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March 28, 2007
Chickadee at my window
Outside view of my office window. Notice the reflection!
Well, spring has arrived in Chattanooga. The past few days, there's been a repeated tap, tap, tapping at my window, as a Carolina Chickadee flys into the window in my office to attack it's own reflection. Or could the bird be aware of my story entitled "The Thru-Hiker and the Chickadee - A True Appalachian Trail Story"? Maybe he just wants to say hello and thank me for helpin his Black Capped cousin. (wink-wink, nod-nod)
Take a look at this short video below. This window is approximately 4' behind my desk.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 05:33 PM
Great Eastern Trail in the News
The Martinsburg, West Virginia newspaper The Journal features an article today about The Great Eastern Trail. Check it out at this link.
After reading the article, please consider joining American Hiking Society, or make a donation to support the develoment of the Great Eastern Trail.
Happy Hiking!
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 09:32 AM
March 27, 2007
Killdeer Update
I've been watching the pair of Killdeer at my office all week, and today I noticed that one of the birds was hanging around in one place. At one point I walked out onto the lawn and the Killdeer feigned a broken wing. Sure enough, I found two eggs in a new nest 10' away from the nest that was destroyed last weekend.
After discovering the eggs, I placed a couple of surveyor stakes around the nest so that the man who cuts the grass at my office knows where it is. A few hours later I went back outside and discovered a third egg in the nest!
Here's a video I shot of the new nest. I'll keep an eye on it and provide occasional updates.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 08:58 PM
March 22, 2007
Interview with Tom Daniel of the Florida Trail Association
The beautiful Florida Trail inside Eglin Air Force Base
On Sunday March 18 I took a few minutes to sit down and chat with Florida Trail Association member and volunteer Tom Daniel. Tom is active with the Western Gate and Choctawhatchee Chapters of the Florida Trail Association. He is a regular volunteer helping to layout, construct, and maintain the Florida Trail in and around Eglin Air Force Base.
Please take a moment and listen to this 7 minute 45 second interview. (3.6 MB) Afterwards, if you're interested in getting involved with helping to build or maintain the Florida Trail, please send Tom an email.
Enjoy!
Another image from along the Florida Trail
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 01:23 PM
Killdeer Update
Last week I added a blog entry about a pair of Killdeer that were nesting here at my office for the fourth year in a row. On Tuesday evening I returned from Florida to find that the grass had been mowed here at the office. The nest has clearly been disturbed and contained only shell fragments.
As of this morning, the pair of Killdeer are still hanging around. I suspect that the female will lay eggs again within the next 7-10 days. If & when she does, I'll mark the nest with a survey stake or two to avoid a reoccurrence of the nest getting disturbed. I've already spoken to the fellow who cuts the grass, so he now knows to watch for a survey stake to indicate the location of a nest.
Check back here for more updates in the coming weeks...
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 01:10 PM
March 20, 2007
Interview with Nimblewill Nomad and Hammock Hanger
Nimblewill Nomad, Hammock Hanger and Jeffrey Hunter in Florida
On Saturday March 17 I attended the Florida Trail Association Annual Meeting in Umatilla, Florida. During the festivities, I took some time to conduct a 17 minute 49 second interview with Ed Eberhart (aka Nimblewill Nomad) and Sue Turner (aka Hammock Hanger).
Nimblewill Nomad is a well known hiker who has hiked the Eastern Continental Trail from the Florida Keys to Cape Gaspe in Quebec. He is also the author of 10 Million Steps, which was just released in paperback by Menasha Ridge Press.
Hammock Hanger is another well known hiker who has hiked the Appalachian Trail, and many other trails. Sue will soon embark on her quest to thru-hike the Great Eastern Trail from Florida to the Finger Lakes region of New York State. If she completes her goal, and here at American Hiking Society we know that she will, Sue will become the first hiker to walk the entire route of the Great Eastern Trail. To follow along on Sue's progress, you can visit her trail journal.
