Meredith Emerson Memorial

Jessica Jordan's article in the Gainesville (GA) Times of 21 January 2008 is titled "Hikers honor murder victim Meredith Emerson." It describes the memorial gathering for Emerson by "roughly 150 hikers ... and about 50 dogs" in Meeks Park in Blairsville on the 20th -- relocated from Blood Mountain both because of the icy roads and because of the large number of people.

"A photo of Emerson and Ella was posted above a memorial stone placed near the covered bridge at Meeks Park. The stone read, 'Remember Meredith Emerson: She hiked the path of life with Ella, love and wonder.'"

Guns and Hikers

A King Features Syndicate journalist named Charley Reese uses Meredith Emerson's murder as a platform for a 22 January 2008 opinion piece named "Arm Yourself" in which he suggests doing that -- even if, as he admits, it is illegal:

"The young lady recently murdered while hiking the southern tip of the Appalachian Trail might be alive today if she had tucked a pistol into her backpack or fanny pack. Yes, I know it's against the law to carry a pistol on the trail, but which would you prefer – breaking a bureaucratic rule or getting your brains knocked out and then being decapitated?

"I'm afraid too many of us have spent our lives in an urban environment and have thus lost touch with the reality of the outdoors. When you go into the woods by yourself, you leave not only your car behind, but the protection of the law. When you are by yourself, whether on an urban street or in a forest, and someone comes along with the intention of assaulting you, you are on your own. There is no help. Your choice is run or fight. And a fight is a physical thing, not an intellectual matter."

My opinion? Reese has indeed "lost touch with the reality of the outdoors"!

[Also appears in the Ft. Myers, FL News-Press under the title "Guns good for self-defense, but think about it" on 23 January 2008.]

New Trail Sections in Canada

The Western Star, a newspaper from Corner Brook - Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, has a Cory Hurley article titled "Appalachian trail section will be built through Bay of Islands area this year" in its 22 January 2008 issue. That would be the International Appalachian Trail. And, as the article explains, "The International Appalachian Trail is a network of trails extending from Georgia in the southern United States to the tip of the Northern Peninsula."

Northeast Georgia Hiking Safety Tips

Tracy Armbruster, from WNEG-TV News channel 32 had a 21 January 2008 report on the station's web site titled "Hiking Safety Tips" which relies on standard hiking safety tips (which bear repeating) from Appalachian Trail hiker and Toccoa police chief Jackie Whitmire.

You know the drill: let someone know where you're going and when you expect to be back; don't hike alone; be alert for strange activity; take a whistle. Oh, and "weapons are not necessary."

Mt. Rogers and Grayson Highlands Described

Jack Horan has an article in the Charlotte (NC) Observer dated 20 January 2008 and titled "Having a high old time; Great views, pony herds among attractions in Mount Rogers area." It's a sort of trip report about winter hiking the Mount Rogers area.

Some interesting notes about the ponies:

"One of the prime attractions in the Crest Zone and adjacent Grayson Highlands State Park are four herds of 120 or so feral ponies that range within two fenced areas. They resemble Shetland ponies with stocky bodies and long manes.

"Sara Schell, NRA recreation officer, said by e-mail that some of the ponies are believed to have originated from stock owned by a local farmer who was trying to develop a small stature, hardy mountain horse. She said three herds live in a fenced area of nearly 3,000 acres. The fourth herd of about 30 ponies roams state park land."

I didn't know there were actually separate herds up there. And I think it's great that some of the people 'in charge' don't really know exactly how the horses got there ("...are believed to have originated..."), leaving a little mystery in life.

Abingdon, Virginia Profiled

I'm not sure how far off the Appalachian Trail a place can be and still be called a "trail town". If it's about 15 miles, then Abingdon qualifies.

Abingdon is profiled in the Louisville, KY Courier-Journal in an article by Cathy Summerlin titled "Enjoy life your way in historic Abingdon, Va.; Hike, see a play, visit The Martha" on 20 January 2008. The Trail is mentioned here:

"Then there's the 34-mile Virginia Creeper Trail, a rails-to-trails conversion at the western edge of the mountains. The trail crosses the Appalachian Trail about 15 miles east of Abingdon and enters Mount Rogers National Recreation Area farther east."

Sounds like there's a good bit to do and see in the area.

Indiantown Gap vs. Stony Valley

The Harrisburg, PA Patriot News of 20 January 2008 has an article by Al Winn titled "Study minimizes effect of shells on game lands" that describes the current state of wisdom surrounding the Stony Valley and its behemoth neighbor the Fort Indiantown Gap military post.

Of course one person's 'minimize' could be another person's "Duck!!". The article says that

"The study found that 779 shells a year would likely ricochet into a 900-acre area of the game lands along the border of Dauphin and Lebanon counties."

Theoretically,

"The designated buffer zone does not include Stony Creek, the Schuylkill and Susquehanna rail trail or the Appalachian Trail."

but you never know. Once those artillery shells start ricocheting around, I don't think there's any way to be absolutely sure where they'll end up.

"The assessment said the shells would have little impact on the area where they land, beyond killing an occasional tree or animal."

Or maybe someone who wanders a little off the Trail for a stealth campsite? Let's hope not.

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."

Kristina Dean Finishes Fund-Raising Thru-Hike

The Knoxville News-Sentinel has Chandra Harris-McCray's article titled "After 2,175-mile solo trek that raised money for shelter, hiker says she now knows how women in crisis feel" in its 19 January 2008 issue. The article chronicles the successful southbound Appalachian Trail thru-hike by Kristina "Tina" Dean.

Dean began in June and finished 11 days shy of Christmas. Along the way she managed "to raise money for Knox Area Rescue Ministries’ Serenity Shelter for women." By Dean's account people along the Trail were not always welcoming, or even friendly, to her, which increased her sense of identification with the homeless women the Serenity Shelter aids.

Videographer Mike Daniel Still Walking

Chris Casey's article in the Greeley, CO Tribune on 18 January 2008 is titled "Path to bliss: Man finds his passion on America's byways." It's about the cross country hike by 39-year-old Mike Daniel on the

"American Discovery Trail. It's 6,200-6,800 miles long, depending on routes you take. He started in mid-June from the Atlantic-side trailhead in Delaware and hopes to be the first person to cover the trail's expanse -- including the loop between Denver and Cincinnati -- nonstop on foot."

"Since ditching his day job in 2002, he has filmed documentaries of his journeys on the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails, selling 5,000 copies of the former and 1,000 of the latter."

And, of course, there's a web site.

"Mike Daniel plans to chronicle his American Discovery Trail trek in a book filled with tales, characters and historical facts, accompanied by a pair of DVDs. His Web site, including daily journal and video logs, is www.walkingwithfreedom.com."

The web site describes Daniel this way:

"an addictive long distance hiker with over 10,000 miles hiked since 1998. He has section thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail, from Georgia to Maine with over 8,000 combined miles in over 8 years, he has thru-hiked the John Muir Trail in 2002 as well as The Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada in 2006."

William F. White, 100, Hiker

The Boston Herald has an 18 January 2008 obituary for William F. White "of Reading, a World War II veteran and a retired Boston newspaperman, [who] died Saturday at his home in Reading. He was 100." It mentions that "In his youth he loved fishing, hunting, camping, and hiking on Long Trail in Vermont and the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire."

2001 Thru-Hiker Nakaji Does PCT in 2007

Johnny Buck has an article titled "Less is more: Lesson learned from 2,650-mile trek" in the 17 January 2008 Asheville (NC) Citizen-Times. The hiker under discussion is Asheville resident Lane Nakaji who finished a 143 day thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail on 13 September.

"Though offering a more gradual grade than the Appalachian Trail — the 2,175-mile footpath from Georgia to Maine that Nakaji thru-hiked in 2001 — the PCT is no less formidable."

Hiker Christensen Dies in Iraq

The Cherry Hill, NJ Courier Post of 16 January 2008 has a memorial piece written by Leo Strupczewski to honor Curtis Alan Christensen Jr., a United States Marine lance corporal who recently died in Iraq. It is titled "Mother recalls dedication of slain Marine."

The piece begins by telling the story of the beginning of Christensen's Appalachian Trail hike "a few years ago."

"He spurned the notion of beginning the trail at a tourist attraction in Georgia.

"The real start of the trail, he told his mother, was at the top of a mountain.

"So Mary Knight, though afraid of heights, drove her son up a winding, one-lane fire road. About two-thirds of the way up, there was a place to turn around.

"'He said, "I'll just walk from here,"' Knight remembered."

The article ends with the note that "In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in his memory to the Appalachian Mountain Club Development Office, 5 Joy St., Boston, Mass."

Tribute to Jack and Irene Bryant

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution of 16 January 2008 contains a long, loving tribute article for Irene and John "Jack" Bryant, written by Mike Williams. Both hikers for years, Irene was murdered and Jack is presumed to have been murdered while on a trail near their North Carolina home in October.

