The Great Smoky Mountains added an advisory to their website this morning concerning trail construction in the Pecks Corner area that will occur from October 13-20.
Park officials state that they do not anticipate closing the trail, however, there may be delays of up to 15 minutes. For your safety, they ask that you make your presence known as you approach the job site.
The park doesn't mention which trail, but Pecks Corner is located near the junction of the Appalachian Trail and the Hughes Ridge Trail - roughly 6 miles east of Charlies Bunion.
Other trail advisories:
• The Russell Field Shelter is closed due to on-going rehabilitation project.
• Water sources from campsite 113 to Spence Field are still unreliable. Water is currently available at Derrick Knob, which is approximately 23 miles from Fontana. Please plan your hike accordingly.
• The Little River/Jakes Creek Trail access road in the Elkmont area will be closed to public use through Oct 15.
Trails with bear warnings posted:
• Laurel Falls Trail
• Rainbow Falls Trail and parking area
• Lower Mount Cammerer Trail - Sutton Ridge Overlook area
For a complete list of bear warnings and temporary closures, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Showing posts with label appalachian trail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label appalachian trail. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Peter Barr completes the Appalachian Trail
Last weekend I received an email from Peter Barr, author of Hiking North Carolina’s Lookout Towers, stating that he had recently completed his trek across the entire length of the Appalachian Trail.
Peter began his hike from Springer Mountain in Georgia on March 22nd:
Along the way he averaged about 15 miles a day - excluding rest days. He saw 10 bears, one moose, one bobcat, and one skunk - inside his pack!
Most importantly, he raised $3,124 for the restoration of the Shuckstack lookout tower in the Great Smoky Mountains, surpassing his fundraising goal by nearly $1,000.
159 days later, on August 29, he reached Mt. Katahdin in Maine. As you can tell from the two pictures, he changed quite a bit. In addition to the beard, he lost 30 pounds along the trail.
Peter will be posting journal entries and photos on his blog over the next few months.
He will also be the guest speaker at the Carolina Mountain Club's Annual Dinner on October 30th in Hendersonville, NC where he will be giving a slideshow presentation and talk about his hike.
Congrats to Peter on an awesome accomplishment!
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Peter began his hike from Springer Mountain in Georgia on March 22nd:
Along the way he averaged about 15 miles a day - excluding rest days. He saw 10 bears, one moose, one bobcat, and one skunk - inside his pack!Most importantly, he raised $3,124 for the restoration of the Shuckstack lookout tower in the Great Smoky Mountains, surpassing his fundraising goal by nearly $1,000.
159 days later, on August 29, he reached Mt. Katahdin in Maine. As you can tell from the two pictures, he changed quite a bit. In addition to the beard, he lost 30 pounds along the trail.
Peter will be posting journal entries and photos on his blog over the next few months.
He will also be the guest speaker at the Carolina Mountain Club's Annual Dinner on October 30th in Hendersonville, NC where he will be giving a slideshow presentation and talk about his hike.
Congrats to Peter on an awesome accomplishment!
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Friday, September 17, 2010
Water issues on the Appalachian Trail
I just wanted to pass on a couple of water issues along the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies and Shenandoah National Park.
According to the latest Smokies update:
Water sources from campsite 113 to Spence Field are unreliable at his time. Water is currently available at Derrick Knob, which is approximately 23 miles from Fontana. Please plan your hike accordingly or consider planning a hike when water sources become more reliable again.
And in Shenandoah:
Water sources along the A.T. in the park are in danger of drying up. Hikers will find that most springs are not dependable and need to carry plenty of water with them. You can click here for a detailed list of water sources in the park.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
According to the latest Smokies update:
Water sources from campsite 113 to Spence Field are unreliable at his time. Water is currently available at Derrick Knob, which is approximately 23 miles from Fontana. Please plan your hike accordingly or consider planning a hike when water sources become more reliable again.
