Blind man plans to hike AT end to end
Mike Hanson plans to hike the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail end to end, without ever seeing the ground under his feet.
On Monday in Georgia, the St. Louis Park, Minn., man – who lost his sight at birth – is slated to start his seven-month trek to Maine, navigating by GPS. He has mastered its use by cell phone and trusts global positioning technology to steer his every step. Read the rest of this entry »
Appalachian Trail Celebration & Backpacking Clinic Schedule
9:00 am GATC –
Caretakers of the Georgia section of the AT, learn what they do and how they do it!
10:00 am Gene Espy-
the second man to thru-hike the AT in 1951 faced different challenges than today’s hikers. Author of The Trail of my Life, the legendary hiker shares his stories of the “Government Trail”.
11:00 am J.R. Tate-
“Model T”, author of the amusing Walkin’ on the Happy Side of Misery, and Walkin’ With the Ghost Whisperers shares his tales about interesting places on or near the Trail. Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t walk this
For years I’ve seen hikers try to hike into town from Unicoi Gap. It is a narrow road going either direction. And, once you start hiking the road, there’s no changing your mind because there is no safe place for a car to pull over for you. Here are 2 videos of a portion of the ride to town. Going north you are skipping ahead to Hiawassee and going south you are headed to the tourist town of Helen. It is easy to hitch a ride to town if you are waiting near where the trail hits the road.
Unicoi Gap
Here’s a quick video I made at Unicoi Gap. It was taken today. Notice the snow on the ground and quite a few cars in the parking lot for this time of the year. Always be careful crossing the road. Hitching a ride to town is easy here.
Did You Know?
Appalachian Trail Celebration & Backpacking Clinic
Saturday & Sunday 9 AM – 5 PM from Mar 6, 2010 until Mar 7, 2010
Enjoy demonstrations and workshops by professionals and retailers on an assortment of backpacking gear, and take part in discussions on trip preparation. Hear about Appalachian Trail adventures from the past and present, and learn how you can work to better conserve the trail and its legacy in the future. $5 parking. 706-265-1969.
Amicalola Falls State Park and Lodge
418 Amicalola Falls State Park Rd
Dawsonville, GA 30534
Bears, wild hogs on the increase
A bumper Southern Appalachian acorn crop during the fall of 2008 kept Great Smoky Mountains National Park and North Georgia wildlife well fed. But the heavy mast enhanced the animals’ reproduction and has led to a nuisance problem for wildlife managers.
Russian wild hogs have been a Smokies woe for a century. They were brought to a nearby hunting preserve in the early part of the 1900s, eventually escaped their confines and multiplied rapidly with an ample food supply. Read the rest of this entry »
How to Make Your Own Larabars
A short video showing how to make your own larabars for about $0.30 each instead of the around $1.50 each you pay in the store! Fast and easy with 220 calories and packed with protein, these bars are perfect for hiking