"...the Bryants apparently crossed paths with Gary Michael Hilton. Police suspect the 61-year-old drifter encountered them just 20 miles from their home after the Bryants drove out for a hike in Pisgah National Forest at the peak of the fall color season in October. ...

"Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney says Hilton is a suspect in Irene Bryant's death and Jack Bryant's disappearance, and has scheduled a 2 p.m. press conference today concerning the case. 'I think it will say what everybody's been thinking we're going to say,' Mahoney said. 'He is the suspect.'

"The Atlanta-area suspect, described by many as eccentric and mean-spirited, has been charged with the decapitation killing of 24-year-old Meredith Emerson, who went hiking in the North Georgia mountains on New Year's Day. He also is a suspect in the murder of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap, 46, whose body was found in Florida's Apalachicola National Forest on Dec. 15."

Most of the article describes the Bryants and their family and really nice people, "as remarkably generous, adventurous, engaging and unpretentious." Folks you wish you had been able to meet. Jack had section-hiked the entire Appalachian Trail over a period of years.

Gwenyth Loose Receives Grant for Hiking and Book

The Central Penn Business Journal of 15 January 2008 has a story by David Dagan titled "Grants fund personal projects for nonprofit leaders" that is of interest. It includes the note that

"The York County Community Foundation awarded each of the six leaders a $6,000 grant through the York Federal Fellows Program in Nonprofit Community Leadership. The program, launched two years ago, is named for the former York Federal Savings and Loan Association."

Among the winners:

"York County Rail Trail Authority project coordinator Gwenyth Loose will write a book featuring women leaders in the Appalachian Trail community and spend time on the trail, according to the foundation."

Such a deal! There is a link to the Foundation's web site that has a little more information about this project. So ... keep your eyes open for the book.

Norma and Chuck Sink, Thru-Hikers

The Sequoyah County Times from Sallisaw, OK on 14 January 2008 has a thru-hiker profile by staff writer Linda Copeland that is titled "Just Folks." (Actually, that's the name of her weekly column.)

Anyway, the profile is of area residents Norma and Chuck Sink of Gore, OK. They did a seven month northbound hike that they completed on 12 October 2005, two and a quarter years ago. It's mostly an interview with Norma, and tells some of the usual kind of highlights (think: food stops in town; trail magic; weather). Norma "Gotta Go" Sink and Chuck "Chuckles" Sink hiked in celebration of their 60th birthdays and 40th wedding anniversary.

Black Nubble Rejected

Glenn Adams, an Associated Press writer in the 14 January 2008 Boston Globe describes the split decision in Maine under the headline "Regulators OK Kibby wind plan, reject Black Nubble".

A key paragraph about the difference is this one:

"The Land Use Regulation Commission voted to allow a 44-turbine project near the Canadian border in Franklin County, saying TransCanada Maine Wind Development's application answered its concerns that roads be built properly, and birds and bats be protected."

The other site, the one called Black Nubble, is the revised plan for the one that sits so close to the Appalachian Trail and was rejected a year ago. And, of course, people on both sides still disagree with each other about whether this decision was a good one. Stay tuned for appeals and revisions.

Darrell Rice References in Charlottesville

Charlottesville, Virginia's "The Hook" of 14 January 2008 has an article by Hawes Spencer titled "Rice might have to keep the GPS". It describes life for recently-released Darrell David Rice on probation.

And it brings up a sad memory for some Appalachian Trail friends. To wit,

"If some Kent Islanders find Rice abhorrent, his new website portrays a family man who goes on outings smiling with friends and family, including children. It’s a far different portrayal from the one offered in 2002 by then-attorney general John Ashcroft when the nation’s top crime-buster accused Rice of capital murder, the “hate crime” killing of two gay women at their campsite near the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park six years earlier.

"The government’s case against Rice collapsed, however, as no physical evidence could be produced tying him to the crime. And the supposed anti-gay statements recorded by a jailhouse snitch? They turned out, on further analysis, not to be anti-gay statements at all.

"In recent days, pressure has begun mounting to reopen the case of the slain hikers for further DNA testing against known serial killers such as Richard Marc Evonitz, who, in 1996 and 1997, killed three girls in Spotsylvania County. And in just the past few days, a 61-year-old man named Gary M. Hilton has been suggested as the perpetrator of multiple Appalachian Trail and other murders in Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina."

See a related article for more background.

2006 Thru-Hikers Tara & Tony Janisch Talk

The Chicago Sun-Times of 13 January 2008 carries an article titled "Trail adventure a marriage of dreams, perseverance" and written by staff writer Steve Metsch. It records the 2006 thru-hike by Tara and Tony Janisch. And describes their talk about the hike given at the Thorn Creek Nature Center in Park Forest, IL on the 11th..

Tara, soon to be a full-time naturalist at the Center was the one whose dream was to thru-hike. Tony, apparently, had to be talked into doing it. They

"both quit their jobs with the Will County Forest Preserve to hike. They lost dozens of pounds. Tara and Tony went through three and four pairs of boots, respectively. They spent more than $14,000, and they got married at the halfway point."

Oh, and he got Lyme disease, while she dislocated a hip in New York (but didn't realize it until leter). Sounds like they give a nice talk, though.

Black Nubble Wind Farm Up for Okay

AP writer Glenn Adams has an article titled "Regulators to debate two W. Maine wind-power projects" in the 13 January 2008 Boston Globe. He writes:

"On Monday morning, the Land Use Regulation Commission will take up a preliminary development plan by Maine Mountain Power LLC to rezone 487 acres for a scaled-back, 18-turbine project on Black Nubble Mountain in Redington and Wyman townships.

"In the afternoon, LURC weighs the preliminary plan by TransCanada Maine Wind Development Inc. and Plum Creek Maine Timberlands LLC to rezone 2,367 acres for a 44-turbine project in Kibby and Skinner townships. Both wind projects are in western Maine's Franklin County."

The first project, on Black Nubble, is the one that was rejected last year as too destructive of the Appalachian Trail viewshed.

The article speaks more about the benefits of wind power generation than about its drawbacks. I don't think that dead birds, dead bats, or the trees that need to be removed in order to install wind turbines are even mentioned.

Michael "Bobcat" Innes Spoke in Pittsfield

Benning W. De La Mater writes under the headline "Talking the walk" in the Berkshire (MA) Eagle about the talk given by Appalachian Trial thru-hiker Michael Innes. The article appeared on 13 January 2008.

Innes helped kick off the Pittsfield, MA community reading of Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. His wife Lori hiked the last 800 miles with him and also spoke. The article recounts some of the highlights of "Bobcat's" hike. It took him just over 4 months to thru-hike, summiting on 27 July 2007.

Emerson-Related Articles from Atlanta

A website titled "The Sunday Paper: All You Need to Know" and, apparently, coming to us from Atlanta, GA, has three related articles in it all dated 13 January 2008. When I came across them, they were all on the same page.

The first is by Colby Dunn titled "The strange disappearance of Cayle Bywater". Bywater "disappeared just days before Meredith Emerson was reported missing." She was last seen in a local Athens, GA city park, also had a dog, and seems to have disappeared without a trace, leaving her apartment door open (or someone else left it open, perhaps).

Right under that there's an article by Josh Clark titled "Every family’s nightmare: The resolution of the Meredith Emerson case". It retells the whole story, as we know it, of Meredith's disappearance, murder, and discovery.

Then there's some background about Gary Michael Hilton in Stephanie Ramage's article "4169 Clairmont Road; Was Gary Michael Hilton really a “drifter”?" For this article Ramage visited the address Hilton gave when arrested. She spoke to a neighbor about Hilton. A police spokesman told her that "'It has no bearing whatsoever on the case or the investigations,' ... 'None whatsoever. It was just an address he gave where he could pick up his mail'."

Hiker Safety Articles Abound

Here is a gathering of news articles about hiker safety in, on, and around the Appalachian Trail in the wake of the murder of Meredith Emerson in Georgia.

The first is in the New York Times, 14 January 2008, by Brenda Goodman, and titled "Killing of a Young Hiker Puts North Georgia on Edge." The first part of the article focuses on self-defense classes in the region, then there's a rehearsal of the facts of the Emerson case, and finally there are some quotes from local hikers. The article includes this note:

"Trail-maintenance volunteers have planned a memorial walk and a smudge ceremony, which is an American Indian cleansing ritual that involves burning sage to rid a place of evil spirits, on Sunday to honor Ms. Emerson and to try to calm their own nerves."

Another article appeared in the Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune on 13 January 2008. It's a column by Laura Sperling titled "Murders in National Parks; Crimes against our birthright." Sperling writes:

"I can't count the times I've day-hiked the rural parks, hills and woods, usually with a dog and/or human relatives. These are the cherished memories I rely on to restore me when I'm back in the city, surrounded by overdevelopment that once was trees.

"When a hiker is killed, it diminishes me and anyone else who loves to be in the deep green bosom of America's parks and forests. They are our birthright."

