Trail Angels and...Hikers of the FLT!

Joe Daley of Ithaca, New York

Over the last week and a half, I have crossed paths with only a handful of folks, but each and every one has been quality - among them trail runners, long-distance hikers, landowners, and even trail angels.

Joe Daley was the first other trail user I met. I had hiked just 5 miles outside of Ellicottville and was camped at a designated site that looked like it hadn't been used in a loooonnng time...so  you can imagine my surprise when Joe came running full speed through the trees as I sat at the grown-over fire ring cooking my dinner on my lil alcohol stove. I just about leaped out of my skin! Turns out Joe has been running the Finger Lakes Trail for 10 years and after realizing just how much he had done, decided he may as well make a point to complete it! Over the last month he has been running 2-3 days a week, about 10 miles each day....and I was the first person he had seen as well. It was so nice to meet you, Joe. I'll be sure to connect with you in Ithaca!

Laura's Ellicottville Country Store and Diner at the intersection of Route 240 and 242

When I found myself suddenly walking miles of road due to a reroute on the trail I had the pleasure of walking right by this country store located at the intersection of 240 and 242 just outside of Ellicottville. Laura, owner of the Ellicottville Country Store and Diner offered me water and place to sit while I'll took a short break. Her store is a collection of handmade crafts, antiques, and delicious treats. Attached to the store is a diner, open Thursday through Sunday for breakfast and lunch that regularly receives a full house. Thank you Laura! And when my next book comes out you can expect to find it here!

I experienced good fortune again when losing track of the trail off of Warner Gulf Road, and after walking several miles up a trail that proved not to be the Conservation Trail, I walked for another mile and half by road to arrive in the center of the town of Holland. It was pouring rain and I dashed into the local pharmacy for assistance with my directions and again, some water. I never got the name of the nice girl who worked behind the counter there but she never batted an eye at my bedraggled self and was helpful as could be...thank you awesome pharmacy person!

In this same town, a nice man named Chad who worked for the town pulled over and offered me a ride one mile up the hill to the next access point on Vermont Road. It was still raining and I was exhausted. Thank you, Chad!

Just some days ago, I ended up going longer mileage than expected due to poor water along the roads that I had thought I would depend upon for hauling to camp. At 7:00pm and 17 miles for the day, when faced with going another 2 miles to a possible water source, Tim on Bear Road came through with filling up my water bottles and friendly conversation. Thank you, Tim!

Shepherd, Star Left, and Mike

And....on this same day that Tim graciously assisted me with fresh water, I met Sheperd near dusk hiking the opposite direction along the Conservation Trail. I was hiking quickly to beat the setting sun, thinking only of where to get my next H20 and lay my tent for the night when Shepherd emerged from the brush and declared, "So there is someone else hiking this trail," in quiet awe. "Well, my God, there is." I answered. We spoke only briefly as the mosquitoes had found us and we both had miles to do but in that short time he told me of he and his partner's, Star Left, mission and of a man named Mike who lived on Bailey Road who, by random meeting, was hosting them for the night. He said that he was sure Mike would be happy to have me too and they were as eager to talk to another hiker as I was.

Shepherd and Star Left are hiking, in one continuous trek, from Niagara Falls to the Gulf of Mexico by linking the Conservation Trail to the Finger Lakes Trail to the Crystal Hills Branch to the Great Eastern Trail, and then by Shepherd's path that he has traced himself by smaller trails and connecting roads. They expect to be to their destination by November.

Unfortunately, I did not make it to Bailey Road that night and thought perhaps I had missed my one and only chance to chat with my fellow thru-hiker peeps. But the next morning as I was just a few steps into my hike for the day I met Star Left who was out doing her miles for the day. We talked excitedly and she decided she'd turn around and walk back to Mike's on Bailey Road with me so that we could all compare notes.

The gourmet meal cooked up by Mike - pancakes with fresh bananas, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, cheese, and Field Garlic (Allium vineale), and grapefruit.

