Copious Optimism Reported on Springer

Gordon Brunskill is a sports writer for the Centre Daily Times from State College, Centre County, PA. He writes a good article in the paper's 10 April 2007 edition titled "Hikers show optimism for epic trek."

It's all about the optimism bubbling all over Springer at this time of year, coming from all those hikers intent on being able to stand on Katahdin in a few months. The article recounts the survival stats, and has a couple quotes from a couple hikers.

"Optimist Clubs around the country should hold their spring meetings at the top of Springer Mountain in Georgia.

"Positivity oozes from nearly everyone who climbs that mountain. People are smiling, laughing, confident.

"Of course, anything less and they have lost already."

It's really well-written. Read it!

Leonard Adkins Checks In

The Charleston (WV) Daily Mail of 10 April 2007 has a new update from the intentionally slow hiking Leonard Adkins. This is titled "Don't like the weather? Keep walking" and, as the saying goes, ain't that the truth?

Among other things, he reports that even when he and his wife might be a little trail-weary, their dog is always up and ready to go.

They've traveled over 300 miles so far and "already have been on the trail for more than a month and Georgia and most of North Carolina and Tennessee are behind us".

Read and enjoy. (Or wait for the inevitable book ... no, do both!)

New Yorker Aims at Thru-Hike

Andrea Boyarsky, a reporter for the Staten Island (NY) Advance, has an article in their 9 April 2007 issue titled "A hiker's hardest challenge yet; Westerleigh resident will trek through 2,174 miles of Appalachian Trail to raise money for military non-profit."

The article chronicles the beginning of a thru-hike attempt by Staten Island resident Peter Priolo. Starting on 15 April, Priolo will be raising money (his own, if nobody else's) for "Fisher House, a not-for-profit organization that allows family members of military personnel be close to their loved ones during hospitalization for illness, disease or injury." The obligatory web site has more details.

"'I'm scared to death,' Priolo admits of the challenge. 'I don't know what to expect; there are a lot of intangibles. But with a positive attitude, I can do anything.'"

I'm sorry, but "I don't know what to expect"??? Don't you have access to any of the printed or online narratives written by people who have hiked before you?

Then there's the reporter's comment:

"Priolo will be hiking the trail alone, but believes he will meet other travelers along the way. He will be stopping at shelters, where hikers tend to congregate and discuss their journey."

Makes it sound like, well, he just might not meet other hikers while he's out there. No, wait, this is a Staten Island reporter. Never mind.

Maine Appalachian Trail Club 72nd Meeting

MaineToday.com carries an announcement of the upcoming Maine Appalachian Trail Club meeting slated for 14 April 2007. The meeting will be at Nutting Hall at the University of Maine at Orono from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

North Carolinian Greg Eans Hikes Virginia

The Daily Reflector from Greenville, NC has an 6 April 2007 update on the month-long hike by their photography chief Greg Eans, headlined "Al Clark: Wherever 'long walk' takes him will be a high and special place." Al is the columnist. Greg is hiking the Appalachian Trail in Virginia.

The column gives extracts from, and directs readers to, the blog being written by Eans and his wife Marion Blackburn.

The blog is a really nice interplay between hiker and spouse, especially because she does some hiking along with him and knows what it's all about. Good reading.

Hiker Maggiotto Updates the World

The White Plains (NY) Journal-News calls its readers' attention to AT hiker Dave Maggiotto's 7 April blog posting. From the village of Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, Magiotto writes about the cold, snow, and sub-freezing temps down south. The unsigned news article title summarizes: "Appalachian Trail blogger seeks shelter from extreme spring cold".

Vinona "Fire Hazard" Christensen Reports In

The Noblesville (IN) Daily Times of 7 April 2007 has William Fouts's article titled "On the trail with Vinona Christensen," bringing readers what aims to be the first of many updates on the thru-hike attempt by Ms. Christensen.

After starting from Springer on 25 March "'I have acquired a trail name: Fire Hazard. Yes, there is a story associated with that,' Christensen reported. 'The short version is that I managed to burn a couple of holes in another hiker’s gear, so I have to admit that I deserve the name. I have since changed cooking stoves so hopefully I will no longer be a hazard.'"

I'm glad it was only "a couple of holes."

Trailside Burning in Virginia

The Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch has an article by Carrie J. Sidener titled "Set fires clear way for nature; Prescribed burns help George Washington National Forest and test Forest Service crews" in its 7 April 2007 issue.

The article begins with a USDA Forest Service employee surveying smoke rising from a ridge while standing on the Appalachian Trail. "The 460 acres along the ridge is a part of the George Washington National Forest and it has a prescription to burn." It had been slated for a burn for several years, but wind conditions had never been just right.

