Photo by Ken Coble  

News, Notes, Reminders

New Editor

After 3 years of editing our newsletter, Lennie Butler is passing the pen to Markie Kaczorovski. Lennie did a great job, we're sad to see her go. Markie is tech support for the club, a hike leader and now is taking on this task of editing, starting with this issue. Thanks Markie!!!! 

VP News

Mark Silverstein has been a member of OCSJ for about 10 years. When he retired, he thought about giving back to the club and became Vice-President. The best laid plans are often for naught as Mark was offered a full-time job, which he couldn’t refuse. So much for being retired, so because of this, he realized he wouldn’t have the time to devote to being VP. We all wish Mark the best of luck in his new endeavor. He will continue to lead hikes for the club. Currently, the VP position is on hold until further notice.

37^th Annual Pinelands Short Course

Rosemarie Mason and Diane Mason will be presenting "The Batona Trail the Premier Walking Path of the Pinelands" at the 37th annual Pinelands Short Course on March 7, 2026. C08 The Batona Trail 1:00pm - 2:15pm USC Room 245. The Pinelands Short Course is offered in partnership with the NJ Pinelands Commission and Stockton University

Visit stockton/pinelands to see all the course offerings and field trips. 

 President's Message

Barbara Berman

president@ocsj.org

 On January 22, 2026 the Executive Board met to figure out some of the things we want to accomplish this year. Our Executive Board is made up of the elected officers, and that includes the President, Recording Secretary (Vicky Gordon), Membership Secretary (Ro Mason), and Treasurer (Mark Laible). We came up with 3 goals.

1. Update the Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws, and Constitution to reduce and clarify redundancies.
   
2. Combine leading a variety of activities (ex: leading bikes rides and hikes) to meet the criteria of becoming a qualified leader. Our goal is to encourage more members to become activity leaders.
3. Finding and using more functionality in Wild Apricot to enhance our members’ experience.

The Board looks forward to working with all of you this year to make this club even better than it already is.

TRAIL MAINTENANCE NEWS

Trail Maintenance Representative

Ro Mason

Trailmaintenance@ocsj.org

Old Man Winter and Mother Nature teamed up in January to give the OCSJ trail crew a few challenges. We cancelled two work days because of temperatures below 10 degrees and icy roads and trails for safety concerns. On January 6, we trimmed and reblazed a section of the Batona Trail near the Brendan T Bryne Visitor Center. The crew partnered with the Wharton State Forest trail stewards on January 13 to continue to work on clearing old hiking trails around the Friendship bogs  so they can become useable once more. The club use to offer hikes in this area many years ago. Dave Bicking was one of the leaders who took us into this beautiful area of cedar swamps and pineland streams. Work on this new trail system in the Friendship Bogs area will be completed by early 2027. There will be trail work days scheduled for Saturdays in the Spring and will be posted on our meetup pages and the Wharton State Forest website and their facebook page.  

Happy New Year from your Trail Crew and Thank You for your continued support.

ACTIVITY CHAIR

Frank Pearce

The beginning of our club history

Bert Nixdorf was a veteran of WWII having served with Special Services 33^rd Unit in the European Theater of Operations. 

In 1964, he published Let’s Go and See – Day Trips in New Jersey and Southeastern PA for Families, School, and Youth Groups 

Bert was a co-founder of the Outdoor Club of South Jersey in 1967. He was our second president and served from 1968-1970 and again in 1972-1981.

Bert wrote articles for the Burlington County Times. Slogan Used is “Outward Bound All Year Long”

"A 1969 article in the Burlington County Times begins -What is the oldest and least expensive outdoor activity? Hiking.  

Where can you find people who enjoy the outdoors on weekend jaunts? The American Youth Hostels Outdoor Club of South Jersey.

How can you catch up with them?  Tomorrow …Oct. 26”

The first schedules were mimeographed. One of the first trips listed is as follows.

Sunday, January 5,1969 SNOW HIKE, COOKOUT AND SLEDDING IN VALLEY FORGE STATE PARK Leaders: Betty and Bert Nixdorf

The OCSJ experienced dramatic growth from 200 members and 50 activities in 1971 to 1,300 members and 213 activities in 1979.

