Appalachian Trail Weather from Google

Just discovered you can get Appalachian Trail weather via a cell phone by sending a SMS text message to Google. Google offers an SMS Search service. You can text various short texts to Google and receive detailed text search results on your mobile phone. One of the SMS text searches is for weather.

To get Appalachian Trail weather reports, just open a new outgoing SMS message and send "wx" and the nearby zipcode to 466453 (GOOGLE). You'll receive a weather forecast for the next 24-48 hours from Google.

I usually depart for the Appalachian Trail with a ten day forecast from the Weather channel. One of my peeves about the trail is the lack of current weather data along my hike. Often there's a bulletin board with warnings and admonitions, but no one seems to pin-up a 72 hour forecast for long distance hikers.

This year I plan to annotate the zipcodes of nearby towns on my hiking schedule so I can get updated weather from Google as I work south along the Applachian Trail. When I send an SMS text message to my safety person following my hike, I'll take a moment and get updated weather from Google!

In addition to adding the Shenandoah NPS 24-hour emergency center (800-732-0911) to your phone's contacts, give strong consideration to adding Google SMS search.

Bear-resistant Storage Containers Now Required in Blood Mountain (GA) Wilderness

Beginning March 1, 2012, anyone camping overnight along the five miles of Appalachian Trail from Jarrard Gap to Neels Gap on the Chattahoochee National Forests must bring a bear-resistant container to contain personal garbage, toiletries and foods. The new regulation was issued by the USDA Forest Service in response to public safety concerns and repeated bear-human conflicts in the region.

Bear-resistant containers trap odors inside, eliminating the lure of food, and they are designed to be tamper-resistant against extreme force. These containers can be purchased at most retail stores and online sellers that stock camping gear.

“We’re taking this measure to protect campers and make our campsites less alluring to the bears that live here,” Blue Ridge District Ranger Andy Baker said.

The storage regulation is mandatory for all dispersed camping in Blood Mountain Wilderness Area within a quarter mile of the trail, as well as camping at Blood Mountain Shelter and Woods Hole Shelter. It is a seasonal requirement—only from March 1 through June 1. Forest officials said black bear encounters have increased significantly in recent years in the Blood Mountain Wilderness Area. Bears become more active as the seasons and weather change. They are particularly attracted to human food brought into wilderness in the early spring when natural food sources are not yet plentiful. This is also the peak season for northbound Appalachian Trail hikers to begin their journeys.

“Any bear that associates people with food is a dangerous bear because it’s going to be aggressive,” Baker said. “By removing the lure of foods and other odors, we stop giving bears a reason to approach a campsite.”

Traditional food storage methods in the wilderness, such as “bear-bagging,” or hanging food bags between trees, will not be allowed. These methods are not always effective at preventing bears from retrieving food.

This seasonal camping restriction was developed in consultation with the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division.

Blood Mountain was designated as a Wilderness Area by Congress in 1991. Wilderness designation means the land has been set aside for permanent protection because of its intact natural ecosystems. The Forest Service manages it in a way that allows many recreational activities, but also provides some restrictions to protect the area in its natural state. Wilderness visitors are asked to practice the Leave No Trace ethic, a set of guidelines for minimizing their impacts including planning ahead, staying on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly, leaving what they find and respecting wildlife and other visitors.

For more tips on how to protect yourself and also protect black bears when visiting the national forest, visit the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests website at www.fs.usda.gov/conf or contact the Blue Ridge Ranger District Office at (706) 745-6928. Maps are also available.

The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Encompassing around 867,000 acres across 26 counties, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests provide the finest outdoor recreation opportunities and natural resources in Georgia. Featuring nearly 118,000 acres of designated wilderness; approximately 850 miles of recreation trails; and dozens of campgrounds, picnic areas and other recreation activity opportunities; these lands are rich in natural scenery, history and culture. The forest supervisor’s office for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests in Gainesville manages four district units—Blairsville (Blue Ridge District), Lakemont (Chattooga River District), Chatsworth (Conasauga District) and Eatonton (Oconee District).


USDA Forest Service
Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests
Release: Immediate
Contact: Judy Toppins, Public Affairs Officer
Phone: 770/297-3061
Forest Supervisor’s Office
1755 Cleveland Highway
Gainesville, GA 30501

Death on the Appalachian Trail

While reviewing and updating our Section Hiking the Appalachian Trail Twitter account, we discovered there has been a second death on the Appalachian Trail this year. This time its seems a hiker slipped and fell between Rangeley and Caratunk, Maine. Details are forthcoming.

While deaths on the Appalachian Trail are rare, death does come to hikers from time to time. Often while pre-planning a hike, friends and relatives become alarmed and imagine all sorts of danger that will befall their loved one. (We've been offered guns.) With today's death, this seems an opportune moment in time to start a list of deaths on the Appalachian Trail to provide a balanced perspective on how life threatening the Appalachian Trail is and is not.

