Smoky Mountains Shelters

There's an editorial in today's 3 January 2012 "Mountain Press" out of Sevierville, TN that's titled "Happy trails to you: Many thanks to those who fixed up the backcountry trails in the Smokies."

A couple key sentences: "hikers on the Appalachian Trail can enjoy the renovation of all 15 backcountry shelters in Great Smoky Mountains National Park" and "Work at Laurel Gap, the 15th and final shelter project, began in September, but weather prevented delivery of roofing materials by helicopter. The volunteer crew returned the first week of December to finish roofing the shelter under the threat of winter snows."

Rocky Run Shelter Restoration

Susan Guynn writes in the Frederick (MD) News-Post under the headline "Trail 'magic' at Rocky Run; New and restored shelters await hikers on Appalachian Trail" on 2 November 2008. She describes the reaction of some of the first hikers to use the newly restored Rocky Run Shelter.

The bulk of the article, though, gives a nice history of the shelter and the site. Very interesting.

Maryland A.T. Shelter Work

Erin Cunningham's article in the 27 October 2008 issue of the Hagerstown (MD) Morning Herald-Mail describes the restoration of the Appalachian Trail's Rocky Run Shelter "about one mile off Reno Monument Road in the Boonsboro area." The article is titled "Rocky Run Shelter on Appalachian Trail restored." Maryland Park Service Ranger Tammy McCorkle is quoted several times explaining the historic nature of the 6 person shelter.

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club volunteers did that work as well as building a 16-person shelter nearby "from a 'log kit'."

Maintainer Dave Jordahl Profiled

Trail maintainer Dave Jordahl from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club is profiled in the 27 October 2008 article "Volunteer keeps trails clear and footworthy" by Stephanie Miot in the Frederick (MD) News-Post.

The article describes his work clearing blow-downs, building water bars, and all the rest. While he usually has 2 or 3 volunteers with him, the day of the reporter's visit, he was working alone.

Good story!

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.)

L.L. Bean Awards the Trail's Dave Field

The 'Cabin Country' column by Dyke Hendrickson on MaineToday.com under the headline "L.L. Bean's Three Heroes of the Outdoors" and the date 1 March 2008 describes L.L. Bean's initial Outdoor Heroes Awards.

One of the three is Dave Field. Unfortunately, I'm a little confused over his affiliation. Hendrickson first says,

"Dave Field, a supervisor with the Appalachian Trail Club of Maine"

and then, that

"Dave Field has been helping to clear trails for the Appalachian Mountain Club for more than five decades. Much of his work has been in the Saddleback area, and he was honored for his achievements in conservation and trail maintenance."

Which isn't to say that he couldn't be a member of both the MATC and the AMC. Either way, it's great when volunteers get recognized for their efforts. And 'more than five decades' or trail work?!? Wow!

J.R. Tate Mentioned in Article

Clarksville, TN's 'Clarksville Online" website has an article by Debbie Boen titled "Tennessee Trails: Volunteers clean trails, remove litter from walking trails" posted on 15 February 2008. She's writing about a trail maintenance activity hike sponsored by the Tennessee Trails Association, but includes in it a snippet of an interview with Appalachian Trail thru-hiker and author J.R. "Model T" Tate.

American Hiking Society Maintainer Vacations

Grand Rapids, Michigan's Grand Rapids Press of 1 February 2008 has an article by Howard Meyerson titled "Vacations blend public service, hiking" in which he describes the volunteer service programs sponsored by the American Hiking Society. It begins with

"Ted Siereveld was 61 years old when he signed up with the American Hiking Society for his first volunteer vacation, a week spent doing trail maintenance on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont."

Sieverveld enjoyed the experience so much he's continued to sign up for more.

Bear Mountain Rerouting Funded

"Local groups receive Greenway funding" is the headline in the Mid-Hudson News for 20 January 2008 which mentions a number of projects in the area that have received funding. Among the projects are:

"The NY-NJ Trail Conference was awarded $5,000 for bridge construction. Part of the ongoing Bear Mountain Trails Project, a 28-foot bridge is needed to span a wet sloping section of bedrock in order to successfully reroute a segment of the Appalachian Trail that has suffered from overuse and erosion."

Walt Smith Profiled

The Journal (from Martinsburg, WV) of 7 January 2008 has an article by Michael C. Lewis titled "Trail club member takes a hike; Group offers locals opportunity to become one with nature." It is mostly a profile of Walt Smith, who is the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club’s district manager for 32 miles of the Tuscarora Trail near Martinsburg. It's a real nice story, as well as an invitation to membership in the Club. The Tuscarora, of course, connects to the Appalachian Trail at both ends.

