68-year-old woman set to hike Appalachian Trail

CHATTANOOGA (WRCB) -- What do you do when you're retired, living the dream, and about to turn 69? If you're Elaine Gregory-Duty, you set out to hike the entire Appalachian Trail!

Age, gender, none of it matters to Elaine. She made this a goal more than three decades ago, and nothing is going to stop her.

"There is life to be lived and I'm not one to sit down," Elaine Gregory-Duty says. "My grandmother died in her 80s and she walked two miles a day every day."

At 68, Elaine will up her grandmothers ante, as she plans to hike 7-16 miles a day for five months on the Appalachian Trail. That's 2,182 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Northern Maine, crossing 14 states.

One could only ask, why?






"Because it's there and I love the outdoors," Elaine says. "First time I stepped foot on it in 1977 in October, they said it went from Georgia to Maine, that was my goal."

Since 1977, Elaine has been training and has hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to the Pennsylvania border in intervals.

She's hiked parts of Maine and New Hampshire. On March 27, she'll set out to tame the entire beast in one shot.

Family members are giving their full support.

"I'm not worried about her, I'm proud and anxious," says Linda A. Gregory-Duty, Elaine's life-partner. "I want the five months to already be here, so she's back home. But, this is her dream and I'm glad her dream is coming to fruition."

One could also only ask, will there be a time when you say what on earth did I get myself into?

After laughing a bit Elaine says, "There are days that come up, and I've had a few days like that myself. You just have to look and say, 'you had a goal in mind, finish it'. It's on the bucket list let's go."

Elaine will turn 69 three days after she starts. She hopes this motivates anyone her age to get out and pursue something because as she says, "it's never too late."

Her family will meet up with her at checkpoints, and they'll send us pictures along the way.

Story shared from: http://www.wrcbtv.com

Ride to Snow Where?

Dave Peatfield
January 02. 2012


After waking up this morning to 42 degree temperatures and blowing snow flurries, I decided my quest for the day was to find lasting snow.  Having lived in New England all of my life we associate winter with snow.  It is now the second day of the New Year 2012 and we have had no lasting show to speak of, no ice to skate on and no shoveling to complain about so far this winter.

Well I am pleased to report snow is available in New Hampshire and we only had to travel north ninety miles into the state to Lincoln NH to get our first sighting.  


At first we saw a few signs of snow on the edge of side roads with small piles on the edge of the road where there had been some signs of plowing.  Then there was the occasional driveway covered in a glaze of ice that had yet to be sanded.  Then around the bend at mile marker 90 approaching Lincoln and the exit for the Kancamagus highway, tada we saw our first hint of winters white gold.


There is enough snow up here and the temperatures are cold enough for the Ski areas to produce snow as well.  As we drove through town on our way to the Kancamagus we passed Loon Mountain and they haven't missed a beat.  The parking lots were full of cars and the slopes were full of skiers enjoying one of the "spring" skiing days at an unusually warm 38 degrees.

Being a Federal holiday the National Forest was very quiet today.  The highway was still fresh with what looks to have been freezing rain from last night.  There were the occasional ice patches but a nice ride just the same.  To top it off and to answer my wishes there was a constant flow of snow flakes to bring a smile to my face.  This stop was of the Hancock Lookout lot and was cool to see the snow line across the hills in the distance.  After crossing the Kancamagus we headed into North Conway to check on the covered bridges to see how they weathered the tropical storm that devastated the area earlier this year.  I must say the resilient New England town did a great job bouncing back.  

Our next stop, the Intervale rest area and observation area.  After visiting the information center I clicked off a few shots of the valley.  I have definitely seen more snow than this but it was a start and more than I have seen in southern New Hampshire so far this winter.  Okay, time to turn this ride around and head home.  It was a great day to get out and adventure.  


I have a few shots of  Mount Chocorua (generally pronounced, "shuh-cor'-wuh") is a summit in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. At an elevation of 3,490 feet (1,064 m) it is the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range.


The Sandwich Range extends east-west about 30 miles from Conway, New Hampshire on the Saco River to Campton on thePemigewasset. Although the range is not outstanding for its elevation, it is very rugged and has excellent views of the surrounding lakes, mountains, and forests. Mount Chocorua's bare summit can be seen from almost every direction and can be identified from many points throughout central New Hampshire and western Maine.

So the next time you get the urge to see something you haven't seen in a while, grab the camera get out there and adventure.