2013

• January 2013 - Overdue hiker found dead in Smokies

2012

• July 2012 - Father, son, drown while hiking Appalachian Trail in Tennessee
• June 2012 - Appalachian Trail through-hiker drowns in Pierce Pond in Maine
• June 2012 - N.Y. man found dead in tent on Appalachian Trail near Bull Bridge, CT
• February 2012 - Body of missing CT woman found near Appalachian Trail

2011

• September 2011 - 'Buffalo Bobby' dies just short of end of Appalachian Trail 
• August 2011 - FBI investigates death of Indiana hiker of Appalachian Trail
• August 2011 - Hiker dies after falling and hitting his head in Maine
• April 2011 - Hiker passes away while asleep in tent at Davenport Gap 

2010

• May 2010 - Hiker from Michigan was found dead at the Icewater Spring shelter
• June 2010  - Hiker found dead on the Appalachian Trail in Botetourt County

  
2008

• May 2008 - Two fishermen shot

  
2001

• November 2001 -  Canadian woman murdered in the White Mountains

1996 

• June 1996 -  Tragedy in Shenandoah National Park (VA) in the A.T. Vicinity

1990

• September 1990 - Thru-hikers killed at shelter near Duncannon, PA

1988

• May 1988 - Man frightens two women off the trail and shoots them, killing one, in Michaux State Forest in PA

  
1981

• May 1981 - Two social workers hiking Appalachian Trail found murdered

  
1975

• April 1975 - Wisconsin woman hacked to death by a hiker with a hatchet in Tennessee

  
1974

• May 1974 - 26-year-old man was killed at a shelter in Georgia

  
We will continue to update this post as we discover past deaths on the Appalachian Trail.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. 

Bear Container: BearSaver Bear Box

One of the pleasant surprises hiking the Appalachian Trail through New jersey was the discovery that a bear container wasn't absolutely necessary. When we discovered that official backpacker site after backpacker site hosted a BearSaver bear box, we felt a bit foolish toting our expensive and somewhat bulky Ursack.

We saw our first BearSaver bear box at the backpacker camp just south of Sunfish Pond. That's the one in the photo. We took some time to examine it and become familiar with how it works. The right side door features a release mechanism that is cleverly hidden to foil both bears and clever raccoons. One inserts one's hand upside down in the bottom of the mechanism and squeezes a release lever.

The standard BearSaver bear box is quite large. We were able to stuff our entire large backpack inside with plenty of room to spare at both the AMC Mohican Outdoor Center and Pochuck shelter. The bear box at Mashipacong shelter held two large 5 gallon water containers and still had lots of room for food bags.

While the sign on the left panel instructs hikers that these are not trash cans, we often found trash inside. We suspect a contributing cause is that trash cans have mostly been removed from all parks in New Jersey. Pack it in, pack it out is the general rule. The most egregious mis-use of the bear box was at the Rutherford shlter in High Point State Park were we found not only large amounts of nasty, fetid garbage inside, but also a stack of oatmeal encrusted plates and metal silverware. Eww! We packed out much of the refuse since we knew we would be stopping by the park HQ shortly after departing, but we didn't take on the extra weight of the hard goods.

In addition to the water we found at Mashipacong shelter, we found other trail magic inside several bear boxes. At Pochuck shelter we found several packets of M & M chocolate candies. So, don't forget to stop by all the shelter and backpacking sites and open the BearSaver bear box doors. You may be pleasantly surprised. (This also works in reverse: you can be the one to leave trail magic inside a bear box for other hikers. Just saying.)

The longest distance between bear boxes in New Jersey was the 14 mile stretch between the AMC Mohican Center and the Brinks Road shelter. If you decide to stealth camp between those points, you will be in bear country and will need to bear bag your food. We recommend an UrSack or using the PCT bear bagging method.

Disclosure: We select and purchase the product(s) reviewed. We have no material connection to either the manufacturer nor the retailer(s).

Bear Bagging: Ursack Bear Bag

One of the most important skills for a section hiker to master before setting off on a section hike of the Appalachian Trail is bear bagging. Losing one's food to a bear is very demoralizing and has caused more than one hiker to abandon their hike. In areas like the 100 Mile Wilderness, losing one's food due to improper bear bagging could result in immobilization.

During our past 2-week section hike, we spent an inordinate amount of time (15-min/day = 2.5 hrs = 4-5 miles) selecting a suitable tree and branch to set up our bear bagging system. We used the Pacific Crest Trail or PCT bear bagging system, which uses one rope, a bag, a carabiner and a stake/stick. While standing beneath the selected tree and attempting to swing our rope up and over the desired branch, we often wished for a better solution. We were very excited to receive an Ursack bear bag as a Christmas gift.



