Evening star., 1936-07-26
BY VESTA CUMMINGS.
IF YOU possess about 500, two
months leisure and sturdy pair


months leisure and a sturdy pair
Of legs, you have everything need
ed for one of the most fascinating
vacations on the North American con-
tinent.
So say the Mitchell brothers, c.
Bradford and Raymond NJ. of MaSsa-
chusetts, have just completed $50 miles
of the Appalachian Trail Club foot
paths, having stepped off from the
southern terminal at Mount Ogle-
thorpe. Ga. on May 6. and arrived at
the southern end of Shenandoah Ma
tional Park June 90.
They have acquired not only super
lative boards. the result of regarding
razors and shaving brushes as super
fluous camping equipment, but memo
ries of the Southern hills and their
people. They have viewed the water
eaten from wild vines the strawberries,
black raspberries and huckleberries of
the mountain springtime.
Temperatures Low.
On Clingman's Dome in the Great
Smokes, the highest point of the trip
they slept in sleeping bags at the low
night temperatures of an altitude OF
6,642 feet.
! Although the scholarly brothers
have been walking II miles daily, car
rying packs, neither has lost weight
and both feel exceedingly fit.
The first mixers to cover the whole
trail as far as the Skyline section in
one outing, they tramped and fingered
in the Blue Ridge Mountains more
than two weeks, stopping at shelter
| houses erected by the Potomac Appa-
lachian Trail Club. local branch of the
organization. The last week they
| lodged at Range View shelter in the
northern section of the park, on the
slope of Sugarloaf Mountain.
The Appalachian Trail is continu.
GUS 2.050-mile foot path following the
Appalachian Mountain ridges from
Maine to Georgia. but the brothers will
proceed home from Washington by au.
tomobile. Tramping the remaining
1900 miles would bring them into
Maine in the Winter.
80 to 40 Pound Loads.
About II miles was the average days
hike, the longest with packs being q
miles. Their loads varied from 80 tc
40 pounds, and contained a one-mar
tent, 6 by Az feet, in which both slept;
an ak, sleeping bags, lightweight sweat
ers and raincoats, tennis shoes to re-
place in the evenings the stout walk
ing boots, underwear, socks and shirts
frying pan, two small kettles, two tin
cups and plates, canvas water bucket
knives and forks, soap, securing init
and food.
Dehydrated fruit, rice, macaroni
cereals, nuts, dates and cheese formed
a large part of their food supply, sup
plemented by canned salmon and sau-
sage, and whatever fresh meat and
fruit they could buy at out-of- -the-way
stores.
Firearms were not carried because
of weight, but the Mitchell brothers re-
port that there is no chance of living
off the land anyway, berries being the
only wild edibles they encountered
Although bear live in the Great
Smokes, they did not see any. and the
deer in the Blue Ridge Mountains
are protected by law and are virtually
tame.
Find Adventure.
Although there is no danger of get
ting lost on the Appalachian Trail, the
path being blazed with metal markers
fastened to trees or posts, and white
painted spots. the hills still are filled
with adventure, the trampers say.
Lots of natives are suspicious OF
people who walk merely for fun, II
Raymond says. I'm isolated sections,
close enough to metropolitan centers
to attract vagrants. hospitality Is dealt
out sparingly. 1t Is best to have
enough along to sustain yourself.
When we approached some cabins,