I Hike Appalachian Trail

A.T. Journeys

2007-11-14T14:24:00.000-05:00

This site is kind of fazing out. I am keeping up with this one more This Dam Life.

Today's post on that site is AT related. It goes as follows:

The November/December issue of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's magazine, known as A.T. Journeys, has an article written by me about Fontana Village Resort. I'm real excited about it since it is my first published article.
Please check it out.

The photos in the article were taken by my fellow employee/Florida Cracker friend Craig Litz. I'm happy with the way it turned out and excited about the opportunity. There are other writing plans in the work for me here at Fontana Village and I am really excited about the possibilities. More details will be posted on those as they develop.

Again, you can check out the article here.

Fore more info on the Appalachian Trail visit www.appalachiantrail.org.

Grafton Notch Death

2007-08-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

After signing the Appalachian Trail registry Saturday morning for the Eyebrow Trail in Grafton Notch State Park, Paul Marsh began the two mile loop. He was never seen alive again.
Article here.

AT Murderer

2006-12-21T09:34:00.000-05:00

September 11, 1990 was the day Paul Crew visited an East Berlin, Pennsylvania Library and viewed a map of the Appalachian Trail. Two days later he was near the trail asking hikers how to get to the nearest trail head. That day he raped and murdered Molly LaRue, and shot her hiking partner Geoffrey Hood, killing him in a shelter along the Appalachian Trail during their thru hike. Hood was shot three times with a revolver and then LaRue was bound, raped, and then stabbed in the neck. Crew covered their bodies in the shelter with their sleeping bags and stole their belongings. He was spotted by other hikers as he headed south on the trail. The hikers on the trail noticed that the belongings he was carrying where Hoods and LaRue. A week later Paul Crew was arrested. His trial for these murders concluded with sentencing him the death penalty by lethal injection. After years of his appealing the county can no longer fight his appeals due to lack of funding. He will be resentenced today and more then likely be given two life sentences.

Large portion of AT in Mexico?

2006-11-17T16:03:00.000-05:00

"A team of scientists say they have found a Massachusiast size piece of the Appalachian Mountians in Mexico."
This kind of sounds like a news article from the Onion, but it's not. I just picked up on this article. It is very cleverly written, but I think their dates may be off by a year or two.

The Wanderers (Update)

2006-11-17T11:17:00.000-05:00

The Wanderers made it!

My favorite hikers of the season made it to Katahdin. In a previous post I linked to a great article on this family. I heard of them through some other hikers during a shuttle and was really interested in meeting them. It was a family of three, Dad and two kids. I have pictured being that family of three hiking the AT many times with my wife and kid. The other interest was that the son was 12 years old. The age was very interesting, but as well his dad on this trip was home schooling him. I use to be home schooled so I thought it was great seeing someone take advantage of that schooling system.
I found out about there submit not through following them through their Trailjouranls, which I wish I had the time to do, but by the articles I was reading on Model to and his fourth thru hike. He mentioned, "Gear" the 12-year-old Wanderer. Well "Gear," also know as Brandon had broken his arm while on the trail. In Model T's article he says that the doctors told Brandon he had to leave the trail to recover. His response was, "No way!"
On September 28 the family finished their trip on top of Katahdin. .

Hike for Hope

2006-10-17T10:14:00.000-05:00

J. R. Model T Tate is a celebrity on the AT. I'm sure some people say there are know celebrities on the AT, but there are those who have their fair share of publicity, and Model T has his fair share for a reason.
First reason, he's old. Although he is not the oldest to complete the trek, at the age of 70 there is much more of a challenge to hike from Georgia to Maine then for the average 20-something year olds who hikes. Second reason for AT fame is that this was his fourth thru-hike. Not to many hikers have hiked the 2,100 plus miles that many times. In fact only six have done a Quattro Journey. Lastly, his last trip helped raise $35,000 for the Salvation Army. This money will help build a new homeless shelter though the Salvation Army. Donations are still being accepted for his journey/support. You can directly e-mail the Salvation Army with "Hike for Hope" in the subject line. Congrats Model T!

