Yesterday, photographer Bart Smith completed a hike of the entire system. 

Bart Smith completed over 37 million steps this morning, plus nearly 100,000 photographs in his 16-year shooting trek of all the National Scenic Trails (NTS). No other person can boast this astounding photo/hiking feat, covering over 16,500 miles and 34 states. To celebrate, Smith flies immediately to Washington, D.C., where he will join the 40th National Trail System Anniversary festivities.

Amazing.

The act made possible a system of national trails, including National Scenic Trails, National Recreation Trails, and a series of connecting and side trails. Later, National Historic Trails were added to the system.

Most notably, the act formally established and promoted the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail. The Continental Divide Trail was added about 10 years later.

There are some trails established by the act or later added to the system, like the Overmountain Victory Trail, that may never see completion. Mounting budget difficulties and encroaching development are to blame.

But overall, the act was a bold and lasting step to preserve and promote outdoor recreational opportunities and historic areas.

How often do we get a chance to celebrate something the federal government did that was done right? This is one.

Map of National Trails System

As a cyclist who rides in a city that essentially has no bike lanes, it’s fascinating to see what Portland, OR, has done in establishing a 300-mile bike network. I wonder what kind of cultural changes we could experience in Knoxville if we had a similar commitment from community leaders?

As Brian does, I wish our area would follow Portland’s lead. Sadly, I don’t that expect to happen soon.

It’s true there are many bike paths here, when just 10 years ago there were almost none. But bike paths aren’t practical for bicyclists who wish to go fast or go cross town.

Lately I’ve been studying maps and driving new routes home from my office to scout a possible way for me to ride my bike to work. By car, the route I normally take is just over 20 miles one way, a very doable distance if I went instead by bike. But the route would not be safe on a bike. It includes four-lane roads and narrow two-lane roads without so much as a shoulder.

And that’s typical for East Tennessee. The roads are either busy, narrow, twisty, hilly, or more commonly, all of the above.

Still, I’m intent on trying to find a ridable route, even if East Tennessee never becomes another Portland.

Apparently it was released a week or two ago, but I just came across a new Google Maps feature: walking directions.

It works like Google’s driving directions, except it maps out a more direct route using as many two-lane roads as possible.

Walking on roads isn’t my idea of a good hike, but the mapping feature is an interesting idea. It might have some good cycling applications, too, though I think Bikely.com is better suited for that kind of mapping.

Interestingly, as I investigated more about this feature I came across an article at PopSci.com, which said some people are expressing privacy concerns about it. But reading on, I discovered the writer is somehow mixing the StreetView feature with the walking directions feature.

It seems any new Google Maps add-on causes a slight stir with Internet users who are concerned about privacy. The Street View feature, which lets you see a 360-degree photo of the location you intend to visit and then view a succession of images as you travel the virtual route online, is well within legal limits, says privacy expert Mike Spinney from the Ponemon Institute, a think tank that studies privacy issues.

That confusion aside, I doubt there’s any legal grounds for this. I’m by no means a lawyer, but I know you can’t have the same assumption of privacy on your street curb that you have in your home.

A bigger concern should be a concern for Google’s lack of reasonable expectations for walkers and hikers.

I mapped a walking trip from my hometown to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where my younger son will start college in a couple weeks.

Walking directions to Ann Arbor, MI
543 mi – about 7 days 11 hours

Sure, that comes with a disclaimer.

Walking directions are in beta.
Use caution when walking in unfamiliar areas.

That doesn’t come close to warning you that hiking at this pace will kill you! Do the math. To walk 543 miles in 7 1/2 days you’d average just over 3 miles an hour — without stopping to rest, sleep, or eat.

I guess that qualifies for “unfamiliar areas.”

No, that's not me. That's Tor Johnson in Plan 9 from Outer Space. But I have sometimes felt like the walking undead.

It’s been several months since I’ve written anything here. That’s mostly because I’ve been too busy at work and too busy with a substantial remodeling project at home.

But now I’m getting the blogging urge again.

Stay tuned.

The Trackstick II is the perfect fit for personal GPS tracking. Bring it on vacation to keep a satellite scrapbook of all your travels and record your explorations. You can carry it along on all your regular outings from home to get a better sense of your daily surroundings through Google™ Earth’s cohesive 3D maps of your community.

To be sure, it would take more than three of these to weigh what my Garmin GPSMap 60C weighs.

But it won’t be much good if you get lost.

Oh, wait a minute. Aren’t I always complaining about people relying too much on technology to keep them safe?

Tip: LightBackpacking.com

UPDATE: I received a spam email today (3/19/08) announcing: “Super Trackstick GPS is now available!” The announcement reminds: “The Super Trackstick is a great stocking stuffer for the GPS enthusiast in your family.”

Um, okay. Would that be an Easter stocking?

Yesterday, a comment was posted there that surprised me. I don’t have any way to confirm it was really posted by the great granddaughter of Horace Kephart, but reading the pride and passion of her words tells me it must be her.

I thought I’d share her comments here.

Horace Kephart was my Great-Grandfather. Several years ago my younger sister and I hiked up Sweat Heifer Trail to Mt. Kephart….camped at Ice Water Springs. We have spent many days out on the trails over the years. One interesting hike was going to the campsites my great-grandfather spent time writing, living with the locals, etc. Many summers of our youth were spent in the Smokies….time spent learning about our Great-Grandfather through the eyes and words of his son, our Grandfather…George Kephart. My grandfather was immensely proud of all that his father accomplished. He was equally proud of all his mother accomplished. My legacy…immensely gifted and focused people who truly know what their “journey” in life was meant to be.

I am in my early 50’s now….the Smoky mountains continue to be a source of peace, contentment and a place where I truly feel at home (even though I do not live there!). When I visit, hike, walk the streets of Bryson City, I experience a sense of peace that I know only exists there.

For all of you who hike Mt. Kephart, think of the good works this most remarkable man accomplished. If only more of us had his vision, his determination, his quest for knowledte, his joy in writing….Enjoy your hike!

Robert Redford finally confirmed rumors that have been circling for a couple of years.

From the AP:

Redford told The Associated Press that his next film project is an adaptation of the best-selling 1998 Bill Bryson book about hiking the Appalachian Trail. He will produce the film and star as Bryson, and Barry Levinson is expected to direct it.

Part of rumor has been that Redford would reunite for this film with Paul Newman, but there’s no mention of Newman in the AP’s article.

Worth noting: Bryson was 46 when A Walk in the Woods was published. Redford is now 71.

The young lady recently murdered while hiking the southern tip of the Appalachian Trail might be alive today if she had tucked a pistol into her backpack or fanny pack.

I hope I’m not the only one who thinks you don’t have to pack heat to protect yourself.

UPDATE: In the interest of giving credit where credit is due, the link above was changed. I didn’t realize until later that the post at CanYouSpeakThis was reproduced from another site.