There are some crazy things sitting right in your refrigerator that can catch catfish on your next outing! I have heard so many stories of people catching catfish off of some of the most unusual baits made right from stuff they have at home. Keep reading and then when you’re done, before you clean out the fridge and throw stuff away, take a second look and maybe even go out and catch catfish with it.

Hotdogs have been a talked about bait for years, but did you know if you mash the hotdogs up, mix some melted cheese in with them, then let the mixture cool in the fridge, you have a bait that will certainly catch catfish when used in a stink bait worm. Just get some of the tubes used for dip baits, have your hotdog mixture in a bowl with lid, then when you get to your favorite fishing spot just dip the tubes in the mixture and you will have a scent line in the water that will catch catfish for hours.

This mixture also has a pleasant smell, unlike stink baits.

Marshmallows for a snack for the kids, and a catfish on the line. Marshmallows can be used just like they are in the bag, just thread them on the hook and cast them out. You can also melt the marshmallows some, this technique takes a little more planning to catch catfish. Melt the marshmallows, then take your stink bait tubes and dip them in the melted marshmallows. Lay the tubes out on a pan and allow to set. The marshmallows will cool, then become a very sticky enticing bait on the tube. For some reason marshmallows are a great way to catch catfish, especially eating size channel cats.

Who likes the raw smell of GARLIC? Catfish do! Garlic has been added to prepared baits for a long time and is still a great attractant when trying to catch catfish. Crush some garlic up, or if you have garlic powder in your pantry, and add it to the hotdog mix. Take it on your next outing to catch catfish and you might catch an Italian catfish!

Condiments can be deadly when used correctly to for catfish! Everyone has the basics in there fridge, mustard, ketchup, and mayo. Well set them out on the counter and start mixing! grab your mixing bowl again and mix equal parts of all three together or just a couple, but remember in order to make a good prepared bait you need some substance to make it last for a while on your dip worm. When trying to catch catfish with prepared baits, you want the bait to slowly dissolve, so you create a scent line in the water. For this mixture, I mix flour in my mixing bowl. Add the ingredients, stir well, then begin slowly mixing flour in. You want the mixture like a thick paste. these ingredients will not set up, so the flour is used to make the paste.

www.thundermistfishingtips.com The secrets of catching catfish. We’re here catfishing the Welland River, Ontario, Canada to show you how to catch catfish.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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June 15, 2009 by Tony Cornett ·

