Several years ago, Bob Almand and his son went on their first hike on the A.T. Bob recalls that it was hot and they brought “way too much stuff” – and he loved it. He kept on hiking, and after meeting a crew of volunteers from the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club (GATC) building a shelter, he became a GATC member. Soon Bob was maintaining a section of the A.T. and volunteering for the Konnarock Trail crew.
Volunteering with a committed group of energetic people was rewarding, and led Bob to get involved in Trail leadership – first at GATC, then as a regional and Trail-wide leader. Bob was one of a small group of volunteer leaders who helped ATC transition from a Trail maintenance organization to a conservation organization charged with maintaining and preserving not just the footpath, but the surrounding lands. Bob, now the Chair of ATC’s Board, sees volunteer roles expanding beyond Trail maintenance to conservation work, advocacy, and environmental monitoring.
Bob “is a devoted volunteer who has contributed immeasurably of his time, professional expertise, and financial resources to support the A.T.,” says Dave Startzell, ATC’s Executive Director, and “he is not averse to getting his fingernails dirty as an A.T. maintainer and trail builder.”
In fact, the time he spends maintaining his section of the A.T. is the time he enjoys the most. “My heart is out there somewhere,” he says, it is “the most important thing I do, and the thing I will do the longest.” Thanks, Bob!