A walk in the clouds ... maintaining the Appalachian Trail (Rockfish to Reeds Gap)

I enjoy hearing from the folks who are intimately involved with upkeep and involvement along the mountains as is the case with "Merlot" (her trail name). She is one of a number of volunteers in charge of upkeep along the Appalachian Trail from Rockfish Gap to Reeds Gap nineteen miles south, and including Afton Mountain and Humpback Rock. No one loves nature and Virginia's mountains more than those who actually put sweat equity into making sure hiking trails are maintained for thru-hikers as well as day-trippers.

Merlot authors a blog, Rockfish to Reeds, that chronicles not only those who work on the trails but those who hike them.

So how did this pathway in the clouds all come to be? Merlot's post, "Appalachian Trail: The Roof of the East Coast," notes:

I suspect large numbers of the hiking public give little thought to the 'nitty gritty' of the trail, either how it was built (a common misconception is that it was an old 'Indian path') or the fact that 'somebody' needs to keep the trail in hiking condition and exactly who those 'somebodys' are. I was on the AT one day during weed season and weed whipping away with a swing blade when a group of hikers came by. One of them, a very nice lady, kindly asked me "How much is the government paying you to do this?" She was absolutely serious and sincere with that question and she was totally amazed when I answered "I am being paid nothing ..... you are on the Appalachian Trail which is maintained by volunteers!"

Merlot's love of the mountains and the trail is evident in this post and especially in the last sentence: "As magnificent as the 'simple path' itself might be with all its wonders, its true 'heart' lies in every single volunteer maintainer who works so hard to keep the Appalachian Trail alive."

Volunteers are the heart of any organization, and the Appalachian Trail is no different. I've enjoyed those mountain trails for years and am especially appreciative of the work that goes into beating back brush and weeds that encroach these pathways through the forests. A tip of the cap to all the hard-working volunteers whose hours of labor often goes unheralded but who are appreciated.

Thanks, Merlot and fellow team members!

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell

Bob Stuart: 'Vets hike trail to heal and help others'

The Warrior Hikers were in the area Sunday, and News-Virginian reporter Bob Stuart was there to talk with these military vets -- American heroes -- on their thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

Read about the Warrior Hikers at Virginia Politics On Demand (VPOD), and be sure to read Bob's article in the News-Virginian with thanks for his coverage.

Update: 'Walking Off the War' ... AT Warrior Hike military vets to be at Devil's Backbone Brewery near Wintergreen on Sunday

Along the Appalachian Trail, there's a group of military veterans "walking off the war," battling the memories of time deployed overseas but grateful to be physically able to hike, well aware that some of their fellow warriors came back with serious injuries. Others paid the ultimate price.

If you've ever wanted to thank a veteran, Sunday is your chance. Buy the Warrior Hikers a beer and make a toast of gratitude for their service to our country. They will gather at Devil's Backbone Brewing Company in Roseland (near Wintergreen) Sunday afternoon at 5:00. (This is a change from my earlier post.)

Reporter David Kaplan with KDBJ TV-7 caught up with the thru-hikers in Craig County earlier this week, and talked with several about their journey. Check out the website and meet the hikers who have been deployed overseas -- Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Army veterans who set out from Georgia in March to follow the Appalachian Trail north.

Father's Day provides a great opportunity to come out and show appreciation for these men and women who have served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, the Persian Gulf, and Southeast Asia, putting their lives on the line to preserve the freedoms we enjoy here at home.

The Warrior Hikers are our American heroes. The website tells how it began:

In 1948 Earl Shaffer told a friend he was going to “walk off the war” to work out the sights, sounds, and losses of World War II. Four months later, Earl Shaffer became the first person to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

Recognizing the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of hiking the Appalachian Trail, Warrior Hike has partnered with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to create the Walk Off The War Program. The Walk Off The War Program is designed to support combat veterans transitioning from military service by thru hiking the Appalachian Trail.

I was alerted to the Warrior Hike by a reader of my SWAC Girl blog who writes a blog covering the Appalachian Trail from Rockfish Gap to Reeds Gap -- Rockfish to Reeds. She follows many of the hikers on the trail and has watched the Warrior Hikers since their March departure in Georgia.