Then there's the editorial from Chambersburg, PA on PublicOpinionOnline by Becky Bennett titled "Editor's view: Packing heat does nothing to break the cycle of fear." This is really an editorial about the right to bear arms - and whether it's also a wise thing to do - but it uses Emerson's murder as a jumping off point.

And, finally there's Nic Corbett's article "Hikers say recent attacks raise safety awareness" in the 13 January 2008 Tallahassee (FL) Democrat. Corbett talked with members of "a group of hikers tackling a 4.5-mile trail Saturday in the Apalachicola National Forest in Wakulla County." They expressed various safety concerns, of course. The article starts with a familiar sounding interchange:

"When Tallahassee resident Bill Snyder talks about how he's preparing for a six-month hike on the Appalachian Trail, people typically ask him this question: 'Are you going alone?'

"When he answers in the affirmative, they usually ask, 'Are you going to carry a weapon?'"

I think a lot of us have heard those two questions.

More Safety Tips for Hikers

Seems like all the southern papers are publishing articles about Trail safety. Or, more accurately, only southern papers. Here's an article from the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Written by Angie Herrington, titled "Managing risks part of hiking," and published 12 January 2008.

Herrington spoke to and quoted a number of people representing hiking clubs, the National Park Service, and a rescue organization. Their advice boils down to the same common sense advice we've know for years ... but some of us may have tended to ignore as we bank miles and hours of safe travel on the Appalachian Trail and elsewhere.

Trail Safety Tips

Atlanta, Georgia's WXIA-TV has a story by reporter Wes Sarginson titled "Wes Side: Safety Along The Trail" posted on the 11Alive.com web site on 9 January 2008 in which he touches on safe Appalachian Trail hiking. His experts say to "be mindful" of your surroundings. And, "The trail is safe if you follow common sense rules, tell someone of your itinerary, don't hike alone, avoid strangers. Don't wear jewelry or carry large sums of cash."

Newnan, Georgia Hiking Club Safety

Newnan, Georgia's Times-Herald newspaper has an article in its 12 January 2008 issue about trail safety, written by Amy Riley and titled "Trail death disturbs local hikers."

Riley spoke with members of the Newnan Hiking Club just after they had hiked Blood Mountain. All were concerned about their safety, and offered their suggestions on how to hike safely. A recurring theme is to hike with someone else, whom you trust. That's hard to do on the Appalachian Trail over long distances, except that thru-hikers often bunch up and at least 'sort of hike together' with one or more people - just not within sight of each other all the time - meeting up at lunch breaks or at shelters.

Violence in Nature

A column by Jeanne Malmgren in the Anderson (SC) Independent-Mail on 11 January 2008 titled "Violence in nature: This should not be" relates a personal story of feeling threatened by some other people while camping, and decries the fact that this sort of thing happens. Malmgren and her husband escaped without coming to any harm, but others haven't.

As Malmgren writes:

"It’s deeply disturbing in a visceral way: A young woman goes hiking with her dog on a beautiful mountain trail and ends up dead.

"This should not happen."

Nature, itself is absolutely violent; but what we want is to be able to visit natural places free from threats of that violence or of the violence that other people might wage.

Trail Safety by Gut Instinct

There's an article in the Gainesville (GA) Times on 10 January 2008, written by Debbie Gilbert, and titled "Safe hiking: Trust your instincts." It provides some of the 'backstory' that preceded Meredith Emerson's murder, particularly comments from people who had met or observed the accused murderer. Here are a few paragraphs out of the middle of the article:

"A lot of hikers had a "gut feeling" about Gary Michael Hilton, the 61-year-old man who has been charged with Emerson’s murder. The two met near Blood Mountain on New Year’s Day, and Hilton allegedly killed Emerson in the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area three days later.

"'This guy’s been on our radar since March,' said Winton Porter, owner of Mountain Crossings at Walasi-Yi, a hiking gear store located on U.S. 129 east of Blood Mountain, very close to the parking lot where Emerson left her car on Jan. 1.

Porter said Hilton, who was apparently homeless, spent months migrating up and down the Appalachian Trail.

"'He was squatting at the Gooch Gap shelter,' Porter said. 'He knew that according to Forest Service rules, he could stay at a shelter for two weeks, leave for a day, then stay another two weeks. He had (stuff) scattered all over the shelter. He took over the place and wouldn’t let anyone else stay there. We also had reports of him at Slaughter Gap shelter a couple weeks ago'."

A couple of state park officials are also quoted, as are an ATC rep and others. We'll probably never know whether or why Emerson trusted Hilton when others thought there was something fishy about him. Read this article, though.

Be aware out there on the Trail.

Campfire Ban Lifted

Georgia rain and snow have prompted the lifting of a long campfire ban at the southern end of the Appalachian Trail, according to a 10 January 2008 article on the Access North Georgia website out of Gainesville, GA. It is titled "Campfire ban lifted; hiking trail reopened" and is written by Ken Stanford, Editor.

The bans, in place since October, were in the Chattahoochee and Oconee national forests. The re-opened trail mentioned in the title is the one on Blood Mountain that had been closed when Meredith Emerson disappeared.

"Spanky" Bateman at it Again

According to a press release available 11 January 2008 at the PRWeb.com web site, "Blended Family Dad Hiking Across America on Behalf of Fathers," William "Spanky" Bateman is going to be starting another southbound hike on the Appalachian Trail on 1 June 2008.

I met Spanky in Connecticut during his 2002 "Hike for kids". This year's hike is a "Hike for dads."

"'When I first hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2002, I quickly discovered there was more to hiking the A.T. than beautiful vistas and small towns.' Mr. Bateman continues, 'I was deeply moved by the many strangers I talked to along the way, who shared with me their strikingly sad recollections growing up without ever hearing their father's voice. Their stories gave me the inspiration for a unique series of books that could be a kind of solace for that hurting soul.'

"Bateman's plan is simple, yet profound in scope. He will use his journey hiking along the A.T. as a means for interviewing people of all ages and all walks of life, journaling each person's recollections of sage advice passed down from a father figure from their own past -- and compiling those same responses into a book form for fatherless children called, 'My Father's Voice'."

Good luck with it all, Spanky! But here's something to think about: while you'll be crossing many state borders on the A.T., most people think of 'across America' (cf. press release title) as an east-west or west-east hike, not a north-south one. I know, picky, picky, picky!

Pearisburg, VA Bicentennial

Joshua A. DeLung wrote the article "Pearisburg celebrates 200 years of history; Events marking the anniversary started Monday and will continue through 2008" in the 9 January 2008 issue of the Roanoke Times. It barely mentions the Appalachian Trail, but hikers who have passed by this southern Virginia town might like to read and remember.

Watch for Politicians at the Doyle Hotel

The Washington Post has a weekend adventure column called "Escape Keys" in its 9 January 2008 issue. The highlighted destination is Duncannon, PA which is only "about 2 1/2 hours from the Beltway."

Featured accommodations include the famous Doyle Hotel and the Stardust Motel which is 4 miles north. For food they recommend The Red Rabbit and the Espresso Yourself Cafe.

You may need to start calling ahead for reservations at the Doyle if this catches on in Washington.

Pittsfield, Mass. Appalachian Trail Events

Pittsfield, MA is reading Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, and a number of connected events are listed in the 9 January 2008 Berkshire Eagle Online under the headline "Pittsfield READS! events".

The two events directly related to the Trail are:

on Saturday, 12 January "A citywide book celebration and kick-off party will be held from 11 a.m. to noon at the Berkshire Athenaeum, 1 Wendell Ave. This event will feature refreshments and a lively illustrated talk by Mike Innis, who recently walked the entire length of the Appalachian Trail."

And:

on "March 14, 7:30 p.m.: 'The Appalachian Trail in Massachusetts,' a talk with Cosmo Catalano, chairman of the Massachusetts Appalachian Trail Management Committee".

An article of more substance than those notices appears in the same paper on 9 January 2008, written by Jenn Smith under the headline "Launching literacy; The city gets on the same page as residents prepare for Saturday". Smith recounts the point of a one-book-one-community program, the funding for Pittsfield's effort, and some of the training librarians and others have had to make this a success.

Hikers Unsettled After Emerson Murder

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution of 9 January 2008 has an article by Bo Emerson titled "Emerson murder especially disturbing to N. Ga. hikers" (also here ). He has reaction s from some families out hiking in recent days, cautions about personal safety, the reflection that Meredith Emerson 'did everything right', and the recollection that murders on the Appalachian Trail are extremely rare.

On that last point,

"According to conservancy spokesman Brian King, the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail system receives about 3.3 million visitors a year, or 109 million since 1974, when the first homicide associated with the trail occurred, at a shelter in Georgia. There have been six more homicides between Maine and Georgia since then, the most recent in 1990.

"By contrast there have been at least six killings in metro Atlanta since Dec. 16, two just since Emerson disappeared.

