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The Independent
16-06-2025
- The Independent
Midway along the Appalachian Trail, weary thru-hikers find refuge and an ice cream challenge
Sam Cooper had just trekked 7 miles (11 kilometers) through a rain-sodden stretch of the Appalachian Trail when he sat down outside a little country store in Pennsylvania to take on its ice cream challenge. Nearly 40 minutes and 2,500 calories later, the dairy farmer from Chapel Hill, Tennessee, was polishing off the final titanium sporkful of chocolate chip cookie dough on Tuesday and adding his name to the list of 'thru-hikers' who have celebrated the trail's halfway point by downing a half-gallon of ice cream. By the end Cooper, 32, whose trail name is Pie Top, was calling the experience 'pure misery.' 'I don't think anybody should be doing this,' Cooper said cheerfully. 'This is not healthy at all.' The ice cream challenge is thought to have begun more than four decades ago at the Pine Grove Furnace General Store in Gardners, a few miles north of the current true halfway point on the 2,197-mile (3,536-kilometer) trail. Thru-hikers, as they're known, are the fraction of the trail's 3 million annual visitors who attempt to walk its entire length in a single, continuous trip. As they slog their way north through Virginia and Maryland, the ice cream challenge is a regular topic of conversation among thru-hikers at shelters and campfires, said Stephan Berens, 49, a psychiatric nurse from Nuremberg, Germany. Berens, whose trail name is Speedy, polished off his black cherry and vanilla in about 25 minutes after completing 17 miles (27 kilometers) on the trail that day — and with seven (11 kilometers) more to go that afternoon. 'The most free I've ever felt' Trail experts say hikers can need up to 6,000 calories a day, a practical challenge when food needs to be carried up and down rocky terrain. The slender Berens figures he's lost about 20 pounds (9 kilograms) since starting April 8. 'I thought it would be worse, but it's OK,' said Berens, smiling and patting his stomach after finishing the half-gallon. 'Such a crazy idea.' Zeke Meddock, trail name Petroglyph, didn't bother timing himself but finished his choice of a quart and a half carton of chocolate chip cookie dough and a pint of strawberry. The diesel mechanic from North Amarillo, Texas, began his hike on March 27, two months after finishing a stint in the U.S. Army. 'You're basically walking away from life,' said Meddock, 31. 'It's the most free I've ever felt.' So far this year, about 50 thru-hikers have finished the challenge, earning the honor of having their photos posted on a store bulletin board. In a notebook to record their thoughts, Chicken Louise wrote on May 24: 'Life choices?' The next day, Seagull weighed in with, 'I feel bad," and Hyena issued a cry for help: 'It was very fun for the first 15 minutes. Now, I (and my family) want to die.' The ice cream challenge record, less than 4 minutes, was set two years ago by a man with the trail name Squirt. Two decades ago, the mark to beat was about 9 minutes. Thru-hikers who want to attempt the record may only allow the $12 worth of ice cream to start to melt in the sun for a few minutes. They must be timed by a store employee. 'It's called the half-gallon challenge,' Cooper said. 'Very appropriately named.' Bragging rights and a spoon Bruce Thomas, a 41-year-old disability support worker from Medicine Hat in Alberta, Canada, passed on the ice cream challenge, opting instead for a breakfast sandwich and another one for the road. 'It's early morning and I'm pretty sure I cannot do it,' said Thomas, trail name Not Lazy. Those who do finish in a single sitting are awarded a commemorative wooden spoon — and bragging rights for the rest of their hike. Some people get sick. Others wash down the ice cream with a hamburger. The ice cream challenge is one of several quirky traditions and places along the trail. There's a shelter in Virginia where hikers confess their sins in a logbook, a two-hole outhouse in Maine with a cribbage board between the seats and a free canoe ferry across the Kennebec River that's considered an official part of the trail. And at Harriman State Park in Tuxedo, New York, hikers encounter the renowned 'Lemon Squeezer,' a narrow rock formation. About one in three people who launch a thru hike take the roughly 5 million steps required to go the distance. They most often walk from south to north, starting in Springer Mountain, Georgia, and wrapping up 13 states later at Maine's Mount Katahdin. The trek typically takes six months but the current speed record is about 40 days, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Meddock said there's talk that a man on the trail behind him may be on pace to break it. There's also been a lot of discussion among hikers about the extensive damage along the trail in southern states from September's Hurricane Helene. But mostly they think and talk about walking. 'It's always hard,' Thomas said. 'It's going to be hard. I never think about quitting. I only think about how I can do it.'