A real money saver and effortless dumping! Dry camping has become such a breeze for me with the purchase and use of the macerator pump as I simply pump my tanks into my two blue boy totes. I have a 22 and 15 gallon type giving me a total of 37 gallons I can dump each trip to a dump station. Of course the benefit of this is you never have to hitch up go to a dump station, return and re-setup the trailer, and so easy. My problem was when at the dump station I would have to get up into the bed of the truck and lift the heavy totes up to dump them. With my bad wrist this was becoming a chore. I had decided to invest the money ($250 or more) to buy a 32 gallon tote with the dump valve on it so all I had to do is hook the hose to it, pull the valve and done! Rinsing with the same method this also eliminates you having to tow the totes through a campground to the dump station as well and especially if the dump station was off site and a mile or two away. After speaking to a Rob, owner of Morro Bay RV and Marine he suggested I just put the valves in my 2 totes instead of spending all that money on a new tote. $45 worth of parts and a little time saved me about $200 or more! Some people ask why my totes are in the back of my truck in the first place. Hey to me it’s all about making life on the road as easy as possible. Here’s a pic of my 22 gallon tote before I started with the parts I needed……
The first thing you need to do is establish where you want the valve. You must then drill a hole in the tank for the heavy rubber seal to be inserted. This can be done with a hole saw. I used a 3? saw, but found I had to enlarge the hole some with a sharp type knife to accommodate the seal. You want the hole low as possible in order to be able to drain most of the totes contents yet it has to be high enough to accommodate the valve when the tote is sitting level on the ground or in bed of pickup..
Once the hole is drilled and the edges cleaned up the heavy rubber seal is inserted into the hole. Take note in the pic below which end (short end) goes into the tank. You have to worm the seal in per say as you see the slit in the middle of the seal is where the tank wall goes. Once I got the heavy seal in place I peeled it back along the edges all the way around putting in a large bead of silicone to seal it well wiping any excess from around the edge. Don’t be afraid to use plenty of silicone on this.
The next step was to insert the smooth flange that the valve will attach to into the seal you inserted into the tank. I suggest putting some silicone around the smooth part that goes in as well as the inside of the rubber seal to help as it’s a tight fit and must go all the way into the seal and be flush. I then let this set overnight to give the silicone time to dry and set up. You do NOT want any leaks!Now it’s time to bolt the knife valve assembly onto the flange you inserted into to seal in the tank. This is very simple and self explanatory. On the outside of the valve is the plastic part that that your sewer hose attaches to for dumping. Just like on your RV. It all bolts together very easily. 4 bolts with nuts accomplishes this easy task.
Once everything is together you should fill the tank with fresh water and let it set for an hour or so to insure there are no leaks, I doubt if you follow my instructions about the silicone above you will have any, but if so simply drain the tank and use silicone or similar compound where necessary to take care of any leak. Other than letting the initial part setting over night to allow the silicone to dry and set up the whole project takes around an hour or so. Because the sides of most these totes are slightly rounded compared to the ones manufactured with the valves (in a flat spot) the valve will have a slightly outward and downward setting which is just fine. The end result is a couple hundred dollar savings in buying a tote with one of these valves already installed, easy effortless dumping and no need to tow the tote behind your truck or vehicle. Sure makes my life much simpler! Pretty cool even if the nearest dump station is a mile or two or even further way. This setup will also work for you motor homers as well as long as your toad is capable of carrying the totes loaded and can dump from them.

The amperage draw of the so-called “phantom loads” existng in many rvs must be included in any battery discharge calculations.many rvers are unaware of phantom loads because some areconsealed,or they are simply overlooked as a source of amperage draw. phantom loadsare present in illuminated switches,built-in monitoring meters,clocks,the memory in sterios[which requires power even when the unit is off], gas detecttors, motion lights,and the frigerator,if it is an automatic model.the electronic brain of our automatic refrigeratorconsumes .74 amp per hour of 12-volt dc power whether its running on 120 volt or on propane.the clock and memory of our sterio and gas detector. each requires about .25 amp per hour.these phantom loads add up to 0.79 amp per hour or a whopping 18.96 amp per hour per day. we have known of rvers who have left their rigs without an electical hook up for aday or two and return to find out their batteries dead, because of the continual ampage draw of phantom loads.

Deer season is over and the winter is beginning to recede. With springtime some of the most outdoor fun, but also some of the outdoor issues.Among the problems we see in the spring and summertime are the weeds, mosquitos and other things that can make us itch and be uncomfortable. Try to pay attention to where you’re walking and what kind of plants that you’re in. That’s step number one to treating poison ivy. Prevent it…

The threat of things like poison ivy and poison oak return nearly as soon as things begin to grow in the summer time. No matter where you live, chances are poison ivy lives there too. You try to watch for it but the fact is that sometimes you’re just not paying attention.

If you’ve been bitten by the poison ivy in your area more than once, you’ve probably used just about every home remedy known to man for the itch and the sting.

The doctors will give you calamine, perhaps even antibiotics or steriods if you’ve been well doused enough in it. The Natives and the old people know of a few better remedies that you might want to try if that calamine isn’t doing the trick.

Here are a couple home remedies that will work for the outdoorsman who didnt’ dodge the Poison Ivy plant.

As a young girl growing up in Pennsylvania and West Virginia I had a sister who was incredibly allergic to Poison Ivy. if the plants were accidentally burned and she stood in the smoke she could catch it. No exaggeration folks

Being unable to get rid of it even after four doctor visits, our gran, who was an old mountain woman in West Virginia split the shoots of the jewelweed, what some of you call touch-me-nots, and rubbed the sap on her legs. She permitted that to dry and stay in place for several minutes. The parts that were more swollen, she covered in a poultic that she made of boiled shoots of the elderberry tree.