And in Shenandoah:
Water sources along the A.T. in the park are in danger of drying up. Hikers will find that most springs are not dependable and need to carry plenty of water with them. You can click here for a detailed list of water sources in the park.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Threats to the Appalachian Trail
The Waynesboro News Virginian published an article over the weekend that highlighted some of hazards faced by the Appalachian Trail. The motivation for the article stemmed from a National Parks Conservation Association study (PDF) that was released earlier in the year that listed many of threats the AT is facing, including invasive plant species, power lines, pipelines, race tracks, quarries, cell towers and wind turbines.
“There are at least three wind turbine projects at various stages of permitting,” said David Startzell, executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. “I don’t see that going away anytime soon.”
Among those projects are Maine Mountain Power’s proposal to build 30 400-foot wind turbines adjacent to the trail corridor on the ridges of the Redington and Black Nubble Mountains.
Some of the turbines are proposed for within one mile of remote and scenic sections of the trail.
Please click here to read the entire article.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more
“There are at least three wind turbine projects at various stages of permitting,” said David Startzell, executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. “I don’t see that going away anytime soon.”
Among those projects are Maine Mountain Power’s proposal to build 30 400-foot wind turbines adjacent to the trail corridor on the ridges of the Redington and Black Nubble Mountains.
Some of the turbines are proposed for within one mile of remote and scenic sections of the trail.
Please click here to read the entire article.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Konnarock Crew works to relocate AT on Roan Highlands
For the last two years the Tennessee Eastman Hiking & Canoeing Club has been working to relocate the Appalachian Trail between Grassy Ridge and Bradley Gap, replacing the route originally installed in the 1950’s that basically goes straight up and down every summit.
Trail locations such as this along the fall line result in high erosion, especially in areas with heavy use, high precipitation, and soft soils, all characteristic of the Roan Highlands. The TEHCC is nearing completion of this project with two relocations remaining, one on either side of the Stan Murray Shelter.
In conjunction with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Konnarock Crew, the TEHCC hopes to complete the project this summer and is looking for volunteers to help out.
There are two Crew work weekends left this year: July 8-12, and August 5-9.
The Crew arrives on Thursdays and will stay at the Overmountain Shelter. They finish up and break camp by Monday around lunchtime. Friday, Saturday, and Sundays are the best days for volunteers to help with those being full work days.
For more information, click here, or contact Joe DeLoach at 423-753-7263 or Carl Fritz at 423-477-4669.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Trail locations such as this along the fall line result in high erosion, especially in areas with heavy use, high precipitation, and soft soils, all characteristic of the Roan Highlands. The TEHCC is nearing completion of this project with two relocations remaining, one on either side of the Stan Murray Shelter.
In conjunction with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's Konnarock Crew, the TEHCC hopes to complete the project this summer and is looking for volunteers to help out.
There are two Crew work weekends left this year: July 8-12, and August 5-9.
The Crew arrives on Thursdays and will stay at the Overmountain Shelter. They finish up and break camp by Monday around lunchtime. Friday, Saturday, and Sundays are the best days for volunteers to help with those being full work days.
For more information, click here, or contact Joe DeLoach at 423-753-7263 or Carl Fritz at 423-477-4669.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Update on hiker who died on AT Friday
The Roanoke Times is reporting that the 60-year-old Florida man who was found dead this past Friday at the Cornelius Creek Shelter along the Appalachian Trail in Botetourt County, Virginia, complained of shoulder and chest pains earlier in the day.
A Colorado woman hiking the Appalachian Trail posted a note on a Website for trail enthusiasts suggesting she might have been the last one to see the man alive. Christy Cleaver of Fort Collins said she and a fellow hiker saw the man at the Cornelius Creek Shelter during lunch Friday.
It "was his second day on trail," she wrote in the online forum at whiteblaze.net. "He sounded like he may have struggled up the incline that day but seemed fine when we spoke to him. He was talkative and in good spirits, happy to be on trail. Must have been natural causes. Our condolences to his loved ones."