Associated Press
16-06-2025
- Associated Press
Midway along the Appalachian Trail, weary thru-hikers find refuge and an ice cream challenge
GARDNERS, Pa. (AP) — Sam Cooper had just trekked 7 miles (11 kilometers) through a rain-sodden stretch of the Appalachian Trail when he sat down outside a little country store in Pennsylvania to take on its ice cream challenge. Nearly 40 minutes and 2,500 calories later, the dairy farmer from Chapel Hill, Tennessee, was polishing off the final titanium sporkful of chocolate chip cookie dough on Tuesday and adding his name to the list of 'thru-hikers' who have celebrated the trail's halfway point by downing a half-gallon of ice cream. By the end Cooper, 32, whose trail name is Pie Top, was calling the experience 'pure misery.' 'I don't think anybody should be doing this,' Cooper said cheerfully. 'This is not healthy at all.' The ice cream challenge is thought to have begun more than four decades ago at the Pine Grove Furnace General Store in Gardners, a few miles north of the current true halfway point on the 2,197-mile (3,536-kilometer) trail. Thru-hikers, as they're known, are the fraction of the trail's 3 million annual visitors who attempt to walk its entire length in a single, continuous trip. As they slog their way north through Virginia and Maryland, the ice cream challenge is a regular topic of conversation among thru-hikers at shelters and campfires, said Stephan Berens, 49, a psychiatric nurse from Nuremberg, Germany. Berens, whose trail name is Speedy, polished off his black cherry and vanilla in about 25 minutes after completing 17 miles (27 kilometers) on the trail that day — and with seven (11 kilometers) more to go that afternoon. 'The most free I've ever felt' Trail experts say hikers can need up to 6,000 calories a day, a practical challenge when food needs to be carried up and down rocky terrain. The slender Berens figures he's lost about 20 pounds (9 kilograms) since starting April 8. 'I thought it would be worse, but it's OK,' said Berens, smiling and patting his stomach after finishing the half-gallon. 'Such a crazy idea.' Zeke Meddock, trail name Petroglyph, didn't bother timing himself but finished his choice of a quart and a half carton of chocolate chip cookie dough and a pint of strawberry. The diesel mechanic from North Amarillo, Texas, began his hike on March 27, two months after finishing a stint in the U.S. Army. 'You're basically walking away from life,' said Meddock, 31. 'It's the most free I've ever felt.' So far this year, about 50 thru-hikers have finished the challenge, earning the honor of having their photos posted on a store bulletin board. In a notebook to record their thoughts, Chicken Louise wrote on May 24: 'Life choices?' The next day, Seagull weighed in with, 'I feel bad,' and Hyena issued a cry for help: 'It was very fun for the first 15 minutes. Now, I (and my family) want to die.' The ice cream challenge record, less than 4 minutes, was set two years ago by a man with the trail name Squirt. Two decades ago, the mark to beat was about 9 minutes. Thru-hikers who want to attempt the record may only allow the $12 worth of ice cream to start to melt in the sun for a few minutes. They must be timed by a store employee. 'It's called the half-gallon challenge,' Cooper said. 'Very appropriately named.' Bragging rights and a spoon Bruce Thomas, a 41-year-old disability support worker from Medicine Hat in Alberta, Canada, passed on the ice cream challenge, opting instead for a breakfast sandwich and another one for the road. 'It's early morning and I'm pretty sure I cannot do it,' said Thomas, trail name Not Lazy. Those who do finish in a single sitting are awarded a commemorative wooden spoon — and bragging rights for the rest of their hike. Some people get sick. Others wash down the ice cream with a hamburger. The ice cream challenge is one of several quirky traditions and places along the trail. There's a shelter in Virginia where hikers confess their sins in a logbook, a two-hole outhouse in Maine with a cribbage board between the seats and a free canoe ferry across the Kennebec River that's considered an official part of the trail. And at Harriman State Park in Tuxedo, New York, hikers encounter the renowned 'Lemon Squeezer,' a narrow rock formation. About one in three people who launch a thru hike take the roughly 5 million steps required to go the distance. They most often walk from south to north, starting in Springer Mountain, Georgia, and wrapping up 13 states later at Maine's Mount Katahdin. The trek typically takes six months but the current speed record is about 40 days, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Meddock said there's talk that a man on the trail behind him may be on pace to break it. There's also been a lot of discussion among hikers about the extensive damage along the trail in southern states from September's Hurricane Helene. But mostly they think and talk about walking. 'It's always hard,' Thomas said. 'It's going to be hard. I never think about quitting. I only think about how I can do it.'