Now, however, "the Appalachian Trail forms one of the boundaries for the burn and the other is the forest service road that accesses the area."

Ummm, keep an eye out for it when you hike through the area? Or at least know that the blackened earth trailside is both intentional and a good thing.

Mountain Club of Maryland Trail Activities

The Mountain Club of Maryland has its upcoming activities on and around the Appalachian Trail announced in the "Club Notes" column of the Capital-Gazette newspaper from Annapolis, MD on 6 April 2007. These include hikes and trail maintenance activities through 14 April.

Joseph Abrahams Starts a Thru-Hike

The Sand Mountain (AL) Reporter reports the start of a thru-hike attempt by Albertville, Alabama resident Joseph Abrahams. This comes in an article by reporter George Jones titled "Local man begins hiking 2,100-mile trail" which appears in the 7 April 2007 issue.

Called "Albertville’s version of the traveling Renaissance man," Abrahams had already been hiking for a while when profiled in this article. He started on 11 March.

Hiking with his dog Go-Jo, Abrahams "began with disappointment when he discovered the Smoky [sic!] National Park’s leg prohibited his traveling companion." Despite not having done that bit of background reading before beginning his hike, it sounds like he'll do fine and finish in time to start med school in the fall.

Leslie Mass Speaks in Kentucky

Linda Stahl of the Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal includes an announcement in her 5 April 2007 column about a presentation by author, speaker and hiker Leslie Mass at the Louisville Nature Center on the 5th.

Mass wrote "In Beauty May She Walk: Hiking the Appalachian Trail at 60" and is making the rounds now promoting the book and hiking (see previous post) while not out hiking with Wild Side Adventures.

Leslie Mass Speaks in Ohio

Author, speaker, and hiker Leslie Mass is speaking in Coshocton, Ohio on 17 April at the Lake Park Pavilion, according to a press release printed in the Coshocton (OH) Tribune on 5 April 2007 in the "Around Town" column.

Mass wrote "In Beauty May She Walk: Hiking the Appalachian Trail at 60" about her hike in 2000. The presentation -- coordinated under the banner of National Library Week -- highlights some of the things Mass learned on the Trail.

Jeff Alt to Speak

The Dayton (OH) Daily News of 5 April 2007 has an announcement by staff writer Jim Morris under the headline "Alligator found dead at Grand Lake with jaws tied shut" that's relevant here.

Down under the 'dead alligator in local Ohio lake' story, there's word that 1998 Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Jeff Alt will be speaking at the Gander Mountain store in Huber Heights, OH on 14 April.

Alt has hiked elsewhere and spoken elsewhere, too. See his web site. He's the author of "A Walk for Sunshine," his A.T. narrative, which I have not yet read.

AT Mentioned to Blacksburg Students

Something or other calling itself the Collegiate Times has an article by Drew Jackson titled "What to do outdoors, and where to do it!" under date of 30 March 2007.

It's written as if all the readers were at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, VA. Maybe they are.

Anyway, according to the article, "Teresa Martinez, trail programs manager for the Appalachian Trail Services, also described the Cascades National Recreation Trail as one of students' favorite outdoor destinations. The trail is part of the Jefferson National Forest and is accessed off 460 in Pembroke."

And: "The most accessible and most popular of all outdoor attractions is the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the famous trail that stretches 2,170 miles from Maine to Georgia. 'The trail goes through 14 states and is maintained solely by volunteers,' Martinez said. Virginia possesses roughly a quarter of the Appalachian Trail, which is over 500 miles of the trail. However, none of these miles are in Montgomery County.

"'In our area the trail is in Giles, Bland, Craig, Botetourt and Roanoke counties,' Martinez said.

"'The AT offers folks an opportunity to get away from all the pressures of living as a student in town, the pressure of classes and classwork … You would basically get back to what was really fundamental in life, like walking, community and being in a natural place that helps you kind of ground yourself, and stay sane,' Martinez said. 'When you get out there, you have an opportunity to relax and do so in a way where you're not chained to your computer or cell phone.'"

Well!

New Yorker Starts at Springer

"5 million steps and counting down" is the title of the profile written by Matt Sartwell in the White Plains (NY) Journal News from the lower Hudson River Valley (or northern reaches of the New York City suburbs, depending on your point of view) in its 2 April 2007 issue.

The profile is of local resident Dave Maggiotto who has just set off on a thru-hike attempt. The article has quotes from him, from his mother, and from "Rush Williamson, a volunteer with the Appalachian Trail Conservatory [sic!] who lives in the Washington, D.C., suburbs." [Williamson broke a leg while hiking last year, but is getting back on the Trail next year in another attempt; but the article didn't make clear why he is the chosen commentator.]