In 1976, he produced Hikes and Bike Rides in New Jersey and in 1983, Bike Rides in New Jersey

Bert passed away June 11, 2012

Bert did the artwork for the first Club Logo

HIKING NEWS

Hiking Chair

Becky Strickland

Winter hiking

On Dec 16, I had a rare experience. My hike was for the 1808 trail, in Batsto Village, a gorgeous trail through cedars. Two days earlier, 12/14, we had a snowstorm (6 to 8 inches) and due to frigid weather, most of the snow on the trees was intact. Many people dropped off the hike that morning, leaving 10 of us. I rarely use the word 'magical' but the sun shining on the snow in the trees was magical. The hike started out with 2 areas of the Sand & Water trail obstructed by branches so weighed down by snow they blocked the trail completely. We all struggled through that (and over and under!) and agreed if we came to a third obstruction we'd turn around. We got lucky: the rest of the trail was quite manageable and absolutely lovely. The 1808 is an 'in & out' trail. By the time we turned around to come back, much of the snow had dropped off the trees and we knew we were lucky to experience that short window of time where it was sparkling. By then the two obstructed areas were much easier to get through. Snow fell off those branches and they popped back up.

Some of our really intrepid hikers went on their own (not a club hike), the day of the storm, to Franklin Parker. Here's a video of that hike courtesy of Jerry Kloby.  Franklin Parker Preserve t3 file

In other weather challenges, our yearly 'Soup Hike and Ride',  scheduled for January 10, was rescheduled due to rain. Fortunately the next day, 1/11 was clear and we had a great time with hikes and bike rides, plus tasty homemade soups and desserts. Many thanks to Gail Stulb who ran the event, to the leaders who led hikes and rides, and to all those who provided soup, desserts and sides!

By the time you read this it will be early February and we'll have more weather challenges. It's easy to dress for the cold, harder to dress for icy roads and trails. 

Have fun, be safe!

Becky Strickland, Chair

Backpacking has several new leaders and a lot going on in the 2^nd quarter. So far on the calendar in Meetup we have:

1.  March 28^th at Pakim Pond, a backpacking/camping University and gear swap/sale: Learn to camp, and come buy/sell the excess gear in the closet. Prices are low and fun is big. 
   
2. May 2-3: Combination Beginners and Intermediate backpacking trip near Harrisburt PA on Appalachian Trail
3. June 13-14: Intermediate backpacking trip in Central PA

In July, Kevin is going to run a trip to New Hampshire for beginners/Intermediate where we will stay at the AMC Zealand Hut. Sleep in a bunk (so no tent or sleeping bag needed) and they feed you dinner and breakfast the next day. Date, details and costs coming soon. 

See you on the trail!

Kevin

CYCLING NEWS

Cycling Chair 

Larry Caniglia

bikechair@ocsj.org

I have some good news and some bad news to announce. 

First the bad news:

The State Legislature has passed and Governor Murphy has signed the new controversial e-bike legislation into law.  The new law will take effect next January and will require all e-bike riders to be properly licensed and the bike registered and insured.  Some good news is that if you have a traditional driver’s license, you will not need a separate or new e-bike license.  

You will however, still be required to have the bike registered with an annual fee, and you will have to insure your e-bike.  At this time we have no information on how much insurance will cost.  As part of the law, children under 14 will be prohibited from operating any e-bikes and those over 14 must acquire a valid e-bike license.  Failure to abide by the new rules will carry a $50 fine per occurrence.  

For everyone who contacted their legislators prior to the passage of the Act, thank you.  It became clear that there was a great deal of controversy and push back from the biking community to various aspects of the law, but in the end the bill passed. As more information becomes available I will continue to report on what I learn.   

Now for some good news:  

Several members who missed the purchasing deadline last year for the OCSJ bike kits approached me inquiring if they could still purchase the kits. Unfortunately once the store closed we were not able to send in any new orders last year.  I am now happy to report that the vendor, Agile Sportswear, LLC, will once again open our online store for those members who are interested in purchasing the bike kit.  