Compare notes we did, but that was not all that went down. Mike was incredibly gracious and cooked up this incredible meal you see above on just one burner in a small trailer that he's calling home while he renovates his childhood home on the same land. We shared the space with chickens and kittens and a goat and dined outside at a makeshift table using what we could find about the property. We ate and chatted and laughed and swapped stories and honestly the whole experience was timeless. I could have been anywhere at all and it mattered not. Thank you Mike for sharing your space and your food and your company. Thank you Shepherd and Star Left for your company and pointers and for bringing me to Mike's and hopefully I will see you further down the Finger Lakes Trail!

The Conservation Trail

Grinnin' at the start of the Conservation Trail just outside of Ellicottville

Last week when I set off from my hotel in Ellicottville, within just 12.5 miles I was marched onto my first branch trail of the Finger Lakes Trail. If you recall from my other posts, the Finger Lakes Trail is approximately 560 miles long, however also possesses six side trails which comprise about another 300 miles for a total of 860 miles. The Conservation Trail (CT) is by far the longest of all these branch trails, stretching out for 119 miles to Niagara Falls and the Canadian border.

Now I must be honest...I was damn happy to see this branch trail as the main Finger Lakes Trail had put me through the wringer, giving me a taste of all the challenging aspects of this trail (all that I know of at this point at least). I had lost track of the trail for a short period of time and had to double back, I had dodged some loggers when I realized I was on closed trail and then had to reroute myself down miles of country road to get to the next access point to the trail, I had clawed through waist high weeds in lumpy rolling farm hills, and above all I had slogged, sloshed, and slid my way through mud, mud, and more mud.

However....what I didn't realize upon boarding the ride that the Conservation Trail has proven to be was that I was leaving the round-top mountainous region of the western New York and entering the northwestern lowland....where the mud only got deeper...especially when it rained.

The last round-top mountains I saw on the main FLT

 

A typical sight while walking along the tractor trails through farm land
 

A particularly wet part of the trail walking below the powerlines

 

As a result, the Conservation Trail has not had the steep up and downs with which the main FLT was regularly putting along my path, but it has had all of the other challenges, only greater. The CT travels through a great deal of private property and so is regularly being rerouted as landowners dictate - they may need the land for logging, hunting, or simply wish to not have hikers going through their backyard. As a result, the trail winds and squiggles through the woods and with many of these properties being closed from October through May for hunting season as well as the small foot traffic this trail seems to see, these woods paths have grown up. The blazing is excellent thanks to the diligent work of volunteers like the Foothills Trail Club and FLTC trail crews in the area, but one cannot help the vegetation that naturally takes over. In many places there is essentially no footpath and so one must tromp on keeping a close lookout for trees bearing orange paint. Much of the land is evergreen and mixed hardwood forest, marshy grassy swaths and freshly tilled or fallow farmland.

 

But then there are considerable stretches of pristine trail that makes one realize how much work it takes to actually make a trail and what an incredible pleasurable experience it is to set your body to cruise control and just take in the sights.

 

 

Hunter's Creek Park - boardwalk completed by the FLTC Alley Cat Crew 2011



 

Trail just outside of the tiny town of Holland - notice the orange blaze on tree and stairs to right placed by FLTC Alley Cat Crew 2008-2010

Now all of this technically difficult and messy hiking may not sound all that appealing but there are perks, believe me. Such as the sound of rain falling on the tin roof of a shelter in Darien Lakes State Park while lightening bugs flicker around your head and the woods suddenly brighten and go black as lightening flashes...or the whirring of nighttime insects and croaking of toads in the marshy streams that flow slowly past nearly every place you sleep and the raindrops that seem to cling to each white petal of a blackberry flower whose brambles you had cursed moments before and sit carefully poised atop each leaf of a Jewelweed plant, and you are reminded of just how it got its name. Oh and the wild flower snacks of the common waste place weeds like Dame's Rocket and Yellow Wood Sorrel and Field Garlic bulblets....and let's not forget the wildlife and farm animals and fun signs too...

