RSS FeedApril 11, 2008
Insurance and Liability Issues for Trail Clubs:
An Interview with Insurance Expert Don Pachner
Today I interviewed Don Pachner, President of Pachner & Associates. Don specializes in providing insurance polices for outdoor clubs. Don was recently awarded the New York New Jersey Trail Conference's "Extra Mile Award" "for his ambitious project of creating insurance policies for hiking clubs". According to Trail Conference member Irene Szabo, Don "has labored long in an arena that most mortals shun for its complexity and crushing tedium, to the benefit of all of us and our hard-won little budgets."
During or 26 minute discussion, Don explains the different type of insurance policies available to trail clubs, and what they cover. We also discussing risk management issues related to hike leaders. To listen to the interview, click on the following link. (12 MB)
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 10:39 AM | Comments (1)
October 18, 2007
Interview with Blind Hiker Michael Hanson
Michael Hanson and his inspiring message
On Wednesday afternoon October 17 I had a long chat with Michael Hanson from St. Louis Park, Minnesota. Michael, who is blind, is planning to attempt a northbound thru-hike of the entire Appalachian Trail starting on March 1, 2008. He will be using a GPS unit and a white cane to navigate his way 2,175 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. You can learn more about Michael's quest by visiting his website www.blindhiker.com. That site is currently under development, so you may want to book mark it and return at a later time.
To listen to a 21-minute interview with Michael about his hike, please visit the link below.
Interview with hiker Michael Hanson (10.2 MB)
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 08:22 AM
October 16, 2007
Hiking with Autism:
An Interview with Jeff Smith
American Hiking Society Staff at a trailhead in Montreat, NC
Jeffrey Hunter is the second from the right, and Jeff Smith is
next to him holding the map
Autism according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is a developmental disability that affects an estimated 1 in 150 births.
This week, a young man with autism hiking in the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia became separated from his family, and as I type this, a search & rescue operation is taking place to find the young man. Here at American Hiking Society, we send our thoughts and prayers out to the family, and hope that this story has a happy ending.
Today, I interviewed Jeff Smith from Raleigh, North Carolina. Jeff is an avid hiker who also happens to be autistic. Jeff and I talked about hiking and autism. Both Jeff and I hope that this interview helps people understand a bit more about autism, and how many folks with autism are not only capable of hiking, but enjoy participating in all kinds of outdoor activities.
To listen to this 26 minute interview, please visit the link below.
Interview with Jeff Smith
(12.5 MB)
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 06:01 PM
Blind Hiker to take on Appalachian Trail in 2008
In March 2008, Minnesota Resident Mike Hanson will attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail. While that story in and of itself is not unique, the fact that Mike is blind and will be hiking without a guide dog is.
To read about Mike's upcoming challenge, please visit the link below. Stay tuned for an interview with Mike Hanson, here at the American Hiking Society Southeast Trail Program blog.
Blind Hiker to Take on Appalachian Trail
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 11:12 AM
October 12, 2007
Interview with Jeff Brewer of the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail
Jeff Brewer atop Forester Pass on California's John Muir Trail
This morning I interviewed Jeff Brewer, President of the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail. Jeff is an excellent leader in the trails community here in the southeast, and in this 17 minute interview he shares some of the highlights of the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST), and how folks can get involved to help complete the construction of the trail.
To learn more about the MST, please visit the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail website. You can also pick-up Allen de Hart's book "Hiking North Carolina's Mountains-to-Sea Trail." You can also visit Jeff Brewer's trail journal from his 2003 thru-hike of the MST.
Enjoy!
Launch the 17 minute interview with Jeff Brewer. (8.4 MB)
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 11:47 AM
October 01, 2007
Music of the Cumberland Mountains:
A Podcast with Bobby Fulcher
Bobby Fulcher playing music for students along the Cumberland Trail
Bobby Fulcher is the Manager of the Cumberland Trail State Park. Bobby is a naturalist, musician, as well as a folklorist who has chronicled the history of music along the Cumberland Plateau. He also has a weekly radio show entitled Cumberland Trail that airs Sunday nights at 8:30 (Eastern Time) on 89.9 WDVX.
Recently Bobby sat down for an interview in the studios of 91.9 WUOT in Knoxville. Host Matt Shafer Powell has a wide ranging discussion with Bobby about the rich musical heritage of the Cumberland Mountains. To launch this Podcast, please click on the link below. Enjoy!
Dialogue- Music of the Cumberland Mountains
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 01:28 PM
April 15, 2007
Google Earth adds Hiking Trail Layer
The latest version of Google Earth has added a layer that includes hiking trails from across the US, including the entire Pacific Crest Trail.
Here's how to use the service;
- Start Google Earth
- Go to "Layers" in the Sidebar on the left
- Expand the "Featured Content" folder under "Primary Database"
- Click the "Trimble Outdoors Trips" checkbox
- If you don't see "Trimble Outdoors Trips" checkbox, you may need to download the latest version of Google Earth./li>
- In the main window, pan and zoom into the area of interest to you until you see red lines and dots indicating Trimble Outdoors trips
- Continue to zoom in until you see little "Green Hikers"
- Depending on the zoom level and context, clicking a Green Hiker will open a popup window with detailed information about a trip or its element, for example a photo as shown above.
Posted by Jeffrey Hunter at 01:16 PM