Anyway, Maggiotto has had hiking experience but only decided to take on the AT back in January. (January!) Though he lives in the area he didn't know where Harriman State Park even was back when he tlaked with the reporter on 26 March.

Interestingly, for one of these 'local resident goes on a hike' articles, there is an itemized list of the gear he's taking in his 40 pound (without food) pack. You don't often see those lists.

Oh, yes, the web site for his hiking journal: http://onthetrail.lohudblogs.com/

Thru-Hiker Claims Surviving on Wild Plants

Khristopher J. Brooks writes in the 2 April 2007 Bristol (VA) Herald Courier about a local college student under the headline "Appalachian Trail trekker found his meals on the move."

It's a story about local college student Ben Casteel. "The 21-year-old horticulture student at Virginia Highlands Community College walked the Appalachian National Scenic Trail last spring. He survived the five-month trek by eating wild plants he found along the way."

He also carried a mandolin. Which he sometimes played for food. So he didn't survive solely on the trilliums, ramps and wild greens he identified and ate.

Okay, aside from eating plants that are somewhat threatened (the trillium) he also breaks one of his safe food rules ("don’t want to eat anything that has a bad odor") by eating the ramps.

Whatever happened to the old 'leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures'? Maybe he only ate a couple of these wild foods and didn't really "survive" on them. Sigh.

Pennsylvanian Starts a Thru-Hike Attempt

Eric Long again, in the Williamsport (PA) Sun-Gazette, has an article about a local hiker starting out on a thru-hike attempt. It's in the 1 April 2007 issue, headlined "One of his ‘biggest hikes ever’."

The hiker is Aaron Faust, identified as "a former city resident." He's using the hike to raise money to fight cancer (see the web site).

Faust has hiked in various places, says he plans on staying in shelters and that "I will probably take a tent, too."

His family was aiming on driving him to Springer on Easter Sunday.

There's a longer version of this article at this location. Same author, same date ... I don't know, maybe one was for online consumption and the other one was in print on paper? This version is titled "Hiker with a cause: Former city resident to tackle Appalachian Trail, fight cancer."

Organized Slack Packing Business in Shenandoah

The Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch has a 1 April 2007 article by staff writer Katherine Calos that describes a trekking business in along the Appalachian Trail in the Shenandoah National Park under the title "A hike anyone can enjoy."

The business operator is one Andy Nichols, who "leads the programs with other members of his 13-year-old Teamlink/Shenandoah Mountain Guides company. They have a contract with Aramark, which operates the lodges in the park.

"Nichols goes beyond what park rangers can offer during the rangers' spring season of daily activities beginning Friday. Free ranger-led hikes and other programs generally last for only an hour or two.

"For people who want to spend more time on the trail, the guided adventures at Skyland Resort and Big Meadows Lodge include inn-to-inn overnight trips.

"The concept was inspired by European traditions of hut-to-hut hiking in the mountains. The Shenandoah version is easier because luggage goes into a van instead of being backpacked."

The article describes it all in more detail.

Organized slack-packing. For a price.

Very Basic History of the Appalachian Trail

The Williamsport (PA) Sun-Gazette of 1 April 2007 has an outdoors column titled "Appalachian Trail attracts 4 million visitors annually" by Eric Long. It's a short, pretty basic introduction to the history of the Trail.

"The 'Holy Grail' of hiking in the eastern United States began as a proposal by a regional planner, who felt the beautiful stretches of wilderness in the East should be preserved and protected." And so on.

Appalachian Trail Maintainers Meet in New York

Nancy Haggerty writes Without Limits every Sunday for the Poughkeepsie (NY) Journal, and on 1 April 2007, she wrote a column under the headline "Appalachian Trail monitors meet to talk preservation."

Highlighting the work of the trail monitors in New York, Haggerty tells about "a [recent] meeting of current and potential New York-New Jersey Trail Conference AT monitors at the RPH Shelter in East Fishkill." In particular she picks out the comments of three: Ollie Simpson, Ron Rosen, and Jim Haggett.

"Currently, 12 monitors cover Dutchess and the AT's 20 miles in Putnam, about half the number Haggett would like. Monitors commit to checking at least twice yearly for problems along the Park Service's boundary and property.

"Maintainers (there's a solid contingent of 30-plus) work more often, trimming overgrowth, removing or cutting trail-blocking fallen trees and doing more, including sometimes helping construct bridges."

A really nice explanation of the importance of this side of Appalachian Trail work, that helps keep the Trail open for hikers.