Meet Our Leaders
(Leaders, send us your info!)
| Susan Charkes |
| Activities led: |
Day hikes |
| Occupation: |
Freelance writer and manager of environmental organization |
Proudest Accomplishment |
Climbing Katahdin ... and getting back down |
| Favorite music: |
John Coltrane |
| Favorite Book |
AMC's Best Day Hikes Near Philadelphia by Susan Charkes
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| Favorite Trail Food: |
Trailside blueberries |
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| David Scranton |
| Activities led: |
Day Hikes, MOC Committee Co-Chair |
| Occupation: |
Bank Attorney |
| Native of: |
Born in Idaho, grew up in Oregon |
| Proudest Accomplishment |
Marrying kathy, seeing our two kids grow to strong, young adults who enjoy life. |
| Favorite music: | Mark Knopfler |
| Favorite Quote |
"Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
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| Pets: |
Four Cats: Millie, Luckie, Flip and Baxtor |
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| Al Schwartz |
| Activities led: | Day hikes, bike rides |
| My Blog: |
Conserveration and Hiking |
| Occupation: |
Extract, Transform and Load Specialist |
| Native of: | Palmer Township, PA |
| Favorite music: | Classic Rock and Roll of the 60's and 70's |
| Favorite local park: | Delaware Water Gap NRA |
| Favorite non–local park: | Grand Teton National Park |
| Concerns: |
Mountain Top Removal, Deep Ocean Drilling and Natural Gas Fraking in particular |
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| Ann Davis |
| Activities led: | Day hikes |
| Occupation: | Medical education writer |
| Native of: | Texas |
| Avocation: | Downhill skiing |
| Favorite quote: | No matter where you go, there you are |
| Favorite hike food: |
PB&J followed by a chocolate cookie dough snack bar |
| Pets: | Dash, Jasper, and Stellaaaaaaa! the labradoodle. |
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| Craig Smith |
| Activities led: | Hikes, camping, skiing, backpacks, biking |
| Occupation: | Safety & Compliance Manager |
| Native of: | Lehigh Valley |
| Pets: | Fish, but looking for a cat |
| Siblings: | 8 younger siblings: 6 brothers, 2 sisters |
| Favorite read: | The morning paper |
| Most amazing place: | Monument Valley, UT/AZ is spectacular! |
| Avocations: | Gardening, Photography |
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| David Stein |
| Activities led: | Day hikes |
| Occupation: | Medical Social Worker |
| Native of: | Philadelphia |
| Favorite music: | Bluegrass |
| Favorite local trail: | Conestoga Trail |
| Favorite non–local trail: | Annapurna Circuit |
| Post-trip food: |
A burger, fries and a pint of beer |
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| Dick Newbert |
| Activities led: | Backpacks (primarily) and day hikes |
| Occupation: | Commercial Realtor; Principal – Oil & Gas company |
| Native of: | New England (Hartford/Boston/NH) |
| Hero: | My dad |
| Favorite trail: | Appalachian Trail |
| Trail name: | MagicStick |
| Proudest accomplishment: | Married for 41+ years and raising our three children |
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| Ed Sawin |
| Activities led: | Day hikes |
| Occupation: | CPA / Consultant |
| Lives in: | Blue Bell, PA |
| Native of: | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Proudest accomplishment: | Having completed 40 Century (100 mile) bike rides |
| Favorite trail: | Anywhere along the Wissahickon Creek |
| Favorite music: | Oldies from the 60's and 70's |
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| Eric Pavlak |
| Activities led: | whitewater, flatwater, sea kayaking |
| Activities: | hike, hike, backpack, XC skiing |
| Paddling favorites: | High water Tohickon, Nova Scotia coast |
| Best run: | Both holes on Mixmaster, lower Moose |
| Best Hike: | Druid Arch the hard way, Canyonlands, August |
| Joys: | Slow food, cooking, books, art, music |
| Work: | Writer, photographer, designer |
| Goal: | To understand everything (Hey, I can wish!) |
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| Jean Plough |
| Activities led: | Hikes |
| Avocations: | Abstract painting and teaching meditation |
| Pets: | 2 black cats, Pawtuxent and Cinder |
| Birthplace: | New York, NY |
| Favorite music: | Bagpipe music |
| Favorite piece of gear: | My Asolo hiking shoes |
| Favorite post-hike food: | Fajitas and blackened salmon |
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| Jennifer Percival |
| Activities led: | Day Hikes |
| Occupation: | Holistic Health Counselor |
| Favorite gear: | Good pair of hiking shoes |
| Favorite place: | Many! One favorite, which is filled with many fond memories, is the White Mountains of NH. I was introduced to the Whites while attending Winter Mountaineering School back in the late 1970's. My husband and I spent our honeymoon there, and we have taken our children on several trips there. |
| Favorite topic: | FOOD and more FOOD. Can't get enough of it. |
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| Kathy Kelly-Borowski |
| Activities led: | Hikes and Backpacks |
| Occupation: | IT Technical Lead |
| Proudest accomplishment: | I used to say it was completing the AT,
but today it's getting my husband interested in hiking and backpacking |
| Interesting fact: | I live in a log home |
| Favorite trails: | JMT, Wonderland Trail, Colorado Trail, Kilimanjaro |
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| Kevin Perry |
| Activities led: | Backpacks, bike rides, Major Excursions |
| Occupation: | Manager, Computer Programming |
| Favorite backpack: | Wonderland Trail |
| Major summits: | Washington, Rainier, Whitney, Kilimanjaro |
| Native of: | Michigan |
| Avocation: | Nature photography |
| Pets: | Three black and white cats |
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| Mark Skurla |
| Activities led: | Dayhikes |
| Occupation: | Software Developer for IBM |
| Lives in: | Willow Grove, PA |
| Proudest Accomplishment: | Hiking England coast to coast |
| Avocation: | Big fan of good beer, local brews |
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| Pat Naismith |
| Activities led: | Hikes, Backpacks, Social Events |
| Occupation: | Librarian (aka. Information Goddess) |
| Native of: | Washington State |
| Favorite music: | Rock and Roll (in any configuration) |
| Avocation: | Sailing, Downhill Skiing, Theatre |
| Favorite non-local location: | Olympic National Park |
| Favorite local location: | Wissahickon Gorge |
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| Paul Davis |
| Activities led: | Hikes, Backpacks, Chapter Youth Programs, Major Excursions |
| Occupation: | Computer Software |
| Native of: | England |
| Pet: | Cocoa, my Chocolate Lab |
| Proudest outdoor accomplishment: | Hiking the Annapurna Trail in Nepal solo |
| Favorite local location: | Wissahickon Gorge |
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| Phill Hunsberger |
| Activities led: | Dayhikes and backpack trips |
| Occupation: | Landscape Architect |
| Lives in: | Bath, PA |
| Favorite Dayhike: | The Narrows in Zion National Park |
| Favorite Backpacking: | The White Mountains in NH |
| Avocation: | Was a distance runner for almost 50 years, including 23 marathons |
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| Tom Sherwood |
| Activities led: | Hikes, occasional social events |
| Occupation: | Fund Accountant |
| Native of: | Tamaqua, Schuylkill County |
| Proudest Accomplishment: | Has climbed Mt. Washington, Mt. Marcy, and the Yosemite Falls trail |
| Interesting fact: | Biked the RAGBRAI - (Des Moines) Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, in 2008 |
| Avocation: | various forms of dance - Swing, Contra, Cajun/Zydeco, Waltz |
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