Best Hikes of the Appalachian Trail: South details 45 hikes along the AT from the trail's southern terminus atop Georgia's Springer Mountain north through North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. These superlative treks visit overlooks, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and wildernesses, as well as scenic, cultural, and historical sites -- even trail towns. This selection of hikes reflects the great variety of features the southern AT provides, and the guide is authored by the Southeast's most experienced outdoor writer, Johnny Molloy.
In 1968, management of the Appalachian Trail shifted from control by an informal alliance of private-citizen volunteers to a designated responsibilty of the National Park Service. To protect it from adverse development, Congress had made the trail part of the national park system and endorsed an unique private/public cooperative management system involving scores of private organizations and public jurisdictions. The volunteers still have the lead role in defining the work, but public agencies have the accountability. This June 1987 history is the inside story of how the pieces of that puzzle were put together, by the chairman of a group of volunteers and state-appointed officials that crafted this model of private/public stewardship of public recreational lands.
Like many hikers who’ve completed the Appalachian Trail, Jeffrey Ryan didn’t do it in one long through-hike. Grabbing weekends here and days off there, it took Jeffrey twenty-eight years to finish the trail, and along the way he learned much about himself and made many new friends, including his best friend, who made the journey with him from start to finish. Including 75 color photos, this engaging book is part memoir, part natural history and lore, and part practical advice. Whether you’ve hiked the AT, are planning to hike it, or only wish to dream of hiking it, this is the book to read next.
Woods Cop: True Stories of the Maine Warden Service is a collection of 21 stories from two former colonels, two lieutenants, two sergeants, four district wardens, a warden pilot, and one currently active duty corporal. Altogether, their cumulative experiences account for more than 300 years of warden experience. Before reality TV cameras, GPS devices, and dashboard computers, these wardens presided over a coming of age era for the Maine Warden Service. It was a time when a compass, map, and their wits were what mattered most in the field. Every day offered the potential for an exciting new adventure, many of which endangered the wardens themselves. This book recreates the full warden experience. In addition to hair-raising, life-and-death scenarios, the collection covers moments such as a child innocently outing his parents as “looking for deer” at night, the doldrums of a stakeout, and the grief of tragedy. The stories have been written in a third person, narrative format to ensure consistency in style and to help readers feel the excitement of a twig snapped in the dark, the frustration of second guessing yourself when lives are at stake, and the duty to do what’s right, even if it means breaking the law.
A 41-year-old engineer quits his job to hike the Appalachian Trail. This is a true account of his hike from Georgia to Maine, bringing to the reader the life of the towns and the people he meets along the way.
Day hikes in all fourteen states the Appalachian Trail passes through are described in brief, followed by a point-by-point description of the hike and trailhead directions. Hikes range in length from less than a mile to eleven miles....
God only knows what possessed Bill Bryson, a reluctant adventurer if ever there was one, to undertake a gruelling hike along the world's longest continuous footpath—The Appalachian Trail. The 2,000-plus-mile trail winds through 14 states, stretching along the east coast of the United States, from Georgia to Maine. It snakes through some of the wildest and most spectacular landscapes in North America, as well as through some of its most poverty-stricken and primitive backwoods areas. With his offbeat sensibility, his eye for the absurd, and his laugh-out-loud sense of humour, Bryson recounts his confrontations with nature at its most uncompromising over his five-month journey. An instant classic, riotously funny, A Walk in the Woods will add a whole new audience to the legions of Bill Bryson fans.
"When Jim Whyte settled outside the slate mining town of Monson, Maine, in 1895, people hardly knew what to make of him. Almost 130 years later, we still don't. A world traveler who spoke six languages fluently, Whyte came to town with sacks full of money and a fierce desire to keep to himself. It was clear that Whyte was hiding something -- enough to make the FBI come looking. But even the Feds couldn't imagine how Whyte, who lost every penny he had when WWI broke out, amassed another fortune before he died. Based on the true story, Hermit follows one man's quest to discover all he can about Whyte's secret life before it's too late"--from back cover.
Whether you're stopping for a day trek or taking a weekend getaway, hit the road and hit the legendary trail with Moon Drive & Hike Appalachian Trail. Make your escape on shorter trips from major cities or drive the entire three-week route from Georgia to Maine Find your hike along the Appalachian Trail with detailed trail descriptions, mileage, difficulty ratings, and tips for picking the right section of the trail for you Discover adventures off the trail: Immerse yourself in the spirit of colorful trail towns, peep the changing leaves in the Berkshires, and cruise the sun-dappled Skyline Drive. Kick back after a day hike at a microbrewery in Asheville, dig in to southern barbecue (hey, you've earned it), or unwind in the coffee shops and art galleries of a hip New England hamlet Take it from avid hiker Timothy Malcolm, who shares his insight on the best views, waterfalls, mountains, and (of course!) breweries Full-color photos, strategic itineraries, easy-to-use maps and site-to-site driving times Get the lowdown on when and where to get gas, how to avoid traffic, and braving different road and weather conditions, plus tips for LGBTQ travelers, seniors, and road-trippers with kids With Moon Drive & Hike Appalachian Trail's practical tips and local know-how, you're ready to lace up your hiking boots, pick a trailhead, and embark on your adventure. Looking to explore more of America on wheels? Try Moon Nashville to New Orleans Road Trip. Doing more than driving through? Check out Great Smoky Mountains National Park or Moon Carolinas & Georgia.
Each year, nearly 2,000 men, women and, occasionally, children set out to hike the 2,174 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine (or vice versa). Good preparation is often the key to whether they become part of the 20-25 percent who make it. For this adventure of a lifetime, the [i]Thru-Hike Planner[/i] will help you chart a course, work out a budget, choose gear, plan meals, get in shape and otherwise inspire. It comes with homework: charts and worksheets and checklists and forms, all designed to be ripped out and spread over the kitchen table and then stuck in your pack.Formerly the popular [i]Appalachian Trail Workbook for Planning Thru-hikes[/i], which went through six revisions between 1992 and 2003, this title underwent a total make-over in 2005, bringing together the up-to-date advice of recent hikers with the mileages and trends seen by the trail's managers. This 4th edition advances the mileages and shelters to 2009 status and includes new tips.
