> 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
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After about a half-mile we turned onto the Appalachian Trail, which led us up the rugged, rocky outcrops of Wilburn Ridge and then through Rhododendron Gap. From Rhododendron Gap, it's an easy 1.5-mile hike to the short spur trail to the summit, located just past the Thomas Knob Shelter. This section of trail is just spectacular. The best views and the most beautiful scenery can be had here.
Upon turning onto the half-mile spur trail to the summit, we finally reached the tree-line. Unlike most mountains, the forest in this area of the highlands still claims the highest elevations. The 5729-foot summit of Mount Rogers is covered by a thick spruce-fir forest, which means that you won’t have any views at the summit, and is the only place on the entire hike where you hike amongst trees.
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