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February 27, 2007
Leonard Adkins, hiker & writer to hike
the Appalachian Trail for the fifth time
Back in October while at the ALDHA Gathering in Athens, West Virginia, I had several people that I wanted to talk to. One of them was Leonard Adkins. At the time, I was in the early planning stages for The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival, and wanted Leonard to participate in our Writers Roundtable. You see, Leonard is the author of a number of great books about hiking and natural history, and would make a great addition to any panel of outdoor writers.
While I was walking on the campus of Concord University - where the Gathering was held - I finally ran into Leonard and his wife Laurie as we walked in between buildings on a brisk fall afternoon. Leonard had his arms filled with materials from one of his presentations which had just concluded. I introduced myself and asked him if he'd be interested to speak at The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival planned for May 3-6 in Montreat, North Carolina. It was then that he informed me that he planned to be hiking north on the Appalachian Trail, attempting yet another thru-hike. Although disappointed, as a fellow thru-hiker, I was excited for Leonard and Laurie and wished them both well.
This evening I found an article in the Charlestown Daily Mail about Leonard & Laurie's upcoming hike. Here at American Hiking Society, we wish Leonard, Laurie and their dog "MacAfee of Knob" a safe and adventure filled hike! Happy Trails!
To read the full article, please visit the link below.
Continue reading "Leonard Adkins, hiker & writer to hike
the Appalachian Trail for the fifth time"
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 07:44 PM
February 21, 2007
Florida Trail featured in Orlando Sentinel article
Wild Florida - near the southern terminus of the Florida Trail
The Florida Trail, one of eight National Scenic Trails found across the US was featured on Monday Febuary 19th in an article in the Orlando Sentinel.
The article interviews Florida Trail founder Bob Kern, Florida Trail Association Board Member Pete Durnell, and Florida Trail Association Staff Member Kent Wimmer. discussing the challenges associated with acquiring land to complete a long distance trail.
If you'd like to read the entire article, you can do so by clicking on the link below.
Continue reading "Florida Trail featured in Orlando Sentinel article"
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 09:19 AM
February 20, 2007
Winter Trails 2007
Snowshoeing in the Colorado Rockies
Snowshoeing at Winter Park - Photo by Chad Stallings
On Sunday February 18, I took a trip to Winter Park Ski Resort in the Colorado Rockies for a day of snowshoeing with my family. Instead of driving, we took the Ski Train from downtown Denver, directly to the resort. The train ride cost $49 and took 2 hours 15 minutes to reach the resort. Along the way, the train passes through beautiful gorges and offers spectacular views of the Colorado Rockies. It was a very enjoyable way to travel into the mountains from downtown Denver!
The Ski Train working its way into the mountains
Photo by Chad Stallings
Looking out the window of the Ski Train - Photo by Chad Stallings
Snowshoeing is an excellent winter alternative to hiking, a great family activity, and also provides a great aerobic workout. After debarking at Winter Park, I rented a pair of snowshoes ($19/day) and joined my wife, two of my daughters and my Son-in-Law for a 3-4 mile hike on the Serenity Trail.
At over 9000' in elevation, Winter Park can be a challenge for someone accustomed to hiking at or near sealevel. We took it slow though, and enjoyed the scenery of the snow in the pines. Sign of small mammals was everywhere as animal tracks laced the snow in many directions. At one point we were following the tracks of a mouse, and suddenly the track ended, and we saw evidence that an owl had landed in the snow and made a kill. If you look carefully at the photo in the preceding link, you can see where the owl's wings swept the snow as it landed to snag a rodent.
If you ever have the opportunity to go snowshoeing, I highly recommend it! It's a fun activity for hikers of all ages and ability levels.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 07:47 AM
February 17, 2007
Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the National Park Service
team up to try and confirm existence of Eastern Cougar
Cougar, also known as a Panther or Mountain Lion - USF&WS / photo by Larry Moats
I'm writing this entry from Denver, Colorado. Yesterday I was in Boulder taking my daughter to visit Colorado University. Perhaps 18 years ago during my first trip to Colorado; I saw fresh Mountain Lion tracks in a puddle in Chautauqua Park in Boulder. That moment raised my pulse rate and captured my imagination at the same time. There is something about sharing the landscape on foot with large predators that is simply magical to me. Perhaps its the awareness that I'm not at the top of the food chain. However you choose to look at it, the presence of a panther usually changes the way one looks at the hiking experience.
