Appalachian Trail

Luke Badley was 6 years old riding along with his family when he noticed the long fenced bridge spanning across I-70 and asked his dad what it was. It was the Appalachian Trail overpass that hikers use to cross the busy highway. Badley's father told him about the roughly 2,200-mile trail from Georgia to Maine and how some people known as thru-hikers attempt to hike it end-to-end. It was then that Badley, now 23, of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., decided that one day, he would do that. “I was like, oh, Georgia to Maine.

Alan Downs completed the 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine on Aug. 14. He started his adventure April 1 in Georgia. Four times he did a 50-mile day, starting his hikes at 3:30 in the morning and finishing after dark. He completed every challenge; crossing Virginia in under 30 days (it took him 25), the four-state challenge (walking from Virginia, through West Virginia through Maryland and into Pennsylvania in one day), and the half-gallon challenge (ice cream)

David Startzell's legacy as executive director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy for 25 years was buying thousands of acres to protect the national scenic hiking trail, and get it off public roads and private property. “He brought us down from 200 miles (of public roads and private property) to six miles,” said Robert Almand, chairman of the ATC's 15-member board of directors. In the same breath, Almand cited the experience and skills of Mark Wenger of Williamsburg, Va., Startzell's successor.

A person who was reported missing on the Appalachian Trail at about 9:30 p.m. Thursday was found uninjured following a brief search, Franklin County (Pa.) Emergency Services said. The Blue Ridge Fire Department was called at 9:34 p.m. to help search for a missing person on the Appalachian Trail between Washington County, Md., and Old Route 16 Street near Blue Ridge Summit, Pa., according to an emergency services news release. Rescue workers were able to communicate with the man through a cellphone and were still trying to reach him at 11 p.m., a Washington County 911 spokeswoman said.

A dispute over whether the JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon will be allowed to continue using the Appalachian Trail and double the number of runners from 1,000 to 2,000 is escalating. After years of quiet battle, "it's time for the gloves to come off," JFK 50 Co-Director Tom Shantz said, referring to plans to pressure Appalachian National Scenic Trail Superintendent Pamela Underhill, who stands in the way. For this year's race, Shantz asked for permission to have 1,500 runners in the popular race through Washington County and was denied.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) will host Junior Ranger Day, an event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 21, at the Visitor Center at 799 Washington Street in Harpers Ferry. The event is designed to get families outside and active while learning about the A.T. near Harpers Ferry. Participants will visit the ATC's Visitor Center to pick up an Adventure Guide packet, a guide developed by the National Park Service and the ATC, to complete while hiking the Trail. Hikers will learn about the history of the A.T., trail maintenance, hike planning and the ATC's role in managing the trail.

This year's 50th running of the JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon will still include a 13-mile section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and organizers will look at ways to expand the field of entrants in future years while maintaining a limit of 1,000 runners on that portion of the course. The Cumberland Valley Athletic Club, which organizes the race, and the National Park Service reached an agreement in early February to allow continued use of the trail on Nov. 17 and in subsequent races, JFK Co-Director Mike Spinnler said Monday.

After volunteering their time at Tabitha's Table, handing out food and hygiene products to those in need, Scott and Angela Griffin wanted to do more. The Smithsburg couple decided to raise money for the organization by hiking 42 miles from Pen Mar Park in Cascade to Harpers Ferry, W.Va., along the Appalachian Trail. They begin their hike Saturday at 8 a.m., plan to sleep at Washington Monument State Park, and plan to end the hike Sunday at 4 p.m. To represent the cause, they are packing only half the normal amount of food.

A movie that loosely references true crime on the Appalachian Trail will debut Saturday at the Capitol Theatre in Chambersburg. “It's definitely not a slasher movie, but it does revolve around murder and crime,” said Libby McDermott, the movie's director. “Dead Woman's Hollow” will play on the South Main Street theater's screen Saturday at 8 p.m. The story written by Indiana resident John Taylor follows an investigation into the murder of two girls who were hiking. “It's cool to have a film that was shot in Franklin County play in Franklin County,” said Matt Stahley, director of photography.

Editor's note: There are a lot of people you see around town that you recognize, but don't know anything about. People like ... Lou Murray Age: 62 Occupation: Shift manager at Quiznos at North Village Shopping Center on Longmeadow Road. Hometown: Hammond, La. Now lives in Washington County. Where would you see Murray? When she's not hiking the Appalachian Trail, Murray either is at work, or enjoying one of her creative pursuits - making music, painting or writing.

