AS A BACKPACKER AND conservationist, the Wild East is so inspiring! Thank you for everything you do to protect these beautiful Appalachian corridors!
Erin Tate
St. Louis, Missouri
YOUR SUMMER ISSUE ABOUT the historical points on the A.T. was masterful. However, there is one point of history of which few are aware. Cowart Gap is traversed by the A.T. 1.8 miles north of Dick’s Creek Gap at Georgia Highway 76. The great Cherokee Trading Path from the Carolina Low Country crossed the Chattooga River at Sandy Ford (Georgia/South Carolina line). Today, a forest road crosses the A.T. at Cowart Gap. It climbs up from the Plumb Orchard Valley to the east. It’s a peaceful place. The siege and surrender of Fort Loudon in 1760 is accurately depicted in the movie, The Last of the Mohicans.
Mike Maffett
Lake Burton, Georgia
WHILE DESCRIBING THE Veterans War Memorial Tower in Massachusetts, the Summer 2019 edition of A.T. Journeys (Trailhead, page 18) states the “The 93-foot-high tower…was constructed in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.” I suspect this statement may be incorrect. First, the CCC consisted of young men, ages 18 — 25, who did mostly manual labor. Although these young men did significant work on Mount Greylock, the construction of a tower of this magnitude would be beyond their abilities. Second, these words appear on the tower, “Erected by Massachusetts in grateful recognition of the loyalty and sacrifice of her sons and daughters in war.” The CCC was a federal program.
Van “Yonder” Adams
Greencastle, Pennsylvania
Thank you for your correction. To clarify: the Commonwealth of Massachusetts built a War Memorial on the summit in 1930, and between 1933 and 1936, the Civilian Conservation Corps constructed a number of additional structures on the summit, including the rustic Bascom Lodge, built of native stone and timber. They also built roads, trails, and a campground on the Greylock reservation.
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Letters to the Editor
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
P.O. Box 807
Harpers Ferry, WV 25425-0807
“Wild East Time Travel” (A.T. Journeys, Summer) is a Beautiful article! The writing is lyrical. ~ Jeanine Heiser Schaeffer
@public.lands.coffeeNo better day with the family than one out on Trail!
My daughter met her future husband while hiking the A.T. They stopped their hike in VT, got married and now have two beautiful children… and a very unique love story to share with them. ~ Linda Slanika Happy 82nd birthday, A.T.! Thanks for the grueling hills and beautiful vistas. ~ Joe Vernon @bettyjobiscuitsFrom now on I’m just going to carry my bear canister on my backpacking trips. It’s worth the extra weight for all the peace of mind, both for myself and the wildlife.
@rehycleMe and my group do our best to help clean our trails one hike at a time.
@sunrunsun15 years ago I was finishing my GA-ME thru hike. Thank you to the ATC and volunteers for the important work you do to protect and preserve the Trail for us all!
@therealclaystewartThe spruce forests you find in the Roan Highlands are beautiful and enchanting. When you crest the mountain and find yourself amidst these beautiful trees it is one of the A.T.’s most memorable experiences.
The ATC has great people, and great resources for backpacking. We met some folks who were volunteering up by Mollies Ridge Shelter in the GSMNP portion of the A.T. doing rather significant work on the Trail. God bless them! Nice people doing amazing, hard work to keep the Trail enjoyable for all! Thank you! ~ Kevin Kapala