Another strong memory is of the time I was leaving the town of Waynesboro, VA in late May 2000 during my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. A local stopped me on the street and told me with wide-eyed wonder that Mountain Lions live in "them thar hills."
Now, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is teaming up with the National Park Service to see if the can confirm that panthers (often called painters in the Southern Appalachians) really exist here in the eastern forests. To learn more about this effort that will use remote cameras, please take a look at the article in the Roanoke Times from February 13.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 11:37 AM
Ecotourism can be a Boon
On Friday February 16, the Martinsville (VA) Bulletin reported that David K. Whitehurst, director of the Wildlife Diversity Division of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries had given a talk at Patrick Henry Community College on Wednesday about how ecotourism can help protect wildlife while helping small communities to enhance their economies. Here is the text of that article.
Speaker: Ecotourism can be boon
Friday, February 16, 2007
By SHAWN HOPKINS - Bulletin Staff Writer
Ecotourism is more than just a fast-growing yet under-utilized way for local communities to make money, a state tourism official said at a meeting at Patrick Henry Community College on Thursday.
It is also a key element in conserving wildlife and wildlife habitats.
“I can do a better job of protecting conservation areas if I allow people to use them than if I lock them up,” said David K. Whitehurst, director of the Wildlife Diversity Division of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Whitehurst spoke at a meeting hosted by the Martinsville-Henry County Rivers and Trails Group, a local affiliate of the Dan River Basin Association (DRBA), that was attended by more than 30 people.
Hunters have for years provided money to help preserve fish and game species, Whitehurst said, but funding for non-game species such as birds have been scarce.
He said it is important to foster the growing interest in hiking, birdwatching and exploring natural areas.
“People have to value something before it’s protected,” Whitehurst said.
Whitehurst talked about the state’s Wildlife Action Plan, which served as sort of a “health check” for the state’s animals, fish and birds.
People might think that the wildlife is doing well, he said, but studies done as part of the plan show otherwise.
“I’m here today to tell you it’s not,” Whitehurst said.
There are 925 threatened species in Virginia if invertebrates such as insects and mussels are considered, he said, including 24 out of 85 mammals, 96 of 374 species of birds and 97 of 210 species of fish.
The major reason for this is destruction of habitat for homes and developments, Whitehurst said. Virginian’s are just “consuming land like crazy,” he added.
Creating successful ecotourism opportunities will not only help provide a reason to preserve these threatened habitats, he said, it will bring footprints and money into the local area.
“When they (ecotourists) get excited about these things they like to go places. They like to spend money. They like to enjoy themselves,” he said.
The local community can benefit from the growing number of educated, affluent, health-conscious ecotourists who are seeking natural areas to escape the “rat race,” Whitehurst said.
But to do that it must develop a plan. Whitehurst stressed that the plan be comprehensive, including not only nature sites but also amenities such as hotels, bed and breakfasts, good restaurants, and historical and cultural sites.
Tourists expect quality lodging and eating opportunities, he said. Ecotourists also tend to be interested in hiking and other opportunities for healthy exercise.
When creating its plan a community must find what makes it unique and build on that.
“You’ve got to carve a niche for yourself. You’ve got to brand yourself. You’ve got to market yourself,” Whitehurst said.
Ecotourism is “big business,” he said, the “fastest growing sector of tourism” with $38.4 billion spent in the nation in 2001, and communities should not be afraid to ask government for marketing money.
Whitehurst said such plans also work better if they are spread across a regional area, so it helps to forget some standard boundaries for competition, like the county line.
Whitehurst talked about some existing ecotourism opportunities in the community such as hiking trails, the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail that has stops in Henry County, and underused wildlife management areas like the Fairystone Farms Wildlife Management Area.
Wildlife management areas are primarily used by hunters, he said, but they could be a boon to local communities if the state can find a way to get more birders and hikers interested in them.
