INTRODUCING the Eleventh Edition of
CIRCUIT HIKES IN VIRGNIA, WEST VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, AND PENNSYLVANIA
At the request of the publications chair, Larry Broadwell and William Needham, writers of the eleventh edition of Circuit Hikes in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, have provided a description of this latest of their team efforts. Larry and William have now worked together on a half-dozen editions of different guides, in every case with PATC’s longtime cartographer Dave Pierce. Both recalled their experience with other publications, such as the Civil War guidebook, and their work as volunteer trail maintainers as elements that helped them establish a routine for their latest work. "Yet every entry in every guide is different," one said. "It's like exploring a new trail. There's something new around every bend and over every hill."
As Larry and William note, only an exceptional publication will come out in more than ten editions. For this reason among others, the newly released guide is a milestone in a record that dates back decades. It is also a testament to the hiking community's drive to explore the region's wildlands with longer and more challenging hikes. Asked why they want the latest edition, some buyers have said that they simply wore out their copy of the previous edition. Others say that they have practiced their skills and gained endurance by doing many of the shorter hikes in PATC's books in the "Hikes in the Washington Region" series, and they feel ready for greater challenges. Others want them as inexpensive gifts to coworkers, up-and-coming young hikers, and friends. Still others are aware of reroutes, changes in landmarks, and new connections between trails, and they want the most recent and accurate information to plan their outings.
PATC's publication team has worked long and hard to ensure that the eleventh edition lives up to the club's reputation as the go-to authority on regional trails. As Larry and William describe the process, it begins with Interviews with park staff, on-line research, and discussions with PATC's own trail construction and maintenance crews are just the beginning of their process. Once they select their route, the writers walk it, or several variations of it, with GPS, measuring wheel, camera, and notebook. They identify landmarks to be pointed out in the text, with accurate distances between points along the route. Notes and park maps are passed along to the team’s map maker, Dave Pierce, who accesses an immense store of on-line aerial and satellite photos to be sure of the map for each entry. Using his decades of experience with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, he produces maps that are both full of useful information and uncluttered.
Among the changes in the eleventh edition of this guide are updates to several hikes including those to Sugarloaf Mountain and Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area. Just as the tenth edition was the first PATC guidebook to have colored photographs throughout, the eleventh edition has added colored maps throughout. The guide is 128 pages, covering 25 hikes each with its own topographic map, and 28 photographs.
The prices for the new edition are unchanged from the prior one: retail price is $16.00 plus shipping and handling; member discounted price is $12.80 plus shipping and handling. Copies may be ordered online from www.patc.net/shop.
Writers: Larry Broadwell and William Needham with Emeline Otey
INTRODUCING the Sixteenth Edition of APPALACHIAN TRAIL GUIDE TO
SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK WITH SIDE TRAILS
This hiking guide is one of PATC’s most important trail guides that is necessary reading for long-distant hikers trekking through SNP and equally informative for hikers out for a day on an interesting or challenging trail. In addition to turn-by-turn descriptions of the trails, the book also contains extensive information about the flora, fauna, and geology of the area as well as trail safety and health information.
John Hedrick, the editor, has drawn upon his extensive knowledge and experience to update this hiking guide to the Appalachian Trail as it traverses the 105 miles of Shenandoah National Park. John plays a number of volunteer roles in PATC, among them is District Manager of the blue-blazed side trails in the Central section of the SNP, which gives him an in-depth knowledge base of the area.
The sixteenth edition features a new cover and introduction from the new superintendent of SNP, J. Tracy Stakely, with his vision for the park. The cover is a photo of the large geologic formation of columnar basalt found on the south side trail off Compton Peak. This same type of formation is found in other places in the park but this is by far the most stunning example. Compton Peak is located on the AT between the parking areas for Compton Gap and Jenkins Gap.
There have been a few notable changes to trails within the park since the prior edition. Some of the ones that have occurred include the elimination of the connector trail between Whiteoak Canyon Trail and Cedar Run, a few minor changes to Jeremys Run and Riprap Trails, changes associated with the Old Rag parking area and trail access, and updates on boundary closures. Numerous administrative changes in how to obtain permits for backcountry camping and backcountry regulations have been put in place. Finally, additional cabins located in and around SNP, with brief descriptions, are now listed. The guide is 336 pages, which includes 35 photographs, elevation profile diagrams for each of the nine sections of the AT in the park, and overview maps for each of the three park districts (north, central, and south) for the AT and the 146 side trails.
The price for the new edition is unchanged from the prior one: retail price is $18 plus shipping and handling; member discount price is $14.40 plus shipping and handling.
Emeline Otey
