The A.T. Experience
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THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY / SUMMER 2020 THE A.T. EXPERIENCE ATJ_ad_Summer_7.375x9.625.indd 1 5/18/20 3:30 PM CONTENTS / SUMMER 2020 06 / CONTRIBUTORS 08 / PRESIDENT’S LETTER 10 / LETTERS 48 / VOICES OF DEDICATION 51 / TRAIL GIVING 16 / TRAILHEAD 22 All the latest dirt along the Trail STRIKING A 42 / TRAIL STORIES No two hikes on the Trail are the same BALANCE 44 / A.T. COMMUNITIES Successfully educating visitors and A.T. enthusiasts Monson, Maine is an exemplary on and surrounding McAfee Knob visitor destination / THE A.T. EXPERIENCE 46 / INDIGENOUS 12 While everyone’s hike is unique, the Trail offers a feeling of The endangered rusty patched bumble bee connectivity unlike any other in the eastern U.S. 50 / RECOMMENDED A transformative decade-long 30 / FIRST ENCOUNTERS A.T. adventure story OF THE TRAIL KIND The lasting power of the A.T.’s first impression / PARTING THOUGHT 54 A commitment to justice, equity, / THE ENGAGEMENT SPECTRUM diversity, and inclusion 34 How we each engage with the Trail and its community varies vastly ON THE COVER 36 / WHAT'S YOUR IMPACT? Summer fun on Max Patch, North Carolina/Tennessee – By Sarah Jones Decker Making the decision to be a considerate A.T. Visitor Above: Dragons Tooth is one of three popular / TRAIL CONNECTIONS destinations in the Catawba Mountain section of 38 A.T. that is often referred to as the “Virginia Triple THRU ART Crown” – By Garrett Fondoules The Trail as muse THE MAGAZINE OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL CONSERVANCY / SUMMER 2020 ATC EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP MISSION Sandra Marra / President & CEO The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission is to protect, manage, and Nicole Prorock / Chief Financial Officer advocate for the Appalachian Shalin Desai / Vice President of Advancement National Scenic Trail. Laura Belleville / Vice President of Conservation & Trail Programs Cherie A. Nikosey / Vice President of Administration Brian B. King / Publisher & Archivist A.T. JOURNEYS Wendy K. Probst / Editor in Chief BOARD OF DIRECTORS Traci Anfuso-Young / Art Director / Designer Colin Beasley / Chair Robert Hutchinson / Vice Chair CONTRIBUTORS Edward R. Guyot / Secretary Jim LaTorre / Treasurer Jordan Bowman / Director of Communications Daniel A. Howe / Stewardship Council Chair Laurie Potteiger / Information Services Manager Grant Davies Brittany Jennings / Proofreader Norman P. Findley Thomas L. Gregg Ann Heilman Murphy Colleen Peterson MEMBERSHIP ADVERTISING Nathan G. Rogers For membership questions A.T. Journeys is published four times Rubén Rosales or to become a member, call: per year. Advertising revenues directly Ambreen Tariq (304) 885-0460 support the publication and production of the magazine, and help meet Appalachian PRESIDENT’S LEADERSHIP CIRCLE Trail Conservancy objectives. For more Hon. Stephanie Martz [email protected] information and advertising rates, visit: Diana Christopulos appalachiantrail.org/atjadvertising Jim Fetig Lisa Koteen Gerchick Mark Kent The staff of A.T. Journeys welcomes A.T. Journeys is published A.T. Journeys ( ISSN 1556-2751) is R. Michael Leonard editorial inquiries, suggestions, on Somerset matte paper published quarterly for $15 a year by Robert Rich and comments. Email: manufactured by Sappi North the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, [email protected] America mills and distributors 799 Washington Street, Harpers Hon. C. Stewart Verdery, Jr. Observations, conclusions, that follow responsible forestry Ferry, WV 25425, (304) 535-6331. opinions, and product practices. It is printed with Soy Bulk-rate postage paid at Harpers endorsements expressed in A.T. Seal certified ink in the U.S.A. Ferry, West Virginia, and other Journeys are those of the authors by Sheridan NH in Hanover, New offices. Postmaster: Send change- and do not necessarily reflect those Hampshire. of-address Form 3575 to A.T. of members of the board or staff of Journeys, P.O. Box 807, Harpers the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Ferry, WV 25425. © 2020 Appalachian Trail Conservancy. All rights reserved. Hiking Is Healing The We are a new nonprofit organization with the mission of Umbrella providing grieving young adults a supported wilderness hiking Project experience that promotes personal growth, self-reliance and therapeutic recreational activity to help in their healing process. Hiking Journeys for Grieving Young Adults 2020 guided backpacking trips will be on the Appalachian Trail in Maryland and Pennsylvania We welcome your new or gently used hiking gear and backpacking equipment and will put it to good use If you are a young adult grieving a recent loss, or know of a young adult who is, we would love to hear from you Please visit our website or email us for more information on our trips, volunteering