Luke Badley was 6 years old riding along with his family when he noticed the long fenced bridge spanning across I-70 and asked his dad what it was. It was the Appalachian Trail overpass that hikers use to cross the busy highway. Badley's father told him about the roughly 2,200-mile trail from Georgia to Maine and how some people known as thru-hikers attempt to hike it end-to-end. It was then that Badley, now 23, of Berkeley Springs, W.Va., decided that one day, he would do that. “I was like, oh, Georgia to Maine.

Howard Kenneth Daniels, 97, went to be with the Lord on Friday, May 10, 2013. Born May 4, 1916, in Shenandoah Junction, W.Va., he was the son of the late John Hendricks Daniels and Lula Mae McKee Daniels. Ken was a graduate of Shepherdstown High School, and attended Strayer College, Benjamin Franklin Business College and George Washington University. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II in Okinawa and the Philippines. He retired from the Department of Defense in 1973.

Mark Twain noticed that a cat that sits on a hot stove once will never sit on it again. But, he said, it won't sit on a cold stove, either. Politics is different, because in politics we discover the opposite extreme is true. Having sat on a hot stove once, a politician will sit on a hot stove again, even if he has to rebuild the fire himself. It's fascinating that Anthony Weiner and Mark Sanford just couldn't stay away. No stove was too hot, no embarrassment too embarrassing to convince them that perhaps they just aren't suited for public life as a representative of the people.

South Mountain Recreation Area rangers and Potomac Appalachian Trail Club members invite trail lovers to join them in taking care of Maryland's section of the Appalachian Trail on Saturday, June 1, in celebration of National Trails Day. Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. at Washington Monument State Park, 6620 Zittlestown Road in Middletown, Md. There is no age limit for participants, but youths should be supervised by a parent or guardian....

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, in partnership with Warrior Hike, Operation Military Embrace, the Military Family Lifestyle Charitable Foundation, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association, launched an initiative called the “Walk Off the War” program. The program will provide 13 military veterans the opportunity to reconnect with the United States through a fully funded scholarship to hike the Appalachian Trail. The objective of the program is to provide veterans a self-directed, self-paced journey along the trail to help them return to civilian society with the greatest opportunity for success in their personal and professional lives.

Howard and Miriam Buhrman celebrated 70 years of marriage with their family at the Parlor House in Waynesboro, Pa. The Buhrmans were married on Valentine's Day, 1943, at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Wolfsville, Md. Howard Buhrman served in World War II as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He worked as an engineer at Pangborn in Hagerstown until his retirement in 1980. At the age of 65, he hiked the entire Appalachian Trail over six months. Miriam Leatherman Buhrman was a secretary for Morgan Keller Inc., until her retirement in 1983.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will host a cake baking contest in honor of its 88th birthday from noon to  5 p.m. Saturday March 2, at the ATC Visitor Center in Harpers Ferry. This event is free and open to the public. The contest will be judged in three categories: best Appalachian Trail design; best tasting; and most creative cake. The entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges and the most creative cake will be judged by the public. Prizes will be awarded. Cakes will be on display from noon to 1 p.m. and will be served to the public from 1 to 5 p.m. Judging will begin at 1 p.m., and the winners of the contest will be announced at 2 p.m. To enter a cake for this contest, email Claire Hobbs at chobbs@appalachiantrail.org by Thursday, Feb. 28, with your name, type of cake and cake dimensions, and any relevant information such as possible allergens.

A woman who became lost Thursday afternoon on a trail off Crystal Falls Drive ended up at a park ranger's house Thursday night along Wolfsville Road near the Frederick County line, according to a Washington County 911 supervisor. The woman was hiking on a trail off the Appalachian Trail and lost her bearings, the supervisor said. The ordeal started at 5:41 p.m. and the woman showed up at the ranger's house at about 8:45 p.m., the supervisor said. The woman appeared to be OK, the supervisor said.

Dave Fox was basking Sunday in the success of being able to complete his 20th JFK 50 Mile ultramarathon on Saturday, putting him in the ranks of the event's 1,000-mile club. And although Fox said before the race that this would probably be his last annual running of the event, he was rethinking his plans Sunday, saying there are many things he would miss about not being in it every year. First-time JFK runner Mary Ellis, 63, of Keedysville, slipped on some wet leaves on a rock on the Appalachian trail and hurt her left knee when she fell.

When Kathleen Luzier first went to the Appalachian Trail to prepare for the JFK 50 Mile, she didn't like it. The rocky and difficult terrain spooked her. Luzier, 44, who was the first Washington County resident to cross the finish line of the ultramarathon in 2011, has grown to like the trail. These days, she talks about its beauty. “You are in peace, even with 1,000 runners,” Luzier said. “It's maybe the closest to God you can be on this Earth.” The Boonsboro mother of three will be back on the trail Saturday hoping to improve on last year's performance, when she finished her first attempt at the race in just less than 9 hours.