Past the few remaining delis, I entered a neighborhood of more newly built dwellings, including the awesomely named "Horseradish Lane". I know this must be a recent invention, and will need to check older maps I have for legacy street names.

Down Lombard Street a bit further I reached the "1840s" area, just north of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Not all of these buildings are open, but according to my research, the Carroll Museum remains viable. The staff person at the Maryland Historical Society recommended going to the back entrance (away from Lombard Street) and ringing the bell.

As the only one on the tour, it was a little odd, with individual attention yet none of the camaraderie tour groups often engender.

• On time for the 2PM tour of the Carroll Mansion, 800 East Lombard Street. #BaltHistTrail Saturday, August 14, 2010 1:59:18 PM

Completed my guided tour of Carroll Mansion. The only attendee - a fascinating glimpse of history, ending my 2nd Baltmore Historical Trail. Saturday, August 14, 2010 2:46:00 PM

• At the Baltimore Civic Center, I mean the 1st Mariner Arena, waiting for the light rail line back to my car #BaltHistTrail. Saturday, August 14, 2010 3:06:12 PM

Within 20 minutes, I had hiked over to Howard Street, picked up a light rail ticket ($1.60) and was waiting for the next train north.

Twenty minutes after that, I was pointed under the Jones Falls at Centre Street, ready to go east on the Monument/Madison street parallel in and out of town.

• heading home - Calvert + Centre Streets. Saturday, August 14, 2010 3:26:49 PM

For hike #3, the Railroad Segment, I'm going to have to work the Baltimore Subway into the planning. Maybe start at Hopkins Hospital, go west to the downtown area, then walk the route, ending up at the station near State Center. To the map room!

More Photos

Baltimore Historical Trail reenactment, hike number one

On Sunday, August 8, 2010, I retraced a previous Boy Scout trail through Baltimore City, from Patterson Park to Fort McHenry. Though the patches and medal one could earn for a few decades are no longer available, except through patch trading, the routes are visible on legacy guide books, and walking through Baltimore City is an old tradition. I walked from downtown Baltimore to my home near Gardenville in the 1960s once, after spending all my change on books or something.

Hikes and trails often overlap other trails, such as the red and blue trails following the same path for some distance. Likewise the Baltimore Historical Trails overlap the newer Baltimore Heritage Walk, with both overlapping other trails, tours and vistas.

My research started with the Nentico Lodge "Where To Go Camping" Guide, as I'm supposed to be the adult adviser for the Camping Promotions committee. I have kept the contents somewhat updated, though in a few cases, I simply copied over what was in previous guides. A question or two about the "Baltimore Historical Trails" led to me copies of a couple brochures from the 1970s or 1980s, including maps, descriptions, even sets of questions for the hiker.
Despite not being able to earn a patch, I decided I'd try out the hikes.

The first hike, as mentioned above, went from Patterson Park to Fort McHenry. How to be prepared? First, the route is fairly simple. As I've lived both near Patterson Park, and near Federal Hill I wasn't concerned about getting lost. Weather in summertime can be brutal, with either major heat/humidity/smog as well as the chance of torrential rain. I checked the weather, and found Sunday was to be superb, in the mid-80s. Then, file a hike plan, bring lots of water, and get geared up.

Gear for city walking is similar to backwoods hiking, with less concern for insect bites and more concern for sunburn and dehydration. One of the photos I took shows a non-working fountain in Patterson Park. Along the way there were plenty of places to re-hydrate though. I brought a basic digital camera; one caveat in walking through urban areas is to be discrete, not wave around an expensive-looking camera or other gear, and to not take photos of groups of people.

In planning my trip, I decided to leave my car at Fort McHenry, take city buses to the east side, and walk back. The routes were very basic: the number one leaves right from the Fort entrance, and the number 40 goes east/west on Baltimore and Fayette Streets. From living in Butchers Hill, I knew to get off at Linwood Avenue, then walk south to Patterson Park.




The Park was crowded on early Sunday, including soccer teams, tennis players, walkers, bikers, joggers, and many swimmers in the public pool. The Historic Trail guide said to start at the Pulaski monument, and then walk up to the Pagoda.





After walking around the Pagoda, I headed west on Pratt Street. The city was relatively quiet, with a few joggers and dog walkers who preferred the routine of the streets instead of the park. I had memories of which homes had been renovated more than 30 years ago when I lived in the neighborhood.

At the intersection of Pratt Street and Albemarle (not Albermarle as one of the brochures says) is the Flag House, as well as the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. As I was passing by, a tour of the Heritage Walk was going on.

This is what their "trail blazes" look like:



I paused to look north to the Shot Tower, and Old Town, as the former is part of one of the remaining hikes, not to mention an icon of the City of Baltimore (note the plaque above).




Once past the Jones Falls, the tourist density increased, so I plodded ahead, stopping in Harbor Place to refill my water bottles, then walked across the sky bridge to the second leg of my hike: down Light Street toward Fort Avenue.

Instead of taking Key Highway around the hill, I walked up to Montgomery Street then climbed the stairs onto Federal Hill. With a large crowd at the top enjoying the weather and the view, I took a ten minute rest stop overlooking the Inner Harbor.

A few photos of the statue of Major-General Sam Smith, including this one.





After winding through the area behind the American Visionary Arts Museum, I ascended to Fort Avenue via Jackson Street; any number of other routes go up from Key Highway. If you haven't been to the Baltimore Museum of Industry before, stay on Key Highway for that.

I stopped by two parks, including Latrobe Park, that include recreation fields, prior to my final stop at Fort McHenry.





Not a bad day hike!

If I had planned this for Scouts doing their 5 mile hike, I'd probably cut off most of Patterson Park, starting on the west side by Patterson Park Avenue, rather than the entire east side and walking through the park. According to the old trail guide, the entire hike is 7.5 miles (I haven't checked my route yet). I'd also probably stay on Eastern Avenue rather than Pratt Street, especially if it were a warm day.

Next hike?

See: http://nenticocamping.wetpaint.com/page/Baltimore+Historical+Trails


Hike # 2 starts at the Flag House, and then winds its way up to the Maryland Historical Society. To work in the Light Rail mass transit theme, I'll park up north, take the streetcar to Camden Yards, then walk east to Albemarle Street. After the trail is complete, I'd pick up the train at State Center or nearby on Howard Street.

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