Merlot describes her blog as, "Rockfish Gap to Reeds Gap ..... that little piece of  'AT heaven' we all love so much. This is a blog for the dedicated volunteers who maintain the 19.1 miles of white-blazed AT and some blue-blazed side trails as well."

So a tip of the hat to Merlot for the hard work that goes into upkeep for the AT, and for the heads-up about the Warrior Hikers. If you can, please join them at Devil's Backbone Brewing Company.

AT Warrior Hikers coming to Waynesboro Sunday

This Sunday at 5:00 at the VFW Post 2424 in Waynesboro, meet the Appalachian Trail Warrior Hikers as they make their way north on their thru-hike.

The Warrior Hikers are our military veterans:

In 1948 Earl Shaffer told a friend he was going to “walk off the war” to work out the sights, sounds, and losses of World War II. Four months later, Earl Shaffer became the first person to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

Recognizing the physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits of hiking the Appalachian Trail, Warrior Hike has partnered with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to create the Walk Off The War Program. The Walk Off The War Program is designed to support combat veterans transitioning from military service by thru hiking the Appalachian Trail.

I was alerted to the Warrior Hike by a reader of my SWAC Girl blog who writes a blog covering the Appalachian Trail from Rockfish Gap to Reeds Gap -- Rockfish to Reeds. She follows many of the hikers on the trail and has watched the Warrior Hikers since their March departure in Georgia. Merlot describes her blogs as, "Rockfish Gap to Reeds Gap ..... that little piece of  'AT heaven' we all love so much. This is a blog for the dedicated volunteers who maintain the 19.1 miles of white-blazed AT and some blue-blazed side trails as well."

So a tip of the hat to her for her interest in the AT, and for the heads-up about the Warrior Hikers. Sunday offers an opportunity to thank these military veterans who put their lives on hold and on the line to preserve our freedoms. I'll update with more info as I find it but it's this Sunday, June 16, at 5:00 at the VFW in Waynesboro.

Scott Lilly's 2011 murder on Amherst section of Appalachian Trail still unsolved

 

The Priest as seen from Blue Ridge Parkway.

Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell, April 20, 2013

[April 24, 2013: A year ago today I posted the following. Searching the internet, I can find nothing that shows this case has been solved. If anyone has information, please pass it along.]

Scott Lilly (FBI photo)

The 30-year-old Appalachian Trail hiker who was found dead last summer in Amherst County was murdered, according to investigators. WINA reported:

The hiker found murdered along the Appalachian Trial in Amherst County in June died of asphyxiation. That's according to investigators in the case, who have also revealed that 30-year-old Scott Lilly's body was buried after he was killed. FBI Agent Steven Duenas says they are very interested in talking to anyone that had come across any of Lilly's stuff, including a pair of brown and orange Ozark Trail hiking shoes. Officials announced a $10,000 reward for information about Lilly's death.

With the FBI searching for clues, Scott Lilly's sister has pleaded for help in finding who was responsible for his death.

A number of murders have occurred along the trail throughout the years, some that remain unsolved. One of the most notable was the deaths of two women hikers whose throats were slashed in Shenandoah National Park in 1996 but the case has gone cold despite much publicity in the following years. Less than a year later, a skeleton was found in the Park.

The AT hiking community stays aware through WhiteBlaze.com. Communities along the Appalachian Trail rely on news reports to be informed of progress on murder cases and any disturbing information about crimes that may happen along the mountain tops, a reminder that the outside world can intrude in the national parks.
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Update 4/24/2013: Here are links to news stories about this murder:
- True Crime Diary: Trail Talk
- Backpacker's Toolbox: Appalachian Trail Hiker's Death Ruled Homicide
- Richmond Times-Dispatch: Hiker's death ruled homicide
- Appalachian Trail Conservancy: Federal authorities have offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the death of A.T. hiker Scott Lilly in Virginia last summer 
- ABC-13 Lynchburg: Childhood Pastor Talks About Hiker Found Dead
- FBI: Identification of body located in George Washington National Forest 

Signal fire leads rescuers to missing AT hiker

A hiker who had gone missing almost a week ago on the Appalachian Trail near Bedford has been found alive and well.