 

Jewelweed (Impatiens spp.) - This plant when young can be eaten as a potherb after boiled in several changes of water. Also, when crushed, the fresh juice from this plant may be applied topically to any place one may have come in contact with poison ivy. I  don't normally suffer from this allergy but just in case, I did just this after walking through an abundance of it the other day - no bumps to date! 

  

Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) - a member of the Mustard family (Brassicaeae) - it's leaves may be eaten raw or cooked and taste just a cultivated mustard green would taste but more bitter; it's flowers may also be plucked and eaten raw for a wild invasive trailside treat. Be sure to not confuse Dame's Rocket with Phlox (Phlox spp.) which has opposite leaves and flowers with five petals.

What hike through the countryside is complete without a herd of cows clumsily galloping over the hills to follow you on your way - luckily this eager crew were behind a fence unlike some other encounters I can recall along the MST.

Apparently in Erie County you should be on your awares for cowgirls riding tractors

Last but not least, I have  also had the help  and company of some incredible folks...this trail may be one of solitude but the few I have encountered have been quality. I want to showcase these folks in their own post to follow this one, so please do check that one out as well!

 

Also, I'll be posting more pics regularly to my facebook page: The Botanical Hiker, so if you want some more insight to what plant life is out here as well as what's it's like to be out here on this trek, be sure to click on the link to the left of this page or click on this link to follow me: https://www.facebook.com/thebotanicalhiker

 



Little Rock City

Trail  through the rock maze Little Rock City State Forest

The past 3 days have been a mix of every kind of terrain imaginable. I've walked easy goin' country roads passing front-yard farms and horse pastures, huffed and puffed up steep seemingly endless forest roads, and slogged through muddy trail and 12 inch deep muddy logging paths.

Trail along an active logging road

And these are just the roads! About which I'd like to make a quick note - I was curious if the northerners living around the FLT would be as willing and open towards a stranger as the southerners were along the MST - this is no knock against the northerners, I express this concern from my own personal experience and northern perspective, we do tend to be a little more leery. Well...in the first five miles of my roadwalk 2 days ago, I had 2 cars pull over and offer me help, food, water, and even a cold beer, not to mention a lady holler from her front porch to me, "Have a good day!" If these folks are any indication, I'd say I should be well received in these lil New York towns...ya know...maybe we aren't all that different after all. Well, except for maybe our dogs - they all seemed to be leashed.

Trail through a tornado devastated area-this area was thick with trees except for a wide grassy corridor in this saddle

I've climbed steep leafy trails, and descended through thick woods with barely a path beneath me and only blazes marking the way, strolled through open fields and forests of tall Hemlock and Spruce over soft beds of needles.

Oh and over gas pipelines, and ski slopes, across railroad tracks and past cell towers.

Railroad through the tiny town of Salamanca

But Little Rock City was by far the highlight. I hiked for a long ways along dirt forest road through the park, catching glimpses of what was to come by the seemingly random giant boulders that sat shrouded in the woods by tall trees, ferns, and blackberry brambles. But after a long uphill climb I reached this enchanted place.

Entrance to the rock maze of Little Rock City State Forest

Here the trail wound me through a literal maze of boulders the size of two-story houses. The corridors therein trapped cool moist air and smelled of moss and dirt and stone. At my feet were bright green mosses, large Trillium (Trillium) leaves (the flowers already past), Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense), Common Wood Sorrel (Oxalis montana), Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), and Golden Saxifrage (Chrysosplenium americanum).

Golden Saxifrage (Chrysosplenium americanum)

 Atop these giant rocks were forests as well, where these same mosses and wildflowers had made their home as well as Yellow Birch Trees (Betula alleghaniensis) that had found just enough soil to survive as saplings and then when they needed more nutrients inched their roots down the rock faces to the earth below.