Its one thing to watch a video showing a bear attempting to get into an Ursack, but its another to hold one in one's hands and examine it thoroughly. The sack is larger and stiffer than we had imagined. We can easily bag our cook kit and at least five days of food plus even more. Our problem is likely to be trying to stuff a very full Ursack into our small $30 Walmart backpack.

The instruction card mentions crossing the cord, which is rock climbing grade kernmantel rope with about a 5,000 pound breaking strength. Looking inside we saw that the installed cords do cross. We then pulled the bag closed and tied a double overhand knot as instructed. Not only does the bag keep out bears, but there was very little gap for even a mouse to enter. After tying the overhand knot there is plenty of rope to pass around a 5-inch branch or tree trunk and still tie a figure-8 knot as recommended.

This is a well made product and we look forward to trying it out on a scheduled weekend shakedown overnighter this spring. We'll update this post with anything new or interesting we discover.

Timber Creek mini LED headlight

During our recent backpacking trip to Cane Creek State Park, one of the new toys we tested was a Timber Creek mini LED headlight. The Timber Creek mini LED headlight sells for about six dollars at the local Academy sports store. A bargain compared to the more expensive headlamps appearing on the gear lists of many Appalachian Trail through hikers. We suppose there is some cachet to sporting a twenty dollar Petzl LED headlight on the A.T., but we're not made of money and our family is fairly happy when we use our modest salary to purchase food and electricity.

So how does the little six dollar Timber Creek mini LED headlight perform? Fairly well. The LED headlight comes partially assembled with two button batteries and an elastic head band. The batteries are already installed, but one must remove a small piece of plastic which blocks the circuit. Also, one must thread the headband onto two small clips on either side of the LED headlight.

Once assembled, the LED headlight is very comfortable to wear. Its light weight and the elastic headband acts as a cushion against the forehead. No hard cold plastic, but rather a warm, soft cushion. The LED headlight is turned on and off by a push button along the rim of the headlight. Depending on the position of the LED holder when screwing back together, the button will be either at the top or the bottom. The button is encased in a rubber boot that provides a good degree of water resistance. The plastic case attached to the headband also includes a built in hinge so the LED headlamp can be tilted from forward to almost straight down. This was a very useful feature when sitting at a picnic table in the dark cooking.

We've since used the Timber Creek mini LED headlight on several backyard hammock camping shake downs. The LED headlight has never disappointed us. Due to its inexpensive cost, we plan to purchase several more for family members and to keep around the house for power outages.

TIP 1: When arriving in camp, put on your headlight and wear it around your neck as a necklace, Then, you'll know exactly where it is once darkness begins.

TIP 2: Wear your headlight around your neck when sleeping. Then, if a midnight cat hole calls, you can quickly find your light and take care of business.

Mobile Guide to the Appalachian Trail

We've been developing a new mobile web curriculum at the office. As part of our research, we discovered a cool mobile web design tool at Ubik.com. While playing with the tool to learn its capabilities, the idea struck us that we could create a small mobile web site to support our upcoming section hike. That idea led to the better idea to develop a lean digital guide book that could be easily viewed on mobile devices.

We are pleased to announce the Mobile Guide to the Appalachian Trail is under development. You can follow the build here:

at.ubik.net

As mobile devices are not currently standardized and most cannot handle large graphics, long pages, and javascript, we've decided on a simple menu for the new mobile guide:

• Water


• Shelter


• Resupply


• Emergency


• About


• Disclaimer

As we're planning for a section hike of the AT in WV/MD/PA, we'll probably fill in the data for those sections of the mobile guide first. Then, we'll focus on the completing the emergency contact list for all states. Springer to Fontana section will follow third as new hikers will likely need the information most.

The purpose is not to supplant the existing ATC guide and data books, but to provide information in another format for fellow hikers. (Personally, I'd like to build the site and then hand everything over to the ATC for them to brand and possibly derive mobile ad income.)

Appalachian Trail Safety: Spring Hazards

The New Jersey/New York Trail Conference tweeted about an article on hiking the Appalachian Trail during Spring Break. The article includes several very good safety points to keep in mind during Spring:

1) Wild animals on the trail in March are hungry. Do not approach.

2) Rocks and logs hide snakes. Do not flip over or move.

3) Hollow trees may contain thousands of bees. Do not touch. Also, carry auto-injectors if allergic to bees.

4) Trail is very wet and still icy.

5) Bears are out in force. See #1 above.

6) Carry a first aid kit. If you think someone else already has one, surprise! Many hikers do not.

Read the entire article: http://tinyurl.com/ya8l2fa