Ray “Otto” Douglas

Volunteer

By Carl Fritz

Ray Douglas, “Otto,” was a hiker friend to many on the A.T. On December 22, 2015, Otto lost his battle with cancer. He spent the last month and a half in a VA hospital with numerous visitors.

Otto just missed being counted as one of only a few that attended all 15 Hard Core’s with Tennessee Eastman Hiking and Canoeing Club (TEHCC). He did 14, only missing the 2014 event because he was hiking on the PCT. He did attend the 2015 Hard Core.

In addition to Hard Core, Otto accumulated over 700 volunteer hours with TEHCC while working on the A.T. He was a great worker, and if you have hiked any of our 134 miles you have trod across a step that was placed by Otto or a rock crib that he built.

While a student in 2005, Otto started a Trail Crew at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. The club is still active today and works on many trails in North Carolina plus working on the A.T. with TEHCC. He was also an Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association board member for a couple of years.

Otto’s tombstone will be at Mountain Home National Cemetery in Johnson City, TN.