The store will be open for a 2 week period.  All purchases will be made online.  Like we did last year, the discount given to the Outdoor Club is passed directly on to the member purchaser.  OCSJ does not receive any funds from these sales.  

There will not be a place to try on the kits this year but Agile Sportswear, has a sizing guide that is part of our store website.  Also, all purchases will be sent directly to the purchaser, so there will be a small shipping charge applied by the vendor with the purchase of the kits.  

Here is the link to our online store.   OCSJ Bike Kits

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING/SNOWSHOEING NEWS

Cross Country Ski Chair

Barbara Brandt

Both of the first 2 cross country ski trips have had near perfect trail conditions and temperatures, wonderful camaraderie, and incredible scenery, not to mention a good workout. Newbies on both trips have taken lessons and are on their way to becoming winter sport converts.

The North Conway Trip is in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. What can be better than skiing with views of Mt. Washington, frozen waterfalls, covered bridges, and snowy woods? We skied at 4 nearby xc ski centers, each with its own personality and winter vistas: Jackson Ski Touring, Bear Notch Ski Touring, Great Glen Outdoor Tails Center, and Bretton Woods Nordic Center. A traditional trip favorite is apres ski at the iconic Mt. Washington Hotel bar at Bretton Woods with a breathtaking view of Mt. Washington and the Presidential range.

The Stowe Trip looked less than ideal 5 days out with the Big Snow Storm on traveling day and forecasts of pretty low temperatures. BUT, everyone travelled a half day early ahead of the storm and temp forecasts rose to ideal for workout winter sports. We found ourselves dressed too warmly and shedding layers early on the first day. The Big Storm meant a little extra car clearing, but left the woods stunningly beautiful. Half of the group skied and many snowshoed. I can’t express enough what a magical winter wonderland we experienced. We had another (soon to become traditional) apres ski at the storied Trapp Family Lodge. Smiles on all our faces at the end of the day and 3 more days to go.

FOMO? There is still time to sign up for our last trip at Boonville, NY in February.

Cross-country Skiing and Snowshoeing at Snowy Boonville, NY

KAYAKING/CANOEING NEWS

Kayaking/Canoeing Chair

Frank Pearce

The OCSJ Canoe/Kayak Mileage Club is for paddlers who like to set personal goals .

Any canoe/kayak trip counts with any group or individual.

For details contact Frank Pearce.

Results  for  2025  Paddle  Season

500 + Mile  CLUB

Charles Keys 629 miles

Honorable Mention

John Dolph 258.3miles

 Linda Yeager 256 miles

John Yeager 256 miles

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Markie Kaczorowski

by Vera Stek

By Vera Stek

It’s not even two years since Markie Kaczorowski joined the Outdoor Club after she retired and had more time for activities other than work. The club’s schedule gave her the motivation to get out and hike more often and the Grand Mile Club helped to push her to go the distance. 

But that wasn’t enough for her; she immediately saw a need she wanted to fill. She enjoys doing longer hikes and decided to step up to become a hike leader.

Her first attempts were apparently a great success since she received many kudos from hike participants. While she is just learning about all the beautiful places to hike in New Jersey, Markie has also taken up kayaking, which she hopes to devote more time to this year and she has been helping Mike Baker with tech support for the club.

This month, you’ll notice that not only is Markie in the Spotlight, but she is also the club’s new newsletter editor. “Lennie has decided about three years it’s time to pass the pen. I stepped up because I think I can do a good job,” Markie said.

Here’s Markie’s story:

Q. Tell us about yourself.

MARKIE: I was born in Chicago and came to NJ 30 years ago because of my job. I currently live in Sicklerville. I’m retired and have 3 cats. I refer to them as my kids.

Q. When and why did you join the Outdoor Club? What benefits do you feel you’ve gained by belonging? 

MARKIE: I joined the Outdoor Club in October 2024. Before I joined the club, it was becoming too easy to make excuses not to walk regularly by myself. The club provides that motivation I need to keep moving. Another benefit is the friendships that developed with other hikers. 

