Climbing Clingmans Dome |
 A short while after I resumed hiking, I met these two men from Knoxville, Tennessee, who were volunteer workers on the Appalachian Trail – or, as the man with the beard put it, they were “maintainers”. The Smoky Mountains Hiking Club gives platinum awards to members who do more than 200 hours’ track maintenance work per year, gold awards for 100 hours’ and silver awards for 50 hours’ work. That’s impressive volunteering! |