The three of us sat down for an interview about Eb's past trips, and Sue's upcoming hike of the Great Eastern Trail. Please take a moment and listen to this interview. (8.25 MB)
Enjoy!
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 05:13 PM
March 13, 2007
A Killdeer in Chattanooga
A Killdeer in the parking lot of the American Hiking Society office
from 2004. They are nesting here again for the 4th year in a row.
Although lots of folks think my job is glamorous, and that I spend lots of time out on trails, I actually spend the vast majority of my time behind a desk. Thankfully, there is usually some wildlife around the office to entertain me.
For example, for the fourth year in a row, Killdeer are nesting here at my office. A Killdeer is a small ground nesting bird. They are not rare, but their habit of nesting in parking lots (that happened here in 2004) or in school athletic fields draws a lot of curiosity from people.
This morning I video taped a Killdeer flying off the nest and trying to distract me by feigning a broken wing. This one time filming the bird will have no impact on nesting success. I certainly wouldn't do that regularly, nor would I do it in the heat of the day as the eggs would be exposed to the sunlight and heat.
What's the point? Lots of birds here in the southeast are ground nesters. In the woods we have the Ovenbird, Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse, and the Whip-poor-will to name just a few. All of these birds nest on the ground. So please, when you're out hiking in the woods, stay on the trail! If you stray off the trail, you could cause erosion, trample native plants (including poison ivy!), or unknowingly destroy a bird nest.
Checkout the video below to see our resident Killdeer and her nest containing 4 eggs. Enjoy!
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 09:03 AM
March 12, 2007
The Benton MacKaye Trail and Corridor K:
What will the future bring?
Article from March 9, 2007 in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Click on the above image to download the complete article (688 KB)
in PDF format. The article was used with permission.
On Friday March 9, an article appeared in the Chattanooga Times Free Press about a proposed 4-lane highway commonly referred to as Corridor K. Corridor K is a proposed 4-lane road that will stretch from near Cleveland, TN to Asheville, North Carolina. In this article Polk County Attorney Denny Mobbs proposes that the highway should be routed through the Cherokee National Forest along a Forest Service road commonly referred to as Kimsey Highway. This route would bypass US 64 through the Ocoee Gorge.
On Saturday March 10, I crossed Kimsey Highway twice during a 17-mile hike of the Benton MacKaye Trail (BMT) between US 64 at the Ocoee River and the trailhead at the Hiwassee River in Reliance, Tennessee. I took some video along Kimsey Highway for you to see where the Benton MacKaye Trail crosses the road.
This was not my first time in the area. Back on February 7, 2004 on a snowy day, I participated in a trail crew that constructed a part of the BMT just north of Kimsey Highway. Our leader that day was Benton MacKaye Trail Association volunteer extraordinaire Ken Jones! When you build a section of trail, it really allows you to feel a sense of ownership as a hiker. If you've never done it before, I highly recommend it!
Please take a look at the article above, and then view the video below so you can gain an understanding of some of the issues involved with this particular route selection for Corridor K. I apologize for the grainy quality of the video. It was shot at a lower resolution than I would prefer.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 10:20 AM
Gatlinburg, Tennessee Hosts First Listening Session on $3 Billion National Park Centennial Initiative
The first listening session on the National Park
Centennial Initiative will be in eastern Tennessee, in the
area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. NPS Photo
I received the following Media Advisory this morning. This should be of interest to all hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. If you can clear your schedule, attend these meetings, and let your voice be heard in support of our National Parks and our trails, that would be great! If you can't make one of these meetings in-person, you can submit written comments at the link below.
Additional listening sessions are planned throughout the country, including the following cites;
Anchorage, Alaska (March 14); St. Louis, Mo., and Boston, Mass. (March 15); San Antonio, Texas, New York City and Seattle, Wash. (March 20); Denver, Colo. and San Juan, Puerto Rico (March 21); San Francisco, Calif. and Miami, Fla. (March 22); Cleveland, Ohio (March 26); Albuquerque, N.M., Atlanta, Ga. (March 27); Washington, D.C. (March 28); and Los Angeles, Calif. (March 29). Venues and additional sessions will be announced at a future date. Please visit The Department of the Interior website for the most up to date information about these public meetings.
