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Md. Appalachian Trail shelters shut after hiker’s death
After an Appalachian Trail hiker was killed last weekend by a falling tree, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday it would temporarily close eight overnight shelters and campgrounds on Maryland’s section of the trail for tree inspection and maintenance.
Camping trip provides much-needed escape
I took off Friday and headed to a small town called Shade Gap in Pennsylvania. My family owns property just outside of Shade Gap and, every spring and fall, a group heads up for a camping trip. If the town is remote (population 97), the property on which we camp is even more so. It […]
Maryland archivist ready to explore renaming Negro Mountain
CUMBERLAND — The Maryland state archivist says he’s ready to delve into the history of Negro Mountain. The Cumberland Times-News reported Thursday that Edward Papenfuse says he’s awaiting word from legislative leaders about the scope of a proposed work group that would study geographic landmark naming proposals. House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Mike […]
Town of Hot Springs home base for Appalachian Trail hikers in N.C.
HOT SPRINGS, N.C. — Slack packers — it’s a nickname that is not affectionately bestowed, but it’s one an old friend and I now proudly wear after a long weekend hiking on the Appalachian Trail in western North Carolina. The 22 miles we covered over 2½ days near Asheville hardly seemed scoff-worthy. With long strenuous […]
Hike the Hollywood Hills, see the stars in sweats
LOS ANGELES — You can see the stars all dressed up on the red carpet at the Oscars. But if you want to see them in their sweats, head to the Hollywood Hills, from Runyon Canyon to the west, to Bronson Canyon in Griffith Park, with its 53 miles of paths, to the east. Jennifer […]
Colorado National Monument offers ‘pocket-size Grand Canyon’
COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT, Colo. — Just off Interstate 70 in western Colorado is a 32-square-mile collection of towering red-stone monoliths, deep canyons and a road that cuts through nearly 2 billion years of geology. Colorado National Monument might not get the attention of its better-known neighbors in Utah’s canyon lands. But it’s increasingly popular with […]
Baltimore County park to reopen with aid of $6M facelift
When the Robert E. Lee Park just north of the Baltimore City line reopens next September, it will have a new owner, a new mission and, after a $6 million renovation, new amenities. Officially inaugurated last October, the Robert E. Lee Nature Council is now in the midst of deciding with Baltimore County how that […]
Hiking Grand Canyon: Views you can’t get from rim
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. — About 4.5 million people visit this natural wonder every year, with relatively few venturing too far below the rim — where the trails along the cliffs offer constantly changing 3-D views that quite simply are otherworldly. Even a short trek makes it clear why. Temperatures in the inner canyon, […]