The doctors were incredulous when the poison ivy they had treated for  more than two weeks was gone within five days.

If you’re someone who has gotten into a poison ivy patch, wash the area thoroughly and if you do still get some residual effects, rub it with the inner sap that is emitted by the jewelweed plant.

Bear in mind that you can have an allergy to anything at all. While most people don’t find this with jewelweed, it can happen so be cautious when you first try the remedy. You’re going to be amazed at how rapidly the poison ivy goes away.

A Lug_Nut point of view.  Extreme mountain grade driving is something most RVers prefer to do in their towed vehicle rather than with their motor home or truck trailer combination.  Steep climbs and drop- off downhill grades can turn a pleasant days run into a white knuckle survival experience.  So what exactly is considered extreme mountain grades?

Interstate highways and the majority of state routes are generally limited to 6% to 7% grades.  This means for every 100 feet travelled you would climb or descend six or seven feet.  A long downhill grade of this descent requires a constant resistance of lower gear operation, Pac Brake, Jake Brake and or service brakes.  The heavier the vehicle the harder it is to maintain a reasonable speed.  While you can generally use your brakes to check and maintain your speed in your automobile or light truck, the same cannot be said for most RV rigs.  Brake friction to slow a heavy rig quickly produces excessive heat that may lead to poor braking efficiency or even full brake failure.  While drum type brakes are perhaps more affected by this, disc systems can also overheat and fail.

Extreme mountain grades can be upwards of 18%, well over double what you would normally encounter in the U.S or Canada.   These can bring the climb speed of a heavy motor home or trailer combination into single digits on the speedometer at full throttle.  Likewise on the descent an extreme resistance will be required to hold back the vehicle.  So, heat is a concern when climbing for the engine and transmission, while descending, the brake temperature may be the issue.

Last week I experienced some extreme grade driving while travelling through the Gaspe Penninsula in Quebec Canada.  An extreme steep grade out of Perce took my speed from a start of 30 MPH down to 9 MPH.  My coach and tow weighed in at about 52,000 lbs. with a 500 HP Cummins engine.  This already gave me slightly less than the 1 HP per 100 lbs. (A standard considered necessary)  That was further reduced when the fan drive clutch locked up drawing a whopping 70 HP. leaving me with 430 flywheel HP.  I maintained about 9 MPH for most of the climb and gradually picked up speed as I approached the crest and the grade.  Descents on these grades were equally challenging.  With the Jake Brake in “Hi” I reduced my speed to engage 2nd gear at the outset.  Fortunately, the fan drag that worked against me on the up hill climb also automatically engages in the “Hi” mode adding an additional 70 HP braking resistance.  Needless to say, the fuel milage crashed to something less than 5 MPG throughout this day.  Looking back, I think the up hill climbs were more stressful than the downhill.  I hardly needed to engage the service brakes during the descentss at any time.

As many seemed interested in this topic last year, I will repeat some of the techniques in the two earlier articles.

So let’s first look at managing steep mountain grades in your RV.

Tips on Managing Your RV’s Speed on Steep Grades:

All Categories of coaches and trailer tow vehicles: When approaching a grade that is descending substantially and will, or may, cause your vehicle to increase speed above that which you wish to travel, or may be safe, do the following.  Slow to the speed, or slightly lower, that you intend to descend the sloop, prior to reaching the crest. Be aware of what traffic may be behind you and use caution as you reduce speed as not to cause any danger. Select a lower gear to maximize engine RPM and driveline resistance. Now maintain any excess speed by short adequate hard applications of the service brakes. Remember, the wind resistance is now working with you, and can aid you to keep a comfortable speed.

Medium weight exhaust brake equipped coaches and comparable equipped tow vehicles: Same as the above with the exception of manual selection of a lower gear if your unit is configured to auto-select a lower gear. Engage the exhaust brake (Pac Brake) closest to the selected descent speed as your vehicle crests the hill, and is moving positively down (moving forward without throttle, but in favor of gaining speed). Observe both speed and engine RPM during the descent and control same, if required, with short firm service brake applications.