Sweat Equity Article Reprinted

The Roanoke Times article by Neil Harvey titled "Appalachian Trail crew to mark 75 years of 'sweat equity'" is reprinted on the Newport News, VA Daily Press web site on 11 August 2007. It is about the Konnarock Crew and was reviewed here a couple days ago when it first appeared.

Cooperating at Producing Sweat Equity

Neil Harvey's article "It takes a band to blaze a trail; The Appalachian Trail relies on dogged volunteers" in the 7 August 2007 issue of the Roanoke Times describes the work of the maintainers put on the Trail by the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club and the Konnarock Trail Crew.

"They're working [together this summer] to relocate and upgrade a half-mile stretch of trail called Angel's Gap, at the north end of Tinker Mountain, just north of Tinker Cliffs."

It's a really fine article that focuses on the diversity of the workers and the cooperation between the locals and the Konnarock Crew.

The only troubling part to me is that the Virginia Tech math professor, who has been the club's trail supervisor for years, says "'We got 10 or a dozen rock steps done today and we've got four or five more to go tomorrow.'" and I had always thought math was more exact that that.

Trail Magic, Part 3

The third part of Noah C. Kady's series on trail magic appears in the 31 July 2007 issue of the Waynesboro (PA) Record Herald. It's titled "Trail magic comes in many forms."

Kady describes the food/drink side of trail magic again, with some specific examples (including one that he suggests might have gone too far). Then he contrasts that with the magic of the Trail itself -- how does the thing continue to exist? The answer, of course, is the corps of volunteer maintainers. Kady suggests that people wanting to 'give back' to the Trail might better do it by volunteering some time to keep it going rather than simply buying some snacks to leave at a road crossing.

Excellent series, this.

A.T. Defended from Tennessee

Jeffrey Hunter of Chattanooga, TN writes in a letter to the editor of the Elmira (New York!) Star-Gazette in response to that paper's recent article about the Great Eastern Trail in order to clarify any doubts folks might have had about the A.T's condition. He writes:

"The trail is a national treasure and the gold standard that trail organizations aspire toward. Solitude and natural beauty can be found in great abundance on the Appalachian Trail. That experience is only available because of the efforts of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and its partners, who do a masterful job of maintaining and protecting the trail for future generations. They deserve our support and our praise. They certainly have mine."

The 15 July 2007 letter appears under the headline "Appalachian Trail is a national treasure."

Maintainers Work Way Beyond the A.T.

The Portland Press Herald has an article by Willa Plank in its 12 July 2007 edition titled "Mall area offers workout for more than just wallet; Improvements are being made to a trail around Clarks Pond, and hikers can park at the Maine Mall." It tells how the maintainers from the Appalachian Mountain Club are working on sprucing up a local trail tucked in behind a Home Depot in South Portland, Maine.

Four Days in Maine

The Bangor Daily News of 7 July 2007 has an article by Brad Viles titled "Summer in Maine: It's a hike". Viles, a trail maintainer with the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, describes four days he spent in the woods on and near the Appalachian Trail. For those thru-hikers who blast through northern Maine headed for Katahdin, it might be interesting to read about a guy who can spend a day working on 'his' stretch of Trail and then say

"After a tailgate supper of salad and steak cooked on my backpacking stove, I was ready to lay back, relax and make a plan for Sunday. I finally figured out a place to go. I always liked this spot in the "hundred mile wilderness" north of Monson on the AT, Nahmakanta Lake. It’s located about 35 miles by trail from Katahdin, but there’s road access to the Maine Public Land Unit of 43,000 acres, so that’s where I would head. I curled up under the cap in the back of the truck at the trailhead and spent the night."

It seems a little relaxed...'oh, what the heck, why not go the the 100 mile wilderness for the night?'

Trail Work Good for You, Too

The Washington Post of 26 June 2007 has an article titled "Sweat Equity Pays Fitness Dividend" by Howard Schneider. It's an article about levels of activity that might lead to better fitness. Schneider lists his calorie expenditures over a couple days ... and then helps out the PATC trail maintainers for a day. His point that a little targeted volunteer work can really boost one's fitness numbers is starkly documented. Well, if that's what it takes.

Shenandoah Maintainers Thanked

The Rocktown Weekly (Harrisonburg, VA) of about 19 June 2007 has an article by Amber Lester titled "The Flying MacLeods; Volunteer group keeps Appalachian Trail ready for more hikers." The MacLeods of the title are the Shenandoah National Park South District Trail Crew, named for the trail-clearing tool they use.

The article reports on the imnportant trail maintenance work done along the Appalachian Trail by the crew, especially in the wake of last fall's ice storm. While a couple folks in the crew are named and quoted and pictures, most of the article stems from an interview of Mark Gatewood, the group's trail overseer.

Contact information to volunteer your time is included.