Heart Attack

2006-08-15T11:03:00.000-05:00

I wrote a nice article on this story I read on the Morning Report about this 60 year old thru hiker who had a heart attack and diabetic emergency at Tricorner Knob shelter in the Smokies. The odd thing though was that it happened a month ago and it was just being posted on NPS' site...
I went to preview this article and somehow lost everything I wrote disappeared and I couldn't find it in my history. It was the best article I ever wrote and now its lost.

P.T. Anderson on the Trail?

2006-08-09T08:55:00.000-05:00

While thru hiking the AT many memories are made on this great adventure. A New York thru hiker now has a memory he may wish he could forget. While hiking Blue Mountain in Pennsylvania the nameless hiker came across a body. This body was the deceased Warren Allen, 64, of North Whitehall Township. The hiker ran to the nearest road where he waved a passing motorist to call 911.
Now here is where the story gets PT Andersonish. While the EMS was pulling into the AT parking area a truck, driven by 52 year old Grant Kuntz, tried passing the ambulance and ran into it causing the vehicle to roll over. The driver of the pick up was airlifted to St. Luke's Hospital and was in fair condition Tuesday night.
The death of the hiker seems to be from natural causes but there is no official word on this.

Diarrhea

2006-07-29T08:36:00.000-05:00

You may be asking, "Why am I seeing this picture of a child with diarrhea, and what does this have to do with the AT?"
Well, diarrhea is a common occurrence in wilderness travel. Related to the AT, 45% of AT hikers experience this sloppy call of nature.
The Wilderness and Environmental Medicine Journal published a study on how to effectively wash your dishes while in the wilderness to prevent the spread of bacteria. I'm sure to many hikers this system seems very much impractical, however it just very well may be worth the extra effort.
You can read the study at www.allenpress.com

Bill Irwin

2006-07-24T10:13:00.002-05:00

I'm pretty sure the first time I heard of the Appalachian Trail was when I was in College at Carson-Newman. At C-N you are required to attend a certain amount of hours of chapel each semester. One of these chapels had a speaker by the name of Bill Irwin. It was a motivational speech on how anything you set your mind to can be accomplished. How you can live out your dreams and face obstacles in your life. Mr. Irwin related this to his Appalachian Trail thru hike. Now an AT thru hike is a pretty big accomplishment. What made his story so different was that he was the last to complete a thru hike in 1990. He was last by 3 and a half weeks. Irwin says, "I was last by a landslide." What made his hike so slow? What was the obstacle that made Bill Irwin's thru hike so difficult? Well, Bill Irwin is blind.
This man's story was the most memorable of the chapels I attended. His story I have always remembered. Today and article was released in the Charlotte Observer updating us on what Bill is doing today. Take a look at the article and see the challenges he faces today and how he is fighting and trying to overcome them.

Wheelchair Hiking

2006-07-23T15:38:00.000-05:00

The 140 foot Thundering Falls along the Appalachian Trail in Vermont has a new trail. What makes this trail so different is that it is wheelchair accessible. The Green Mountain Club and Vermont Youth Conservation Corps teamed together to help make this new route. Plans are for the Appalachian Trail to be moved into the woods so this might make it more enjoyable to AT hikers who are not fans of concrete/road walks. This is the first wheelchair trail in vermont.

More Rescues

2006-07-20T11:25:00.000-05:00

Over 50 rescuers from the western Maine region came to the aid of 18 year old Ryan Coyner, a hiker who became dehydrate after hiking 10 miles on Saturday, July 15. Ryan reached the leanto Friday night feeling dehydrate and sick. The next morning his condition worsened so his father called for 911 for help. Once the medical crew arrived they gave the hiker and IV. The next morning he was able to walk back out with the rescuers.

The Morning Report posted on July 17 that there was a "rescue of serious injury" on June 28th. An 80 year old man was hiking on the Grotto Falls trail when he fell down an 80 foot "near vertical" embarkment. His daughter reported that he was walking around a large rock when the trail-edge broke away which caused his fall. The man slid feet first for about 15 feet, tumble over to head first and then landed on his back. When the rangers arrived they found the man lying on a large rock with laceration and abrasions all over his body. After about 20 minutes the man insisted on walking back. Once he hit the trailhead he was exhausted and was then carried out on a wheeled litter. The elderly man was sent to the University of Tennessee Trauma Center.