"'It's extremely rare to have any kind of major incident like this,' said Bob Almand, chair of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy."

We just think violence like that is more out of place on the Trail than in the city.

Who Owned the Springer Area?

A newspaper blog by Ronda Rich in the Fayetteville, GA Citizen published online on 9 January 2008 under the title "Who is the lucky one?" isn't really about the Appalachian Trail, but about contentment. In setting the scene, Rich says some things about her family roots "in a little place called Suches, Ga." including this:

"Our forebears owned the land that encompasses where the Appalachian Trail begins and until the end of his time on earth, Melissa’s daddy, my beloved Uncle Tom Berry, grumbled mightily about a 'thieving' government which would, from time to time, decide to lay claim to more of his land that borders the famous trail.

"'Just help themselves to it! That’s what they do,' he’d rail. 'Bunch of heathens.'"

And that little bit of A.T. oral history ought to be preserved.

Meredith Emerson Articles

In the wake of the discovery of Meredith Hope Emerson's body, there have been a number of articles published with further news of details. I'm certain that the ones I have gathered are not all of them, but they might lead interested readers to other news sources.

Mark E.P. Woods writes under the headline "Volunteer shares mixed emotions in missing hiker case" in the 9 January 2008 Atlanta Journal-Constitution about his experiences as a volunteer searcher on 3 January. An experienced hiker (and section hiker of the AT) with a background as an emergency medical technician and with proper equipment/clothing, he was welcomed. Woods wonders whether there couldn't be a more natural relationship between the hiking clubs and the law enforcement agencies next time the news breaks that "'One of Us' was missing...".

An unsigned article at TriCities.com titled "Suspect in Georgia hiker's death could be connected to similar crime near Tri-Cities region" speculates on the possible connection to the murder of Irene Bryant and disappearance of her husband John Bryant in North Carolina. ("TriCities.com is operated by Media General's Interactive Media Division (IMD) in partnership with WJHL-TV and the Bristol Herald Courier.") The article also reiterates some standard safety tips.

The Longmont (CO) Times-Call printed the Associated Press article by Daniel Yee titled "Man questioned in hiker search; Longmont native’s dog wanders into Ga. store" on 5 January 2008. Meredith was originally from Longmont, Colorado.

Dorie Turner's Associated Press article appears in the San Jose Mercury News on 7 January 2008 under the headline "Georgia hiker died of blow to the head" and details the cause of death, the arrangements that Meredith's accused murderer to lead authorities to her body, and suggests connections (through Hilton) to the Bryant murder(s) in North Carolina and the Dunlap murder in Florida.

Thru-Hiker Starts Restaurant in Tennessee

The article in the Ashland City (TN) Times by Matt Anderson on 8 January 2008 titled "‘Coffee Trail’ mixes organic, traditional fare" gives us a brief introduction to a local eatery called Coffee Trail. And the first sentence gives us an introduction to its owner/operator:

"Andrew Raby says he learned more during his hike from Georgia to Maine on the Appalachian Trail than all his years in college."

That's probably true for a lot of thru-hikers. But this one, and his wife Lisa, started a restaurant as a result.

There's supposed to be a "trail-themed menu" which includes a sandwich called "The Purist". I'm not sure but I'm thinking that the mozzarella on that item ought to be in the form of a six inch slab that looks like an Appalachian Trail blaze. Sound right to you?

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.

Hiker Unease

The Debbie Gilbert article in the Gainesville (GA) Times titled "Hikers unsettled by Emerson's death" was published 8 January 2008. In it, she provides information from Beckie Hilton, president of the Clarkesville-based N.E. Georgia Mountain Hiking Club, about the sense of unease among many hikers in the area after the murder of Meredith Emerson. Hilton recounts the usual feeling that 'things like that can't happen out here' and contrasts it with the current sense that they do happen.

Another source for the story is "Frank Wright, president of the 700-member Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, [who] speculated that the friendliness of the dogs may have given Emerson a false sense of security, even though she was said to be a smart and capable young woman."

Keep your eyes open out there.

Meredith Emerson's Recovery

The Associated Press article from this afternoon that appears in the Gainesville (GA) Times is headlined "DA: Suspect made plea deal in exchange for location of missing hiker's body; Emerson died from blow to head three days after her disappearance." And that's about the gist of it. Apparently, suspect Hilton got the state to agree not to seek the death penalty in return for him revealing where Meredith Emerson's body was deposited.

This article also goes into possible connections between Hilton and the incidents in North Carolina (the death of Irene Bryant and the disappearance of her husband John Bryant) and in Florida (where the body of Cheryl Hodges Dunlap was discovered on 19 December).

AP writer Errin Haines has articles on this story appearing in the Guardian Unlimited under the headline "Bond Denied for Suspect in Hiker Case" (7 January 2008); and the Asheville Citizen-Times titled "Missing hiker's body found in woods" (7 January 2008).

Hiker Meredith Emerson Dead

Just before 9:00 pm tonight, officials in Georgia announced that the body of hiker Meredith Hope Emerson had been found. This, according to an article on the USA Today web site under the headline "Body of missing Ga. hiker found" datelined Blairsville, Georgia.

Jeffrey Scott and George Chidi in the Atlanta Journal-constitution report the same sad news under the headline "Body of missing Buford hiker found".

The USA Today article mentions the possible connection with the case of the John and Irene Bryant in North Carolina.

Laguna Beach Man a Former Hiker

An article in the Los Angeles Times of 6 January 2008, titled "Laguna Beach greeter left indelible image" and written by staff writer Cecilia Rasmussen, profiles the late Eiler Larsen. Larsen spent more than 3 decades as the town's goodwill ambassador, shouting hello and waving to people driving into town. There are now two statues that memorialize him.

Pointing out that Larsen was born in 1890 and died in 1975, the article begins:

"He had wandered the world, selling butter in czarist Siberia, fighting in France during World War I, walking the Appalachian Trail with his dog -- and strolling down Colorado Boulevard, unofficially bringing up the rear of the Rose Parade one year."

and includes this further explanation deeper down in the article:

"During the 1920s boom, Larsen worked as a bank messenger on Wall Street. He later walked the Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia with his dog, Happy, according to The Times' archives. Early in the Depression, he caught the "greeting bug" and began hailing visitors...."

What isn't clear is just whenLarsen and dog hiked. Not immediately after World War I and just before the Depression, that's for sure.

Meredith Emerson Articles

A series of articles in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution carry news about the unfolding story of the disappearance of 24-year-old hiker Meredith Emerson near the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. These include:

Tim Eberly, Jeffry Scott. "HIKER FEARED DEAD: Bloody shirts found: Authorities tell Meredith Emerson's family chances are 'slim to none that she's alive.'" Published 6 January 2008.

and

Tim Eberly. "Man Charged With Kidnapping Missing Hiker." Published 5 January 2008.

Meredith Emerson Search Continues

Geroge Chidi and Christian Boone wrote the article titled "Missing hiker's father makes appeal to public" in the 7 January 2008 Atlanta Journal-Constitution with the latest news about Meredith Emerson's disappearance. Her father's appeal to the public is for everyone "to search their hearts and memories for anything they can remember and do to help us find Meredith and return her home."

Suspect Gary Michael Hilton is in custody, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is quoted here as saying that "there is 'considerable evidence' linking Hilton to Emerson's disappearance." Meanwhile, there are upwards of 150 police officers and emergency workers searching for Emerson.

Hikers and Hoteliers

The report on the Portland, ME WCSH television station web site titled "Millinocket Businesses See White Gold In Early Snow" and posted by Sarah Delage on 5 January 2008 mentions two Appalachian Trail hikers who made it to Millinocket and settled down:

"Paul and Jaime Renaud hiked to Millinocket and never turned back.

"'We actually hiked into this community on the Appalachian Trail,' Jaime said. 'So it was kind of at the end of our adventure, and it was: "What do we do next?"

"What they did next was buy a cafe and lodge named after the trail that brought them to Millinocket. They saw the potential in this former mill town."

So, there you are! The report doesn't go into any more detail about the business name or location or when the Renauds were on the Trail, so this is the best I can do toward boosting their business.

Emerson Disappearance

Meredith Emerson's disappearance in Georgia, near Blood Mountain and the Appalachian Trail, along with the continuing search for her and the 'person of interest' seen talking with her last, is reported on the ABC News 'Good Morning America' web site under the headline "Is This Man Key to Blood Mountain Mystery?; Hunt for Woman, Dog in Georgia Now Also a Search for Older Hiker on Same Path" on 4 January 2008.

On Meredith Emerson's Disappearance

Carey Kish has an outdoors news blog at MaineToday.com and his 4 January 2008 entry is titled simply "On Blood Mountain." Kish expresses the fear and countering wish of all of us:

"But I fear the worst.

"The A.T. down south has had much too much of its share of sad tales like this, mostly involving women hikers, who innocently walk into the woods and end up dead, often at the hands of a fellow (male) hiker.

