hi, our name is MDN, and our social media account is @markdenardo we are queer, non-binary, and our pronouns are (they/them/we) we also identify as neurodivergent.
please call us M. we will be giving a short presentation at the Brooklyn Public Library central branch, this Sunday 2023-08-12 at 1:30pm for the livecodenyc meetup, regarding the livecode event called algotrek, to field questions/create interest for new participants in the livecodenyc community

algotrek

what is algotrek ??

origins and intentions

• algotrek started in 2013 as a series called "mountain shows"
• founded by Dan Goldberg aka Spookfish
• it was held at cold spring at bull hill; this series ran until 2015-12-16.

many great artists played this event, and we personally were very happy to be a part of it, and sad when it ended. the focus of this event was minimalism, meditation, reflection, and a connection to nature. our band fablesnyc played the first event and we participated on many occasions.
this location is magical and sacred to many people.

• after the pandemic we got involved with livecodenyc and wanted to play shows that did not require a venue, a PA, or personal resources/finances that we couldn't offer.
• we decided to restart the mountain shows; to share this space with people familiar, and unfamiliar with the outdoor space seemed like a great experience to share.
• we also found the requirements for attending and/or performing unique and would help members of he livecodenyc community discover new things about themselves and their practices.
• we're happy to say, that most people when asked afterwards about algotrek shared they had a good time, got to meet some new people, and enjoyed the outdoors/context not experienced before.
• we're grateful to everyone who has participated in the past, and you can watch this video of the first algotrek, which took place on 2022-07-23

details and description of the event

• this event starts at the Washburn Trailhead in Cold Spring, is a hike up Bull Hill to an elevation of 1,420-foot (433 m) summit, followed by a downhill trek through woods, and finally a more gentle descent through the Cornish Ruins, leading us back to the Washburn Trailhead.
• the total milage for this event is somewhere between 6 and 8 miles, including walking to and from the Cold Spring station.
• Most of us will be taking the Metro North Hudson line from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, NYC to Cold Spring on the 9:43am train, returning on the 8:24PM or 9:24 train from Cold Spring, back to NYC
a round trip off-peak ticket costs $26.50 USD the last time we checked, although it may cost more at the time of the event.
• with luck and a good pace we can do this in 6.5 hours.
• four(4) performers (or livecode pairs) will perform on that day, as well as ourselves (MDN), making a total of five (5) performances for the day.
• each performance is 20 minutes long, due to the nature of the event, and will take place after lunch on the summit.
we would prefer that the total group (including hikers who are not performing) not exceed 20 people.

caveats

during mountain shows era, a New York Times article was published, which attracted a lot of postive interest, and also was unappreciated by the local citizens of Cold Spring, who were concerned with litter, noise, and the disruption of the ecosystem that the mountain show attendees and performers might wrought upon Bull Hill. during one visit, the local police asked a group of 50 attendees to leave, and it took a lot of coaxing from Dan for the police to allow everyone access to hike. as a result the mountain shows needed to be more of a secret to be successful. hopefully, this intention adds to the mystery and wonder of this place.

• please DO honor the intentions of algotrek, to be a magical, meditative, and safe event
• please DO NOT disclose the location of algotrek when sharing the event online
• please DO NOT announce our intentions to employees of the ny parks recreation and historic preservation
• please DO NOT disclose the location of algotrek to non-members who cannot honor these requests
• please DO inform the organizer directly when presenting a talk, publication, or performance in the context of algotrek outside it's purview
• please DO inform all new members and guests of these requests as they will directly impact the algotrek organizer, performers, and volunteers
• please DO direct new livecodenyc members and guests to the algotrek thread for all current information on the event

realities of algotrek

• all particpants are advised that this is an 8-mile hike, with a few breaks during the ascent, then a lunch, and subsequent performances after a descent.
• this is a rigorous hike, requiring each participant to be realistic about their personal ability. not honoring this could result in personal injury for which we and livecodenyc are not legally held harmful in any case.

we have as in the past of course invited everyone to join, but this event isn't a safe event for everyone. before attending, we must ask that you check in with yourself, and consider if this event is for you. in addition, there is a lot of chaos/surrender in the event/experience itself, so we ask that everyone also consider that before committing to one of the four performance spaces available...including your own schedule, equipment you may feel comfortable/uncomfortable hiking with, and the level of reliability each person can commit to the outlined schedule.

in addition:
• if someone can't perform, and has already committed to perform, we ask that you contact MDN (please communicate over Discord; it may take a day or two for a reply) as soon as possible
• that performance space will open to the next prioritized performer.
• we want to see this hike happen on the day scheduled, with the exception of extreme weather
• in the case of extreme we will reschedule for a later date, in this particular case the weekend after on Saturday 2023-11-04
• we recommend anyone not comfortable with any conditions that day, should the hike happen, not attend for their own safety.