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gardners Candies Puts Peanut Butter Spin on OREO with New Original Peanut Butter Meltaway O's
Legendary chocolatier also releases new Original Peanut Butter Meltaway Spread Product review request form: TYRONE, Pa., June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gardners Candies has cooked up a way to make OREO, America's Favorite Cookie, even more delicious. New Original Peanut Butter Meltaway O's begin with an OREO cookie that is covered in Gardner's Original Peanut Butter Meltaway filling then smothered in sweet milk chocolate. They are the perfect mix of classic OREO crunch, silky smooth peanut butter and premium Peanut Butter Meltaway O's are Gardner's second OREO product, joining Milk Chocolate O's – OREO cookies coated in milk also has just released new Original Peanut Butter Meltaway Spread. For the first time, the proprietary peanut butter blend used in Gardners' most popular candies is available as a dip and spread. It was created in the 1960s with help from the Penn State food science department. 'The idea to offer our Original Peanut Butter Meltaway filling as a spread came from customers,' said Bill Sarris, CEO of Sarris Candies, Inc., which owns Gardners. 'They kept asking for it, so we decided to give it a shot. They say, 'the customer is always right,' and in this case they were!' Sold in microwaveable containers, Original Peanut Butter Meltaway Spread is a perfect for dipping fruit, spreading on breads, waffles and pancakes, and drizzling on ice cream and other desserts. The new Original Peanut Butter Meltaway O's ($2.29 ) and Original Peanut Butter Meltaway Spread ($14.99 for 16 ounces) are currently available online at and in Gardner's Pennsylvania retail stores. They are expected to be available later this year in select grocery, convenience store and airport retail locations nationwide. OREO is a trademark of Mondelēz International group, used under license. About Gardners Candies, Inc. Gardners Candies was founded in 1897 by sixteen-year-old entrepreneur James 'Pike' Gardner in Tyrone, Pennsylvania. The brand operates several stores in communities across Central Pennsylvania, distributes a variety of products to retailers across the country, and is most renowned for its famous Original Peanut Butter Meltaways. Beyond regional storefronts and online sales, Gardners Candies offers fundraising programs, business and custom gifting solutions, and private label services for various companies. Acquired by Sarris Candies, Inc. in 1997, Gardners Candies has continued to uphold a legacy of providing quality, locally sourced products with dedicated customer service. For more information, visit or follow Gardners @ Contact:Brad Ritter, Ritter CommunicationsBRitter@ Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Neighbors in Gardner come together to help displaced apartment residents
GARDNER, Kan. — Hundreds of volunteers gathered at Grace Baptist Church in Gardner, Kansas on Wednesday, helping the displaced residents of Aspen Place. The complex was condemned by the city on Tuesday, citing safety concerns. Since then, the community in Gardner has been pooling resources in preparation for Wednesday's meeting. $40,000 of original work missing from Missouri artist after trailer stolen Micah Norman lived at Aspen Place until December; she went to the office as soon as she could to help. 'I know I couldn't sit with a hot meal and a warm bed last night knowing I haven't done what I can,' she said. 'And there were probably a handful of us, just neighbors at the office looking at each other, like, 'how do we help?' And we just started knocking on doors and saying, 'how do we help?' She's organizing moving supplies and volunteers for the residents. She says the response from neighbors and local businesses has been amazing. 'In the past 24 hours, we built an insane little resource center just based on all of the donations from the community,' she said. 'Gardner has really pulled it together. We did not have to ask for anything, really.' Among the resources available was Kansas Legal Services, a nonprofit law firm helping low-income Kansans. 'It's our view that what happened here is a product of a city failing these families,' said Executive Director Matthew Keenan. 'It's a product of a landlord that's failing these families and let's hope that the legal system and the courts don't fail these families too.' Keenan says the 48-hour notice to vacate their homes wasn't enough. Kansas City Costco hit-and-run victim speaks out 'The failure to give adequate notice and warning that this was a potential is, in my mind, the biggest failure,' he added. The effort to get the resources together has all happened in two days, it's been a large undertaking. Brandon Champagne, pastor at Grace Baptist Church, said everyone, both residents and neighbors, was shocked. 