Bed Bugs!!
Avoid Budget Inn in Luray VA. They have BED
BUGS!

Last weekend I drove to Luray VA to resupply and shuttle around Stylin and a
friend. They are section hiking and taking a nearo. We decided to staying at
Budget Inn on W Main St. 1st half the lights, A/C and refrigerator didn't work.
2nd we killed a few roaches and 3rd when we woke up there are was bed bug on the
bed with us. Yes if did feed on one of us, not sure who but it was full of
blood. I was lucky to see it, that way I knew to quarantine everything and try
to prevent infesting my home. When we informed and showed (dead and crushed) the
manager, he merely stated that they use to have a problem with them but not
anymore, like the dead bed bug wasn't enough proof.
So stay away from that place, yes it's cheap but paying to have your whole
house treated will more than offset the savings, not to mention the bites.
Bed bugs can survive months without food.

I will be meeting with Public Health folks about the intestinal outbreak hitting Waynesboro and SNP among the thru hikers early next week - seems the park is very nervous about it, and with good reason with the amount of people they get hiking, visiting (and the upcoming Memorial Day holiday). Will let you know if I find out anything else. If anyone here knows someone who had it or had it themselves please email me (don't post here). This is the NEW outbreak not the Erwin one. Thanks

"Blissful"
Ridgerunner, SNP

Sorry if this has been posted already - here's an update on the Max Patch vandalism story:

http://www.citizen-times.com/article...-bald-restored

Heads up - just got an e-mail from my trail bosses (I'm the ridgerunner in Shenandoah this year) - some hikers sick in SNP right now. They are saying a water source at Calf Mtn shelter but I feel it unlikely as it takes 1-2 weeks for symptoms of giardia to show. Not sure yet what it is. I did meet a hiker that had giardia from a source farther south (he was confirmed).

Weather permitting, a prescribed burn is planned for Michaux State Forest on April 24, west of route 233, north of Michaux Road and south of Old Shippensburg Road (trail south of Pine Grove Furnace State Park). It will be rough]ly one quarter mile east of the Trail and should only last the day. Signs will be posted to alert hikers.

An announcement from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and maps are attached below.

Laurie Potteiger
Appalachian Trail Conservancy

Attached Images

• Pine Grove Furnace State Park Prescribed Burn.jpg (118.9 KB)

Attached Files

• announcement.pdf (414.8 KB)

The U.S. Forest Service just called ATC to alert us and ask us to post information that they will be conducting a prescribed burn on the A.T. between Big Horse Gap/USFS 103 north to Sugar Run Gap Road/Va. 663 (12.5 to 10.9 miles south of Pearisburg, VA). The burn will occur Tuesday and Wednesday, April 23 & 24. The Forest Service will provide shuttles around the burn.

Laurie Potteiger
Appalachian Trail Conservancy

I did some day hiking around Mt LeConte in the Smokys this weekend and I met several thru hikers who went the wrong way at The Jump Off and Charlies Bunion fork about 2 miles northeast of Newfound Gap. It seems people were all going left, which goes up to Mount LeConte instead of going right toward Icewater Shelter. I thought the sign was pretty clearly marked but for anyone who is still NoBo about to hit the Smokys, be warned not to go up to LeConte because it is 4.6 miles out of your way and is straight up ~2000 ft. I didn't see anyone with a trail map or guide book either, so BE WARNED! Everyone I talked to was less than happy about having to go back 5 miles the other way. Note to self: when you do the AT buy the $13 guide book! :D

It burned down a month ago... Don't send your mail drops there, or expect them to answer the phone!

Hi guys,

Planning a weekend trip to Roan Highlands area, just wondering if anyone has any beta on the water situation around those parts. We plan in going north from Carvers Gap.

quick update on sw VA trail...

Left Atkins last Friday, and I just got into Pearisburg, VA yesterday. Giving a big recommendation for Woods Hole hostel just south of here, I stayed there Monday nite, really a great place to stay, good people, good food. I arrived just as they were finishing dinner, and they still made me welcome and put out dinner for me. It's an amazing place, hard to leave there.

I'm sure the trail crews up here haven't been able to get out much yet cuz of the weather but there's a lot of blowdowns on the trail between Atkins and Pearisburg, especially in vicinity of Woods Hole north of that hiway with Trent's Grocery. All the creeks are running high, the snow was all gone by yesterday.

I've hiked with 5 different nobo thru hikers who left Springer in early to mid February.... they each have some pretty amazing stories of their experiences so far. I dont' think any of them are on Trail Journals. The winter weather has been tough on all of them, as anyone here knows. Very few hikers on the trail here yet, except this weekend when weather warmed up there were many weekend hikers, Chestnut Knob was pretty busy Saturday.

They were asking me at Trent's Grocery store "where are all the hikers this year?"... I told 'em to be patient, the wave is coming soon! They stock Aqua Mira and a few other hiker items there, and have great pizza and cheeseburgers.

geez it's already mid 80s here, winter to summer overnite. Love the Dairy Queen in Pearisburg!

headed for Daleville tomorrow, have fun folks!

Shenandoah National Park Fire Managers began a prescribed burn of 500 acres in the park’s south district today. The burn area is located west of Jarman Gap and northeast of Waynesboro, Virginia. Smoke from the burn will be visible from both inside and outside the park. During the burn, the Gasline Road Trail will be closed to the public.

The park just announced on their Facebook page, "Had to close southern portion of Skyline Drive. If you're coming from the south, enter at Rt.33." Shenandoah National Park's Facebook page has a map of the planned burn area.

More information is also available at www.nps.gov/shen/parknews/jarman-gap-prescribed-burn.htm.

Laurie Potteiger
Appalachian Trail Conservancy

ATC’s southern regional office just got a call from the Cherokee National Forest this morning. They are doing a prescribed burn today from Fox Cabin Gap to Jerry's Cabin Shelter starting today (and today only) at 11:00 am. They will be shuttling hikers from Camp Creek Bald around to Horse Creek or Nolichucky Hostel in Erwin.

Laurie Potteiger
Appalachian Trail Conservancy

The U.S. Forest Service issued the following alert at 3:26 pm this afternoon:

Stomach Virus Hits Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs, N.C.

HOT SPRINGS, N.C. -- Hikers may want to avoid sections of the Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs, N.C., especially the stretch running north to the Tennessee border. A number of hikers have been sickened by a severe, 24-hour stomach virus that is being passed between hikers. Shelters to avoid include No Business Knob, Big Bald and Hogback Ridge. A section of the Appalachian Trail runs through the Appalachian Ranger District, Pisgah National Forest, to the north and south of Hot Springs.

Laurie Potteiger
Appalachian Trail Conservancy

SEVERE norovirus outbreak on the trail between Hot Springs and Erwin. Shelters and privies reported contaminated by sick hikers. Avoid the area or at least the shelter / public areas. I'm just passing along this information from other Whiteblaze Members. ChinMusic, who is currently on the trail, is also reporting this outbreak.

Strong creek currents leads to water rescue.

SODDY DAISY, TN (WRCB) -- Local law enforcement was dispatched to a water rescue after a strong current tied up a group of hikers.

Officials from Hamilton County Sheriff's department, Hamilton County Water Rescue and the Hamilton County Fire Department were dispatched to the rescue.

Rescuers on the scene say the hikers crossed a strong current near the North Chickamauga Creek gorge and on the return trip were afraid to get their electronics wet.

Hamilton County Sheriff's deputies say that was not the case and the hikers called the sheriff's department when they were afraid to cross a particularly strong current.

No injuries were reported.

http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/21902624...lectronics-wet