call for volunteers and performers

• the signup for algotrek will be posted on 2023-09-01, on the algotrek channel on the livecodenyc discord, with more instructions to follow.
• the line-up is scheduled to be announced on 2023-09-15.

to hold ourself personally accountable, we want to share that we are only able to do the following for each event:

• setting the date of the event
• scheduling and rescheduling performers
• fielding questions, problem solving for each performer and attendee over the discord channel, within reason
• coordinating on the day to get people on the train...meeting at the Washburn Trail head successfully to the best of our ability
• leading the hike and setting a pace, keeping the vibes light and magical, and finally performing at algotrek.
• performing at the event, which is what feeds us for organizing and commiting our time, energy, and light. :)

responsibilties we need support with are:

• helping to coordinate/gathering the group on the day at Grand Central Terminal and the Washburn Trailhead
• watching the clock for performers to ensure we stay on time for the event
• committing to supporting folx experiencing physical/emotional needs on the hike (with their request and consent)
• providing first aid or emergency services to anyone with injuries or personal emergencies (again in the case of personal emergencies, with their request and consent)
• documenting the event and sharing documentation on a google drive to be shared with MDN and the participants of the event.

Consequences of a lack of volunteers:

• livecodenyc members and guests may miss the train or the meetup point at the Washburn Trailhead and any opportunity to hike on algotrek that day
• members experiencing emotional disturbances in nature, or during the event itself will potentially not be supported, causing unnecessary dissonance, and personal distress to the person in need of support.
• if a member or guest is injured seriously, and there were no one with medical experience to support this, we would need to immediately end the event, and request that everyone support the injured person to get off the mountain safely. the safety of one is more important than a performance. this may still happen regardless of an experienced medical practitioner present, depending on the state of their injury.
• A lack of volunteers would cause us personal distress, make us feel that we are unappreciated for organizing this event for livecodenyc
• we might run over time if no one is watching the clock for individual performers, putting some members at risk when returning home, or others who have commitments they have later that evening.
• the event will not be properly documented, and we will miss out on the opportunity to share our experience with others

the main purpose of this meetup is to recruit a number of attendees who wish to commit to this fairly consistently, as that in some cases it is a matter of safety for the whole group. we're going to assign each performer a location before the trek, and must ask that remains consistent; in the past people have played at a different locations after being assigned, which turned out to be another performer's spot; this can potentially disrupt another's expectations, and possibly upset another member of our community. this has happened to us personally, and we wouldn't wish it on anyone.

tl;dr

• algotrek is a livecodenyc event which started in 2023, formerly known as mountain shows, which started in 2013. algotrek is a hiking livecode event which takes place in Cold Spring, NY on Bull HIll. it's an 8-mile hike which ascends 1420 feet, requires all attendees arrive at the Washburn Trailhead, no later than 11:20am on the day of the event, and which wil take approximately 6.5 hours. the total personal responsibilty of this event for every person is $26.50 USD(if taking the train), the ability to hike, an open mind, and some relative discretion about the location of the event.
• taking the train we leave from Grand Central Terminal at 9:40am, leaving from Cold Spring to return to NYC as late as 9:20pm the day of the event. it is a strenous, magical hike, that requires some mental and physical durability to provide problem solving with regards to performers, and also each hiker. we are in need of individuals who will help to coordinate gathering the group on the day at the Washburn Trailhead, commiting to supporting anyone in need of physical/emotional help during the hike, providing first aid or emergency services to anyone with injuries or personal emergencies, and documenting the event itself, and finally documentating and sharing the event on a google drive with MDN and the participants of the event.
• this algotrek(#4, second halloween edition) is scheduled for 2023-10-28, and our "rain date" will be Saturday 2023-11-04. we appreciate your patience and kindness with regards to presenting your questions and concerns. MDN will collect and respond to all concerns shared at the livecodenyc meetup at the Brooklyn Public Library central branch, this Sunday 2023-08-12 at 1:45pm, on the algotrek thread via the livecodenyc discord, as well as initite a zoom call and recording of the meetup on the same thread; the link will be shared on the discord on the algotrek thread. this meeting as a result will be 45 min long with a hard stop; we appreciate everyone's observation of this, and hopefully everyone will get to share their thoughts. online members, async members, and members who do feel that they vetted all their concerns should share any additional questions on the algotrek thread.

thanks for reading this. we hope to see y'all in October 🌿
bless 😇
MDN

credits

• this document was written by MDN, and vetted/reviewed by nasser (thanks nasser!), a lead organizer and founding member of livecodenyc
• we welcome any members with feedback on the parameters of the event
• please contact nasser or MDN directly over discord, or on the livecodenyc algotrek channel with any questions, comments, or concerns

smartphone users please view this in landscape for optimal experience