Tip: Get to know your speed in each gear when the engine RPM is about 90% of the maximum governed loaded speed. If you can’t always remember this speed for each gear, or to just make it easier, put a small red sticker piece at each location on the speedometer. Select your grade descent to be one of these speeds. This will normally deliver smoother braking and possibly eliminate further downshifting. If the engine RPM increases to near that listed in your engine manufacturer’s manual as being the maximum RPM during compression brake application (usually 10 to 15% higher than governed speed), apply the service brakes firmly to bring it back to near its original speed. If, on the other hand, the engine RPM reduces near the speed that would cause an additional downshift, shut off the Pac Brake switch. Do not touch the accelerator pedal if your unit is configured to auto-select a lower gear as that will cause an up shift at this point. You can now toggle the brake switch on and off to maintain the desired road speed during the balance of the decline.

Medium heavy full Jake Brake equipped coaches: Same initial approach as earlier discussed, with the following suggested procedure.  Single Jake speed. Follow the same procedure as the Pac Brake. Get to know your speed in each gear when the engine RPM is about 90% of the maximum governed loaded speed. If you can’t always remember this speed for each gear, or to just make it easier, put a small red sticker piece at each location on the speedometer. Select your grade descent to be one of these speeds. This will normally deliver smoother braking and possibly eliminate further downshifting. Two speed Jake. Follow the same procedure as the Pac Brake, except, toggle the “Hi” “Lo” instead of the activation switch.

Tip: This system can provide exceptional downhill speed control. Understanding and utilizing the features that the two speed Jake can provide will give you the full benefits it can deliver.

Heavy coaches, that may be equipped with three speed Jake’s, operate similar to the above mentioned systems. The Jake switch can be multi toggled as required.

Heavy coaches, equipped with transmission grade retarders, should similarly make the same basic grade crest approach. Apply the joystick retarder control at the lowest setting, increasing it as necessary. As many, like the Allison, full grade retarder type transmissions use internal retarders, shift patterns or gear selection may affect the operation.

A word of caution that should be observed in the use of any compression type braking, use only when the road surface provides adequate traction. Even wet roads, particularly just when it first starts to rain, may not be safe for unrestricted use.

Extreme grades are not always a planned route.  Ask other RVers about certain routes as to their challenges.  This can be done through forum such as rv.net or irv2.com.  Additionally you can talk to fellow RV enthusiasts that you may meet in campgrounds in your travels. 

You may encounter extreme grades while travelling in mountainous areas and be faced with this challenge, often without the option of turning around.  However, skilful speed management and a cool hand can triumph. 

There are of course other hazards that you may encounter in mountainous areas that you must also be aware of.  Here are a few.

Road Surface Ice Patches:  Temperatures drop as elevation increases at a rate of about 3.56 degrees F. per thousand feet.  This is known as the “normal lapse rate”, or temperature to altitude ratio.  While this is the usual ratio it can vary.  A steeper lapse rate can be experienced when the weather becomes unstable and the ratio may exceed 5 or more degrees F. for every one thousand feet of elevation.  Likewise another phenomena is possible where the lapse rate is very low, nil or even a slight increase may be found.  This may be an inversion, where warmer air is forced aloft.  But never the less, you are far more likely to encounter a normal lapse rate, hence the word “normal”.  So, on a 50 F., day driving over a 5,000 ft. mountain pass, freezing temperatures are quite probable.  This can result in icy conditions if precipitation is present.  But, even on a sunny day ice can form from water running down from the mountains above, particularly in shaded areas.

Wildlife on the Road: While many lower elevation roads present this problem, many mountain roadways have an additional animal, the mountain goat that often wanders on the highway.  Rugged terrain can also make the road edge an appealing passage in some circumstances which may result in an increase of roadway wildlife traffic.  Combine this with the twisty roads and poor forward roadway view, a shorter warning of wildlife is to be expected.

