The thousands of trees felled by Hurricane Helene left their giant trunks and branches on the ground across trails and roads and buildings all through North Carolina and Tennessee. In addition to all this firewood-to-be is each tree’s “root ball” – a collection of dirt and roots and rocks and even boulders that once held…
Read More Roots and rocks and Helene damageIt’s a gorgeous morning in my Charlotte neighborhood. The sun is shining, wind is still. Hard to believe we got hit by Helene yesterday. Not everyone got through unscathed. Just 2 1/2 miles northwest, residents were evacuated as the Catawba River swelled past its banks. Three miles west of my house, the road into Mount…
Read More After the storm
Shallow ditch dug alongside the trail, to make it easier for water to drain off.
I’m proud to say I’ve been given the responsibility to maintain a tiny piece of the Appalachian Trail. Duties include trimming weeds and branches that encroach on the trail, removing trash, and repainting the 2-inch-by-6-inch white rectangles (“blazes”) that mark the trail. (Luckily, “my” section of trail has neither a shelter nor a privy, so…
Read More Trail maintenance: Nov. 10 2020Click here for gallery
Read More Halloween 2020 Backpacking“Does anyone know what day it is?” asks the young man trying to get a signal with his flip phone. “SUNDAY!” comes the immediate reply. One can’t really blame the fellow for not remembering. He’s hiking the Appalachian Trail. Someone who chooses to take on all 2,168.1 miles of the Appalachian Trail will be at…
Read More Lunchtime on the Appalachian Trail