> That's a quote from one of two 68-year-old Wellington, New Zealand grandfathers that will set out this Tuesday from the small town of Campo on the Mexican border to walk the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail to the Canadian border. Click here to read their story.
> A couple of weeks ago the Alex City Outlook published a series of articles written by Dadeville, Alabama resident Harold Banks. The series recounts his hike and near-death experiences on the Appalachian Trail near Mt. Rogers in the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia. The author and his companions were thrown a curve ball when they discovered that one of their destinations, a shelter at the base of Mt. Rogers, was burned down by vandals a couple of weeks prior to their hike. Their discovery was made in the middle of a sleet and snow storm as darkness was approaching. To read the entire four-part series, click on Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
> Yesterday, three wounded Iraq War veterans completed a 9-mile hike through the Smokies on the inaugural Highlander Expeditionary Tours Wounded Warrior Backcountry Trek. The trek was designed to introduce wounded service members to the backcountry and to give them the opportunity to experience what the park has to offer. Please click here to read the entire story.
> Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine has an excellent article about Kurt Kornegay and the updated map he's recently published to Panthertown Valley. The map features two “new” adjacent tracts of land, Bonas Defeat Gorge and Big Pisgah Mountain - two large swaths of forests that only locals were privy to in the past. Within these two tracts are rock faces that have never been climbed, faint trails that have never been mapped, and even waterfalls yet to be named. Please click here to read the story.
> The state of New Hampshire is dropping its efforts to get an Eagle Scout to pay $25,000 to reimburse the costs of finding him after he got stuck on the Northeast's highest mountain. Scott Mason, of Halifax, MA, spent three nights alone on Mount Washington last April after spraining his ankle and veering off marked trails. The story sparked a huge debate within the outdoor community on whether or not outdoor adventurers should be charged for search and rescue operations.
> The Girls Only Hike Club is a program hosted by Diamond Brand Outdoors, an outdoor outfitter based in Arden, NC. The club offers free monthly hikes for the growing number of modern, rugged, outdoors women who are looking for ways to socialize and exercise — without the men. The monthly hikes, which meet the third Saturday of every month, are free and are open to women of all ages. Most hikes are in the 10 miles roundtrip range, and last most of the day.
> From American Trails Magazine is a Report of the National Park System Advisory Board Committee on Health and Recreation: Vision and recommendations to encourage the National Park Service to manage and promote parks as places for people to take part in physically active experiences and not just to “see the parks,” thus contributing to a healthier nation. Click to read the article.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.
This project will provide work opportunities through SCA, the country’s leading conservation service organization. SCA partners with public land managers to build conservation leaders and engage young adults in hands-on environmental stewardship. Trail teams live and work together in the backcountry. Team members receive a living allowance, food, and housing; while learning trail skills, outdoor leadership, wilderness first aid, and Leave No Trace outdoor ethics.
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