AppalachianTrail

Rescuers descend off the Appalachian Trail with an injured hiker at Yellow Creek Gap on Friday.

Rescuers descend off the Appalachian Trail with an injured hiker at Yellow Creek Gap on Friday.

Injured hiker rescued off Appalachian Trail

Marshall McClung
Thursday, April 17, 2025
Yellow Creek – For the second time in a span of 2 1/2 weeks, a hiker had to be rescued from the Appalachian Trail in Graham County. Personnel from Graham County Fire and Rescue, Stecoah Fire and Rescue, and U.S. Forest Service responded to a report of an injured hiker around 5:45 p.m., Friday.

Appalachian Trail hiker rescued

Marshall McClung
Thursday, April 3, 2025
Fontana Dam – The Graham County 911 Center received a cell phone call from a female hiker on the Appalachian Trail, requesting assistance just after 3 p.m., Monday.  Elayna Simmons, 28 of Cincinnati, Ohio, was hiking alone when she became ill almost five miles in on the trail from Fontana Dam.

Young hikers located

Marshall McClung
Thursday, June 6, 2024
The Graham County 911 Center was notified around 5:25 p.m. Monday of two young children from Georgia missing on the Appalachian Trail. The boy and girl – ages 8 and 9 – were hiking with their father in the vicinity of Brown Fork Gap when they became separated.
Kelly Karr poses at Stecoah Gap in Graham County on May 5 during a break in her 2,190-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Kelly Karr poses at Stecoah Gap in Graham County on May 5 during a break in her 2,190-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail. Photo by Randy Foster/news@grahamstar.com

Solo trek

Randy Foster
Thursday, May 12, 2022
Stecoah – After logging 150 miles on the Appalachian Trail since mid-February, on May 5 – with a good night’s sleep in her own bed behind her – Graham County resident Kelly Karr got a ride to Stecoah Gap from her husband Raymond and resumed her 2,190-mile journey.

Fire, rescue squads have busy weekend

Marshall McClung
Thursday, May 27, 2021
Last weekend proved to be a busy time for local fire and rescue personnel. Graham County Rescue Squad members responded to the Appalachian Trail in Graham County on Saturday, to help locate a hiker around 1:15 p.m. Saturday.

AT hiker rescued

Marshall McClung
Thursday, October 1, 2020
Graham County Rescue Squad and Stecoah Rescue Squad members were called out on yet another mission involving a hiker, one of several such missions in recent weeks. Graham County 911 dispatchers received a message from a call center near 8:30 p.m. on Sept.

Ministry through hiking

Robbi Pounds
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Robbinsville – The Robbinsville United Methodist recently won a $250 Fresh Expressions grant to help the congregation support hikers on the Appalachian Trail.  Pastor Eric Reece and church members such as Marcia and David Davies have been helping AT through-hikers for more than four years now.
Navy Veteran Lonnie Bedwell was one of three blinded vets to section-hike the Appalachian Trail this year.

Navy Veteran Lonnie Bedwell was one of three blinded vets to section-hike the Appalachian Trail this year.

Blinded Vets Hike Section of Appalachian Trail

Robbi Pounds
Friday, October 4, 2019
Stecoah – “Blindness has afforded me the opportunity to experience the best parts of humanity,” said Navy veteran and Blinded Veterans Association member Lonnie Bedwell.