ATC grants $2000 for bear cables in the Smokies

The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog: ATC grants $2000 for bear cables in the Smokies: The Appalachian Trail Conservancy has granted $2,000 from its specialty license plate funds to Friends of the Smokies to help reduce black bear access to backpacker food along the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies.“With more than 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail running along the high ridges of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s only natural for our groups to work together,” said Holly Demuth, North Carolina director of Friends of the Smokies.The work has taken place at two popular shelters on the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies, Spence Field and Peck’s Corner. Using the grant funds from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, park staff installed poles and cables that backpackers can use to store food out of the reach of black bears.Friends of the Smokies and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy have also partnered to renovate many of the backcountry shelters along the Appalachian Trail in the Smokies and to support several other efforts to address trail maintenance and hiker safety. Reconstruction at Laurel Gap, the fifteenth and final shelter project, was completed in December.