Officials are still trying to find relatives of the man before releasing his name.
Here's a first hand account from the hiker who found the man at the shelter.
As the article mentions, the Florida hiker's death is the second on the Appalachian Trail in less than a month. On May 8, a 26-year-old hiker from Michigan was found dead at the Icewater Spring Shelter in the Great Smoky Mountains. Results from the autopsy and toxicology report still haven't been released.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
A Colorado woman hiking the Appalachian Trail posted a note on a Website for trail enthusiasts suggesting she might have been the last one to see the man alive. Christy Cleaver of Fort Collins said she and a fellow hiker saw the man at the Cornelius Creek Shelter during lunch Friday.
It "was his second day on trail," she wrote in the online forum at whiteblaze.net. "He sounded like he may have struggled up the incline that day but seemed fine when we spoke to him. He was talkative and in good spirits, happy to be on trail. Must have been natural causes. Our condolences to his loved ones."
Officials are still trying to find relatives of the man before releasing his name.
Here's a first hand account from the hiker who found the man at the shelter.
As the article mentions, the Florida hiker's death is the second on the Appalachian Trail in less than a month. On May 8, a 26-year-old hiker from Michigan was found dead at the Icewater Spring Shelter in the Great Smoky Mountains. Results from the autopsy and toxicology report still haven't been released.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Hiker found dead at shelter on Appalachian Trail
The Roanoke Times is reporting that a 60-year-old Florida man hiking the Appalachian Trail was found dead Friday afternoon, the Botetourt County Sheriff's Office said.
Authorities received a call from another hiker who reported finding a body about 2 p.m. Friday, Maj. Delbert Dudding said. The hiker had stopped at the Cornelius Creek Shelter and noticed a man who appeared to be sleeping but was unresponsive.
A journal was found with the body, and it described plans to hike the trail until September. Entries within the past few days detailed pain and medical issues the writer was having. There were no signs of injury or foul play, Dudding said.
The sheriff's office is not releasing the name of the man until relatives are contacted, Dudding said
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Authorities received a call from another hiker who reported finding a body about 2 p.m. Friday, Maj. Delbert Dudding said. The hiker had stopped at the Cornelius Creek Shelter and noticed a man who appeared to be sleeping but was unresponsive.
A journal was found with the body, and it described plans to hike the trail until September. Entries within the past few days detailed pain and medical issues the writer was having. There were no signs of injury or foul play, Dudding said.
The sheriff's office is not releasing the name of the man until relatives are contacted, Dudding said
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Invasive plants along the Appalachian Trail
Throughout the month of May the Carolina Mountain Club will be hosting informational workshops concerning the problems associated with invasive plants along the Appalachian Trail.
The workshops will be taught by expert instructors who will discuss the problem of invasive exotic plants, threats to native biodiversity, identification of 12 to 15 plants of particular concern, and management techniques used along the Appalachian Trail.
A workshop will be held on each Saturday throughout the month of May and will include a hike along various sections of the Appalachian Trail in the Pisgah National Forest, including hikes beginning from Lemon Gap, Sam's Gap and Roan Mountain.
The first workshop is tomorrow. Click here for the schedule and contact information.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
The workshops will be taught by expert instructors who will discuss the problem of invasive exotic plants, threats to native biodiversity, identification of 12 to 15 plants of particular concern, and management techniques used along the Appalachian Trail.
A workshop will be held on each Saturday throughout the month of May and will include a hike along various sections of the Appalachian Trail in the Pisgah National Forest, including hikes beginning from Lemon Gap, Sam's Gap and Roan Mountain.
The first workshop is tomorrow. Click here for the schedule and contact information.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Friday, April 23, 2010
We proceeded on....
"We proceeded on" was the phrase Meriwether Lewis often used in his journals as he and William Clark made their trek to the Pacific Ocean and back. This phrase would be quite appropriate for a few modern day travelers as they proceed on with their own expeditions.