Roots of Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis)

And Ferns. All around me, above, below, beside me - Christmas Fern (Polystitcum arostichoides), Common Polypody (Polypodium virginianum), Sensitive Fern(Onoclea sensibis), New York Fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis), and perhaps more.

Reproductive spores on a Common Polypody (Polypodium virginianum)

I awoke to heavy rain this morning where I was camped at an old Civil Conservation Corps campsite in the state forest...lucky for me it was a town day. Even better...a town with a hotel. It is predicted to rain throughout the night and tomorrow morning, so I am happily staying the night in Ellicotville. I also have a whole lot of prep to do as I am branching off and following the Conservation Trail tomorrow or the next day (haven't decided on mileage yet). This trail has less resupply and trickier camping....but I say it's worth it to see Niagara Falls!

First Days on the Finger Lakes Trail

On the border of PA and NY, 1.1 miles along the Finger Lakes Trail

My father, Douglas Houskeeper, at 1.1 miles along the Finger Lakes Trail

The journey has begun! In fact, I am on day 3 of the hike and it has been an absolute dream thus far. My father and I have been graced with the most beautiful weather for hiking - cool mornings and evenings and no warmer than the high seventies during the day, as well as blue skies - the plants have been PLENTIFUL, so many I seem to stop every few feet to take a photo or examine a new species, the insects have been kept at bay thanks to the cool temps, the trail has been a series of mostly moderate ups and downs, but above all it has been a gift to be hiking in my familiar woods again. Sure, I've never been through this particular part of the state before, but as I walk I am keenly aware of how at home I feel amongst these trees, these flowers, these modest round-top mountains, and treading atop the rocky black dirt of the northeast. I am grateful that I get to spend the next two months at home in these woods.


A portion of the trail through Allegany State Park that followed an old railroad bed - we found just one piece of rusted iron from the track, all other traces were long gone

Wild Geranium - Geranium maculatum

English Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

Blue Star Grass (Sisyrinchium spp.)

As my father and I made the drive on Tuesday, I was very aware of how after we passed the traffic of Scranton and then nearby Binghampton, the exits for nearby towns seemed to be fewer and further between. Past an exit for Ithaca and then through Elmira, highway 86 then became bumpy and rutted and shared the road with only the occasional Mack Truck. We drove through a narrow valley made up of green rounded ridges on either side and sparkling rivers - the Susquehanna, Cohocton, and Genesee. This landscape was spacious. I recognized town names on the passing signs from my maps, and realized that we were indeed following (at times) the same route that the trail would. Yes this trail would be different from the frequent civilization of the Mountains to Sea Trail, however similar in that there would be few to no hikers.

Thus far, I have been right. We saw just one couple that was hiking together roll into the first shelter we stayed at, Willis Creek, and the next day, a father and son out foraging for Chaga. Oh...and our awesome shuttle person, Gene Cornelius!

I reached out to Gene, a member of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference and FLT trail crew leader, who lives in the area to see if he could help with shuttling us to the beginning of the trail. Well Gene not only helped us out with a ride but made a point to cruise by where the trail would exit the woods near Salamanca, the town we'd be walking into on our third day. As we did, and saw little sign of the trail, he suspected there may be a reroute. Although there was little to no cell service, he said he would try and give us a ring throughout the day with more information. Gene did more than give us a ring...he walked the trail from a road crossing and appeared at the Willis Creek Lean-to later that evening with a sketched map of the reroute and point by point instructions. He was concerned we'd get turned out trying to find our way back to town. Trail people are some of the most thoughtful folks I've ever met. Thank you, Gene!

Part of the reroute that Gene informed us of - we walked this ATV trail along the power lines for 1.5 miles.

