Due in part to their rarity, total solar eclipses are an awe-inspiring experience. The Path of Totality of the 2024 Great North American Eclipse overlapped with the A.T. in Maine. Photo by Jerry Monkman at ecophotography.com
Due in part to their rarity, total solar eclipses are an awe-inspiring experience. The Path of Totality of the 2024 Great North American Eclipse overlapped with the A.T. in Maine. Photo by Jerry Monkman at ecophotography.com
ATC Executive Leadership
Sandra Marra / President & CEO
Hawk Metheny / Vice President of Regional and Trail Operations
Marian Orlousky / Acting Vice President of Conservation and Policy
Jeri B. Ward / Chief Growth Officer
A.T. Journeys
Anne Merrill / Associate Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Membership
Traci Anfuso-Young / Art Director / Designer
Observations, conclusions, opinions, and product endorsements expressed in A.T. Journeys are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of members of the board or staff of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
A.T. Journeys is published on matte paper manufactured by Sappi North America mills and distributors that follow responsible forestry practices. It is printed with Soy Seal certified ink in the U.S.A. by Sheridan NH in Hanover, New Hampshire.
A.T. Journeys ( ISSN 1556-2751) is published by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, 799 Washington Street, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425, (304) 535-6331. Bulk-rate postage paid at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and other offices. Postmaster: Send change-of-address Form 3575 to A.T. Journeys, P.O. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425.
MISSION
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission is to protect, manage, and advocate for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
Board of Directors
Jim LaTorre / Chair
Nathan G. Rogers / Vice Chair
Rajinder Singh / Secretary
Katherine Ross / Treasurer
Sandra Marra / President & CEO
Renee Alston-Maisonet
Grant L. Davies
Bill Holman
Roger Klein
John W. Knapp, Jr.
Yong Lee
Gregory Merritt
Eboni Preston
Patricia D. Shannon
Greg Winchester
Nicole Wooten
A.T. Journeys is published on matte paper manufactured by Sappi North America mills and distributors that follow responsible forestry practices. It is printed with Soy Seal certified ink in the U.S.A. by Sheridan NH in Hanover, New Hampshire.
A.T. Journeys ( ISSN 1556-2751) is published by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, 799 Washington Street, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425, (304) 535-6331. Bulk-rate postage paid at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and other offices. Postmaster: Send change-of-address Form 3575 to A.T. Journeys, P.O. Box 807, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425.
on the East Coast.
Forty years ago, a co-worker invited me to a place called the Blackburn Trail Center. She explained that it was managed by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club and that the weekend would include some work as well as hiking, friendly people, and good food. Little did I know at that moment that this was the first step on a lifetime journey of dedication, commitment, and inspiration.
The Appalachian Trail is replete with stories like mine, of ordinary citizens who find inspiration and purpose in working on behalf of something greater than themselves and their day-to-day lives. Those introductions to the Trail are as varied as the people themselves.
There are the thru-hikers (see page 38), who undertake a physical and mental challenge that most can’t imagine. Some will stick with it only for a few days or weeks, but some will go all the way, completing the Trail just as the leaves begin to turn. While the thousand or so hikers who fall into this category are but a small percentage of the millions who hike the Trail each year, like the storied pilgrims of olde, their adventures capture the interest and the imagination of people well beyond the Trail community.
trailhead
highlights / events
News
From atop McAfee Knob in Virginia, hikers can take in a spectacular panoramic view of the Catawba and Roanoke Valleys, North Mountain, and Tinker Cliffs. Now a significant section of that vista — regarded as among the most popular scenic overlooks on the entire Appalachian Trail — will be protected forever, along with the view from nearby Tinker Cliffs.
Thanks to a multi-year effort by the ATC and The Conservation Fund, 850 acres comprised of six adjacent properties are now conserved. These lands expand the Trail’s narrow corridor, providing critical protection and connectivity for the greater A.T. landscape. Now known as the ATC’s McAfee Vista Preserve, the land will be managed to protect Trail values including wildlife restoration and viewshed protection.
“The ATC’s acquisition in McAfee Knob’s cherished viewshed demonstrates what the next phase of Appalachian Trail protection looks like — private partners stepping up to conserve the A.T.’s many threatened landscapes and ensure the world-renowned experience is improving for hikers each day,” says Andrew Downs, senior regional director for the ATC. “The A.T. is a dynamic, exciting, and treasured destination, but it is also a work in progress. We’re thankful for the partnership that helped make this preserve a reality and for the many ATC supporters that make the work of improving the A.T. and its inspiring views possible.”
This conservation success builds upon previous efforts by the ATC, The Conservation Fund, and the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) to protect land below McAfee Knob. Protection of these lands as part the ATC’s McAfee Vista Preserve was made possible with funding from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s Forest CORE Fund, Mountain Valley Pipeline, LLC, and generous donations from members and supporters of the RATC and the ATC.
Leaders
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail and its cooperative management system were the focus of several productive sessions on Capitol Hill during the first quarter of 2024. The third meeting of the A.T. Congressional Caucus took place in early February. Co-Chairs Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Don Beyer (D-VA) welcomed ATC President and CEO Sandra Marra, ANST park office Superintendent Ed Clark, and representatives from the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service.
Also in February, ATC leadership met with members of the Senate and their staffs from six Trail states; participated in meetings with leaders and staff of our federal agency partners; and participated in the 27th Annual Hike the Hill.
Many of these conversations addressed the need for the extension of the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF) and stronger annual support for public lands stewardship. Established within the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020, the LRF authorizes up to $1.9 billion per year for crucial investments in units and infrastructure maintained by the NPS, USFS, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Education. The ATC was closely involved in the creation of this Fund and is committed to working with partners on Capitol Hill, in the Administration, and at partner organizations to secure improvements to the LRF and its extension.
