Hike #26 - Appalachian Trail: The Pinnacle and the Pulpit; or, "Welcome to the A.T."

Hiking with Impunity on the A.T.The Appalachian Trail - 2,180 miles from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine - is the long distance trail in the Eastern United States. Hiking with Impunity set out to accomplish two things today: complete a ten-mile hike, and set foot on the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). On both counts, our mission was accomplished.

In the coming weeks, Hiking with Impunity will have not only all the details and photos from our hike today, but also a review of the book this hike was based upon - AMC's Best Day Hikes Near Philadelphia, by Susan Charkes. This trail guide published in 2010 by the Appalachian Mountain Club has been used more than a few times by Hiking with Impunity to choose and guide our hike. 

To round out these special features will be the publication of what will hopefully become a new monthly feature - our first interview! Susan Charkes, author of AMC's Best Day Hikes Near Philadelphia, has kindly agreed to answer our questions about her book - how she selected the hikes to recommend; her creative inspirations; and, why her favorite hike is "the one [she's] on."  

Pulpit RockAs always, we thank you for reading; we thank you for your support; and, we thank you for allowing us to be your hiking resource and community!

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Have a great weekend! Get outside, and hike with impunity!!

Hike #25 - Evansburg State Park; or, "Irene…What Havoc You Have Wreaked!"

Downed Trees as Evansburg State ParkAs with our last hike through Evansburg State Park (see Hike #20), we had to stop our trek about mid-way through. Only this time it appears Mother Nature was to blame, as many trails were either partially or completely obstructed by downed trees, presumably from the area's recent tangle with Hurricane Irene. 

We still had a nice trip, however, and took some great pictures along the way (we did manage to see over 3 miles of trails!!). We'll be bringing you our report on this hike soon. In the meantime, we leave you with the picture to your left - a web of downed trees, broken branches, and other debris. It's quite a shame.

Beyond the damage down to our parks and trails from the hurricane, it's important to also remember the losses people experienced this past weekend with the hurricane. The American Red Cross has launced a relief effort. Take a moment and visit their website by using this link if you want more information on the relief efforts underway, and what you can do to help.