Damascus Trail Days

This weekend marked the 24^th annual Damascus Trail Days in Damascus, VA. Trail Days is a celebration of past, present, and future hikers that walked the Appalachian Trail, a 2175 mile trail from Georgia to Maine. The festivities began early last week, leading up to the main events during the weekend. There were workshops, vendors, live music, local artists, and plenty of excitement to go around. Hikers were able to take advantage of free gear repairs in the campground, check out the latest gear available from manufacturers, and learn about Leave No Trace techniques at our booth in Town Park. We were asked many important questions about proper human waste disposal in the backcountry, precautions to take in bear country, and how to travel in pristine areas. Education is vital to protecting all of the beautiful places we enjoy recreating, like the Appalachian Trail, which is bustling with hikers every summer.

We enjoyed sharing our stories from the road with representatives from many of the Center’s partners, including Enertia Trail Foods, Grand Trunk, Hennessey Hammocks, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. This was a wonderful experience and opportunity to reach hundreds of hikers that are proud to call the AT their home during the spring/summer season. Happy and Safe Hiking to all the thru-hikers, section-hikers, and day hikers of the Appalachian Trail!

Happy Adventuring…Kate and Tracy

Franklin Trail Days

Franklin, NC has just been designated as an official Appalachian Trail Community by the Appalachian Trail Conservatory. We were able to celebrate this designation all week as we attended the 2nd annual Franklin Trail Days. The townspeople gathered to welcome the thru-hikers as they begin their journey north to Mount Katahdin in Maine. The Trail Days event was full of fun, music, a hot dog eating contest, stories, and education.

In addition to the festival, we provided two awareness workshops at the public library and visited 5 fifth grade classrooms throughout the town. We had a wonderful time while in Franklin. It is a beautiful mountain town that is a must see if you are in western North Carolina. A special thanks to Bill Van Horn for all his efforts in setting up the events, as well as Ron Haven for putting on a great Hiker Bash!

Happy adventuring...Kate and Tracy