I thought I would take this opportunity to provide an update on some of these treks that I've mentioned on this blog in the past.
Blind Hiker makes it to Damascus:
That title sounds almost biblical. However, some of you may recall a story I did a few weeks ago regarding Mike Hanson, the blind hiker who was attempting to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. Mike just reached the town of Damascus in Virginia the other day. Getting to Damascus wasn't easy. In a 3/27/10 posting on his blog, Mike stated that he needed to bypass the Smoky Mountains due to the unusually deep snow and ice conditions at the higher elevations. Mike plans to hike that section after reaching Maine in a couple of months.
Hiking the AT to Restore Shuckstack Tower:
Peter Barr is also hiking the Appalachian Trail. In addition to hiking the iconic trail, Peter is also using his trek to raise money to restore the Shuckstack fire tower in the Great Smoky Mountains. Peter recently crossed Big Bald Mountain and was in Erwin, Tennessee as of yesterday. You can find more information regarding his campaign and follow along on his website.
Section hiking the MST:
Smoky Scout and Danny Bernstein continue to tackle their section hike of the Mountain-to-Sea Trail. So far they've covered 237 miles of the roughly 1000-mile trail. Both are blogging about their journeys as they make their way across North Carolina. You can follow along by clicking here and here.
13-year-old makes it to Everest Base Camp:
This story is gaining some major national and international recognition. Jordan Romero, a 13-year-old from California, has reached Base Camp on Mt. Everest. If successful this climbing season, he will become the youngest person to ever reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Everest would also be his sixth of the "Seven Summits" - the highest points on each continent. He hopes to become the youngest to reach all "Seven Summits" by tackling Mt. Vinson in the Antarctic later this year. Since his arrival at Base Camp, Jordan has been training and has already made it up to intermediate base camp at 18,700 feet.
Jordan was recently interviewed on the Today Show. Here he is at Everest Base Camp:
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
I thought I would take this opportunity to provide an update on some of these treks that I've mentioned on this blog in the past.
Blind Hiker makes it to Damascus:
That title sounds almost biblical. However, some of you may recall a story I did a few weeks ago regarding Mike Hanson, the blind hiker who was attempting to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail. Mike just reached the town of Damascus in Virginia the other day. Getting to Damascus wasn't easy. In a 3/27/10 posting on his blog, Mike stated that he needed to bypass the Smoky Mountains due to the unusually deep snow and ice conditions at the higher elevations. Mike plans to hike that section after reaching Maine in a couple of months.
Hiking the AT to Restore Shuckstack Tower:
Peter Barr is also hiking the Appalachian Trail. In addition to hiking the iconic trail, Peter is also using his trek to raise money to restore the Shuckstack fire tower in the Great Smoky Mountains. Peter recently crossed Big Bald Mountain and was in Erwin, Tennessee as of yesterday. You can find more information regarding his campaign and follow along on his website.
Section hiking the MST:
Smoky Scout and Danny Bernstein continue to tackle their section hike of the Mountain-to-Sea Trail. So far they've covered 237 miles of the roughly 1000-mile trail. Both are blogging about their journeys as they make their way across North Carolina. You can follow along by clicking here and here.
13-year-old makes it to Everest Base Camp:
This story is gaining some major national and international recognition. Jordan Romero, a 13-year-old from California, has reached Base Camp on Mt. Everest. If successful this climbing season, he will become the youngest person to ever reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Everest would also be his sixth of the "Seven Summits" - the highest points on each continent. He hopes to become the youngest to reach all "Seven Summits" by tackling Mt. Vinson in the Antarctic later this year. Since his arrival at Base Camp, Jordan has been training and has already made it up to intermediate base camp at 18,700 feet.
Jordan was recently interviewed on the Today Show. Here he is at Everest Base Camp:
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Best of the Appalachian Trail Guide
Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine published an article on their website earlier this week that offers suggestions for tackling the best of what the Appalachian Trail has to offer.BRO Magazine took an interesting take on this subject. While trying to include some of the best sections of the Appalachian Trail, they broke down their recommendations based on 2, 3, 4 and 5-day hiking options.