If you are interested in serving on the ATC board — or if you know someone who is — we welcome your nomination. The Nominating Committee considers many criteria when reviewing nominations. Candidates should have a passion for the ATC’s mission of protecting, managing, and advocating for the Appalachian Trail, along with a commitment to its values of land protection, volunteerism, and community engagement. As guardians of the A.T., the board aspires to represent all people who use the Trail now and in perpetuity.
This year, the Nominating Committee is looking especially for people with experience in fundraising, real estate law and land trusts, investment management, and/or organizational development.
Trail Towns
Located just 110 miles from the southern terminus of the A.T., Franklin, North Carolina, has a long history with the Trail. A Franklin native, Rev. A. Rufus Morgan, spent decades maintaining the A.T., starting in the 1940s. His efforts led to the creation of the Nantahala Hiking Club in 1968. Fast-forward to 2010, and Franklin became the first trailside town to be part of the A.T. Community™ Program, which now totals 56 communities in 13 Trail states.
Every year, from the first day of spring through Earth Day, Franklin welcomes northbound thru-hikers with special events and celebrations. Mayor Jack Horton says, “Long-distance hikers on the Appalachian Trail passing through our community have had a positive influence on our economy as well as providing an excellent opportunity to promote the tourism industry here.”
Highlights of Franklin’s A.T. celebration include a pancake breakfast at the First Baptist Church and the Lazy Hiker Brewery’s Chow Down. Trail maintainers Bill and Sharon Van Horn (shown in lower left) were honored at the chow down by the Nantahala Hiking Club for their longtime service as Trail maintainers. The brewery named a beer for them, the Van Horn Pale Ale. Photos by Bob Scott
Learn more about the A.T. Community Program at appalachiantrail.org/explore/communities.
Located just 110 miles from the southern terminus of the A.T., Franklin, North Carolina, has a long history with the Trail. A Franklin native, Rev. A. Rufus Morgan, spent decades maintaining the A.T., starting in the 1940s. His efforts led to the creation of the Nantahala Hiking Club in 1968. Fast-forward to 2010, and Franklin became the first trailside town to be part of the A.T. Community™ Program, which now totals 56 communities in 13 Trail states.
Every year, from the first day of spring through Earth Day, Franklin welcomes northbound thru-hikers with special events and celebrations. Mayor Jack Horton says, “Long-distance hikers on the Appalachian Trail passing through our community have had a positive influence on our economy as well as providing an excellent opportunity to promote the tourism industry here.”
Reflections from photographer Benjamin Williamson on watching the solar eclipse over Katahdin.
“I scouted all of the possible places to see the eclipse over the great mountain [Katahdin] and landed on Mount Chase. By the time of totality, there were around 80 people on the small summit. I felt very overwhelmed when totality engulfed us. I was so astounded by what was happening. The burning ring of fire that is the sun’s corona, the hallmark of the eclipse, looked larger and closer than I thought it would, and so otherworldly and strange. Most astoundingly, I could see solar prominences, visible as specks of red light, on the edges, with my own eyes!”
Reflections from photographer Benjamin Williamson on watching the solar eclipse over Katahdin.
An
Intergenerational
Commitment
An
Intergenerational
Commitment
A 37-year-long section hike inspires multiple ways of giving back to the Trail by supporting the ATC’s work to protect and manage it for future generations.
By Jeffrey Donahoe
Wood experienced that feeling of freedom many times over the years he spent section-hiking the A.T. He scheduled the hikes on weekends, vacations, and whenever he could take time off work as a radiologist. He hiked most of the Trail alone, usually in two- to- three-week chunks, but was occasionally accompanied by his son, Charlie, and his nephew, Craig.
Thanks to a nimble new scorecard system, however, conservationists are hopeful that the land puzzle around Mount Abraham will soon become clearer. With support from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Wild East Action Fund (WEAF) and other sources, the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust has developed a tool called MATGIC — Maine Appalachian Trail Geospatial Information for Conservation — which aggregates publicly available GIS data to help prioritize conservation projects.
of the Trail
Despite some of the decidedly unglamorous tasks they do day in and day out, ridgerunners on the Appalachian Trail bring a dedication and energy to their work that is fueled by passion for the Trail and its community. Ridgerunners play a critical role in the maintenance and preservation of the A.T. that only those exceedingly familiar with real-time, on-the-ground needs can provide.
Thru-Hikers
Tell Us
…and What Impact That Has on
Your A.T. Experience
though they are a small percentage of annual visitors to the Appalachian Trail, thru-hikers have an outsized presence in the public imagination. In addition to the Trail’s proximity to major East Coast cities, the mystique of the long-distance hiker has played a large part in increasing the A.T.’s popularity in recent decades.
As “power users” of the Trail, the group of 1,200 oar so individuals who complete a thru-hike every year is arguably the most knowledgeable about the overall, current condition of the footpath and maintenance of Trail features including shelters and campsites. That is why since 2016 the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has been systematically surveying thru-hikers about their A.T. experiences. Survey questions also shed light on the degree to which hikers’ experiences align with their expectations, as well as what hikers value the most about time on the Trail.
“One of the ATC’s goals is to protect not just the A.T. as a physical place but also the unique experience that is hiking the A.T.,” says Monica Mogilewsky, data manager for the ATC’s Visitor Use Management program. “The data from these surveys enables us to detect changes over time and identify the conservation and management actions that are most likely to impact visitors’ experiences favorably.”
In my role as Senior Director of Partnerships and Trail Operations with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, I’ve come to see the double entendre of “The People’ make the Trail.” In fact, the true magic is that the A.T. exists at all.
Photo by Hayley “Shell Shock” Mackay