So todays lesson is... Be safe and prepared. Watch out not only for yourself, but for others.

Saddleback Mountain Rescue

2006-07-13T14:29:00.000-05:00

A hiker was rescued off Maine's Saddleback Mountain yesterday (I believe yesterday, the date was not released in the article) after NorthStar EMS and Rangeley Fire department spent 11 hours on the rescue.

At 9:45 am a call was received by the rescue team that there was a hiker that had been sick and vomiting and unable to climb down the mountain. Carl Blondell and Jeremy O'Neil were the two paramedics assigned to hike to the victim. After four hours, making their way up the steep and rugged terrain through two thunderstorm, they reached the unidentified hiker. The "Hasty Team" then provided emergency care and informed base crew of his condition. Another rescue crew made it up the mountain a short while later and administered medication and fluids, which improved his condition enough to make it down the mountain to an ambulance.

The hiker is doing fine.

Old Road Crossings

2006-07-10T12:05:00.000-05:00

I always find it strange and erie when I've been walking in the woods for many miles and then come upon an old road. Well this story will only add to my unusual feelings.

On Friday, July 7 Maryland State Police found the remains of a man identified as Charles Lessner near the AT on an old road near Pen Mar. At this time there isn't much information released, however the investigators say that the bones seem to be several years old. Charles Lessner lost contact with his family in 1980, so the remains could be very old.

More then likely this isn't related to hikers of the AT, but it is still uncomforting to hear.

The Wanderers

2006-07-09T09:52:00.000-05:00

It's been four months since my last post... Can you believe it? I bet the hundreds of you who check this daily have been disappointed. Much has happened in my life, as well on the AT during that time. I am now living one mile from the trail and yet it seems harder to keep up with the news.
During the peak thru hiker season here at Fontana Dam, NC I met many Thru Hikers. I am working on putting a podcast together with the stories I heard from some of them.
One of the families I met, and am working on a podcast for, had an article in their local newspaper. Be sure to check it out..

Camouflaging Nature

2006-03-01T15:53:00.000-05:00

The National Park Service is trying to make trees more natural looking. It isn't because the are extremely obsessed with beautifying the Appalachian Trail, but it's to cover up hot-pink spray paint that has been added to white blazed trees and rocks along the trail. The new addition is believed to help mark half-mile intervals in the Cumberland Valley area. So the assumption is that a local athletic enthusiast has done this to help with training.

Park Ranger Todd Remaley says he hopes to find this person, or persons, not to prosecute, but to educate. Although this is a nice gesture I believe whoever is unintelligent enough to not understand that you shouldn't walk into the woods to spray trees with pink spray paint, should suffer consequences for this action. The volunteers and NPS are estimating continue work on these trees for two years to lose all resemblance of these markings. I think whoever caused this should clean all local privies until there is no more evidence of the pink blaze.

Lost Hikers

2006-02-19T13:56:00.000-05:00

Two men, aged 18 and 20 years of age, were found on the Appalachian Trail near Dragon's Tooth, west of Catawba, after being reported lost. After 4 hours of searching on Saturday, February 18th the young men were found around 10:00pm, thirsty and cold in the 20 degree temperature. According to Jennifer Conley-Sexton, the Roanoke Fire and Rescue spokeswoman, 30 fire and rescue employees, along with a helicopter team, were brought in to find these hikers.

It is great to hear about the rescuers fast actions and how they did not allow any delay with this problem. They were able to prevent what could have been a tragic story on the Appalachian Trail. This team should be commended for their actions. If you would like to thank them for the service they provide us hikers in cases of emergency, please write: Roanoke County Fire and Rescue

Please remember always give your hiking plans to someone you know, that way they will know when you will be back. If you don't return they can then put the Emergency Action Plan into effect. As well, always take precaution by bringing your maps, compass, water, food, and extra warm clothing.