They offered two "weekend" or two-day hikes that include the 13-mile McAfee Knob / Tinker Cliffs hike near Roanoke, and the 14-mile A.T./Mau-Har Trail Loop near Waynesboro, VA. For experienced hikers that are in great shape, either of those hikes could be tackled in one long day.
They also offered two three-day hikes: The 26-mile section of the Mount Rogers High Country in southwestern Virginia, as well as the 29-mile Nantahala Gorge Ridgetop hike near Franklin, North Carolina.
Their recommendation for a four-day hike is the classic A.T. trek through the Great Smoky Mountains.
Their five-day backpack trip takes hikers 48 miles and includes the Nolichucky River, Roan Mountain, Grassy Ridge Bald and Overmountain near Johnson City, TN.
Each hike listed in the article includes key points of interest, mileage and camping information. To read the full article, please click here.
> For more detailed information on hiking the A.T. through the Smokies, please click here.
> For more information on the hike to the Summit of Mt. Rogers, please click here.
> For more information on Roan Mountain and the hike to Grassy Ridge Bald, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Appalachian Trail Museum dedication hike
Midway along the 2,179-mile long Appalachian Trail between Maine and Georgia is a beautiful stone grist mill that is being restored. Once restoration is completed, it will be opened as the only museum devoted to the Trail — a tribute to the more than 11,000 hikers who have hiked the A.T. from end to end and millions of others who have enjoyed hiking portions of it. The museum opening will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 5, 2010, in Gardners, Pennsylvania, roughly 15 miles west of historic Gettysburg and eight miles from Interstate 81. Pine Grove Furnace State Park is the museum's neighbor. Both are on Pennsylvania Route 233, off U.S. 30 (Lincoln Highway). Other weekend events include work trips and hikesAs part of the A.T. Museum’s dedication, a hike-in will be offered beginning from the Buck Ridge trailhead (1,200 feet elevation) at the Kings Gap Environmental Education Center on South Mountain. The six-mile route to Pine Grove Furnace State Park tops off at 1,525 feet at the 1.75 mile mark before descending to reach the gentle, rolling terrain of the three-mile homestretch.
The hike will occur on Saturday, June 5, 2010 and there will be a staggered start from 7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
There is a limit of 150 hikers. Registration will close once this limit is reached, or on May 28, 2010, whichever occurs first. There is a registration fee of $25 (by May 15) or $35 (by May 28) which includes light, cold breakfast treats and drinks at the check-in, preferred seating for the A.T. Museum’s dedication ceremony, and a special edition A.T. Museum commemorative patch. Proceeds will benefit the Appalachian Trail Museum.
Trail work trips are also scheduled for the day after the museum opening, Sunday, June 6, 2010.
The Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club (CVATC) and the Mountain Club of Maryland have scheduled a work trip on the Trail in the vicinity of South Mountain and the Alex Kennedy shelter on Sunday, June 6. Meet at Pine Grove Furnace State Park (home of the A.T. Museum) at 8:30 a.m., then carpool to South Mountain. Plan to work until around 3 p.m. and be back at the park around 4. Lunch and tools will be provided. Wear work clothes and boots. For more information, visit CVATC's website or e-mail cvatclub@gmail.com.
Also on Sunday, June 6, the York Hiking Club is planning a brush-clearing and trail clean-up trip on the A.T. on Peters Mountain. Meet at 8:30 a.m. in York at the York Hiking Club north meeting place or contact Jim Hooper (717-252-3784 or j.e.hooper@ieee.org) to arrange to meet at Peters Mountain.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Hiking the AT to save the Shuckstack Lookout Tower
Peter Barr, Chair of the Carolina Mountain Club Challenge Committee, and author of Hiking North Carolina’s Lookout Towers, is hiking the Appalachian Trail to raise money for the restoration of the Shuckstack fire tower in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.On March 22, Peter started his hike from Springer Mountain in Georgia. His goal is to raise a dollar for every mile that he hikes on the Appalachian Trail for the restoration of the Shuckstack Lookout Tower in the southern Smokies.
