Isolation on the AT

Maybe you remember the story a couple years ago about an artist who moved to Ohio and disconnected from all news and social media. The NY Tims called him "the most ignorant man in America."

Thanks to a robust National Park system, we have a less intentional version. An AP reporter interviewed Appalachian Trail thru-hikers who were startled to discover that the world had been shut down while they were walking in the woods. Already this spring, quite a few intrepid hikers had headed out to make the roughly 6 month trek. After quitting their jobs and disappearing into the woods, they would briefly emerge for food or showers only to be greeted by what must have seemed like unbelievable news about the global public health crisis.

As the pandemic grows, hikers face the difficult decision to postpone their dreams or ignore warnings and forge ahead. Like virtually every other entity in the U.S., the Appalachian Trail Conservancy began issuing COVID-19 safety guidance in March. But social distancing and hand-washing suggestions soon shifted to urging all hikers to leave the trail immediately. Shelters and privies were shut down, and volunteer programs were halted. On Wednesday, the conservancy and 29 other trail-maintaining clubs asked federal officials to close the trail until the end of the month.

While the AT seems sufficiently isolated to be safe, it is also sufficiently isolated to be a dangerous place if you experience a sudden onset of symptoms. Also, many thru-hikers forgo a tent and rely on the shelters at night, so their closure makes things a bit trickier for those who try to ignore the advice. This might be an interesting story to continue to watch over the year as a few people ignore the advice and try to complete the 2,000 mile trip.

The end of the AT

The NY Times took a look at the controversy about ending the Appalachian Trail somewhere other than at Mount Katahdin. Aside the main points of the story, the fact that the Times gives this story prime real estate in Section A and a slideshow online is testimony to how much people care about the AT.

A new AT record!

Places and Spaces is a fan of the Appalachian Trail and is excited to report that a through hiker has set a new AT speed record of 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes.  Her blog details the journey and the help she received.

Excitiment on the AT

Today's NY Times announces the grand opening of a new stretch of the historic Appalachian Trail at Bear Mountain State Park. This is the result of design process which included our 2004 Junior studio and 2 student-led charettes. The construction has also relied heavily on huge amounts of volunteer hours, necessary to build huge stone stairs up the mountain.

The kick-off ceremony is Saturday June 5th and the public is very welcome.

National Trail Volunteer Week

Aside from Landscape Architecture Month, Earth Day and Ag Field Day, this is week is also National Trail Volunteer Week. Even though it will be over soon, it doesn't mean you can't get out and volunteer as soon as you finish finals.

Trail speakers

Ever since our Appalachian Trail project I have had a heightened appreciation for folks like Larry Luxenburg who maintain a passion for the same trail year after year. Here is a chance to hear from two speakers as part of the NYNJTC speaker series at Campmor...

Trail Conference Speaker Series at Campmor
Join the Trail Conference Wednesday evenings in October when we host a series of speakers at Campmor on RT. 17N in Paramus NJ. Guest presenters will begin at 7:00PM and run approximately 1 hour. Authors will be available to sign their books and plenty of copies will be on hand to purchase and be autographed. Seating will be limited, so arrive early. (For directions, click on Campmor link above.)

October 22, 2008
Larry Luxenburg, AT Thru-hiker and author of Walking The Appalachian Trail

October 29, 2008
Dan Chazin, syndicated Hike of the Week author in The Record and a local hiking authority and maven

Blazing a new trail across the midwest

I seems that more and more people are taking the call for a Great Plains Trail seriously. It would be a National Trail, like the Appalachian Trail, and capture the Genius Loci of the Midwest. That is why its primary proponents are all from around here.

Upgrades on the AT at Bear Mountain

Several years ago our LA students explored design possibilities for the 5-mile stretch of the AT at Bear Mountain. Now work on the trail and the park facilities are well underway. One of the interesting little problems was how to redesign the piece of the AT that goes underneath the busy state highway in the center of the park. Based on the NYNJTC press release, they seem to have dealt with the grading problems in a pretty big way.

National Trails Day 2008

Celebrate National Trails Day by working on the Appalachian Trail, participating in an REI workday, or just helping the nation fight disease. Just be sure you hydrate.

Comment on the NJ Trails Plan

NJ's trails need a plan. (Although some might argue that NJ's plans need trails.) While the state's reputation misleads a bit, NJ is home to some great hiking opportunities, some wonderful bikeways, some great hidden gems, and an important piece of the Appalachian Trail. But as a state, the vision for a trails network is weak and the policies and mechanisms are limited.

Since the 1996 plan is 12 years old, NJ DOT, NJ DEP, and FHWA are sponsoring the development of a new plan by RBA Associates. The 2008 New Jersey Trails Plan Update has gotten to the point of posting a nearly final draft that is available for review and comment until the end of June.

Jobs at the NY NJ Trail Conference

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference has two job openings that are not our usual EP&D jobs, but might be of interest to some of our readers, especially fans of the AT. Click on the job titles for details about these positions.
Volunteer Coordinator: http://www.nynjtc.org/employees/volcoord.html
Regional Coordinator (East of Hudson): http://www.nynjtc.org/employees/regional-coordinator.html

The NYNJTC is a great group that we partnered with back in 2004 for a student design project at Bear Mountain.

News Digest

Too much news piling up before the weekend. I'll have to just offer a quick list and will admit to not having read it all thoroughly:

As Muir Woods celebrates its 100th anniversary, CNN stopped by to see the celebrations. On April 21st the park will waive its already low admission fee. (Photo by Tonya, h/t to Mom)

A judge in Superior Court has found that a large greenhouse complex would be a violation of the farmland preservation status of a farm in Hunterdon County.

The Star-Ledger tags along as the NJ Main Street program drops in on a few towns for makeovers that sound more like something from HGTV than professional practice:

Along the Church Street promenade, the team admired such architecture as the Spanish Revival of the block-long landmark Hinck buildings but stopped in front of the Montclair Antiques Center, which was missing a few Art Deco enamel glass panels from its façade.

Ted Lippincott of Montclair's Historic Preservation Commission tells the team the owner has appeared before the commission with a suggested remedy.

"He has been back to us 10 times. He wants stucco," Lippin cott said.

"No. No. No. No," the design team said in a loud chorus.

The NY Times has a great piece in the sports section about hiking the Batona Trail down in the Pinelands. While it is no AT, the flat trail sounds like a great long trip. Here is all you need to know about the author:

I, too, was a broken man. Worst of all, this was an adventure I had devised and persuaded my wife, Jen, to take. Now, it was she who was surging ahead, growing stronger the farther we hiked.

Busy news day.

New AT book

As a fan of the Appalachian Trail, I am always pleased to see a new book on the AT. Jeff Alt's new book on the AT, A walk for sunshine sounds like a nice, reflective piece that captures both the challenge and the joy of hiking the AT. When we worked on the AT in Junior Studio studio a few years back, we started hearing more and more stories from through hikers that made us feel a depth of respect that was uniquely associated with the AT.