I'm doing the 1000-mile challenge, and I do the Friday Nite Fitness Hike from September to May. (Trish doesn't lead it in the summer.) I'm in awe of nature's beauty on all of my hikes, but the Friday Night Fitness Hike (in mid-December) was the most notable. We looked up at the sky and it was filled with stars. It was beautiful, that's the reason why I hike on Friday night.

Q. Do you participate in other club activities besides hiking? Do you have favorite places to hike? What made you step up to become a hike leader?

MARKIE: Currently I only participate with hiking group. I don’t have any favorite places yet, I like all the places I’ve hiked, I’m just always amazed with the wonders of nature. I became a leader because I think we need more leaders to lead longer hikes. I really enjoy the longer hikes.

Q. Do you hike year around? What’s your preferred weather for hiking?

MARKIE: I hike year round. In a perfect world, when the temps are in the high 50s to 60s and dry is the best weather for hiking. I do a lot of Al’s hikes along the Jersey Shore in the summer, but the summer temperatures are rough; there’s a limit to how much clothes I can shed. My No. 1 safety tip: drink plenty of water, no matter the time of year. 

Q. What do you feel are the benefits of outdoor activities and enjoying nature?

MARKIE: I think this quote describes the benefits of enjoying nature:

“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” John Muir (1838-1914)

Q. Do you take active vacations?

MARKIE: I hadn't in the past but last September I went with fellow club members Patricia Comerford, Mary Rospos and Nancy Ward and we walked the Camino from Baiona to Santiago. It was fantastic. I want to go back and take one of the other paths to Santiago. My ideal route would be the Camino Francés 800 km for 30 days, but I don’t have anyone to watch my kids (cats), and I don’t know if I can be separated that long from them. 

This was my first trip outside of the States, and I’m hooked. If I don’t do the Camino, I want to see other places in the world.

I also did a couple long hikes late last year, one 26 miles and the other 29 miles with the Freewalkers Club, and I loved them. I used to think 15 miles was a long hike. This year I’m registered for a 50-mile hike with them at the end of  February in West Virginia. I’m also scheduled for two Mammoth Marches: South Carolina for 30 miles and Delaware Valley in Elkton, MD, for 20 miles.

Q. Any places on your bucket list?

MARKIE: Yellowstone National Park, Alaska and Iceland.

Q. What are some of your other interests?

MARKIE: I started kayaking last year kayaking and didn’t have time for it. Hopefully this year I’ll be able to make time. I have never gone camping, I would like to try that.

Q. Anything else you’d like to say about anything?

 MARKIE: I love how our club has accepted me for who I am. 

VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE

Joanne McNally

OCSJ hosted its first new member information session by Zoom on January 15. It was very well attended, and the Volunteer Committee is figuring out the schedule and when we will meet again. Sign up on Meetup just as you would for a regular event. Thanks to all our new members for participating in and joining the club.

OCSJ board members and activity chairs presented a brief history of the club, and how event notifications have evolved. We went from a printed schedule, called The Trekker, 2-4 times per year, to an activity hotline, to a website, and finally to Meetup.

New members had their questions answered regarding Meetup functionality (including waitlists), prospective event leadership roles, equipment needed, event pacing, trail maintenance activities, mileage clubs, and more.

Interesting tidbits that came out, unknown at least to this author and others, included Back To Nature being the origin of the Batona Trail name. During 2025, hiking leaders hosted 760 events, and bike leaders hosted 281 events.

The next new member information session is scheduled for Thursday February 19th, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. check Meetup for details. Please join us at the meeting, even if you are an established member. 

MEETUP TIPS

Diane Mason

Starting with next month’s newsletter, this section will be devoted to meetup tips to help you navigate the sometimes crazy, often frustrating, but totally necessary world of Meetup and the OCSJ’s Hiking, Biking, and Paddling/Skiing Meetup groups. 

I’m Diane Mason, current leader and prior Hiking Chair, and a member of the OCSJ for over 20 years. I have been asked by our new president, Barbara Berman, to provide assistance with all things Meetup…things that directly impact our members and with things running quietly in the background. Our goal is to make it easy to enjoy OCSJ events not get frustrated signing up for them. 