"Yes, statistically I suppose, the incidents are few and far between, but each becomes such a high profile affair that it seems more frequent than it really is.

"Nonetheless, it happens, and it scares the hell out of me. And probably you too.

"You live, you hike, you take your chances. You trust in others. Most times that's OK.

"Let's hope to dear God that this story has a good ending and Meredith Emerson walks out of the north Georgia woods alive real soon."

Barry Veden Hikes and Writes

Amy Lavalley, writing in the Chicago Post-Tribune on 3 January 2008 under the headline "Author chronicles adventures on Appalachian Trail," describes the new book by Appalachian Trail hiker Barry Veden.

Veden's book "is 'Coming of Age on the Appalachian Trail,' recounting his experiences hiking the trail solo." I'm not sure about the 'coming of age' part of the title, since Veden is 64, recently retired, and only started hiking on the Trail in the 1990s.

More curious, however, is that this hiking narrative comes from the pen of a man of whom Lavalley writes that

"almost every year, he's hiked another section of the trail, usually spending about a week. He travels about 10 miles a day, a pretty good average, he said, for someone his age, and goes in the early spring, when he won't see other hikers."

And then

"Veden estimates he's walked about 600 miles of the trail, which stretches almost 2,200 miles. He hasn't hiked it in a few years; his daughter lives in Denver, so he's been hiking in Colorado.

"This spring, though, he plans to head back with a friend."

Pittsfield Reads Bryson

Pittsfield, Massachusetts community book reading of Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods is highlighted in the Berkshire Eagle Online under the 3 January 2008 headline "City book club; Pittsfield residents will share Appalachian adventure," in the article by staff writer Amy Carr.

Meredith Emerson Missing

The disappearance of hiker Meredith Emerson in northern Georgia, near Blood Mountain and the Appalachian Trail has fostered a lot of activity, much interest, and numerous news stories. The stories include:

One from WXIA channel 9 TV news in Colorado (Emerson's home state), "Person of interest named in case of missing hiker" posted by Jeffrey Wolf on 3 January 2008.

A second from the United Press International titled "Police seek man seen with missing hiker" also on 3 January 2008 at 5:53 pm. IT cites a CNN broadcast.

And Debbie Gilbert's story in the Gaineesville (GA) Times of 4 January 2008 at 4:04 am, titled "Search goes on for hiker; Missing Buford woman last seen New Year’s Day"

It's been in the single digits, snowy, and very windy. Police are still looking for the man seen talking with Emerson on the trail.

Arizonan Set on Speed Hiking

"Tucson man looking to break world record" is the headline on David Marino's article in the 2 January 2008 issue of the KVOA News 4 web site from Tucson, AZ.

The speedster in question is Lonnie Owens.

The record: fastest hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Owens, who had planned to hike the AT with his mother in 2000 (until she passed away in 1998), wants to shatter the 47 1/2 day land speed record by hiking the Trail in 30 days. Says Owens, "I was born in Tennessee, so walking in the mountains is nothing."

He figures on starting at Springer on 1 May.

Hiker Meredith Emerson Missing

George Chidi writes in the Atlanta Journal Constitution on 2 January 2008 under the headline "Police seek 'person of interest' in case of missing Buford woman; GBI joins the search, water bottle and dog leash belonging to woman found on trail" about the disappearance of and search for Buford, GA resident Meredith Hope Emerson.

Emerson was last seen hiking on the Freeman Trail near Blood Mountain, GA (and the Appalachian Trail) on New Year's Day with her dog. A 'person of interest' has been identified: an older man wearing a yellow jacket identified as Gary Michael Hilton.

2004 Thru-Hiker Heading to Triple Crown

Rick Laney's story titled "Playing ‘save the toes’: Stranded hiker returns to Maryville" in the Daily Times ("serving Maryville, Alcoa, and Blount County Tennessee") dated 30 December 2007 describes Bert Emmerson's recent southbound Continental Divide Trail hike that ground to a halt in a 4 day frost-biting snow storm. He'd started in Montana on 15 June, and had hoped to finish by Christmas. The weather delay has put his completion off until April or May.

Anyway, Emmerson knows what he's doing:

"During his first year of retirement, Emmerson hiked the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. The next year, he hiked the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. He didn’t schedule any long-distance hikes for 2006, but started planning his Continental Divide Trail trek for 2007."

Emmerson's got a website detailing his hike.

Tara Janisch Speaks

There's going to be a talk by AT thru hiker Tara Janisch on 11 January 2008 according to the Southtown Star, a part of the Chicago Sun-Times news group. The announcement is in the 30 December 2007 list of upcoming events, and reads as follows:

"An evening with a hiker Thorn Creek naturalist Tara Janisch will recount her six-and-a-half month trek through the Appalachian Trail from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 11 for participants age 16 and older at Thorn Creek Nature Center, 247 Monee Road, Park Forest. Cost is $5. Registration: (708) 747-6320."

The announcements don't say when she and her husband thru-hiked.

Grandma Gatewood Trail

The Akron Beacon Journal's Bob Downing has a 30 December 2007 article titled "Hocking Hills - Ohio's wonderland; Hocking Hills is year-round getaway with waterfalls, gorges, caves and 24 miles of spectacular hiking trails". It's about the southeast Ohio state park named Hocking Hills. It sounds like a pretty neat place.

Talking about the hiking there in the park, Downing writes:

"If you are ambitious, you can hike from Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls and back. It is a six-mile round-trip on the popular Grandma Gatewood Trail. Add six more miles and you can hike from Cedar Falls to Ash Cave and back.

"Ohioan Emma Gatewood was born in 1887 and died in 1973 and began hiking at the age of 67. She had 11 children and 23 grandchildren. She hiked the Oregon Trail once and the Appalachian Trail three times. She was the first woman to hike the Appalachian Trail alone in 1955.

"This section of the Buckeye Trail was one of her favorites. It was designated a National Recreation Trail and named after her in 1979. It is also part of the federal North Country Trail and the American Discovery Trail."

Remembering our forebears is a good way to end one year and start the next.

Hopeful Maine Hikers

Emmet Meara's lifestyle column in the Bangor Daily News of 29 December 2007 is titled "Emmet Meara: Writer's own 'bucket list' can barely hold water." Meara writes about trying to write a 'bucket list' (after the recent movie with its list of things to do before one 'kicks the bucket').

Somewhere in the middle of the column, Meara writes:

"Naturally, every male (I don’t know about women) in Maine dreams about walking the Appalachian Trail, at least when no erotic dreams about Keira Knightley are available. But wait. I can barely walk downtown (and back) these days. That trail looks like months of agony, at least at the pace I would set. Maybe I will drive the Appalachian Trail. I have a four-wheel-drive truck, you know."

But that begs the question of whether these hopeful hikers want to go southbound and leave Maine, or whether they'll want to start in Georgia and hike homeward.

Bryson a Community Read Book

Pittsfield, Massachusetts is launching a 'one book, one community' project with the reading of Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, according to an article by Jen Thomas on the web site iBerkshires.com posted on 28 December 2007. The article, titled "Pittsfield To Launch Community Reading Project," says that the Pittsfield READS! project was organized by the Taconic High School's librarian Meredith Cochran.

A.T. as Context for Other Trails

The Oneonta (NY) Daily Star's Rick Brockway has a weekly outdoors column in that paper and the 28 December 2007 one is titled "Major trail is in the works." Mostly, he's describing the North Country Trail and the opposition thereto at the eastern end of the Trail. But he begins by setting the context with this description of the A.T.:

"The Appalachian Trail is 2,144 miles, running from Springer Mountain, Ga., to Maine's highest peak, Mt. Katahdin. It crosses 14 states. The trail is used by an estimated 4 million people a year, but only about 175 hikers complete the five- to seven-month journey annually."

Swatara Iron Bridge Mentioned

The Swatara Creek iron bridge in mid-Pennsylvania is mentioned in an article in the Harrisburg (PA) Patriot-News of 27 December 2007 titled "State seeks owners, new life for old bridges." The writer, Al Winn, describes the state's efforts to sell off now-closed bridges, including one across the Swatara where a replacement is being planned.

"State and county officials are talking about what to do with the old one.

"For ideas they would need look no farther than a mile upstream from Inwood where PennDOT and the then Department of Environmental Resources moved a bridge from Waterville, Lycoming County, and rebuilt it here in 1986. The bridge is now part of the Appalachian Trail."

That bridge is also one of the few parts of the Trail in Pennsylvania which is not covered with sharp rocks.

Hiker Lost Weight Before His Hike

The story in the 25 December 2007 Bainbridge, GA Post-Searchlight, written by Rod McDowell and titled "Little Things to a Life Change," is mostly about McDowell's recent major weight loss. It wasn't magic, of course, just diet and exercise, diet and exercise.