Here is the DOI Media Advisory:
WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, March 13, 2007, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne and National Park Service Director Mary Bomar will host a listening session in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, to seek suggestions and ideas on President Bush’s $3 billion National Park Centennial Initiative.
The session, which will be at the Gatlinburg Convention Center from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., is the first in a series that will be held around the country in the next three weeks. The President’s proposal would provide significant new public and private investment during the next 10 years to reinvigorate and strengthen national parks by the National Park Service’s 100th birthday in 2016.
“These sessions are a great opportunity to think big and act boldly to develop a plan to prepare national parks for the future," Secretary Kempthorne said. From the discussions, Kempthorne and Bomar will identify signature projects and programs, set specific performance goals and report to the President by May 31. The public also may comment on the National Park Centennial Initiative from March 12 through March 31 online at the following site: www.nps.gov/2016.
WHO: Interior Secretary Kempthorne, NPS Director Mary Bomar and NPS
Southeast Regional Director Patricia Hooks
WHAT: Listening Session on National Park Centennial Initiative
WHEN: Tuesday, March 13, 2007; 6 to 8 p.m.
WHERE: Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Gatlinburg Convention Center, 303 Reagan
Drive, Gatlinburg, Tenn. 37738
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 09:46 AM
March 11, 2007
Benton MacKaye Trail Dayhike
Benton MacKaye Trail Overview Map - Click map for full-size image file (412K)
The red line is the BMT. The broken orange line is the Appalachian Trail
Map courtesy of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association
Four years ago next month, I completed a thru-hike of the Benton MacKaye (pronounced Mac-Eye) Trail (BMT) from Springer Mountain, Georgia to the Ocoee River in SE Tennessee. At the time, the trail was 93 miles in total length.
Since then, the trail has been extended north through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests, and into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The trail is now nearly 300 miles in total length! In addition to the 93 miles that I walked in 2003, last March I walked a 28-mile segment of the Benton MacKaye Trail in the Smoky Mountains. That segment of the trail is dual designated as the Lakeshore Trail. Combine the 93 miles from 2003 with the 28 miles from 2006, along with the 17 miles from yesterday, and I have completed nearly half (138 miles) of the entire trail. My goal is to walk the remainder of the trail in 2007.
Our hiking day began at 8:20 AM at the Ocoee #3 power station along the Ocoee River. Earlier my hiking partner Randy & I had dropped off my car at the Hiwassee River in Reliance, Tennessee. It took about 25 minutes to drive around from Reliance to our starting point.
The initial climb up the Benton MacKaye Trail occurred on the dual designated Dry Pond Lead Trail. I was initially a bit apprehensive, as I haven't hiked much recently, and our planned 17-mile hike seemed like a daunting challenge. Plus, I'm just getting over the flu, and I've been battling a persistent cough for about two weeks. Soon however, we had gained the ridge and my sweating and breathing slowed as we walked through a beautiful hardwood forest on a level trail.
The Benton MacKaye Trail skirted the Little Frog
Wilderness for the first few miles of our hike
We moved steadily throughout the day, taking a few breaks, but maintained a 2 MPH pace throughout. During our hike we flushed two large flocks of Wild Turkey. Although we saw no mammals, we saw plenty of sign, including lots of scat (including Bobcat scat), some Bobcat scrapes (on a closed logging road) and many different tracks. We were hoping to encounter a Black Bear, but unfortunately, that didn't pan out. Below you can see a photo I took along the road of Coyote and Bobcat tracks in the same place. I verified the tracks with Kim Cabrera who is a charter member of the International Society of Professional Trackers. In fact, she's going to add the photo below to her website to demonstrate the difference between a bobcat and a coyote track. How cool is that?