and how to make a donation. umbrellaprojecthike.org [email protected] CONTRIBUTORS I OFTEN REFER TO MY CO-WORKERS, A.T. VOLUNTEERS, AND ALL those who love the Trail and help to protect and advocate for it as a “force THE TRAIL'S ABILITY of nature.” This is perfectly apropos for a dynamic group of people who are TO CONNECT NEVER deeply devoted to keeping the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s message “ and the core story of the Appalachian Trail strong, relevant, and resilient. CEASES TO INSPIRE ME...IT This is the message we strived to create in an issue that focusses on the CONNECTS US TO NATURE complexity of the Trail experience — and the myriad visitors who seek it. Their voices, art, and photography — along with so many others who work AND THE LAND, BUT IT behind the scenes — are genuine, strong, and expressive. These are the ALSO CONNECTS US TO “ people who, along with our dedicated members, not only preserve the A.T. experience but are constantly working to make that experience and story EACH OTHER. one that anyone — in whatever form they love or embrace the Trail — can ~ Kathryn Herndon-Powell experience it at its best. Wendy K. Probst / Editor in Chief Sarah Jones Decker Deidra Goodwin Kathryn Herndon-Powell Andrew Downs Sarah "Harvest" Jones Decker is a Appalachian Trail Conservancy A resident of Roanoke, Virginia, Andrew Downs, a North Carolinian Virginia native who started hiking Next Generation Advisory Council Kathryn Herndon-Powell has living in Roanoke, Virginia, the A.T. in her teens. She thru-hiked member, Deidra Goodwin, has been the education and outreach serves as the Appalachian Trail in 2008 and hiked the Trail again a background in facilitation and coordinator for Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s (ATC) senior regional in sections in 2018-2019 for experiential education. Always Conservancy’s Virginia regional director in the central southwest her book, The Appalachian Trail: balancing a passion for outdoor office since 2013. “The Trail’s region. After a 2002 thru-hike, a Backcountry Shelters, Lean-tos, recreation and conservation, ability to connect never ceases to 2005 season as a backcountry and Huts. She has her MFA in Deidra’s next steps will be pursuit inspire me,” she says. “It connects naturalist at the Appalachian Photography from Savannah of a masters degree in experiential us to nature and the land, but it Mountain Club’s Greenleaf Hut, College of Art & Design and a BA education. With that, she plans to also connects us to each other. and graduate studies in the Great in Journalism and Creative Writing take her passion for experiences I consider it a privilege to work Smoky Mountains with North from Virginia Tech. Sarah and her and the outdoors to continue with the dedicated volunteers and Carolina State University, Andrew husband own an organic farm to support as many people as agency partners whose behind- began work with the ATC in south of the Trail town of Hot possible in finding their personal the-scenes work makes this world- January 2007. Reflections on his Springs, North Carolina. definition of “outdoorsy.” class hiking experience possible. adventure as a thru-hiker led to “As both a thru-hiker and “One thing that I have Community and partnership are in a recognition that his experience section-hiker, it was hard to experienced over the years is the Trail’s DNA, and the successes might not have always been a pick one single Trail experience how often people tend to doubt of the McAfee Knob Task Force are good thing for other hikers, or for to write about,” she says. themselves,” she says. “Writing one of the best examples I’ve seen the A.T. itself. “I had a life-changing (Trail Stories page 42) “In this article about my take on the of how powerful we are when we experience on the A.T., but I might my brainstorming, I kept coming A.T. ‘Engagement Spectrum’ (page work together." (page 22) Kathryn not have been as thoughtful as back to a quote I love by Greek 34) was especially important to and her wife Susan have both I should have been about how I philosopher, Heraclitus, ‘No man me because it gave me a platform thru-hiked the A.T., and welcomed impacted other visitors and the ever steps in the same river twice, to continue the narrative I’m their son Nash to the family in resource itself,” he says. “That life- for it’s not the same river and he’s trying to build for myself and December. While in quarantine, changing hike and a desire to make not the same man.’ This could everyone I encounter. There are they’ve been pointing out McAfee the Trail a better place for all has be said for our beloved Trail. It so many ways to do life that we Knob’s graceful curve on the led me to a career serving the Trail is always changing and we are cheat ourselves by not giving our horizon as seen from their back and protecting the one and only changed because of it.” own way enough credit.” deck.