For those interested, you can follow Peter's journey by clicking here.
To find out more about his campaign and help the Shuckstack Fire Tower, please click here.
For more information on hiking to the Shuckstack Fire Tower, please click here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
We’re Expanding!
After an especially long and cold winter this year, hiking season is finally in view.
For those of you planning a trip to the Smokies this spring or summer, and you need a cabin or chalet during your stay, please take a moment to visit our cabin listings page. Over the last several weeks we’ve added several new cabin and chalet rental businesses to our listings page.
Support for the sponsors on our website helps maintain this website. Here’s the link:
www.hikinginthesmokys.com/cabins.htm
Oh yea, if you know of anyone that will be traveling to the Smokies this year, I would really appreciate if you could pass this information onto them as well.
One last thing I wanted to relay is that we also continue to expand the number of books related to the Great Smoky Mountains and the Southern Appalachian region. Our online Amazon affiliated store offers a wide variety of maps and books related to hiking, history and travel in the Smokies, Southern Appalachians, the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway - many of them offered at discounts. We also sell hiking gear and apparel. Here’s the link:
http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/store.htm
For those of you planning a trip to the Smokies this spring or summer, and you need a cabin or chalet during your stay, please take a moment to visit our cabin listings page. Over the last several weeks we’ve added several new cabin and chalet rental businesses to our listings page.Support for the sponsors on our website helps maintain this website. Here’s the link:
www.hikinginthesmokys.com/cabins.htm
Oh yea, if you know of anyone that will be traveling to the Smokies this year, I would really appreciate if you could pass this information onto them as well.
One last thing I wanted to relay is that we also continue to expand the number of books related to the Great Smoky Mountains and the Southern Appalachian region. Our online Amazon affiliated store offers a wide variety of maps and books related to hiking, history and travel in the Smokies, Southern Appalachians, the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway - many of them offered at discounts. We also sell hiking gear and apparel. Here’s the link:
http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/store.htm
Monday, March 8, 2010
Readers Essay Contest
As part of its latest issue, Backpacker Magazine has published its winning entries from its readers' choice essay contest.
In all, Backpacker published 14 short essays, including one by Greg Hoover who shares his secrets for finding quiet on the busiest trail in the country's busiest park - that would be the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Click here to read all 14 essays.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
In all, Backpacker published 14 short essays, including one by Greg Hoover who shares his secrets for finding quiet on the busiest trail in the country's busiest park - that would be the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Click here to read all 14 essays.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Appalachian Trail in the news
The following are a couple of news items related to the Appalachian Trail you might be interested in knowing about.* Last week the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and volunteers through its affiliate Georgia Appalachian Trail Club announced the establishment of a Georgia Appalachian Trail specialty license plate. The Georgia license plate will help raise awareness of the Trail, and volunteers will pursue profit-sharing legislation from the state to provide a source of ongoing funding to maintain, manage and protect the first 78 miles of the 2,179-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
* Ohio trail honors pioneering hiker: Ohio's No. 1 must-see state park, Hocking Hills (southeast of Columbus), is dedicating one of the park's most famous trails to Ohio's No. 1 long-distance hiker, the late Emma Rowena Gatewood. Grandma Gatewood, who died in 1973 at 86, gained national attention when she hiked the entire Appalachian Trail solo in 1955 - at the age of 68 - in tennis shoes!
In 1964, at the age of 77, Gatewood hiked the A.T. again, for the third time! In that same year she blazed a 40-mile loop off the Buckeye Trail from Meigs County through Gallia County to Lawrence County.
