Help the ATC at Boiling Springs

"The Appalachian Trail Conservancy needs volunteers to staff its visitor center at Children's Lake in Boiling Springs, Cumberland County. ... The ATC trains the volunteers and then expects them to work three-hour shifts on weekends and holidays, when staff generally is not in the center, which is also a regional office of the ATC." This all according to the Marcus Schneck article titled "Appalachian Trail Conservancy seeking volunteers for Boiling Springs center" appearing on the Patriot-News web site on 18 January 2013. Go sign up. It'll be fun.

National Trails Day at ATC Headquarters

An 18 May 2012 ATC press release available on pr.com is titled "African-American History Hike to Celebrate National Trails Day" and outlines the activities connected with National Trails Day at and around the ATC headquarters on 2 June 2012 10:00-2:00.

The "moderate one mile guided hike will begin with a tour of the ATC’s Visitor Center and end by following the Appalachian Trail downhill past numerous scenic spots and historic structures. At each historic site, a Harpers Ferry Park ranger will give an interpretive presentation about its significance." (They don't mention the uphill portion to get back to the starting point!)

Kweli Kitwana, A.T. Ambassador to Bolivar and Harpers Ferry, will lead the hike, along with longtime Harpers Ferry Park rangers and historians David Fox and Guinevere Roper.

At the end of the hike, participants will be have the opportunity to hear a presentation from Marcia Fairweather about her 15-year section-hike of the A.T. Ms. Fairweather is also a board member of the ATC, the first African-American to serve in this role.

Sounds like a good time.

Wenger Replaces Startzell

The Herald-Mail from Hagerstown, Maryland has an article in its 5 February 2012 edition written by Richard F. Belisle and headlined "Appalachian Trail Conference changes hands". It's about Mark Wenger coming to the ATC after David Startzell's retirement on 30 January. Nice article. Nice quotes.

AT Film Festival

The ATC film festival is announced as follows:

Feb. 11 Appalachian Trail Short Films Festival. Appalachian Trail Visitors Center, Harpers Ferry, W.Va. Short films about Appalachian Trail. Free. info@appalachiantrail.org.

in the 5 February 2012 Pittsburgh Post Gazette under the headline "GETout events calendar: Feb. 5, 2012"

AT Film Festival

The ATC Film Festival is announced at publicopiniononline under the headline "Visitor center offers short films on the AT." The free film showings last an hour on Saturday 11 February 2012 beginning at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Popcorn and drinks will be provided.

Wenger Heading to ATC

The Wall Street Journal thinks the change of leadership at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is important enough for it to cover. On 27 January, under the headline "Va. man takes over Appalachian Trail Conservancy," they include a clipped Associated Press release on it and give a nod to the West Virginia Public Broadcasting story, too.

Wilderness First Aid Training

Elizabethton, Tennessee's Elizabethton Star reports in its 25 January issue that the "ATC offers wilderness first aid certification training Feb. 27-28".

The details are that the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

is accepting applications for their Wilderness First Aid Course at the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Gatlinburg. The public is welcome to take this training opportunity alongside Appalachian Trail Ridgerunners.

Cost: $150. Dates: 27-28 February. To enroll or for more information, please contact Andrew Downs with the ATC at (828) 254-3708 or adowns@appalachiantrail.org.

Wenger Heading ATC

West Virginia Public Broadcasting's web site has a 25 January 2012 story by Cecelia Mason about Mark Wenger taking over as executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The story, titled "Appalachian Trail Conservancy sees change" comes with a 4 minute downloadable MP3 audio clip.

He says the biggest challenge for the Conservancy is engaging the next generation “to not only participate but embrace the outdoors, the conservation, and the outdoor ethics as we say.”

He's also a 2,000 miler himself.

Walmart Protection Money

Asheville, NC's Mountain Xpress dated 18 January 2012 has a post by Margaret Williams titled "Blue Ridge Forever receives $500,000 grant to protect 12,000 acres in WNC and eastern Tennessee" that spells out details of a grant from Walmart reported here earlier.

The specific mention of the A.T. comes in this paragraph:

At nearly 10,000 acres, Rocky Fork, located just over the border in Tennessee, is the most prominent of six tracts in the project. The Conservation Fund, Cherokee National Forest, and the State of Tennessee acquired it in 2008 in cooperation with Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Rocky Fork was one of the largest unprotected high-elevation parcels remaining in the Southern Appalachians and is home to an array of rare and endangered species. The grant money will assist in the protection of the final section of Rocky Fork later this year, conserving a haven for wildlife, safeguarding water quality and supporting economic opportunities for neighboring communities.

There are a lot of trout streams in these tracts, hence the leadership role for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

The online National Parks Traveler blogs the Danny Bernstein story "Mark Wenger Named Appalachian Trail Conservancy Executive Director" on 17 January 2012.

New ATC Executive Director

Web site AlpineZone.Com carries the press release about Mark J. Wenger being appointed to succeed David N. Startzell as ATC Executive Director in a post dated 6 January 2012 and titled "New Executive Director Selected for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy."

Also in the Knoxville News-Sentinel of 8 January 2012 under title "Appalachian Trail Conservancy names new leader."

Virginia AT App Funded

I found two paragraphs especially of interest in the 5 January 2012 NVDaily.com (the Northern Virginia Daily, Strasburg, VA) story by Kim Walter headlined "Town growth a priority".

They are:

Another grant of $5,000 was given to Front Royal, Waynesboro and Abingdon for the Virginia Appalachian Trail Smart Phone application. Once the app is fully developed, hikers on the trail will be able to find out which town is closest to them, and what shopping, dining, recreational and lodging options are available.