As you can see from the photo above, this trail is still expected to have its bits and pieces of civilized turf connecting the wilderness portions and lemme tell you...it was a just a lil strange after being in the silence of the woods with nothing more than owl hoot, birdsong, and snapping of twigs for over 2 days, to walk this path with the hum of I-86 just behind the trees. And then, after literally hopping, splashing, and sinking through a mud swamp at the end of these lines due to construction, to glimpse the golden arches of McDonalds above the treetops and then, the massive structure that is the Seneca Casino here in Salamanca.

Signs such as these have been frequent, regularly reminding me of just how far I'm going

And now I hike on! I figure I should be in Ellicottville within the next 3 days. This will be the first leg of the trek on my own without the security of knowing I have a vehicle and hotel waiting for me once I reach town. A wee daunting. But also so awesome to be on a trail completely unknown to me with the chance of beauty hidden just over each ascent, descent, or around the bend.






Hittin' the trail!

The Finger Lakes Trail through the Catskill Forest Preserve

Whoop whoop! I am hittin' the trail in less than three days. Earlier this week, I had the chance to check out the trail a lil early. I visited the eastern end in the Catskill Forest Preserve, hiking several miles in either direction from NY route 206, near the Campbell Mountain Lean-to. This is just a couple of hiking days from where I will complete the trail at the end of July.

Dog Violet Viola conspersa

Let me tell you...this trail is gorgeous. The woods were filled the remains of moss covered stone foundations and crumbling stone walls. Birch (Betula), Oak (Quercus), and Maple (Acer) prevailed as did Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis). The wildflowers were abundant. The Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) was laden with fuzzy buds, the Wood Nettle (Laportea canadensis) was shin-high and perfect for ushering the hiker along with its shuddery stings, Canadian Violet (Viola canadensis), Dogtooth Violet (Viola conspersa), and Marsh Blue Violet (Viola cuculatta) shone their faces from the tall green grass, while the maroon leathery-looking cups of Wild Ginger (Asarum) hid beneath its heart-shaped leaves.

Wild Ginger (Asarum)

My father will be joining me once again on the trail, hiking with me for the first three days of the trek. On Tuesday (6/2) we will drive nearly 300 miles to the western end of the trail in the Allegany State Forest and begin our journey on Wednesday (6/3). I was surprised by the steep ascents and descents along the trail here in the east as well as reminded of the northeastern rocks after having grown accustomed to the red clay and mica trails of the southeast. Ah! We will see what this trail has in store for me! Either way, I am so looking forward to hiking across New York State. Home turf.

Finger Lakes Trail...here I come!

The Finger Lakes Trail



A portion of the Appalachian Trail through New York's Harriman State Park 

I am excited to announce that in less than two weeks I will be beginning my next long distance hike. This time along the Finger Lakes Trail in New York state. As many of my readers know, I was born and raised in northeastern Pennsylvania, minutes from the border of New York and New Jersey, with the Delaware River creating a natural division. I also lived for some time in the tiny town of Port Jervis, New York which rests along the banks of this same river. This area will always be my home and my first love. It was here that I came to know the woods and mountains, rivers and streams, and the allure of the trails that leads one into these places, and when I followed, the magic that it was to travel there.

I have not done a long distance hike in this region since the Appalachian Trail in 2008. Even then, it was just a tiny portion region that I traversed, although when asked, I still tell folks it was one of my favorite portions of the AT. New York, at least from what I've seen in the southeastern portion is a land of rocks- from giant boulders the size of houses to random razor-sharp rocks that litter the forest floor. It is lined with water, streams, rivers, waterfalls, and natural springs (even if NY is presently in a drought). Pine of all kinds are plenty here as are the black bear.

Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

It is also filled with edible and medicinal plants a-plenty. And so, as you may have guessed...I will again be hiking this trail to chronicle the edible and medicinal plants that can be found along the Finger Lakes Trail. I'll be keeping a daily list of plants I encounter, making a record of them in the evening and whenever possible incorporating them into my backcountry meals and wilderness first aid needs. I'll be blogging as I go, now upgrading to a lightweight tablet and keyboard that connects through bluetooth. So stay tuned northeasterners for a first-hand look at your local useful plants. For my southern readers, many of these plants can also be found in your region, although the new ones you meet may entice you to come check out the trail up here! Once I've completed my trek, I will get to work on writing a backpacker's guide to the edible and medicinal plants of the Finger Lakes Trail.

Allow me to tell you a little about where the journey will take me...

A bridge along the Appalachian Trail in Harriman State Park in New York close to an intersection with the Long Path

The Finger Lakes Trail begins at its western terminus in Allegany State Forest on the border of Pennsylvania and New York and travels 558 miles to its eastern terminus in the Catskill Forest Preserve where it intersects with the Long Path, and lands me just a little over sixty miles from my hometown of Milford, PA. Branching off of the main Finger Lakes Trail are an additional 6 trails: the Conservation Trail, Letchworth Trail, Bristol Hills Trail, Crystal Hills Trail, Interloken Trail, and Onandaga Trail, which tack on roughly 300 additional miles. I will be hiking these trails as well, bringing the entire trek to a total of 860 miles.

Comparing it to my other long distance treks, this trail includes more conventional trail and time in the backcountry with longer resupply times like the Appalachian Trail however without the AT's dramatic ascents and descents. The FLT's highest point is at 3600 feet in the Catskills and its lowest point at 430 feet near Ithaca. It is also outfitted with lean-to's along the trail as the AT is, however nowhere near as many. Like the Mountains to Sea Trail, it possesses portions of roadwalk along country roads as well directly through the center of numerous towns and what I am most looking forward to of this civilized walking...down abandoned railroad beds. It is also a patchwork of state, national, and private lands, regularly changing due to the permission of landowners. Also similar to the MST, it has only seen a handful of thru-hikers. 379 people have completed (by thru-hike or section-hike) the main FLT since 1962, whereas the AT sees at least this many successful thru-hikers every year.

A rock cairn marking a continuation of trail, these will often times be built where blazes are few to assist hikers in finding their way

My predictions about terrain and difficulty are in all reality though, just that. From what I understand the blazing is pretty good, with its more difficult areas through some private lands that are ever-changing, as well as areas where the blazes are a different color due to running along with other trails such as in the Catskill Forest Preserve. And as for maps.... I have downloaded 53 covering the entirety of the main FLT and branch trails. And I thought the MST had a plethora with about 10 of which to keep track. But these maps are thorough, complete with info on water sources and camping, as well as accompanying text regarding mileage markers. There is one guidebook to the trail but it has unfortunately not been updated since 2011. I have had this guidebook in my possession since this time, as I was toying with this trail even when I set out for my first hike on the MST. I plan to still carry this guide as it looks like it provides a wealth of information about lodging, restaurants, and resupply points...I will just have to bear in mind not to count to much on reaching that road crossing with the little family diner as it may be nothing more than a boarded up shack leaving my hiker belly growling grumpily.

Acorn - the well known fruit of the Oak tree (Quercus spp.)

I plan on making some stops along the way to share my journey and plant findings with some communities located along the trail. If you live along any portion of this trail and would like to join me for a few miles or have a group that you'd like to gather to learn more about either the flora of the trail or simply long-distance hiking, please drop me a line here in the comments section. Also, if you'd like to offer any accommodations or assistance along the trail, as I will need help with lodging in some areas where it is illegal to camp, as well as shuttling back to the main trail from end of a branch trail (right now I definitely need a shuttle from the end of the Interloken Trail back to the main FLT), please let me know.

Check out this link to the FLT conference website to learn more about this beautiful trail!

http://www.fltconference.org/trail/

Trail Days 2015

The champion Chewbacca winning first place in the Hiker's Eating Contest at Trail Days 2008 

This too could be you. Well at least if you are an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker this year. If not...no worries...you too could witness this level of not only hiker commitment but food induced intoxication and unrivaled elation.