But what was interesting to me was the 'reward' he gave himself at the end of a 'Team Lean contest' wherein groups of overweight people compete with each other to lose the most unhealthy weight. McDowell writes:

"Toward the end of Team Lean, I decided I would reward myself with a hike on the Appalachian Trail. I was in great shape, having gone from 288 to 225, and I felt I was ready to join the legions that trek the nation's longest footpath.

"I think it is very important to have a vision for your newfound fitness once the bulk of your weight loss work is done. So often, people relax, get back to their old ways and let their bodies down after making them healthier. By keeping yourself motivated, you can maintain the vigor with which you strove to lose weight; whatever that motivation may have been.

"As I began to prepare for my hiking venture, I continued my strict diet and workout regimen, spending more and more time at the YMCA, constantly feeling like I was running for that light at the end of the tunnel."

Which is how he ended up on Cheoah Bald at the end of a two week plus hike waiting for his two buddies to catch up with him.

Hiker Now Nature Center Director

Michael Sandy, director of The Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary in Kansas City -- and former Appalachian Trail hiker -- is profiled in the 25 December 2007 Kansas City Star by Jason Noble under the headline "Nature sanctuary’s interim director takes on permanent role."

In the midst of the interview/article Sandy relates that after getting another Kansas City nature center up and running

"I decided I wanted to do some things for myself — like hiking on the Appalachian Trail and spending some time with my family. I couldn’t see taking a leave of absence for that long, so I worked for myself and hiked the trail."

And he went right from hiking to his current position.

Rohrbacher Finishes His A.T. Hike

The Delphos Herald from Delphos, OH has a 24 December 2007 article by Mary Grothause that records the completed section hike this summer by Charles Rohrbacher, a business teacher at St. John’s High School. It is titled "Rohrbacher’s boots made for walkin’."

He started hiking for several weeks during his summer break back in 1998, and followed with hikes in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007. He finally summited Katahdin on 14 July 2007.

Oh, yes, he says he's willing to do it again. You go, guy!

Cross Country Hiker Training on the A.T.

The Evening Sun ("serving the greater Hanover and Gettysburg [PA] areas") has a Steve Marroni article that was published on 23 December 2007 and titled "Man to hug a million 'for humanity'."

The article describes how area resident Josh Howell intends to hug a million people as he hikes across the country and back on the American Discovery Trail during a 9 month hike starting in Delaware on 1 March. It's to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association, and the article tells how is mother was stricken with an early onset of the disease.

Anyway, we also read here how Howell has been physically fit and active. And that

"Getting ready to for his cross-country hike is a full-time job. He hikes as much as he can, hitting local areas of the Appalachian Trail with a 40-pound pack. He calls ahead, setting up Hug-a-Thons and events for his stops along the way."

So if a hiker in southern Pennsylvania wants to hug you in the next couple months, it could be for a good cause.

Jazz Tunes Named for the Trail

The "All About Jazz" website has a review of a recent CD by pianist Yoko Miwa titled 'A Canopy of Stars.' The review is by Dan McClenaghan and was published on 22 December 2007.

In the midst of the review, we read:

"Miwas's more abstract side is displayed on “Appalachian Trail (North),” with a churning, Brad Mehldau flavor, and its sister tune, “Appalachian Trail (South),” that feels a bit more propulsive."

And I confess to not having the slightest idea what that means.

2006 Section Hiker Headed for Romania

The 'Twin Cities Daily Planet' news site for Minnesotans has a piece titled "Complete Freedom" by Michele St. Martin posted on 16 December 2007. It profiles 63-year-old Ann Richards who is heading off for a 2 year stint in the Peace Corps, assigned to Romania. She is, apparently, an independent-minded woman.

"That independent streak served Richards well last summer, when she spent eight weeks by herself, hiking 587 miles of the 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail. 'It was incredibly physically taxing, but my body was up to it,' she said. 'I carried a journal and had a lot of time to read and think,' Richards said. 'I had made the decision to enter the Peace Corps, but I wanted to really think it through.'

"Richards described her Appalachian Trail trek as a 'wonderful experience … I’ve had big blocks of solitude. That precious time when you reflect, resolve, and then completely empty your mind and just flow with the current. I’ve met the nicest bunch of hikers of all ages and backgrounds.' One disappointment, Richards said, was 'there were so few women my age hiking.'"

The Trail as Model's Misdirection

A website called Buddy TV has an article dated 17 December 2007 titled "More from Jenah after America's Next Top Model". It describes some of the story of a woman named Jenah Doucette who appears on the television show 'America's Next Top Model'.

"It turns out she didn't even tell her own sisters that she was joining America's Next Top Model, saying instead when she left shortly before her graduation that she was going to hike the Appalachian Trail."

Ah well, now that the show is over and Ms. Doucette did not "win" maybe she can actually hike the Trail. Or part of it.

Did her sisters actually believe she was going to hike the Trail? Was there a bogus backpack, a pseudo sleeping bag, a fake food bag?

Brady and Stachurski Thru-hike

The Walton Tribune (from Monroe, GA) dated 16 December 2007 has an article by Stephen Milligan recording the completed Appalachian Trail thru-hike by local resident Clay Brady. It's titled "Local man hits Appalachian Trail."

Brady and "college roommate Jason Stachurski, decided to walk the trail while still enrolled at LaGrange College". They graduated in May 2006, and started hiking on 4 March 2007. They completed their hike in October of this year, having spent "almost eight months" getting from Georgia to Maine.

"Toward the end of the trip, Brady and Stachurski had joined into sort of a loose group of nine hikers. 'We called it the Maine train,' Brady said."

And now, according to the article, Brady is thinking of hiking it again.

Skurka Keeps Hiking After 2002 A.T.

The Providence (RI) Journal of 16 December 2007 has an article by Meaghan Wims titled "A walk in the West" that describes a recent long distance hike by Andrew Skurka. He spent seven months hiking 6,875 miles on "The Great Western Loop" from the Grand Canyon north to Oregon and back south again, crossing through 12 national parks.

"Andrew Skurka wasn’t always an accomplished hiker. Though he was a standout long-distance runner at Seekonk High School, Skurka never seriously hiked until he completed the Appalachian Trail in 2002 in 95 days, with a 49-pound pack and not a clue what he was doing."

And now he's covered a lot more miles, including "the never-before-accomplished 7,800-mile Sea-to-Sea Route, from Montreal to the Pacific Ocean, [He] decided he’d be the first to tackle it once he graduated from college [and] finished the route in 2005, in 11 months."

Food Editor Misunderstands Hikers

An Associated Press story by AP Food Editor J.M. Hirsch and that appears on the WRAL television news site under the headline "Powdered Peanut Butter" on 14 December 2007 begins with the line "Powdered peanut butter sounds like something only a person hiking the Appalachian Trail could love."

Well, maybe. But let's read further:

"PB2 is an ultrafine powder made by roasting and pressing peanuts, a process that removes much of the fat found in traditional peanut butter."

And that pretty much removes the attraction peanut butter has for A.T. hikers, doesn't it?

Jeff Alt's Book Reviewed

A web site called variously "M&C" or "Monsters and Critics" reprints a book review of Jeff Alt's A Walk for Sunshine on 14 December 2007. The positive review, by Jessica Schneider, is said to have originally appeared at a web site called The Moderate Voice. Here, it's called "Featured Book Review: A Walk for Sunshine by Jeff Alt."

The reviewer says nice things like: "...despite his love for nature and the outdoors, he does not sneer down on people who don’t share the same goals as he..."; and "Another good aspect of the book is that Alt doesn’t preach too much in regards to religion."; and "A Walk for Sunshine is a refreshing read, one that I enjoyed more than I thought. And while the narrative is not larded with poetic turns of phrasing like Loren Eiseley, the writing is better than some other outdoor adventure books I’ve read"; and "What Alt describes is more of a “realistic” version of what would happen to a prepared, healthy person if trying to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, is it?"

Pennsylvania House Passes Protection Bill

The 13 December 2007 issue of the Pocono Record has an article titled "Bill to protect Appalachian Trail in Pa. approved in House" in it. I know, I know ... you thought the Trail actually was already protected. But,

"'State law enacted in 1978 requires municipalities that border the trail to protect it as a state scenic, historic and esthetic treasure, but municipalities were not required to enact ordinances to do so,' said [Bob] Freeman, D-Northampton. 'My legislation would make sure the Appalachian Trail is appropriately protected from development that could detract from the trail’s natural beauty.'"

I'm not sure what the difference is between requiring protection on the one hand and requiring an ordinance to protect. Especially since the article doesn't say that the municipalities are going to be required to enforce their ordinances. Maybe that will be in the law passed in another 30 years.

Pennsylvania, you'll remember, is home of Eldred Township where the Alpine Rose race track wants to add auto racing noise and fumes to your hiking experience.

"The legislation (H.B. 1281) now heads to the Senate for consideration." Write your state senator!

Christmas Ornament Honors A.T.