One of Gatewood's favorite hikes was in the Hocking Hills - a 6-mile hike from Ash Cave to Cedar Falls to Old Man's Cave. That stretch of trail is now officially known as the Grandma Gatewood Trail. Be sure to read the full article - she sounds like a wonderful and inspirational woman.
* Blogcritics.org posted an interview with Paul V. Stutzman, the author of Hiking Through: Finding Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail. The book and the interview discusses how hiking the Appalachian Trail changed his life after losing his wife to breast cancer.
* Jeff Alt, author of the highly acclaimed "A Walk for Sunshine", will be at Benchmark Outdoor Outfitters in Cincinnati, Ohio to present his "Appalachian Trail Show". Alt decided to share the experience of hiking the Appalachian Trail by turning his adventure into a fundraiser for the Sunshine Home, a facility in Maumee, Ohio that cares for 850 developmentally disabled residents, including his brother, Aaron, who has cerebral palsy. He has since raised $175,000 for the home.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Blue Ridge Outdoors Person of the Year
Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine recently named the winner of their Person of the Year award. This year's winner is Warren Doyle who will be attempting his 16th thru hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2010. He's nearly 60 years old! He also currently holds the record as the person who has hiked the AT the most times.
The magazine did a nice article on Doyle. It was written by Jennifer Davis who currently holds the women’s Appalachian Trail speed record after completing the 2176-mile trek in just 58 days in 2008.
You can read the full article by clicking here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
The magazine did a nice article on Doyle. It was written by Jennifer Davis who currently holds the women’s Appalachian Trail speed record after completing the 2176-mile trek in just 58 days in 2008.
You can read the full article by clicking here.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
Friday, January 22, 2010
ATC offers discount on Appalachian Trail license plates in TN
A grant from the Eastman Chemical Company Foundation is allowing the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) to underwrite discounts on the fees for the next 500 people to apply for an Appalachian Trail license plate in Tennessee.
Once 1,000 applications are received and the state begins producing tags, ATC’s share of the renewal fees will serve as a permanent funding source for the organization's work to protect and maintain the 280 miles of the Appalachian Trail in the state of Tennessee.
As a result of the grant, the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) license plates are now available for $15 instead of the usual $35 annual fee. Renewals will be at the standard $35 annual fee.
The ATC is offering its own incentive as well, thanking people who sign up for the license plate with a one-time annual membership to the national non profit. Existing ATC members may give someone else the membership as a gift.
The specialty A.T. license-plate program will benefit the state’s natural resources and national treasure in several ways. It will broaden awareness for this resource by widely promoting the Trail on vehicles from Memphis to Bristol. In addition, each plate will generate $15.56 annually for ATC, supporting management of such programs as land conservation, volunteer-based trail and facilities maintenance, natural-resources management, and programs that introduce children and teachers to the A. T. in Tennessee.
For more information and an application to take advantage of this offer, call the ATC at 828-254-3708 or go on line to www.appalachiantrail.org/tnlicenseplate.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
Once 1,000 applications are received and the state begins producing tags, ATC’s share of the renewal fees will serve as a permanent funding source for the organization's work to protect and maintain the 280 miles of the Appalachian Trail in the state of Tennessee.
As a result of the grant, the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) license plates are now available for $15 instead of the usual $35 annual fee. Renewals will be at the standard $35 annual fee.
The ATC is offering its own incentive as well, thanking people who sign up for the license plate with a one-time annual membership to the national non profit. Existing ATC members may give someone else the membership as a gift.The specialty A.T. license-plate program will benefit the state’s natural resources and national treasure in several ways. It will broaden awareness for this resource by widely promoting the Trail on vehicles from Memphis to Bristol. In addition, each plate will generate $15.56 annually for ATC, supporting management of such programs as land conservation, volunteer-based trail and facilities maintenance, natural-resources management, and programs that introduce children and teachers to the A. T. in Tennessee.
For more information and an application to take advantage of this offer, call the ATC at 828-254-3708 or go on line to www.appalachiantrail.org/tnlicenseplate.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
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