Rock Fall Warning: While a rock slide is highly unlikely, the possibility of encountering some small rock pieces on the roadway can be very real, particularly after a heavy rain fall.   Generally these rock fragments are jagged and can damage or destroy a tire or vehicle.  Reducing speed when such warning signs are posted can increase your maneuvering and stopping ability.  We have all seen the yellow warning signs, but it is surprising how little attention they are given by most drivers.

Precipitation on an Otherwise Clear Day: When operating at higher altitudes in mountain ranges that are snow capped, precipitation can be encountered even on what looks like a clear day.  This can happen when humid air drifts across the snow caps.  The frozen ice and snow reduces the air temperature to, or below, the dew point.  At this temperature some cloud formation will appear and snow or fine rain may fall.

Reduced Visibility Possible: Quite often the clouds are lower than the mountains are high.  If the roadway rises up to, and through, the cloud base, vision may be reduced to near zero.  Slow down and observe caution as you would driving in fog.

Shear Road Edges: Unlike most roadways found in the lowlands, mountain roads occasionally have no shoulders or guardrails in some sections.  These require special care and attention.  Wondering off the road in these areas can have disastrous results.

Engine or Transmission Overheat: Climbing steep grades takes horse power and torque, this causes the drivetrain to heat up. To keep your engine and tranny running cooler, climb grades in a manually selected gear.  This then will allow partial throttle climbs without the automatic up-shift.  Operating your engine at higher RPM will allow the cooling package to run more efficiently during hard pulls.

Fuel and Services: Generally you don’t see fuel and service stations in the mountains.  So, make sure you have ample fuel and that your fluid levels are all topped up.

Affects of High Altitude: Generally there is little affect to most people when exposed to 5,000 feet or so.  But there are far higher elevations in the U.S. that you can drive to, about 12,000 feet or more.  If you are planning a trip that may take you to these extreme elevations, it would be wise to look into altitude health affects for yourself and those travelling with you.   If you plan to camp in the mountains you should be aware of the reduced output that your generator can supply.  For each 1,000 feet of elevation above sea level, a 3.5% drop in output will be experienced.  So, for example, if you have a 7,000 watt unit, you will only have about 5,500 watts at 6,000 feet or 4,500 watts at 10,000.

Well, those are just some of the challenges you may face when travelling through mountainous regions.  The geographic beauty, however, is well worth it.  If you have never ventured on these roads in the sky, you may want to give it a try.  Just drive safe.

January 24, 2010 by Denise N. Crew ·
 
I must admit I have a bit of a crock pot obsession. I’ve got three of them and I still don’t have my “dream” crock pot (Yes, I’m cool like that, I dream of crock pots). I’ve got a 5-quart pot for the camper, a 6-quart pot for the house and a 2-quart pot that goes between the house and the camper.

I know some of the cooks complain about not actually getting a break when they’re camping with the family, because there’s still the cooking and cleaning for all the meals, but my crock pot really seems to cut down on a lot of that. I use the crock-pot bags by Reynolds to make clean up easy. Toss your meal into the crock-pot bag and your good to go. The meal cooks it’s self while you’re out enjoying your vacation with your family. When you’re done eating, just take the bag out and toss it. If by chance there’s leftovers, you can store them in the bag in a container in the fridge.

I know you’re thinking, but I don’t want a pot roast while camping, well that’s ok, because you can cook just about anything in the crock-pot. For summer trips I make North Carolina pork BBQ, taco meat or sloppy joes ahead of time and then just pop them in after lunch. In the spring and fall chili, stew or baked potato soup all make the camper smell wonderful and take the chill off when it’s time for dinner. I guess if you really wanted to, you could even do the pot roast, but my guys might not want to take all that time to eat when there so many are adventures to be had.

Now if you want a quick lunch just put the hot dogs in the 2-quart pot w/ a bottle of BBQ sauce on low after breakfast and you’ll be good to go for a quick lunch after a morning of exploring/fishing/playing.