Hagerstown Maryland's Herald-Mail of 11 December 2007 has an article titled "Jefferson County artist's trail ornament on White House tree" and written by Dave McMillion. The "trail" in the title is the Appalachian Trail. The artist is Sheila Brannan, a stained-glass artist from Shepherdstown, WV.

According to the article, "In celebration of 100 years of the National Park Service, national park superintendents were asked by first lady Laura Bush to select an artist to decorate an ornament representing their park." And the AT's superintendent chose Brannan.

The ornament is to hang on the White House Christmas tree with ones representing each of the other National Park Service properties.

James "Sudoku" Sharpe Completes His Hike

Janene Holzberg writes in the Baltimore Sun on 7 December 2007 under the headline "Hiking trail is 'about living on your own'" about the just completed thru-hike by Ellicott City, MD resident James Sharpe.

Sharpe had the trail name "Sudoku". The article doesn't give his start and end dates, except to say "between April and October," and the Katahdin photo with the article shows blue sky and snow on the rocks. The reporter includes mention of post office drops, hostels, weight changes (Sharpe gained 10 pounds), 'hike your own hike,' and the social aspects of hiking.

Sharpe's father, Steve, is section hiking.

Kinsman Pond Shelter Replaced

In a short, un-signed piece titled "Give 'em shelter" in the 7 December 2007 "Union Leader" from Manchester, NH, we read about the replacement of the Kinsman Pond Shelter.

"The new shelter was built with weather-resistant materials and is expected to last even longer than the original structure, built in 1966, according to Hawk Metheny, backcountry management specialist for the Appalachian Mountain Club and a member of the board of directors of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy."

A.T. to the White House

Writing in the "Journal" of Martinsburg, WV, Quinn Daly tells the story of Shepherdstown, WV artist Sheila Brannan having been selected to create a Christmas tree ornament for use in the White House. Her ornament depicts the Appalachian Trail.

The article, titled "Artist celebrates park service; Ornament commemorating agency to adorn White House tree," is in the 7 December 2007 issue and includes a photo of Brannan holding her ornament that has "an image of the famous hiking trail that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service."

Adkins Crew Finishes its 2007 Hike

Leonard Adkins writes that

"The longer I hike and the more I learn about the Appalachian Trail, the more convinced I become that its greatest importance—much more than the recreational opportunities it provides—is its preservation of the natural world from the encroachments and destructions of the modern world (such as the Wintergreen Resort which displaced the trail before it became federally protected in the Blue Ridge Mountains)."

This is in the final installment of his series of articles on this year's thru-hike that appeared in the OurValley.org web site supported by various newspapers in southwestern Virginia. The article, titled "At trail's end: The value of the AT is it insures a 2,000-mile strip of land will be left in its wild and natural state," summarizes the end of the hike and contains more philosophizing by Adkins. It doesn't seem to be dated, but appeared around 4 December 2007.

Trail Protection in Pennsylvania

An Associated Press article on the Philly.com website of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News relays information that the Pennsylvania

"House neared a final vote on a bill that would provide additional protection to the section of the Maine-to-Georgia Appalachian Trail that runs across eastern Pennsylvania. It would require municipalities to adopt land use policies to preserve the trail. Critics say the bill may be unnecessary because of adequate existing laws, requires protection of subjective scenic or aesthetic qualities and does not properly define the corridor to be protected. (House Bill 1281)"

The article is headlined "News from the Pennsylvania General Assembly" and appeared on 4 December 2007. Passage of the bill might forestall further problems like the Alpine Rose racetrack.

Fugate in Missouri

Former A.T. thru-hiker Steve Fugate, currently on a cross-country walk "to share his love of life with whomever he meets along the way" in the wakes of the deaths of his two children, is in Columbia, Missouri, according to an article by Stephanie Callahan in the 3 December 2007 issue of the Columbia Missourian titled "Man walking across the U.S. moves through Columbia".

Adkins Hike Finished

Leonard Adkins has written the capstone article in his Charleston Daily Mail series about this year's Appalachian Trail hike. It's titled "Appalachian Trail thru-hike reaches its end" and came out on 26 November 2007.

Adkins, his wife, and their dog intentionally took a long time to complete this year's hike (28 February 2007 to 8 November 2007), and did some flip-flopping in order to follow the seasons the way they wanted to.

He writes well. And reflectively. For example,

"The longer I hike and the more I learn about the Appalachian Trail, the more convinced I become that its greatest importance — much more than the recreational opportunities it provides — is its preservation of the natural world from the encroachments and destructions of the modern world (such as the Wintergreen Resort, which displaced the trail before it became federally protected in the Blue Ridge Mountains)."

His web site at http://www.habitualhiker.com/ gives more detail and can hook you up with his multi-media presentation.

It Will Be a REALLY Long Side Trail

The Glens Falls, NY Post Star of 27 November 2007 has an article by Charles Fiegl titled "DEC releases plan for National Scenic Trail" which relates news about the North Country National Scenic Trail. Among other things it says

"The longest continuous hiking trail in the United States has been in the works for 25 years. Now, the state Department of Environmental Conservation has released a draft plan to extend the trail through the Adirondack Park."

And down towards the end of this article, we read

"There are eight National Scenic Trails. The North Country trail was originally planned to link the Lewis and Clark Trail to the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. Congress passed an act approving the trail in March 1980. The trail winds its way through North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Less than half of the trail is complete, but the Appalachian Trail took about 80 years to finish."

I can't figure out the arithmetic to get 80 years to finish the AT.

A.T. Books "Worn Out"

A former National Park Service Ranger has hiked the Blue Ridge Parkway and written a book about it titled "The Blue Ridge Parkway by Foot -- a Park Ranger's Memoir." The book was published in October by McFarland and Company press of North Carolina. "It is part travelogue, part autobiography, part parkway history," according to an article in the Roanoke Times of 23 November 2007 by Kevin Kittredge titled "The road less hiked;
Former park ranger and natural-born storyteller Tim Pegram walked the Blue Ridge Parkway and shares the joy of discovery in his new memoir."

The article says that Pegram would next like to hike the Appalachian Trail but that "he doesn't plan to write about it. 'It's a worn-out theme,' he said."

Dan Aitchison Speaks About Hiking

The Putnam County News and Recorder of 21 November 2007 has an announcement headlined "Putnam County Land Trust Program: Hiking the Appalachian Trail" which brings news of the 25 November talk "by Dan Aitchison of Shenorock, whose hilarious and powerful experiences trekking from Georgia to Maine will inspire and delight fireside adventurers, amateur naturalists and experienced hikers."

Stachurski and Brady Make it to Katahdin

The Greenwood (SC) Index-Journal of 17 November 2007 has an article by Chris Trainor titled "Greenwood man back from hike." The article documents the completed 7 month thru-hike by Jason Stachurski. He hiked 4 March to 9 October with friend Clay Brady.

Stachurski went by the trail name "Stone Age" and Brady went by "Triple Deuce". The writer points out that

"Finishing the Appalachian Trail is not a common achievement. In fact, Stachurski said 16 people started the hike in Georgia at essentially the same time he and Brady did. Only eight of those finished."

Which is way better than the usual odds one reads.

No Moons Allowed

UPI reports on 16 November 2007 that federal authorities are riding the Mt Washington cog railroad and charging hikers with a federal offense for mooning rail riders from the Appalachian Trail. The report, headlined "Feds say bad moon rising on a mountainside," doesn't specify the law broken.

AMC Annual Meeting Upcoming

On 16 November 2007 the website NorwalkPlus.com published a press release advertising the upcoming annual meeting of the Appalachian Mountain Club. They titled it "Appalachian Mountain Club to hold “Annual Gathering” in Wallingford". The meeting will be on 1 December 2007 in Wallingford, CT.

Who Will Be Number 10,000?

The Winston-Salem Journal dated 16 November 2007 carries the New York Times article about the approach of the 10,000th person to hike all 2,000 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Their headline is "HIKERS: Appalachian's 2,000-milers near 10,000." We should get there some time in the year 2008.

Sweeney and McClain Finish Thru-Hikes

The Pine Journal published in Cloquet, MN ('Carlton County's Newspaper') has a 15 November 2007 article headlined "Our Neighbors... Jessica Sweeney" which records Sweeney's completed thru-hike.

She hiked for 193 days, starting 23 March and finishing on 1 October ("at 11:45 a.m."). She hiked with "her close friend Andy McClain". And they went by the trail names "Torpedo" and "Nice Enuff" respectively. They "clipped small white picket fences onto their packs representing their dream."

The article focuses on the friends they made during the hike.

Zimmerman Completes Thru-Hike

The 15 November 2007 issue of the Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle has an article titled "Fairporter hikes 2,174 miles." It's the report of the completed 7 month and 7 day thru-hike by local resident Kathryn Zimmerman. She started at Springer 11 March, and finished on 17 October.

"She met about five locals along the way. Mike Martone of Greece, a Kodak retiree who began his thru-hike on March 15, finished ahead of her on Sept. 13."