Coyote tracks (with nail marks) heading left, and smaller Bobcat tracks (lighter colored) heading right. Photo was taken in a dried mud puddle on a logging road.
Click on the image to see the tracks in greater detail
Continuing along, we eventually reached the Lost Creek Campground at around 3:30 PM. This marked the 13 mile mark of our hike. We sat at one of the picnic tables, ate the last of our food, and then continued on the final 4 miles towards my vehicle. Three of the last four miles followed beautiful Lost Creek. The trail was flat and the creek was never more than 50' off the trail to the right.
A small cascade along beautiful Lost Creek
Finally, we reached a trail junction where the Benton MacKaye Trail climbed steeply out of the Lost Creek watershed. There was only one mile to go to reach my vehicle and the end of the hike. As we climbed away from the creek, the sweat flowed, the muscles creaked, but the knowledge that the hike was almost complete propelled us onward. When we reached my vehicle at about 5:15 PM, it was a good feeling!
Self portrait at the 16-mile mark. Notice that Tennessee has a John Muir Trail too!
If you're interested in learning more about the Benton MacKaye Trail, please visit the Benton MacKaye Trail Association's website. The BMT is a great trail! If you plan to hike it, I strongly encourage you to bring a map, and consider hiking with someone who knows the general area. Unlike the Appalachian Trail, the BMT is a primitive trail and trail blazes can be scarce in places. That being said, the experienced hiker should have no difficulty following the trail.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 10:25 AM
March 09, 2007
Richard Louv Keynote Address
Excerpts from his talk at the 2006 NAI National Workshop
In 2006, Richard Louv was the Keynote Speaker at the 2006 National Association for Interpretation Workshop in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Louv is the author of Last Child in the Woods.
To view an excerpt from his talk, please launch the video at the link below.
When you're done watching the video, please join American Hiking Society, or purchase a gift membership for that special young person in your life. Your support helps us promote hiking and protect trails all across America.
Thank you!
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 08:25 PM
Leave No Child Inside:
The Growing Movement to Reconnect Children and Nature
By Richard Louv - from the pages of Orion Magazine
My niece and nephew on the trail to Lost Lake in Colorado
Today I received an email from Orion Magazine. I receive them about every other month since I subscribed to their electronic newsletter. Orion in my opinion, is one of the very best magazines out on the market.
This, the March/April 2007 edition features a new article by Richard Louv, the author of Last Child in the Woods. To view this article in its entirety, please visit Orion Online.
Enjoy! After reading the article, please join American Hiking Society. After that, you can start planning your next hike. Be sure to take a young person with you when you go. It'll do the two of you some good!
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 08:18 PM
March 06, 2007
No Child Left Inside
An Interview with Hiker and School Psychologist Olga Pader
Olga Pader, Hiker and School Psychologist
Yesterday I attended a teacher workshop in Franklin, North Carolina. The workshop was coordinated by the Nantahala Hiking Club, and the target audience was Physical Education teachers. American Hiking Society was one of the sponsors of this workshop.
Throughout the day, a variety of presenters provided the teachers with wide variety of information about hiking including navigation skills, equipment, Leave No Trace, the physical benefits of hiking, and the psychological benefits of hiking.
The session on the psychological benefits of hiking was led by Olga Pader, a hiker who is active with both the Nantahala Hiking Club and the North Carolina Bartram Trail Society. During our lunch break, I took a few minutes to interview Olga about the psychological benefits of hiking for children. To listen to this 7 minute 38 second interview, please click here. (3.5 MB) I apologize for the poor quality of the recording. The interview was conducted outside, and it was windy out.
Enjoy!
The mountains in Western North Carolina near Franklin
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 09:47 AM
March 03, 2007
Lunar Eclipse Expected Tonight
A total lunar eclipse, photographed on Oct. 27, 2004, from Palm Beach
Gardens, Florida. (Photo Credit: Doug Murray)
When the full moon rises this evening in the east, it will be in full eclipse here in the southeast. For more information about this phenomenon, you can visit John Tierney's TierneyLab blog at the NY Times.