A great place to find deals on a crock-pot (if you don’t own one already) is yard sales. There are people out there who own a crock-pot and just don’t understand how wonderful and useful a crock-pot can be, so they’re almost giving them away!!! (no really my parents bought me the one in the picture for $5, never used, new in the box) Just think how happy that crock-pot will be to find a home in your camper and hear your family rave about how yummy dinner is!

Full Time Opportunities

Internship Opportunites

Alliance Job Postings

American Hiking Full-Time Job Opportunities 

Click on the links below to see our current job opportunities.

Director of Government Relations

Trail Programs Manager

Director of Government Relations 

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Government Relations (Director) oversees and has primary responsibility for the public policy and agency partnerships of American Hiking Society.  The Director works with Congress, federal agencies, and conservation and recreation partners to shape public policy and legislation affecting hiking. The Director establishes and manages American Hiking’s agency partnerships and agreements at the federal, state and local level. Responsibilities include advocating for the funding and protection of hiking trails, promoting policies and practices that ensure the preservation of natural areas (or opposing policies detrimental to conservation and hiking), management and execution of agency agreements, and promotion and protection of the hiking experience.  The Director reports to the President, is part of the senior management team and is based at the organization headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, with required travel to field projects, conferences and special events, as needed. 

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Policy and Advocacy

• Develop and implement American Hiking’s policy platform and plan of action that is aligned with the most pressing national and regional trail and conservation funding and legislative priorities. Ensure that organizational resources are strategically allocated to meet these challenges and opportunities.
• Educate the public, Congress, and administration on trail, recreation, and conservation policies and legislation to benefit foot trails, trail lands, and the hiking experience.
• Work with federal agencies, American Hiking Alliance members, and partner organizations to promote and successfully influence sustainable and appropriate recreation and resource management.
• Lead American Hiking’s efforts in policy formulation, research, and respond to legislation and regulatory decisions that impact hiking and conservation. Inform and engage hiking organizations and the hiking public in policies and legislative issues via electronic and print communications (web, magazine, email alerts, etc.).
• Lead responsibility for the organization and implementation of Hike-the-Hill, American Hiking’s signature hiking and trails awareness and advocacy event  held each year in Washington, DC.  February 13-15, 2012 will be the 15th annual Hike the Hill.  
• In consultation with relevant American Hiking staff and board committees, develop policy positions for the organization.
• Work in partnership with national and regional recreation/conservation organizations, networks, and coalitions to forward the policy objectives of American Hiking Society.  Backstop AHS strategic alliances including the Outdoor Alliance, Partnership for the National Trails System and Rivers and Trails Coalition.
• Produce policy-related materials including magazine articles, fact sheets, email action alerts, website content, and other publications or reports.
• Represent American Hiking in public meetings, hearings, press events, conferences, coalitions, and in general communications with public officials, legislators, the media, and the public.

Management

• Support the President in the development and execution of AHS’ strategic plan, program budgets and fiscal management, and matters related to the Board of Directors, including participation in board meetings and liaison with the Conservation and Policy Board committee and others determined by the President.
• Assist the President with the development and implementation of new and emerging national and regional agency and non-profit partnerships, and support fund raising actions to meet these needs.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

• Masters degree required in public policy/administration, natural resources management, recreation or related field with strong skills in advocacy, conservation, and program management.
• Five to eight years of professional experience in public policy, preferably recreation and/or conservation policy at the national or regional level.
• Excellent understanding of the Federal budget, legislative and regulatory processes, government partnership agreements and experience in shaping public policy.
• Considerable expertise working with federal land management agencies, especially the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service and knowledge of key laws and regulations for federal land management.
• Demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders including individuals, local, state and federal agencies and organizations, and businesses and foundations.
• Considerable experience in managing programs and staff with demonstrated excellence in multi-tasking and team building.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.  Proven ability to present ideas orally and in writing to a variety of small, medium and large audiences.
• Strong proficiency in MS Office software applications, presentation software and electronic communication.
• Excellent administrative, fiscal management and organizational skills.
• Ability to work well independently and as a member of a team.
• Working knowledge of hiking and backpacking, and/or federal/state recreational and environmental programs.
• Position requires a willingness to hike and share a love of the outdoors with all stakeholders. American Hiking Society is an equal opportunity employer.
• Weekend and long hours are sometimes required.
• Commitment to the mission of American Hiking Society.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

American Hiking Society is the only national organization dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s hiking trails, the natural areas that surround them, and the hiking experience itself. We provide an exciting, creative, and professional yet relaxed nonprofit atmosphere with a strong outdoor and conservation ethic. Visit www.AmericanHiking.org for more information.