'They didn't plan for this, you know, as of 24 hours ago, they didn't know this was going to happen,' Champagne said. 'But also, neither did our community. It's just people who said this could be me, it could be my family, and it's our community so we need to help.' Despite the circumstances, the sight of so many Gardners coming to help their neighbors was a powerful sight. 'In a world that's so full of conflict and arguments, it's great to see, I mean there's hundreds of people here,' Champagne said. 'And it's hard to tell who's the one here getting help and who's the one helping, because again, it could be any one of us.' Norman takes solace in the fact that the community rallied so quickly. 'It makes me feel better knowing that if I ever face anything like this again, then I have a whole community of people around me and I just applaud them,' she said. See the latest headlines in Kansas City and across Kansas, Missouri If there's one positive to take from the meeting, for her, it's that her and her neighbors won't be far from help. 'You're not alone. No matter what you face in life, you're not alone,' Norman saqid. 'Even if it feels like the things that are supposed to be there to support you aren't, the people next to you care.' The Hope Market is still organizing donations and volunteers for the Aspen Place residents here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
Miller Gardner may have died of carbon monoxide poisoning, official says
Miller Gardner may have died from carbon monoxide poisoning after tests revealed elevated levels of the potentially lethal gas in the hotel room he had been staying in, according to Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency, or OIJ. Gardner, the youngest son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner, died March 21 at the age of 14 while on vacation with his family. According to a statement from the Gardners, he died in his sleep after he and several other family members fell ill. OIJ Director Rándall Zúñiga said Monday that a team testing the family's hotel room found high levels of carbon monoxide, and that the room where they stayed was situated next to "a specialized machine room" that could have caused the contamination. The test results led the OIJ's investigators to believe Gardner "may have died from inhaling these highly dangerous gases," Zúñiga said in a video statement in Spanish. "It is also important to highlight that this entire investigation has been closely coordinated with the United States FBI, and we await the final results of the forensic toxicology to determine exactly what caused this young man's death," Zúñiga said. The hotel in a statement Monday told CBS News, "We are heartbroken by the tragic loss that recently occurred on our premises due to causes that have not yet been confirmed. We are diligently cooperating with the Costa Rican judicial authorities, who have taken over the investigation. We trust that the forensic process will objectively, clearly, and conclusively clarify the causes of this unfortunate incident." "Out of respect for the ongoing judicial process and the family's privacy, we will refrain from commenting on any unconfirmed hypotheses or possible causes," the hotel added. "Our priority remains the safety and well-being of our guests and staff, and we reaffirm our ongoing commitment to the highest operational standards within our facilities." Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that is produced when fossil fuels are burned. Cars, furnaces, stoves, certain heaters and generators can all produce carbon monoxide. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and confusion. An official cause of death has yet to be determined. OIJ previously said autopsy results could take two to three months. The Gardners were vacationing at the Arenas Del Mar Beachfront & Rainforest Resort in Manuel Antonio, which is along Costa Rica's Pacific coast, some 50 miles south of San José. The family did not provide further details about who else had gotten sick or what symptoms they experienced. OIJ had said earlier in the investigation that the cause of death may have been food poisoning, but the investigation was ongoing. The update on a possible cause of death comes days after authorities in Belize said three American women who were found dead in their hotel room in the country last month had died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Freed Israeli hostages call for end to war, to bring remaining Gaza hostages home What is the future of the Kennedy Center? Elton John, Brandi Carlile on their dream collaboration
