View Full Version : 2 months later, downed power line still closes part of the Appalachian Trail - GoDanR
WhiteBlaze
04-11-2021, 17:20
<a href="https://godanriver.com/news/state-and-regional/2-months-later-downed-power-line-still-closes-part-of-the-appalachian-trail/article_5b9b6ce3-4670-5c86-a7d7-267a3bb87f1d.html" target="_blank">2 months later, downed power line still closes part of the Appalachian Trail</a> <font color="#6f6f6f">GoDanRiver.com</font>
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I'm hiking that section next week. Guthook comments is saying that it's still closed.
Slo-go'en
04-12-2021, 09:15
Answer these questions before you can read further. Sorry, I don't think so.
Answer these questions before you can read further. Sorry, I don't think so.
Here you go...
Repairs continue on a power line that went down during a February ice storm on Peters Mountain, closing a portion of the Appalachian Trail.
Appalachian Power Co. expects to have the work completed by April 9, unless there’s more bad weather, utility spokesman George Porter said last week.
One structure carrying the high-voltage line had to be replaced following the Feb. 14 storm, and several others were damaged. The line crosses an isolated stretch of the mountain on the Giles County-West Virginia line.
Rugged and steep terrain in the area slowed the repairs.
Appalachian was able to reroute the electricity carried by the line, so no customers are currently affected.
A 15-mile stretch of the nearby Appalachian Trail — from where it crosses Clendenin Road near Pearisburg to the Pine Swamp Branch Shelter to the north — was shut down for safety reasons.
Pippa Chapman, who operates the Angels Rest Hiker’s Haven in Pearisburg, said the closure of a portion of the 2,000-plus mile trail has not affected many through-hikers, who are still south of Virginia on their trek from Georgia to Maine.
The hostel has been helping to shuttle hikers on a 22-mile road trip around the closed trail, Chapman said.
Traveler
04-12-2021, 10:10
Of note in the article is the fact the power company was able to reroute power to areas impacted by the transmission tower collapse. Makes me wonder why the transmission line was needed in the first place :-?.
There is no mention in the article if there has been a redesigned or re-engineered transmission of the tower being used to replace the one that collapsed in an ice storm. That failure somehow managed to close some 15-miles of AT, which seems a bit excessive for "safety reasons". Following the failure of a tower under conditions that should have been considered in design/construction, engineers may be now concerned the collapsed tower and perhaps balance of the remaining towers are not structurally up to the loads required.
If not, it could mean there is a logic that can exist due to the bottomless pit of rate payer increases to mask poor design/construction/maintenance repair or replacement issues, that logic being, "If the first transmission tower failed in an ice storm, the second one will not". Since most power utilities are able to increase rates for repairs of this nature, there is little incentive for utilities to do a better job of it.
Hopefully the delay in re-opening 15-miles of AT is due to responsible re-design of a new tower with higher load tolerances and refitting other towers with structural elements that increase load tolerances for the transmission corridor. It would be good to avoid the recent experiences in CT where local governments worked closely with power utilities over several years and cost serious money to come up with storm preparation planning and post event reaction planning guidelines and protocols. This all sounded great until there was a storm with significant damage and the power utilities never bothered to take the plans off the shelf, instead preferring to use good 'ol seat-of-the-pants response thither and yon, expecting rate payers to cough up money for their lack of interest.
Of note in the article is the fact the power company was able to reroute power to areas impacted by the transmission tower collapse. Makes me wonder why the transmission line was needed in the first place :-?.
When the bridge - any bridge - is out, you can drive around it. Doesn't mean the bridge wasn't in the right place, or that the detour is a cost-effective permanent solution.
I've been following some hikers on YouTube (because I still have a job and can't hike my own hike yet). Some have elected to hike through the closed area, result - apparently there are now LEOs posted at the trailhead. One young lady has also chosen to camp at prohibited places, like McAfee knob, and now that I think of it, has camped illegally on private lands on other trails she's vlogged on YouTube. A lot of hikers seem to have a habit of thinking the rules don't apply to them, or they're not part of the problem.
At least Hawk has gone around, and will come back to finish that part later.