Send cover letter and resume to ‘Director of Government Relations Job Search,’   American Hiking Society, 1422 Fenwick Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or email same, with job title in subject line to GMiller@AmericanHiking.org. 

TRAIL PROGRAMS MANAGER 

POSITION SUMMARY

The Trail Programs Manager will direct and implement multi-faceted trail outreach programs, including National Trails Day® (NTD) and the National Trails Fund.  The Manager develops strong working relationships with trail and conservation organizations across the country. Key responsibilities include organization of NTD, the nation’s largest trail and outdoor celebration, event planning, coordination of corporate sponsorship and promotions programs, external communications, marketing and promotion. The Manager oversees the annual National Trails Fund grant proposal process, judging, and award distribution. Other responsibilities include annual program budget preparation and fiscal oversight, representing American Hiking at meetings and conferences, and managing consultant contracts and seasonal interns, as needed.  The Manager reports to the Vice President for Programs. 

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

National Trails Day^®

• Marshal and direct organizational resources for successful planning and execution of NTD.
• Coordinate production and distribution of planning and promotional kits, newsletters and other promotional materials. Ensure well-organized, efficient NTD fulfillment that meets all deadlines.
• Respond to requests for information and assistance from prospective event hosts and encourage their participation in the program. Promote media coverage for NTD.
• Develop written materials, such as fact sheets, press releases, action alerts, and other printed materials. Responsible for development and submission of NTD annual report.
• Work with Director of Development to implement promotions and NTD corporate sponsor programs.
• Maintain on-line NTD event data base.
• Plan and implement signature NTD events with key sponsors and serve as the principle line of contact with event planners and facilitate partnerships among trail groups, agencies and businesses.
• Promote NTD to federal land agency partners, provide leadership on trail outreach and promotion efforts, and cultivate new partnerships as appropriate.

National Trails Fund

• Oversee national promotion of program to Alliance members and the public.
• Manage grant proposal process, including development and approval of annual judging guidelines and proposal submission.
• Liaison with National Trails Fund Committee and prepare award recommendations report for Board submission.
• Manage distribution of grant awards and timely notification, as well as effective communications with all corporate sponsors. 

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in recreation, marketing, or communications preferred.
• Motivated self-starter with strong multi-tasking skills and an ability to manage complex, national-level programs. Excellent fiscal management and administrative and organizational skills.
• Minimum of two years of program management experience (conservation, recreation, grants, or related applications) are desired. Event planning and management experience a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.  Ability to prepare a variety of graphic communication tools such as brochures, fact sheets, plans, and other print and web-based media. Familiarity with media, social media, and public relations tools is a plus.
• Proficiency in MS Office software applications, presentation software and electronic communication.
• Ability to work with limited supervision, including long hours and occasional weekends.
• Some travel is required.
• Willingness to hike, participate in occasional trail maintenance projects, and enjoy the outdoors.
• Commitment to the mission of American Hiking Society.
• The position is based at the organization’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, one block from the Metro. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

American Hiking Society is the only national organization dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s hiking trails, the natural areas that surround them, and the hiking experience itself. We provide an exciting, creative, and professional yet relaxed nonprofit atmosphere with a strong outdoor and conservation ethic. Position requires a willingness to hike and share a love of the outdoors with all stakeholders. Occasional weekend work and long hours are required. American Hiking Society is an equal opportunity employer, and offers benefits including health, discounts on outdoor gear, and generous vacation.

Send cover letter and resume to ‘Trail Programs Manager Job Search,’   American Hiking Society, 1422 Fenwick Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20910 or email same, with job title in subject line to info@AmericanHiking.org. Visit www.AmericanHiking.org for more information.