Additionally, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has awarded a $1,000 grant to the town towards a ceremony to designate the area as an Appalachian Trail Community. The ceremony is planned to take place on April 21, Earth Day, and will also coincide with the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Girl Scouts.

Pretty cool.

And get those Girl Scouts out on the Trail, too.

Wesser Bald Protection Assured

The staff at the Smoky Mountain News, Waynesville, North Carolina, published a short piece on 4 January 2012 entitled "AT Bald Trail permanently protected" in which they describe the protection of Wesser Bald by means of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy transferring 35 acres to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service. The land was purchased by the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy back in 2007, and the funds needed to transfer it to ATC and USFS hands were only recently put together.

Mark J. Wenger to the ATC

The 4 January 2012 Virginia Gazette from Williamsburg, Virginia brings the news that "Mark J. Wenger, who for more than 30 years has worked for Colonial Williamsburg, is leaving the foundation to become executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy."

Wenger is a life member of both the Tidewater Appalachian Trail and Old Dominion Appalachian Trail clubs, and has served in various offices of the Tidewater Club. Even more to his credit, Wenger is a 2,000 miler, having finished an 8 year, 3 month section hike last August.

Wenger replaces long-time ATC executive director David Startzell in February.

One other thing: Wenger is a licensed architect ... so maybe all the shelters are going to get upgrades under his watchful eye.

The article is not by-lined but is titled "CW exec takes over Appalachian Trail Conservancy."

Ward “Chip” Leonard and the Record Books

An article by Kimberley A. Hooper in the 2 January 2012 Metro West Daily News (from Framingham, Mass.) titled "Concord man takes a hike into record books" tells us that Ward “Chip” Leonard a "52-year-old backpacker, who has lived in Concord for more than nine years, is known by hikers around the country as the first person to ever backpack the Appalachian Trail 10 times." Well, not known by me until now.

He did his 10th hike in 1992 and "said he holds the unofficial record for backpacking the Appalachian Trail solo in 60.5 days in 1990. He said it usually takes the average hiker about six months to complete the entire trail.

"During that 1990 hike, Leonard said he also set the speed record for the Appalachian Trail’s fastest hike (60.5 days) — although someone surpassed that mark a year later."

The comments from the ATC in the article are interesting, particularly in light of the article on speed hiking in the November-December 2011 AT Journeys According to the ATC spokesman Brian King, there are only records for 5 thru-hikes by Leonard (he's sending in paperwork on the other 5) and "As for the solo, unsupported backpacking record that Leonard said he still holds, King said the conservancy doesn’t have an official record of it, but he added that the conservancy doesn’t have a reason to doubt Leonard’s information."

In any event, Leonard says his thru-hiking days are behind him.

How to Hike

The Pittsburgh (PA) Post-Gazette of 2 November 2008 carries an article by Cristina Rouvalis titled "Checklist for long-haulers on the Appalachian Trail."

The article gives a couple really quick and basic pointers about how to prepare. It also mentions that Peter Greninger, outreach specialist at REI in South Side Works, will be giving "a talk on backpacking essentials at 10 a.m. Nov. 15 at Jennings Environmental Education Center at Slippery Rock University." Also quoted is John Fletcher, information assistant for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Tennessee A.T. License Plate Progress

The Maryville (TN) Daily News of 2 November 2008 tells us that there are "Applicants needed for Appalachian Trail license plate." Joel Davis reports the need to have 1,000 applicants for the plates before any can be distributed. There are only about 300 names on the list now, most from east Tennessee.

Maintainers / Volunteers Repair Bridge

Heather Stauffer reports in the 27 October 2008 Carlisle (PA) Sentinel that "Mt. Holly bridge project shows Appalachian spirit." That is, she describes the volunteer crew effort to replace a bridge in Mt. Holly Springs, PA.

ATC staffer Ted Martello is quoted extensively through the article. He explains that the team used two gypsy moth infested white oak trees to form the base of the bridge. They used 27 foot sections that were about 15 inches in diameter. The planking was hauled in form the road. Thanks, folks!

(This story is also reported, with different quotes and details shared, under the headline "Group replaces Appalachian Trail bridge in Mt. Holly," also in the Carlisle Sentinel, also by Holly Stauffer, also on 27 October. Go figure.)

A.T. License Plate for Tennessee?

If you and 999 of your friends sign up to get an Appalachian Trail license plate in Tennessee, then the promise of such a plate will become a reality. That's the thrust of an article by Anne Paine in the 22 October 2008 issue of the Tennesseean and its website ("Middle Tennessee's primary online source for local news" owned by the Gannett newspaper folks who also bring you the Tennessean newspaper there in Nashville). The article is titled "Motorists could help Appalachian Trail" and outlines the steps Tennessee drivers need to take to get the fundraiser for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy rolling.

The license plates will cost $35 in addition to the regular vehicle registration fee. ATC will receive $15.56 for each plate purchased or renewed.

If I lived there....

While $15.56 doesn't sound like much, keep in mind that the 3-year-old North Carolina A.T. license plate has, according to the article, raised over $200,000 for the Trail.

ATC as Map Source

An article proclaiming the joys of bushwhacking -- "Fill in the blanks on hiking maps; Off trail, plenty of adventure" by Tim Jones in the Concord (NH) Monitor of 17 October 2008 -- mentions the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Appalachian Mountain Club as possible sources for "recreation maps" that one could use to locate "blank spaces" that could stand a little off-trail exploring.