Of note in the article is the fact the power company was able to reroute power to areas impacted by the transmission tower collapse. Makes me wonder why the transmission line was needed in the first place :-?.
When the bridge - any bridge - is out, you can drive around it. Doesn't mean the bridge wasn't in the right place, or that the detour is a cost-effective permanent solution.
Plus, it was only having more than one routing that allows them to provide power now. Could have been the opposite, where this line worked and was used to replace another that didn't.
Slo-go'en
04-12-2021, 14:55
The 15 mile detour is likely due to the fact it's the closest place the trail crosses roads. I'm too lazy to look at a map...
Those towers may not have been designed for ice storms. Historically the area likely gets few ice storms and none of any significance. Until now. Or it could be the tower was old and tired.
I use about $20 worth of electricity a month but they charge me $40 to get it to my house.
I use about $20 worth of electricity a month but they charge me $40 to get it to my house.
One of the many unappreciated privileges of rural living!
Yes, it was a between-roads section.
gpburdelljr
04-12-2021, 16:14
The article said repairs were expected to be complete by April 9th. Any updates?
I take it not may of you have worked around helicopters there is a logical safety concern when poeople hike through working areas, The NPS and Forstry service is correct its also a insurance liability...SO its sucks to go around but is whats supposed to happen...
I use about $20 worth of electricity a month but they charge me $40 to get it to my house.
Would you pay the $20 if they didn’t bring it to you house? If not, then it ain’t $20 of electricity.
AsoloBootsSuk
04-13-2021, 08:47
Would you pay the $20 if they didn’t bring it to you house? If not, then it ain’t $20 of electricity.
This place is awesome, people here will argue about anything, lol. It's black! No it's not, black isn't a color, black is the absence of light....
HooKooDooKu
04-13-2021, 10:00
The 15 mile detour is likely due to the fact it's the closest place the trail crosses roads. I'm too lazy to look at a map...
Looking at Google Earth, I can't tell exactly where the trouble is based on the data in the article beyond it's "near Pearisburg".
But looking both north and south of Pearisburg, the AT generally follows a mountain ridge with no roads crossing the mountain.
So yeah, sounds like they simply close the AT between the nearest road crossings either side of the damage.
This place is awesome, people here will argue about anything, lol. It's black! No it's not, black isn't a color, black is the absence of light....
Didn’t mean to be snarky or argumentative, but does look that way now. Just my finance background kicking...the one I kinda need to hike away from for a bit. Thanks.
The 15 mile detour is likely due to the fact it's the closest place the trail crosses roads. I'm too lazy to look at a map...
Those towers may not have been designed for ice storms. Historically the area likely gets few ice storms and none of any significance. Until now. Or it could be the tower was old and tired.
I use about $20 worth of electricity a month but they charge me $40 to get it to my house.
1/2 of all electricity generated in the US does not make it to a meter - for rural areas even more - if you think the price is too high go without
gpburdelljr
04-17-2021, 09:25
1/2 of all electricity generated in the US does not make it to a meter - for rural areas even more - if you think the price is too high go without
Not quite right. The process of converting the energy in coal/natural gas/uranium/wind/etc. to electricity is fairly inefficient, but once the electricity is generated only 5 percent is lost in transmission and distribution.
RadioFreq
04-23-2021, 19:31
It's open.
https://appalachiantrail.org/news/at-reopens-on-peters-mountain-va-4-22-21/?sm_guid=NDAxMjE0fDM0MDE0NzYwfC0xfHJhZGlvZnJlcTEyM 0BnbWFpbC5jb218MzUwMDU1Mnx8MHwwfDg0NTM5NjI2fDkzOHw wfDB8fDM4NDc0Ng2
Slo-go'en
04-23-2021, 19:55
Not quite right. The process of converting the energy in coal/natural gas/uranium/wind/etc. to electricity is fairly inefficient, but once the electricity is generated only 5 percent is lost in transmission and distribution.
The thing is, there are 4 hydroelectric plants, a biomass plant, and a bunch of windmills within 20 miles of me and a whole bunch of solar panels in town. It doesn't have to go far to get to me. I'm paying to help upgrade the county net so our surplus electricity can be exported. I'm not really complaining, just stating a fact. It costs more for me to get it from down the street then the actual electricity.