The Lynchburg News & Advance reported:

Ken Knight, 41, was found at the base of Little Rocky Row after a small signal fire he lit got out of control, turning into a 2-acre brush fire on the ridge that got everyone’s attention, said Lt. Brandon Cocke of the Big Island Volunteer Fire Department.

Glad to hear this search and rescue had a happy ending.

ALERT: Hiker missing on Appalachian Trail -- UPDATED

Ken Knight, 41, of Ann Arbor, Mich., was last seen Sunday at the Punch Bowl Shelter near Blue Ridge Parkway’s milepost 51.7. Photo courtesy of BackpackingLight.com.

[UPDATED 5-3-09: Missing hiker found alive]

The hiking community is on high alert as more than 100 volunteers search for a missing hiker on the Appalachian Trail who was last seen Sunday in the Bedford/Amherst area of Virginia. He is vision impaired and is feared to have lost the trail.

Ken Knight, 41, editor of "Backpacking Light," has not been heard from and his friends are asking all to send out the following information that was posted on Backpacking Light:

KEN KNIGHT IS MISSING ON APPALACHIAN TRAIL IN VA on 04/30/2009 09:06:52 MDT
*** URGENT ***

Backpacking Light editor KEN KNIGHT is missing after a hike on the Applachian Trail in Virginia.

If you saw Ken or otherwise know of his whereabouts after Sunday morning, please contact us at the following email address:

PUBLISHER@BACKPACKINGLIGHT.COM

About Ken

Ken is 5'4" tall and approx. 180-200 lb. He is vision impaired, has dark hair, and is probably using a dry bag-style pack with an orange packbag.

Ken is an experienced AT hiker but his vision impairment may have caused him to lose the trail.

Point Last Seen

He was last seen on the AT on Sunday morning, around 9-10am, at Punchbowl Mountain, Blue Ridge Parkway, mile 51.7, in the area of Buchanan and Bedford, Virginia.

He'd been trailing behind a group and meeting up with them at their camp sites. On Sunday, he reported not feeling well and suggested he
might go off the trail. The group did not see him since leaving Punchbowl Mountain on Sunday.

He was anticipated to reach mile 76.3 on Tuesday, which the rest of the group did. To date, he has not arrived, and he has missed his flight back home to Michigan Wednesday night.

Ken regularly blogs via iPhone when he has cellular coverage. His last known blog entry was Sunday morning, April 26, at 6:36 AM Eastern:

http://twitter.com/kenknight

Search in Progress

Ken's family has been notified, and a search is currently in progress by NPS and VA State SAR.

Non-agency SAR and other volunteers interested in assisting with this search should contact us at publisher@backpackinglight.com, who is coordinating the efforts of outside volunteers with the SAR Coordinator on location. Please send your name, cellular phone number, and distance from SNP in your message, and then wait for further instructions.

Please Distribute This Info

Please distribute a link to this post as wide as possible via this tinyurl link via Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking avenues. Please copy and paste this exact text to retweet this info on Twitter etc.:

EMERGENCY @KENKNIGHT (KEN KNIGHT) MISSING ON A.T. IN VA: http://tinyurl.com/ded5tt INFO? EMAIL PUBLISHER@BACKPACKINGLIGHT.COM RT @BIGSKYRY

I am in contact with the NPS Ranger and the VA State SAR, the agencies responsible for the search and will relay info promptly them.

Best Regards,
Ryan Jordan
CEO Backpacking Light

Lynchburg's News & Advance had an update on Friday, May 1. Our prayers go out for Ken's safety, for those searching for him, and to his family.

Craig County: Appalachian Trail closed due to forest fire

A forest fire burning on Sinking Creek Mountain in Craig County has closed a portion of the Appalachian Trail, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The fire, located in an isolated area about 12 miles northeast of Blacksburg, had an unknown cause and has had firefighters on the scene since Sunday.

More information was not immediately available. The Roanoke Times is following this story.

Murder on the Appalachian Trail....

A murderer who had killed two hikers on the Appalachian Trail in 1981 and was in jail on suspision of shooting and injuring two more hikers last week is dead.

In 1996 two women were murdered on the Trail near Skyland in Shenandoah National Park.

Allow weapons in the National Parks? Absolutely ... and these are three instances why hikers and campers should be allowed to protect themselves.