“I think you’ve got some great opportunities,” Whitehurst said, and it is in the area’s “best interest” to develop them in a pro-conservation way.
Local DRBA Planning and Program Director Katherine Hebert said she felt Whitehurst’s speech had hit on a number of “key points,” especially the need to package the communities’ tourism opportunities together.
She said she was pleased with the turnout, which included a number of local officials and prominent tourism and conservation activists, because it showed “people really care about” conservation in this community.
For more information about Virginia’s Wildlife Action Plan, visit www.BeWildVirginia.org
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 10:29 AM
February 16, 2007
The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival
Official Press Release
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
February 16, 2007
Contact: Jeffrey Hunter
(423) 266-2507
JHunter@AmericanHiking.org
The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival
Western North Carolina from May 3-6, 2007
Four days of recreation, education, festival activities and entertainment
Montreat & Black Mountain, North Carolina - American Hiking Society is hosting the Great Southeastern Hiking Festival, a four day event that expects to draw more than two thousand people to western North Carolina. The festival includes a conference at the Montreat Conference Center that will convene hikers and members of trail clubs from throughout the southeast and features more than 20 scheduled hikes, educational seminars for hikers and trail organizations, inspirational speakers and great regional entertainment. A large, free public festival punctuates the weekend on Saturday, May 3 in historic, downtown Black Mountain. Festival goers will be delighted by arts & crafts booths, food vendors, entertainers, and outdoor information and education.
“We’re excited to be holding this first-ever hiking festival in the gateway to the region’s most spectacular trails”, says American Hiking Society’s Southeast Trail Programs Director Jeffrey Hunter “We really want to showcase the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and demonstrate that environmental stewardship and economic vitality go hand in hand.”
Representatives from American Hiking Society, Carolina Mountain Club, Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail, North Carolina Bartram Trail Society, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Nantahala Hiking Club and the Montreat Trail Club will be on-hand to lead hikes, seminars, and welcome hikers to the beautiful southeast. Entertainment for the weekend includes the Asheville based roots/blues duo The Grit Pixies (Thursday night), local bluegrass favorites Buncombe Turnpike (Friday night), and Asheville based singer / songwriter Christine Kane (Saturday night).
For more information, you can visit The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival website at http://GreatSEHikingFestival.org.
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Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 09:27 AM
February 14, 2007
The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival
to feature a fantastic Writers Roundtable
The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival planned for May 3-6, 2007 at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, NC is jam packed with all sorts of activities including more than 20 hikes, all sorts of educational sessions, and fantastic entertainment.
One of the featured activities is our Writers Roundtable. This 90-minute panel will feature Danny Bernstein, author of soon to be released “Hiking The Carolina Mountains” (Milestone Press – April 2007 release), Anne Mitchell Whisnant, author of “Super-Scenic Motorway: A Blue Ridge Parkway History”, Mary Russell Roberson and Kevin Stewart, co-authors of “Exploring the Geology of the Carolinas: A Field Guide to Favorite Places from Chimney Rock to Charleston”, Randy Johnson, author of “Hiking North Carolina” (Falcon Press), and Tim Silver, author of “Mount Mitchell & the Black Mountains: An environmental history of the highest peaks in the Eastern America." The Writers Roundtable will be moderated by Will Harlan, Editor in Chief of Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine.
The only way to get to meet these great authors all at the same time is to register for The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival! Registration for this four day event is $150, and includes 9 meals, great musical entertainment (including The Grit Pixies, Buncombe Turnpike and Christine Kane), more than 20 different hikes, a host of great educational sessions, and inspirational speakers.
Don't delay! The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival is expected to sell out, so register today! You don't want to miss out on all the fun!
Hiking the Carolina Mountains
Super-Scenic Motorway:
A Blue Ridge Parkway History
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 11:42 AM
February 11, 2007
Tips for taking your Teen backpacking!
Father and daughter begin a 30 mile hike on the
Appalachian Trail in North Carolina on 7/3/2005
As a parent, hiker, and employee of American Hiking Society, it was always my desire to go for an extended hiking trip with one or more of my daughters. My annual hiking trips take me to beautiful remote places, where I hike for a week or two at a time. Finally, in 2005 I persuaded my youngest daughter Martha to join me for a 60-mile backpacking trip on the Colorado Trail.