American Hiking Internship Opportunities 

American Hiking Society is currently hiring for interns in our Silver Spring, MD offices! American Hiking provides a dynamic non-profit atmosphere, where interns will receive a diverse and well-rounded experience.

Interns will be exposed to different areas of specialization, detailed here:

Trail & Volunteer Programs: activities include research, writing, and outreach related to National Trails Day® and Volunteer Vacations programs; assisting with special events; fulfillment; and coordination of electronic media platforms.

Recreation & Conservation Policy: activities include attending meetings/hearings on Capitol Hill and with federal agency staff; tracking and analyzing legislation and policies related to recreation and conservation; assistance with Hike the Hill; and outreach to constituents and membership on policy related issues.

Membership: activities include research and outreach related to the Alliance; assistance with membership acquisitions; and fulfillment.

General Information

Candidates must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong research and organizational skills and demonstrated interest in conservation, policy, volunteer management and/or outdoor recreation. 

Interns work out of American Hiking Society’s office in Silver Spring, MD, one block outside of Washington, DC. Interns are unpaid but learn a wide range of marketable skills and are exposed to a variety of non-profit experiences.

To apply, send a cover letter and resume to Libby Wile:

Email: LWile@AmericanHiking.org

Fax: 301-565-6714

Mail: American Hiking Society Internships, 1422 Fenwick Lane, Silver Spring MD 20910

Alliance of Hiking Organizations Job Postings 

Finger Lakes Trail Conference seeks part-time Executive Director for Summer 2012.  Click here for more details and how to apply.

Mission

As the national voice for America’s Hikers, American Hiking Society promotes and protects foot trails and the hiking experience.

As a recreation-based non-profit organization, American Hiking Society champions conservation issues, builds partnerships between public and private stakeholders, and provides critical resources to plan, fund and develop foot trails.

1422 Fenwick Lane • Silver Spring, MD 20910

The Zen of Boondocking Part XIV – Camping along scenic byways
May 7, 2011 by Bob Difley ·
National Scenic Byways, a program administered in part by the National Forest Service (FS), describes routes through some of the most scenic lands in the country, many through national forests where you can find FS campgrounds and scattered boondocking campsites along your route. You can find the nation’s byways on the America’s Byways website and order a free brochure listing all the byways.

Some states also have scenic roads or byways that are not yet listed as “national” scenic byways. You can find these, and often more complete information on the state’s national scenic byways, at the individual state’s byways web page. Type the state name followed by scenic byways in the search box for your state.

What fun it is to dawdle along these scenic roadways with no need to travel the entire route between RV resortss on either end, or even further away. When you’ve perfected your boondocking skills, you can find multiple dry-camping/boondocking camping possibilities along the byway enabling you to slow down to fully appreciate the area and to spend a few extra days enjoying the beauty of the byway and the nesty campsites or campgrounds you find along the way. Watch for marked FS roads or obtain a list of dispersed camping possibilities and primitive campgrounds from the byway, FS office, or online at sites like Forest Service Camping.

National forests also surround many of our National Parks, where you can find FS campgrounds and boondocking sites outside the crowded national parks. You can often find a campsite in FS campgrounds on weekends when the NP campgrounds are full. As a base camp, they also make perfect sense. From here you can explore into the park during the day and return to a nice, quiet, un-crowded campsite after a day of exploration. And many of the scenic byways loop through or around national parks, adding to your enjoyment.

Once you become comfortable with finding FS campgrounds and with boondocking, you can make your RV travel schedule more open ended, taking advantage of opportunities as they unfold, staying longer in newly discovered campgrounds and campsites, and exploring scenic areas and hiking trails that you hadn’t known about before, confident that you can always find a campsite wherever you happen to be at the end of the day.

Check out my website for more RVing tips, destinations, and for my ebooks: BOONDOCKING: Finding the Perfect Campsite on America’s Public Lands, Snowbird Guide to Boondocking in the Southwestern Deserts, and 111 Ways to Get the Biggest Bang out of your RV Lifestyle Dollar.