Trail Days is happening this coming weekend in the tiny town of Damascus, Virginia. The first town that one walks through on the AT is Hot Springs in North Carolina (home of Trail Fest), but the second town that the hiker literally treks into is here, crossing a state line and marking the passing of a major mile marker. In Damascus, the thru-hiker is now nearly one quarter of the way to Katahdin. If you make it past Damascus, you're damn likely to make it to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia which is nearly half way....and if you don't quit there the odds are you'll to make it Mt. Katahdin in Maine.

Summitting Katahdin

I remember very well, trekking into Damascus. My feet were sore and swollen and it was hot and buggy. I had never been more happy to see a wooden bunk bed (sans a mattress) at The Place where I could shower, sleep, and put my feet up for the price of a minimal donation. However if this were exciting enough, I also happened to be hiking into town during the most important weekend on the Trail. Other hikers who were not as lucky hitched forward or even backward to make it here for this event. You see not only does Damascus have everything a  hiker could possibly need: cheap bare-bones hostels, diners, an outfitters, a barber, and beer but one a year this town welcomes its hikers with open arms by throwing them a festival all their own...complete with a free thru-hiker feed at the church, free hair-cuts from the ministries, free gear repair, an Alumni Thru-hiker Parade, a Thru-hiker eating contest, a Thru-hiker talent show, a Thru-hiker Prom, and a spot to throw your tent in town for ($5 for 3 days) in Tent City when you need to collapse.

Trail Days has grown since I last attended while thru-hiking the trail in 2008 and is now also chock full of live music and speakers as well. You can find me at the Town Hall on Friday giving a slideshow presentation about the edible and medicinal plants you can find along the Appalachian Trail, followed by a plant walk on the AT where you can meet the plants in person. Jennifer Pharr Davis - a record holder for fastest AT thru-hike and Warren Doyle who has hiked the trail over 15 times (when I met him on the trail in 2008 with just a daypack and wooden staff, this is what number he was at, so I imagine he's knocked it out a couple of times since). Scot Ward will also be doing a presentation on the Lakes to Ocean trail that he spent over 18 months mapping and hiking. As for the music, you can stomp your hiker feet to Fat Katz and Scratch River Telegraph Company. Outdoor gear vendors will also abound peddling their goods and offering fitting assistance.

At this point though, I must confess... when I happened into town on Trail Days weekend as a thru-hiker I wanted to party and did for all of one night but was really too exhausted to enjoy all the festivities and overwhelmed by the masses of people. I did my best, staying a full 24 hours and then hoofing it out of town as fast as I could to get back on the trail before the rest of the hiker mob departed the following day, descending upon the next so many miles of good camping spots and lean-tos. I'm convinced experiencing Trail Days as a non-thru-hiker is really where its at. The weekend will be far more fun without having to think about resupply and hauling a 30 pound pack  20 miles down the trail the next day!

Half Elvis, Micro Manfeet (me), FreeWil, and Banjo in the 100 mile Wilderness, just two days from Mt. Katahdin

If you are a thru-hiker alum looking for a little taste of that camaraderie you remember so well from the trail, this is the event to attend. If you've dreamed of hiking the AT and want to learn from all those who have done it or are in the painstaking and breathtakingly beautiful process of doing so, come hear their stories. If you just want to get your party on with some  hella inspired and impassioned people, then get your bootie to Trail Days!

Friday 5/15, 2:30 pm (no cost)

Identifying the Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Appalachian Trail

Town Hall, Damascus VA

 

Friday 5/15, 3:45 pm (no cost)

Plant Walk Along the Appalachian Trail

Meeting at In the Country. 1-2 miles roundtrip or 90 minutes. Difficulty level: easy

 

Vending All Day 5/16 and 5/17

 

http://traildays.us