Meal Plan for Through Hikers on AT

Cleaning up some old papers I came across my food shopping list for my AT hike. In it I compared Safeway against A&P, the two grocery stores in my home town.  I had combined the effort of buying food along the way and having food boxes mailed to me "General Delivery."

Note, these are 1974 prices.  I had estimated that my AT hike cost me about $2,000 back then and that included my gear.  I had Mac and Cheese (29 cents) so often (and into my college years) that I still shy away from it today.

It would be interesting to compare prices today.

1 Million Feet in 2019

In 2019, in the mid section of the Appalachian Trail, volunteer corridor monitors bushwhacked some one million feet of boundaries.  Pretty impressive work eh?

To learn more about the ATC's volunteer program check this link or this paper.

Appalachian Trail, Covid-19, and AT Communities

See the route of the AT winding through the Covid-19 territory as well as the fantastic AT Communities by using this link.

Unfortunately due to the world wide virus, Damascus Virginia will now hold the 35TH APPALACHIAN TRAIL DAYS FESTIVAL - MAY 14, 15 & 16, 2021! 

Here is a photo of me drying out my equipment behind a hotel in Damascus.

National Trails Day, June 6, 2020

Spring time is for hiking. So be sure to celebrate the American Hiking Society's National Trails Day on June 6, 2020.

Due to the Covid-19 virus, no in-person events are set, but you can participate virtually.

In the meantime, organize those 1000's of pictures from previous hikes and post them online somewhere to share with your friends.  The pic above is me on Albert Mountain, North Carolina and was taken on 14 June 1974.

From my journal "Broke a hundred today. 2 pics on Standing Indian Mtn, 1 of "R" 2 on Albert Mtn.  Pushed almost 20 miles but turned into a zombie in PM. Am running out of food" .... "cruising (sp) all day except the ascent of Albert (triangle symbol) 60 degree climb.  Staying @ Rock Gap LT...."

If you want a map of this area, click here.

Lime Kilns

I became interested in Lime Kilns a few years ago when I was asked to become a cultural resource monitor for the Sheffield Lime Kiln on the National Park lands protecting the Appalachian Trail.  I am not going to talk about that kiln today, but rather one I visited in Wales.

Here are some shots of the Vennaway Kiln, also known as Kilvrough Kiln.

As you can see, it was a beautiful day with clear blue skies.  Perfect for our tour of the Gower Peninsula in South Wales.  For more information about kilns in the UK, see this great site.

Model Rockets

I am returning to my teen age years with model rocketry. There is something about model rockets, the "safe" version of fireworks, that kids and adults like.  Me, building a rocket from a kit and then shooting it up into the sky and hoping the rocket doesn't land in the top of some tree, boy that is fun.

Well, truth be told, I have lost several rockets in trees, and recovered two of them. One two stage rocket got carried away in the wind to never be seen again.  I got four rockets needing the repair of fins, tubing, and other damage from crashes.