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Skip “Whitecap” Fredericksen at his trail magic setup in Sharon. Whitecap keeps a log of the thru-hikers who stop for refreshments.
D.H. Callahan
Since 2022, Whitecap has been a volunteer with the Appalachian Mountain Club, clearing downed trees and other debris from his designated section of trail. It’s an assignment that’s proving particularly challenging this year, with the Northwest Corner’s Fourth of July storm requiring an estimated 130 hours of sawing alone. But Whitecap doesn’t let persistent obstacles get in the way of his role. In fact, he sees the increased challenges as a reason to give more. And Whitecap knows a thing or two about challenges.
In 2021, at the age of 67, Whitecap and his two daughters, whose trailnames are Nocs and Zazu, hiked the entire Appalachian Trail together, from Georgia to Maine. As a senior hiker, Whitecap faced obstacles with a patience and grace that weren’t required of the younger, faster kids. It was early in their journey when Whitecap first felt the power of trail magic for himself.
“You could be having a really rotten day, and there are a lot them, cause it can feel like the trail is just there to beat you down. But you turn a corner and find somebody who’s passing out free food, and it brightens your whole outlook.”
Two Appalachian Trail thru-hikers who walked here from Georgia. D.H. Callahan
Throughout his 2021 hike, Whitecap encountered countless run-ins with trail magic, including a couple of men who hiked out to a campsite far from the nearest road carrying a big camp stove and enough hot food to feed several tired thru-hikers. People have set up RVs with phone charging stations and flush toilets, while others bring homemade cookies and granola bars in individual baggies to pass out on day hikes. No matter the method, the act of giving is always magic.
A year after his 205-day hike, he and Zazu decided to give back to the trail. They set up tables and chairs at an AT road crossing in Sharon and laid out bags of chips, fruit, water, Gatorade and a little camp stove to make hot dogs and veggie dogs for exhausted hikers. Though his offerings are carefully considered, he knows full well that the specifics are secondary.
“It doesn’t even matter what the food is,” he said. “It’s the kindness of people who really care about the hikers, and that’s what makes the difference.”
You might think trail maintenance and trail magic would be enough of a tribute to the challenges and community of the Appalachian Trail, but Whitecap doesn’t stop there. He’s turned his love of the trail into a musical slideshow performance, with tongue-in-cheek songs about his journey set to musical classics. He calls it “AT: The Musical.” It’s just another way he’s spreading the gospel of kindness and nature throughout Connecticut.
Get a preview of “AT: The Musical” at bit.ly/4wEb09v
A full table at House of Books’ Salon at Swyft in Kent.
D.H. Callahan
The series is based on the 19th-century tradition of the artistic and academic salons, which were seen as cultural hubs for the upper echelons of society. There, writers, artists, dancers, musicians and actors would gather in intimate settings, often the parlors of the wealthy and aristocratic patrons. While House of Books isn’t exactly equipped for such an event, the restaurant it is affiliated with, Swyft, certainly is. Known throughout the region as being one of the most consistently delicious and innovative restaurants, Swyft shares a common owner with House of Books, making for some seamless collaborations.
The menu for cocktails and family-style dinner at Swyft.D.H. Callahan
After pausing for a few years, Rybeck believed the time was right to revive the series, so he invited Hannah Lillith Assadi, author of the new novel “Paradiso 17,” for the first Salon of the season. The novel is based on the story of her late father’s life, beginning with his family’s expulsion after the Nakba of 1948.
Israeli-Palestinian relations are a particularly sensitive subject these days, often leading to passionate arguments between opposing sides. But the well-read literature enthusiasts at the salon weren’t interested in the politics of the book so much as they were the art of it. Over a family-style dinner of fresh salads, pizza and specialty cocktails, the conversation was surprisingly civil and curious. The group discussed structure and narrative, sense of place and the feeling of transience.
The whole evening was a wonderfully refreshing departure from the vitriolic divisiveness of today’s online discourse. While the anonymity of the internet can frequently lead to heated rhetoric, the act of sitting down with like-minded individuals to share food, and talk with each other seems to do the exact opposite. It’s at once calming, intellectually satisfying and culinarily enriching.
The next Salon on Aug. 27 will feature Natasha Stagg, author of the new novel “Grand Rapids,” and painter Sam McKinniss, whose art is featured on the book’s cover.
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Oskar Espina Ruiz and the Erinys Quartet
D.H. Callahan
But Music Mountain doesn’t rest on its historical laurels. While it honors its past, carefully noting in its programs when prominent classical pieces have been previously performed, it also takes pride in its premieres. Most recently, Artistic Director Oskar Espina Ruiz was involved in such a premiere.
Gordon Hall on the Music Mountain campus.D.H. Callahan
On Sunday, Aug. 2, Alfonso Fuentes, a Puerto Rican composer, improvisation pianist, poet and educator, joined Ruiz and the Erinys Quartet, which won first prize at the 2025 Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition in Norway, for the premiere of his Clarinet Quintet. The performance was one of three clarinet premieres happening throughout August; the other two were composed by Seth Grosshandler on Aug. 16, with the Ulysses Quartet, and by Javier Montiel on Aug. 30, with Cassatt Quartet.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Music Mountain without some classics, so Ruiz will join the quartets for additional pieces by Mozart, Weber and other legendary composers.
But classics aren’t always classical. Jacques Gordon’s son, Nicholas Gordon took over as artistic director in 1974, and during his tenure introduced the Twilight Jazz Concerts on Saturday nights. These performances allow the audience to let their hair down, and revel in the unpredictability of the genre.
The Verona Quartet in Gordon Hall in July.D.H. Callahan
Jazz has developed in remarkable ways since Music Mountain’s founding, and many of its subgenres take their place on the stage of Gordon Hall. This year has seen straight-ahead jazz pianist Helen Sung, vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, swinging big bands like Bob Parker’s Jive by Five and Music Mountain’s 20-piece house band. Still to come are Grammy Award winners Bill Charlap with his trio, andZaccai Curtis and his Afro-Cuban quartet.
This season also features a couple wild cards that fall outside of the jazz and classical circles. The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players brought the silliest operas of the 19th century to Gordon Hall on Aug. 8, and on Aug. 22, pianist Donald Sosin and singer/percussionist Joanna Seaton will accompany Buster Keaton’s silent film “The General” with a live score, breathing new life into an old cinematic classic.
With all this, and many more Sunday afternoon classical performances running through Sept. 13, there’s still time to catch some incredible magic on the Mountain.
For a full listing of performances and tickets, visit musicmountain.org
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PUBLISHER'S NOTICE: Equal Housing Opportunity. All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1966 revised March 12, 1989 which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color religion, sex, handicap or familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All residential property advertised in the State of Connecticut General Statutes 46a-64c which prohibit the making, printing or publishing or causing to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or:rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
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