In order to prepare for this trip, we took several shorter trips. The first was an overnighter on the Appalachian Trail. We walked 14 miles in the Roan Highlands and spent the night in the Overmountain Shelter, which is an old barn transformed into a place where hikers can spend the night. The view from the shelter is incredible, and its spacious enough to hold more than 20 hikers in inclement weather, which is often the case in this remote area.
Day two on the Appalachian Trail begins in the fog
Our first trip was pretty cut and dry, and seemed to whet my daughter’s appetite for a longer hike. That came the following month when we walked 30 miles over three days on the Appalachian Trail from I-40 near Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Hot Springs, North Carolina. This trip required two overnights. One was spent in a tent, and the other in the Walnut Mountain Shelter.
Finally, the time came to travel to Colorado for our big hike on the Colorado Trail. After spending 6 days with family at about 8500' above sea level, where we took it was time to start our backpacking trip. In the 6 days before our hike, we took a couple of day hikes and did some other activities to help us acclimate to the thin air in the Rocky Mountains.
Our 60-mile hike along the Continental Divide begins at Copper Mountain
Hiking in the Colorado Rockies is an entirely different proposition than hiking on the Appalachian Trail, so our level of preparedness was different. We wore sunglasses, floppy hats and constantly applied sunscreen and lip gloss to protect ourselves from the sun's harmful rays. We also had to be very aware of the cloud cover, because of the prevalence of electrical storms that hit the Continental Divide like clockwork in the summer.
My daughter journaling on day 1 on the Colorado Trail
The trip was an amazing one, with many highlights including sleeping under the stars and waking to a herd of elk about 200 yards away. It wasn't all fun and games however. I made a mistake on day 2 by pushing us too hard, and that caused some stress for both of us.
Since then, we have hiked 50 miles on the Northville-Placid Trail in New York State's Adirondacks, and we're thinking about our trip for the summer 2007. Maine is looking like our likely destination. Here are my tips for taking your teen on a backpacking trip;
- Involve your teen in planning the hike. This means all aspects of the hike including where you'll hike, food selection, where you'll camp, and when & where you'll take breaks.
- Make it fun! If your trip isn't fun, your teen won't want to hike with you again. Bring a deck of cards. Let your teen bring a friend. And don't forget to pack your sense of humor!
- Deal with sanitary issues before hand. I bought my daughter the book "How to Shit in the Woods" before our hike. Don’t be put off by the title. This book covers a variety of important topics that everyone spending an overnight in the woods should be familiar with.
- Stay within your limits! Prepare yourselves physically for the hike, and stay within your limits. Start with short day hikes and work your way up to an overnight. Remember, the journey is the destination! If you push your teen or yourself too hard, hiking can stop being fun, and you're daughter or son won't want to hike with you any more.
- Keep the pack weight down When I take my daughter backpacking, I try and keep her pack weight down to about 17 pounds, or less. She carries all her clothes and toiletries, some of our food including all her snacks, several items of shared gear (maps), and any personal items like a book or journal.
- Carry the 10 Essentials! Download the attached PDF document containing a hike checklist. While it was created primarily for day hikes, it is a solid list that also provides additional resources for more information.
- Take lots of breaks Stop often. Take lots of pictures. Smell the flowers. Lay in a field or on a bed of pine needles in the forest. Cherish the time you spend on the trail with your teen. It will create memories that will last a lifetime for both of you.
- Reward yourselves when the hike is over
- Take turns taking the lead
- Join American Hiking Society!
A Marmot came into camp one morning and provided some entertainment
When I hike with my daughter, we usually have a reward that we treat ourselves to at the end of our trip. Whether it's a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, or a meal at a restaurant, make sure to do something fun together to bring the hike to closure.
One of the great aspects of taking your teen out on the trail, is that it helps them to build their self confidence. By setting goals and accomplishing them, your teen will become more self assured. As you hike with your teen, take turns leading as you hike along the trail. It's a good idea to stay within sight of one another, but allowing your teen to blaze the way will instill a level of confidence that is so important in life.
