“The tourism fund could be used to provide paying jobs for locals to be out in the parks and forests making sure visitors practice “leave no trace”; park only where they are supposed to; do trail work; and prevent mapless tourists from getting lost in the woods.”
The “Smokies Wildnerness Elite Appalachian Trail” Crew is the “Delta Force” of trail maintenance on the AT. Operating strictly in the backcountry, they perform trail maintenance in areas that are beyond the range and ability of trail clubs. Here are few of the photos Jerry Nelson took, documenting the team’s latest work.
Photos by Jerry Nelson, JourneyAmerica.org
