Back during the Memorial Day holiday, I had a chance to run up to Pisgah National Forest for a few days. The waterfall below is known as Courthouse Falls, which is located just below Devil’s Courthouse, a popular attraction along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The walk to the falls in quite easy, and can be accessed by using the Summey Cove trail located off Forest Service Rd 140 which intersects NC HWY 215. TheNational Geographic Trails Illustrated Map of Pisgah Ranger District lists it as trail number 130 at 0.3 miles one way, and is found on grid G,2. The waterfall is about 30′ high and cascades into a very deep pool.

In a recent article released by OutdoorNewsWire.com
Protrails.com has added over 100 maps to their free database.

ProTrails.com provides GPS-driven information on wilderness areas, trailheads and trails across the country, as well as highly detailed trail descriptions. The decriptions include info on local flora and fauna, elevation change, difficulty, and much more. They’re a great resource well worth checking out.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of the 2,175-mile Appalachian National Scenic Trail, will be holding their 36th Biennial Conference from July 13-20 at Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah, NJ.

This will be a great event for ATC members and non-members to take part in workshops and learn more about the Conservancy itself. This year’s activities will include hiking excursions, youth programs, and a lot more. You can find complete details and registration information by visiting the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website.

The trail was originally conceived by Benton MacKaye in 1921, and the first section was opened from Bear Mountain through Harriman State Park to Arden, New York, on October 7, 1923. Completion of the trail was achieved in 1937, and features the lush scenery of the Appalachian Mountains as well as thousands of species of plants and animals. Some of these include the American Black Bear and theTimber Rattlesnake.

Here’s a photo I took looking South on the Appalachian Trail towards Roan Mountain in August 2006.

The Pacific Crest Trail Association will be holding their annual Trail Fest March 23rd - 25th, 2007.

Events include Trail Classes, Vendor Fair, and presentations by many PCT thru-hikers including GoLite sponsored Andy Skurka. I’ve included a brief excerpt from the PCTA.org announcement about Andy below.

Andrew Skurka is best known for being the first person to complete the 7,778-mile Sea-to-Sea Route, a transcontinental network of long-distance hiking trails from Quebec to Washington, which he completed over 11 months in July 2005. He has also completed the California section of the Pacific Crest Trail (in 45 days), the Colorado Trail (twice), and the Appalachian Trail, plus a number of shorter trips in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.

If you’re interested in checking out this event you can find out more, and register at PCTA.org. You’ll find all the information you need about the schedule, fees, presentation topics, and accommodations.

The Trail Fest will be held at:

The Mountaineers Building
300 Third Ave West
Seattle, Washington