Trails don't just happen. They need to be built and maintained, and the special places that they pass through need a strong group of advocates. American Hiking Society has served as the Voice for America's Hikers for more than 30 years. Please join American Hiking Society today, so that your children's children can have the same opportunities to hike as you.
If you have any stories about hiking with your teen, please share them here with us by using the comment form.
Happy Trails!
My daughter taking the lead on the beautiful Colorado Trail
Nothing but smiles after 60 miles on the Colorado Trail
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 09:41 AM
February 10, 2007
February declared Florida Hiking Trails Month
Florida is a fantastic place to hike. And there is perhaps no better time to enjoy hiking in the Sunshine State than in the winter. Recently Governor Charlie Crist declared February Florida Hiking Trails Month.
Our good friends at the Florida Trail Association do a wonderful job building, promoting and maintaining the Florida Trail for all to enjoy. In late January - early February 2005 I hiked a section of the Florida Trail in Eglin Air Force Base, and had a fantastic experience.
A hiker signing in at the trailhead at Eglin Air Force Base
I plan to try and get down to Florida to hike some of the Florida Trail in St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge before the month is over. Whether you're looking for a short walk in the woods, a lengthy day hike, or a backpacking trip, Florida offers it all! After you've checked at the Florida Trail Association's website at the link above, please take a look at the Florida Trail Association blog. The site contains a variety of interesting information about the trail.
Here's a few photos from my trip in January 2005 to whet your appetite for your trip to hike in Florida.
Hiker Mark Stanfill from Tennessee on the Florida Trail
An inquisitive squirrel along the trail
Jeffrey Hunter crossing one of the many crystal clear
creeks along the Florida Trail in Eglin Air Force Base
A hiker around the evening campfire on the Florida Trail
American Hiking Society Staffer Jeffrey Hunter
after a satisfying day of hiking and birding in Florida
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 03:22 PM
First Lady Laura Bush - Hiker & Birder!
First Lady Laura Bush with the President at Shenandoah National Park on February 7
At a press conference held in Shenandoah National Park on Wednesday February 7, President Bush discussed his National Parks Centennial Initiative, and the federal budget for the National Park Service. The President is proposing significant increases in funding for our National Parks in his FY08 budget. To read the White House fact sheet on the National Parks Centennial Initiative, please visit the White House website.
During the press conference, First Lady Laura Bush talked about her love of hiking and birding in our nation's national parks. What a fascinating hiking partner the First Lady would make! Here's an excerpt of Mrs. Bush's comments from the press conference;
Mrs. Bush: "Well, I just want to say how important the national parks are to me, personally important, because of all the times that I've had the opportunity to hike in our national parks, to camp in our national parks. I've traveled -- hiked every summer with a group of women that I grew up with in Midland. We all live in different parts of the country now, but we meet in a national park. We've mainly hiked in our big Western national parks: Yosemite; Yellowstone; Glacier; Olympic National Park; the Grand Canyon -- which we've done twice, once a Colorado River trip, and then hiking out the South Rim; the second time with our daughters, which was a lot harder than the first time, when we were a lot younger ourselves.
Our national parks -- the wildness of our national parks is one of the things I really like. Also, we live in a national park. The White House is considered a national park. The national parks include many of our most historical sites, the sites in our country that are shrines to our history. And that's also a very, very important part of the national parks.
But the part that I've loved is the wildness, the opportunity to be back, far back in the back country, where you don't see a lot of people, where you have a chance to birdwatch or do all the other things that we like to see -- you run into a bear every once in a while, which we have. Last summer we were in Denali, deep in Denali, in Alaska, and got to add to our life list of birds, a lot of birds that we wouldn't have ever had the chance to see if we hadn't been back deep in our wilderness.
So I want to congratulate Dirk. I want to thank President Bush for this major initiative for our national parks. It's very, very important for our country to make sure, as we come upon the centennial in 2016, that our national parks are treated with the respect that we want them to be treated with -- and it also gives us a chance to educate the stewards of our national parks that will come after us."