NPR on the Road to Nowhere

2006-02-15T22:16:00.000-05:00

I heard from Philip Jones on whiteblaze.net that NPR was doing an "All Things Considered" piece on the much debated Road to Nowhere. I checked it out here.
Not to my surprise it was a heartwarming, touchy piece on how individuals can't make it out to see their ancestors who were buried out in the woods from when their families once lived there. Better yet it was telling us how the Road to Nowhere was promised to be built so that these departed family members could be visited. Well the fact is that the Agreement of 1943 makes no mention of cemeteries and giving access to these graves. It seems that Adam Hochberg's NPR piece was more or less to tug at our heart strings instead of giving the facts.
I wish this small group of people who are pushing for this road could see how selfish they are for wanting to build a $600 million dollar road that would destroy a large portion of our National Park.

AT Land Protected

2006-01-26T22:53:00.000-05:00

It seems the news on the AT is getting better and better. Not only is there an agreement to add more land to Baxter State Park, but the City of Hagerstown, Maryland will be selling an $800,000 easement, which would conserve nearly three miles of the Appalachian Trail, to the National Park Services. This land is the largest segments of the AT that still lacks federal protection. In the coming week Hagerstown's City Council will vote to make the offer official.

Baxter State Park Expands

2006-01-25T21:00:00.000-05:00

There is a $14 million land-purchase agreement to add over 6,000 acres of land to Baxter State Park awaiting funding and legislative approval. For nearly 100 years the state of Maine has sought out this land which includes Katahdin Lake and its spectacular shoreline. After this purchase is approved Mount Katahdin, the Northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, will be surrounded even further by protected land.

Body in Smokies UPDATE

2006-01-23T10:10:00.000-05:00

BODY IN SMOKIES UPDATE

On Friday, January 20th police arrested 20-year-old Terrence Howard Roach for the death of Tamara Susan Seay, the body discovered in the Smoky Mountains. Seay was 18 years of age and lived in Cherokee, NC. It is believed she was killed on Friday, January 13th about a half mile into the mountains. Tamara was found on January 15th by a church group from Florida while hiking Toms Branch Road.

CONCLUSION TO STORY
It ends up that the death was related to drugs. Terrence Roach admits to shooting Tamara, twice in the head, over money that she owed him for cocaine. For many hikers this is relieving news since it wasn't a random act of violence on a hiker, like the recent murders that took place in the Ocala National Forrest. However, this isn't anymore relieving for the family of Tamara Susan Seay.

Body Found in Smokies

2006-01-19T23:24:00.000-05:00

BODY FOUND IN SMOKIES

With the news of two campers killed in Florida's Ocala National Park still plastered in the local newspapers, it is even more disturbing to hear that on Sunday, January 15, the body of a 17 year old female was found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Not much information has been released at this time, but I will be sure to post as it becomes available.
Park investigators, police, and FBI are investigating this as a homicide.

Trail Improvements in NY

2006-01-12T14:47:00.000-05:00

While some place are debating and reviewing options on developing roads over and thru the AT (North Shore Road and GA I-3,) other towns are looking into how they can expand and compliment the AT. Warwick, NY is the latest city to unveil their plans on expanding the trail systems.

Congresswoman Sue Kelly obtained $400,000 in federal money, through the Transportation Equity Act, to amplify trails for bikers and walkers. For residents and guest of the Hudson Valley area there will soon be a system of trails that lead to the AT for many to enjoy.

Michael Sweeton, Town of Warwick Supervisor said, "These funds will allow us to connect different parts of our town which will let all of our residents, young and old, experience our outstanding scenic beauty."

It is great to see individuals work to help others "seek fellowship with the wilderness."

For the source of this story go here.

Road to No Preference

2006-01-04T21:30:00.000-05:00

Today the National Park Service stated that they had no preference at this time on what to do in regards to the "Road to Nowhere" in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Dale Ditmanson, Great Smoky Superintendent, stated in a news release, "We have postponed selection of a preferred alternative to allow time for the public and resource agencies to review the (draft statement),"

This statement didn't strike environmentalist to well. D.J. Gerken, attorney for the Southern Environmental Law Center, feels that the lack of a preferred alternative "does read like a surprise ending... In our opinion, the decision should be clear... It's an alarming development and it's very unusual."

For further info on the Road to Nowhere scroll down to December 1st post.