Her trail name was "The Bag Lady" and according to the article

"one day in June in Virginia, Zimmerman quit. But after a few days in a B&B, she got her mojo back."

You sure don't want to hike without mojo. Her journal is at trailjournals.com.

John and Irene Bryant Search Now Homicide Investigation

The search for Appalachian Trail Conservancy members John and Irene Bryant, avid hikers in their 80's, has, according to Andre A. Rodriguez's article in the 14 November 2007 issue of the Asheville Citizen-Times, become a homicide investigation. The article is headlined "Search for couple turns into homicide investigation after woman’s body ID’d".

"Transylvania County Sheriff David Mahoney said a bank card belonging to 79-year-old John Bryant and his wife, 84-year-old Irene Bryant, was used to withdraw $300 from an ATM on Oct. 22 in Ducktown, Tenn."

New Hampshire Resident Anctil Summits

The Nashua (NH) Telegraph of 12 November 2007 carries Peter Jennings' article titled "Nashua man experiences hike of a lifetime on Appalachian Trail."

It records the completed thru-hike by Robert "Bowleg" Anctil and his dog Bono. Forty-two year old Anctil, and 3-year-old Bono, started from Springer on 16 March. When he got to Katahdin,

"Anctil had braved a 6-month hike, and in doing so, he raised $2,000 for a granite bench memorial for his recently deceased friend, Chris Messier.

"Anctil now has an Achilles problem and a martial arts business that lost 30 percent of its customers in his absence, but he believes it was worth it to prove to himself what he could accomplish."

His online journal is at trailjournals.com.

Alt No Bryson

The online e-journal (aren't all e-journals de facto online ones?) 'Blogcritics Magazine' has a "Book Review: A Walk for Sunshine - A 2,160-mile Expedition for Charity on the Appalachian Trail by Jeff Alt" posted therein on 11 November 2007 by 'Friend Mouse.'

The reviewer calls Alt's 2nd edition "a quick read" and opines that

"Alt isn’t a particularly eloquent storyteller – he’s no Bill Bryson, but then again, Bryson didn’t come close to finishing the Appalachian Trail – but his words do bring you out into the woods with him, bug bites, blisters and all."

Of additional interest, at least to me, is that she [the reviewer] was interested in reading the book because she wanted

"to see how Alt’s experience matched up with that of my parents (my mom, “Periwinkle,” also walked the AT in 1998 but had to come off for a couple hundred miles because of an injury; she rejoined my dad in New Hampshire for the last push)."

Two Upstate New Yorkers Thru-Hike

Dan Howley's article in the Albany (NY) Times Union on 11 November 2007 is a longer feature article documenting the completed thru-hike this summer by Paul Sypek and Matt Stannard of Glenmont, NY. It is titled "An alternate track; Two Glenmont men take a journey on the Appalachian Trail."

The college students started at Springer on 17 March, and finished at Katahdin on 4 October. The article describes some of their experiences with animals, and conveys the hikers' growth and their relationships with other hikers and non-hikers. It's a good all around piece on this thru-hike. The author says that

"theirs is not a story best measured in distances, peaks climbed, valleys walked, rivers crossed. It's a story about two young men coming of age in the wilderness where they filled their backpacks with memories for a lifetime and brought home a newfound sense of confidence."

Knowing When to Stop

It's not about hiking, but uses the A.T. as an illustration. That's the article by Jennifer Vogelsong in the 9 November 2007 issue of the York Daily Record / Sunday News which is titled "How to . . . quit something; It's OK, at times, to pull the plug." After detailing the story of a psychologist who quit her practice to stay at home with her kids, the writer makes this transition:

"So you decide - after spending hundreds of dollars on gear and countless hours in planning - that trekking the Appalachian Trail just isn't for you.

"You hang up the hiking boots and head home."

That's how you do it. It's better than slogging along just because someone else kept on hiking. Remember: hike your own hike. Maybe your hike is shorter.

Book About PCT Also Not Bryson

The book review of Barbara Egbert's "Zero Days" in the San Jose Mercury News of 8 November 2007 is written by Tom Mangan and titled "A family trek of 2,650 miles; Book follows 10-year-old girl on her adventure."

"Zero Days" describes the 2004 PCT thru-hike by Egbert, her husband Gary Chambers, and their daughter, Mary, that put Mary in the record books as the youngest PCT thru-hiker. Along the way in the positive review, Mangan writes that

"Egbert's first-person prose is plain-spoken and unpretentious. It's not the equal of, say, Bill Bryson's, whose "A Walk in the Woods" is a classic, antic tale of failing to through-hike the Appalachian Trail. But Egbert, a Mercury News copy editor, has success on her side, having hiked all but a couple hundred miles of the PCT (medical issues forced her off the trail for a few weeks) and finishing the trek in Canada with husband and child."

Check it out: Zero Days: The Real-Life Adventure of Captain Bligh, Nellie Bly and 10-year-old Scrambler on the Pacific Crest Trail By Barbara Egbert (Wilderness Press, 288 pp., $15.95)

Elderly Hikers Missing in North Carolina

John Harbinand and Mark Schulman write in the Hendersonville, NC Times-News of 8 November 2007 under the headline "Search for Bryants pushes on." And with a beginning like that, you know the ending could be bad.

The Bryants are John and Irene Bryant, 80 and 84 year old members of the Appalachian Trail Conference, who have been missing from their home in North Carolina. By the time neighbors called in search and rescue they had been missing more than two weeks. Their car was located in Pisgah National Forest and they're presumed to have headed up one of the hiking trails in the area. Rescuers and search dogs are trying to locate them.

Connecticut Hiker Retiring

The University of Hartford Informer has an 8 November 2007 article by Darren Duncan entitled "Carlson to Retire" which details the upcoming retirement plans of the University's Director of Public Safety, Judy Carlson. And it does not say that her plans are now to hike the Appalachian Trail.

What it says is that she started working at the University in January 1974 and that

"Carlson is an adventurous person and after working here for a year, she decided to go hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Carlson explained, 'It was my intent to work for a year and then leave to hike the Appalachian Trail which is what I did. However, after four months on the trail I was tired of hiking and eating trail food so I came back to Connecticut and was fortunate enough to be able to resume my employment at the University. I've been here ever since.'"

So she's already had her long distance hike. Maybe she will now do more of it.

A.T. Next on His List

Scott McMillon writes under the headline "Livingston man hikes Continental Divide Trail" in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle of 5 November 2007 about Jim Horan having just finished hiking the Continental Divide Trail. It ends with the note that

"In 1998, he and [hiking companion Mark] Dixon completed the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, tracing a different route from the Mexican border to Canada. And he's got his eye on the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail, which would make him one of only a few dozen people to complete the “Triple Crown” of distance hiking."

Island Girls on Mt. Washington

Nine Nantucket girls participating in the Strong Wings Adventure School experienced a much higher elevation than their island home affords them during a recent hike on Mount Washington, according to the article in the Nantucket Island Inquirer of 4 November 2007 by Margaret Carroll-Bergman titled "All-girls Strong Wings excursion tackles Mount Washington."

They trained as best they could on the island whose highest elevation is 111 feet above sea level. Their first night of hiking found them at the Zealand Falls hut.

"The huts sleep about 50 people, both men and women, and according to Oberg, the Nantucket group shared one room with two other people. 'The girls got to meet many people who have literally been hiking the Appalachian Trail since April,' she said. 'This was a hard concept for most of the girls to grasp, to hike a rocky, mountainous trail for months on end.'"

It's a hard concept for a lot of people to grasp.

He Cobbled Together a Section Hike

The Hanover [and Gettysburg, PA area] Evening Sun of 4 November 2007 has an article by Steve Marroni titled "Cobbler hikes length of AT" all about local cobbler Doug Livelsberger finishing up a 15 year long section hike of the Appalachian Trail.

"Livelsberger owns Beanie's Shoe Repair in Gettysburg and Hanover. He has been a cobbler for about 35 years, and has put more than 1,000 miles on the pair of hiking shoes he still wears."

It's a good story about hiking and things learned on the Trail, one you don't often read when section hikers finish their 2,000 miles.

An abbreviated version of this article also showed up in the York Daily Record, titled there "Shoemaker Ends 15-year Journey on Trail" on 11 November 2007.

Teacher to Be Hiker

A PATC Leave No Trace workshop has inspired a Maryland science teacher, Brook Green, to design and carry out an outdoor education lesson for the 234 7th graders at Thurmont Middle School. That's according to a Jeremy Hauck article titled "Teacher slowly turns her students into tree stewards" and published on 1 November 2007 in the Gaithersburg, MD Gazette.

The article ends on this hopeful note:

"Green is set to retire in the spring after 34 years of teaching, and the first thing she and her husband plan to do is hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, more than 2,000 miles, she said.

"'We’ve put it off all this time,' she said, adding that she hopes her students will be more likely to discover hiking in the future as a result of the school project."

Good luck!