If you have Meetup questions, reach out to your leader or Activity Chair first. If the chairs and leaders need more info to assist you, they can reach out to me at meetuphelp@ocsj.org. Working together, we’ll make sure you receive the help you need to sign up for your favorite activities. 

OFFICIAL OCSJ LOGO TSHIRTS

The Outdoor Club of South Jersey is happy to announce the availability of club T-Shirts through Print Shop Shirts. Ordering will be ongoing, submitted regularly when there is a quantity sufficient to place the order.

We have 13 different styles to choose from ranging from simple ring spun cotton shirts, moisture management/antimicrobial performance fabric, to moisture wicking to UPF sun protection. Short sleeve and long sleeve with many different colors to choose from. Choose from full back printing only, or front left breast printing only, or both front & back printing.

The ordering process from Print Shop Shirts is simple:

Go to OCSJ Store

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY

Maura Mawn

If you know of an OCSJ member who would benefit from receiving a card of congratulations for a milestone birthday, life event or a note of condolence, contact the Corresponding Secretary and a card will be sent on behalf of the club.

Shout Outs: Want to submit a "Shout Out"? Have you experienced a leader on an event that exceeded your expectations? Has a particular person gone above and beyond in their capacity as a leader or a participating member of OCSJ and you want to let everyone know? Tell about your experience in an email to the Corresponding Secretary and it will be published in our next Newsletter.

ANNUAL MILEAGE CLUBS

A new year means setting new goals. How about hiking 1,000 miles?

The Grand Mile Club (GMC) is for members who love a challenge! The rules are simple, but it takes grit and determination to finish. Each outing, be it walking, running, hiking, or treadmill, must be a minimum of 2 miles. To reach the lofty 1,000 miles in a year, you will need to be logging 84 miles per month. There is a little more to it, so if you are interested in joining the elite GMC, contact Jenny Buffington for more details. Registration closes at the end of January. I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Announcing the 2025 Grand Mile Club Finishers!

Over hill and dale, through our United States and Countries beyond, each of the Grand Milers took on the challenge of hiking/walking 1000 miles for 2025. 

Goal Set, Goal Met! 

Congratulations to:

Larry Buffington, Jenny Buffington, Cathy Carlis, Regina Coeby, Vicky Gordon, Roger Heckman, Fran Horn, Tom Hummel, Markie Kaczorowski, Jerry Kloby, Sue Lehrman, Jean Maltese, Tammy Mills, Valeri Morone, Terri Morrow, Kelly O'Brien, Liz Panacek, Jon Peterson, Marianne Robinson, Mary Rospos, Lynn Scheer, Vera Stek, and Richard Whitehill

500/750 Club 

If you are not quite up to 1,000 miles, then consider aiming for 500/750 miles.  The rules are the same as the 1,000 club, except there is a minimum of 1 mile per outing.  At the end of each month, I'll email a reminder to send in your miles and then update and send you a spreadsheet showing each member’s total to date.  If interested in joining, contact Ann Palaitis for more details.

Paddling

The OCSJ Canoe/Kayak Mileage Club is for paddlers who like to set personal goals. Any canoe/kayak trip counts with any group or individual. For details go to PADDLING-MILEAGE-GUIDE. Contact Frank Pearce, Paddle Chair, for more details.

"THE OCSJ MARKET PLACE"

the place to BUY-SELL-GIVE-BORROW

The OCSJ Market Place

   Rules for  posting items for  sale

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

A  Description of item for sale  (Outdoor  related)

B  Asking price

C  1 or 2 pictures of items

D  Contact information- seller's name, phone# and/or email

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Your club is made up entirely of volunteers. You will get more out of it, if you put more into it! There are many opportunities to help behind the scenes and on activities. Ask your leader about it on your next event. Let them know if you have any time or talents you would like to share with the club.

Board of Trustees - The OCSJ Board meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7 pm. Currently, our meetings are on ZOOM. To attend the meetings, contact the OCSJ President Barbara Berman, at president@ocsj.org.

OCSJ MEMBERSHIP

In honor of George Washington's birthday this month The photo at the top of this newsletter is from a hike in Washington's Crossing State Park.

Thank you for reading my first newsletter as editor.

Markie

newsletter@ocsj.org