Stay tuned for more stories about the National Park Centennial here at the Southern Appalachians Initiative blog.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 12:10 PM
February 09, 2007
Registration for The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival is open!
The weekend of May 3-6, 2007 The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival is coming to Western North Carolina! Starting on Thursday May 3, a four day conference will open at the Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina. The conference will feature more than 20 hikes, great entertainment, inspirational speakers, educational sessions for hikers and trail organizations, and great food!
This event is being co-hosted by the Carolina Mountain Club, NC Bartram Trail Society, Nantahala Hiking Club, Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail and the Montreat Trail Club. Representatives from these clubs will be on hand throughout the conference to lead hikes, give presentations, and welcome you to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. A number of American Hiking Society Staff members will also be on hand throughout the weekend to lead trail work, hikes and seminars.
There are several ways to get involved with this fun Festival. If you'd like to spend the entire week in the mountains, you can join the American Hiking Society Volunteer Vacation planned for the Montreat Conference Center from April 29 - May 5. Participants in the Trail Crew are welcome to attend the evening entertainment planned at Montreat. With the Grit Pixies, Buncombe Turnpike & Christine Kane booked to perform; you won't want to miss out on the fun!
Registration for the full conference is only $150, and includes 9 meals (dinner Thursday through lunch Sunday) and participation in all hikes, educational seminars and entertainment. Lodging at the beautiful Montreat Conference Center is available, but not included in the registration fee. If you would like to join us Friday afternoon, a registration plan that includes 6 meals (dinner Friday through lunch Sunday) is also available for $115. One day plans for Firday May 4 and Saturday May 5 are also available for $65. To register for the conference, please visit The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival website, where you’ll find additional information and a link to our registration pages. But don't delay. These earlybird registration fees will be going up next month, and the activities at Montreat are expected to sell out!
In addition to the festivities planned at the Montreat Conference Center, a one-day free public festival is planned for Saturday May 5 from 9 AM - 7 PM in the Town of Black Mountain. The festival will have food, crafts, music and fun for the whole family! You won't want to miss it! To learn more about this free festival, please contact the Black Mountain - Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 09:14 AM
February 08, 2007
A chilly walk on Chattanooga's Tennessee Riverwalk
Former American Hiking Society Intern Hilary Browder
on the Tennessee Riverwalk on Thursday February 8.
Lookout Mountain is off in the distance.
After a brief cold snap, warmer temperatures seem to be heading Chattanooga's way. This morning I took a short walk/hike on the Tennessee Riverwalk with my friend and former intern Hilary.
As we walked along the Riverwalk, cold winds out of north and off of the river made for some chilly moments. Eventually the Riverwalk moved away from the Tennessee River, and the trees acted as a wind break. That seemed to raise the temperatures a solid 10 degrees.
At a small pond adjacent to the greenway, Hilary and I watched 5 Northern Shovelers (3 males, 2 females), some Canada Geese, a couple of American Coots and a pair of Hooded Mergansers. The geese were acting somewhat territorial, indicating that the mating season is nearly upon us. Several of the geese tried to chase off the Shovelers, to no avail.
As we walked further along the greenway, we passed beneath a pair of Red-tailed Hawks roosting in a tree directly above the path. The larger of the two birds - the female - flew off and perched in a tree above the pond where we had been watching the waterfowl frolicking moments before. Mama Red-tail sat perched within 10' of what appeared to be an abandoned Great Blue Heron nest. The hawks could very well be preparing to take over the nest this season, so I'll be interested to return and see if that’s indeed the case in the coming weeks.
Female Red-tailed Hawk roosting above pond
By 9:30 AM we were back at our vehicles and our walk was over. We saw perhaps 25 different species of birds in the hour that we were out on the Riverwalk. Those numbers will only increase in the coming weeks as migration and the local climate heats up.
If you're interested in exploring the Tennessee Riverwalk, you can download a map here. (PDF - 200K)
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 12:29 PM
February 06, 2007
Volunteer Vacation planned for Atlanta's
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Two volunteers with a young National Trails Day participant
learning about pond life at Chattahoochee River NRA
during National Trails Day in 2006
During the week of April 29 - May 6, 2007 the National Park Service will be hosting an American Hiking Society Volunteer Vacation Crew at the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. Participants are needed to perform trail maintenance (erosion control) and to help eradicate invasive plants from the park.