DETERmination

2005-12-23T21:54:00.000-05:00

David Dinwiddie, a man known for loving the Smokies and helping others on the AT, took a backpack trip last year that nearly ended his life. On December 19, 2005 he was trekking near Pack's Corner when strong winds blew him over and tangled his backpack in tree limbs. For four days and four nights Dinwiddie laid where he fell, in two feet of snow, feeding on anything in reach. Unfortunately the only edible objects were snow, mud, and balsam needles. Eventually he was rescued after other hikers came across him and informed park rangers of his location.

Almost a year to the date later he went back out to the Mountains he loved. Determined not to let this incident deter him from hiking, he went out to show he could overcome what he went through.

This happening shows that an experienced hiker can run into trouble while hiking on the AT. No matter what your knowledge and familiarity is of the woods, danger can occur. Always be sure that someone knows where you are going when you head out into the wild. This can help prevent serious injury or death if an accident like this is to occur.

David Dinwiddie suffered serious frostbite from his time on the Mountain that day. Because of the conditions he was in, he lost two of his toes. One thing he didn't lose was his love for the outdoors and determination to get out and hike the AT.

Idiot Near Trail!

2005-12-12T19:35:00.000-05:00

There are many things to be aware of while on the Appalachian Trail. At Delaware Water Gap Recreation Area one of those things to be aware of are hunters, or at least this guy. A deer decoy operation was in place at the southern end of the park. A hunter came to one of the decoys in his truck, stopped his pickup, and immediately shot at a white-tail deer from inside his vehicle (again this was a decoy deer.) Upon further investigation rangers found that in addition to the illegal hunting, the man was driving on a suspended license, had open containers of alcohol in the truck, and was intoxicated enough to fail a breathalyzer test.
Needless to say, he was charged with numerous violations.

Man Saves Dog

2005-12-07T11:39:00.000-05:00

Great Smoky Mountain National Park Ranger Rick Brown rappelled 70 feet into a sink hole to rescue a lost dog. The owner of the canine was found and said that the dog had been missing for 16 days. Read the complete story here.

Road To Nowhere

2005-12-02T01:27:00.000-05:00

If you were to go scuba diving in Fontana Lake, at the bottom you would find North Carolina State Highway 288, a road that use to lead from Bryson City to Swain County. This road was submerged by water around 1944 because of the Fontana Reservoir, a Dam that was built to help supply electricity to fuel World War II's efforts.

When Fontana Dam was built TVA, the State of NC, Swain County, and the Untied States Department of Interior (National Park Services) came to an agreement known as the Agreement of 1943.
This agreement states that Highway 288 would be replaced at a later date since it could not replace it during the current time of war.

Upon reading this document you will find that the goal was to have a road that goes around the "Park," to replace the underwater road. Now, 62 years later, there is a road that already borders the park, it is NC 28. Although this road is not directly on the border of the park it still allows transportation from Fontana to Bryson. Even though this road exists, discussion and planning are beginning again to see if the road should be built.

Honestly my gut tells me that having a new road would have too many environmental problems and ruin too many people's love for the secluded Smoky Mountains. When I research the possible solutions though, I can see positives to both sides. I am torn on the situation. With discussion of those who live in the area they seem torn as well.

I remember one thing though that steers me towards the view I will probably take after all the factors have been weighed. And that is if a road is to be built, that will create irreversible damage to the Great Smoky National Forest.

Click here to see a short video on campsite 90, a place that would be ruined by the NSR.

Podcasting on Foot!

2005-11-29T23:46:00.000-05:00

In late May I had an idea to start a podcast on the Appalachian Trail. I first started by seeing if this had been done, and sure enough a man by the name of Robert Butler beat me to it. Although his podcast is on hiking and not necessarily the Appalachian Trail, most his interviews are with popular people of the AT.
Well his podcast and blog is Trailcast. I found Butler's podcast very informative, entertaining, and personal. I recommend you go and subscribe, or listen.

I Hike A.T.

2005-11-21T10:10:00.000-05:00

This will be a blog on the Appalachian Trail. It will include information on the trail, hikers, and as well information on the podcast I will be creating. Let's see how well it goes.