I plan to try and watch the eclipse this evening. I'd like to hear from folks who watch the eclipse, and find out how it looked in your neck of the woods.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 03:15 PM
Appalachian Trail Conservancy Employee
Profiled in Asheville Citizen Times
Photo Credit: Special to the Asheville Citizen-Times
The Asheville Citizen Times ran a profile today on Julie Judkins of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. This is one of the many reasons why the Asheville Citizen Times is one of my favorite daily newspapers here in the southeast. And I say that as a self admitted newspaper junkie! Whenever I travel to Asheville or the surrounding area, I'm always sure to pick up a copy of the paper. Their online site is also quite good.
I met Julie last April at the Hot Springs, North Carolina Trailfest. She is a dedicated and knowledgeable trail professional.
Julie will be leading two workshops at the upcoming Great Southeastern Hiking Festival planned for May 3-6 in Montreat, North Carolina. She will lead a session about a joint project of the National Park Service and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy entitled A Trail to Every Classroom. This unique project seeks to teach classroom teachers techniques for integrating multidisciplinary content about the Appalachian Trail into their curriculum. Julie will also be leading a session about non-native invasive plants, and how to remove them.
Registration for The Great Southeastern Hiking Festival is currently open. Registration for the full 4 day event is $150, and includes 9 meals. For more information, please visit our festival website.
As a member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, I feel good to know that I'm supporting an organization that hires dedicated and qualified employees like Julie. As a hiker, I take my hat off to Julie and say "Thank you" for her good works!
To read the profile as it appeared in the Asheville Citizen Times, please click the link below.
Continue reading "Appalachian Trail Conservancy Employee
Profiled in Asheville Citizen Times"
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 02:09 PM
March 02, 2007
Appalachian Trail on my Mind
Round Bald along the Appalachian Trail in NE Tennessee
Seven years ago this week I set off from Springer Mountain, Georgia headed towards Maine on the Appalachian Trail. Five and a half months, 14 states, and 2,167 miles later I was standing atop Mt. Katahdin, and my hike was over. I had accomplished my goal and completed a thru-hike of the A.T. Three years later in March 2003, I would find myself resigning from Verizon Corp. after a 19-year career, after accepting a job offer from American Hiking Society.
A strange phenomenon afflicts many thru-hikers this time of year. They develop a malady known as Springer Fever. This affliction has a number of symptoms including a strange compulsion to travel to the mountains of North Georgia for some backpacking.
After receiving a call this morning from my colleague Shad Baker, who is the President of the Pine Mountain Trail Conference in Kentucky, Springer Fever hit me hard. You see, Shad invited me to join him and his friends for a hike of the A.T. in Georgia, starting next October. Although October is many long months away, that call set my mind in motion, and soon I was thumbing through an old copy of the Appalachian Trail Databook, looking at the place names, trail towns, and the mileage between campsites and shelters.
Having another backpacking trip on the horizon is always helpful for me. It tides me through difficult days, and provides me with something to dream about and look forward to.
If you'd like to take a glimpse into the world of the thru-hiker, you can do so by visiting Trailjournals.com. There, you'll find all kinds of hiker journals, including mine from the year 2000. It's a great way to experience trail life vicariously. But I warn you. I will not be held responsible if you suddenly develop a fever. Springer Fever, that is.
PS: If you see my wife, please don't tell her about my hiking trip next October. I'd like her to hear it from me first.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 08:20 PM
Florida Trail Happenings!
The Florida Trail Association is one of American Hiking Society's most dynamic Alliance members. Last month the Florida Trail Association dedicated a new footbridge over Monkey Creek along the Florida Trail in Apalachicola National Forest. You can watch a 10 minute video of the bridge being built and dedicated, below.
Next on deck is the Florida Trail Association Annual Conference planned for March 16-18 in Umatilla, Florida. This weekend event will feature hikes, entertainment and much more. For more information about the fun filled weekend, please visit the Florida Trail Association website.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 02:45 PM