Located just north of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, the Chattahoochee River NRA is a jewel of an urban park. The National Park itself stretches over 48 miles along the banks of the Chattahoochee River.
The park offers opportunities for wildlife watching (Otter, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Deer, and a wide variety of songbirds), fishing, paddling and hiking. Because this park is located near a large urban area, the park's trail system receives a large number of visitors. As a result, the trails require constant attention by volunteers.
The project currently has 10 openings remaining. The fee for participating in the Crew is $130, which includes a membership in American Hiking Society ($100 for American Hiking Society members). The National Park Service will provide food, an improved tent site (including hot showers!), and an airport pick-up at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Participants also receive a deep sense of satisfaction in knowing that they've given something back to America's National Parks system. There is no extra charge for the good vibes that you'll receive for participating in this project.
For those not already familiar with Atlanta, sightseeing destinations include the Georgia Aquarium, Martin Luther King National Historic Site, Atlanta Braves Turner Field, (the Phillies & Dodgers are in town that week) and much more!
If you're interested in exploring a great Southeastern city and giving something
back, please signup for this project today!
Hikers at Chattahoochee River Nat'l Recreation Area
American Hiking Society Staffer Jeffrey Hunter provides pre-hike instructions during National Trails Day 2006 at the Chattahoochee River Nat'l Recreation Area
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 11:11 AM
February 05, 2007
Redington Wind Farm in Maine Rejected by
Land Use Regulation Commission in 6-1 vote
Photo simulation from Sugarloaf Cirque showing the 330-foot
wind turbines with 260-foot diameter blades, proposed on the
Redington Pond Range of Maine. Photo simulation by Matt Robinson.
Photo courtesy of Appalachian Trail Conservancy
A week prior to the Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released it's much awaited report on Global Warming, a little publicized wind power project was rejected in Maine. Maine Mountain Power had proposed building a wind farm in the Redington Pond Range in Maine's north woods. This project which called for thirty 400-foot wind turbines would have been built within one mile of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, in one of the wildest parts of the entire 2175 mile trail. The Maine Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) rejected the project by a 6-1 vote.
The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust and the Maine Appalachian Trail Club waged a long uphill battle against this proposed wind farm, and ultimately prevailed.
One of the most ardent opponents of the Redington Wind farm project is Bob Cummings of the Mane Appalachian Trail Land Trust. Bob is an Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker and long time Maine Conservationist. Here is an OP-ED that Bob wrote about this project after it was voted down by the LURC;
Congratulations to LURC commissioners for upholding the rule of law in their rejection of the proposed wind energy complex on Redington and Black Nubble mountains.
The Land Use Regulation Commission was created three and a half decades ago to keep the wild places in Maine wild. The law says new developments must “fit harmoniously into the existing natural environment.” There is no exemption for wind power.
It’s hard to imagine a site more in violation of the clear language of the statute. Or for that matter, what wouldn’t comply if this industrial complex should somehow be upheld by the courts as permissible. The proposal envisioned 30 four-hundred-foot-high, lighted turbines, some located just a mile from a 2,000 mile long national scenic trail.
To suggest as many have done that commissioners violated the law is absurd. The representative of the Attorney General’s Department at the decision meeting tried to be polite to the LURC staff, but his essential message was that it would have been extremely difficult and perhaps impossible to sustain the staff recommendation for approval should it be challenged in the courts. His comments essentially said that the staff was wrong when it claimed in news reports that the Attorney General staff had given it’s okay to the draft.
A key opponent of the project was the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, a tiny organization dedicated to protecting the trail from encroachment. MATC hired the lead opposition lawyer and paid the technical experts, investing, with help from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, $180,000 of scarce funds to oppose the wind energy application...
MATC members clear the blow downs, bridge the bogs, and cut the brush that make the Maine section of the trail the envy of trail clubs up and down the Appalachian mountains. These are not wealthy, elitist, NIMBYs. No volunteer group in Maine does more hard, on the ground work. Last year 200 MATC members contributed 20,000 hours of volunteer work on behalf of the trail. Each of the several votes by these people who know the trail best has been unanimous in opposition.
Pamela Underhill, director of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, said it most eloquently, telling LURC commissioners:
“I’m here because protection of this unusual and wonder-inspiring unit of our national park system matters deeply to me, to the National Park Service and to millions of Americans. I’m here because… it is a national treasure of immense proportion, and it is a gift to the American people – past, present and future – from the American people.”
She added, “The concerns of the National Park Service over the proposed Redington wind farm are based solely upon its location adjacent to one of the most remote and scenic sections of the Appalachian Trail. The National Park Service supports the development of renewable energy in appropriate locations with appropriate environmental protections. We have not opposed some half dozen proposed wind farms in some proximity to the Trail in locations where special Trail values would not be compromised.”
MATC also is not opposed to wind energy. Members voted just this month not to oppose the Kibby Mountain wind power proposal, though this project also would be visible from the trail. Why? Members recognized, rightly, that there is a vast difference between an in-your-face industrial development on ridges abutting the narrow trail corridor, and proposals involving distant ridges.
Global warming is a real threat that this country must somehow recognize and combat. But a token wind project adjacent to the 2000-mile Appalachian Trail is not the place to start. The many miles along the open Saddleback ridge line and north through the twin Crocker Mountains rank among the wildest sections of the entire trail. The Redington/Black Nubble proposal would reverse that happy situation. The trail would overnight become among the most developed sections.
There are many ways to combat global warming. The most critical is conservation. No amount of wind energy will be sufficient. We must somehow reduce our wasteful ways. The true NIMBYs are not those that would protect a national treasure. Rather they are those who are too lazy and selfish to make the slight effort needed to conserve. The NIMBYs are those who grasp at any excuse to maintain their effortless comfort.
Please remember, that it is still not necessary to destroy the last wild places in order to save our planet.
Bob Cummings
Phippsburg, Maine
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 10:14 PM
February 01, 2007
Volunteer Vacation to coincide with
Great Southeastern Hiking Festival in Montreat, NC
Ed Benson from Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado providing
leadership at a Volunteer Vacation in South Carolina in '05
Photo by Heyward Douglass
The week of April 29 - May 5, 2007 a Volunteer Vacation will take place at the beautiful Montreat Conference Center in Montreat, North Carolina. Participants will spend a week in the rugged & gorgeous Black Mountains performing trail maintenance. Montreat Conference Center has more than 2,500 acres of forested wilderness that is protected with a conservation easement. This land adjoins the Pisgah National Forest.
A past Volunteer Vacationer. The smile says it all!
Volunteers will camp evenings in an improved campsite, eat breakfast and dinner in the historic Assembly Inn, and enjoy boxed lunches out on the trail. Starting Thursday May 3rd, volunteers can join in the fun and entertainment that is part of The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival. That means you'll have an opportunity to enjoy some outstanding music, great speakers, and get to mingle with hikers from throughout the southeast.
Leading the Volunteer Vacation Crew will be Ed Benson from Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado. No special trail working skills are required. Ed is an excellent teacher, and this Volunteer Vacation doubles as a training session. Joining Ed will be Andrea Ketchmark, American Hiking Society's Volunteer Vacations Program Manager. Andrea also hails from Colorado, and is excited about the prospect of her first visit to the North Carolina mountains.
The fee for the trip is $130 ($100 for American Hiking Society members) and includes your meals, camping, a t-shirt, a one-year membership in American Hiking Society, and most importantly, an opportunity to give something back through a service project. So don't delay! Sign up today! This trip is going to fill up quickly.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 11:35 AM
Chimney Rock Park purchased by
State of North Carolina
Chimney Rock Park - © 2006 Jim Proctor
The State of North Carolina under Governor Mike Easley's leadership has announced a $24 million dollar purchase of Chimney Rock Park. The park is adjacent to the newly created Hickory Nut Gorge State Park.
For more information about this important story, please visit the article in today's edition of the Pisgah Mountain News.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 08:11 AM