At the start of CT's Canaan RR Days, Howdy Singing Hawk, El Jefe (The Boss) and Mega ( whose hiking the AT twice, S then N)
Quoted From Bing:This is but a tiny portion of what's often called the longest hiking-only trail in the world. Today we're in Stokes State Forest along the top edge of New Jersey, and that 2-by-6-inch white stripe tells us that we're on the famous Appalachian Trail (the 'AT' to those in the know). And what a day to be here, for July 8, 2021, is the trail's 100th birthday.
It was 100 years ago today that the trail was first conceived by a Connecticut forester named Benton MacKaye. MacKaye wanted to connect a series of farms and wilderness study camps across several states, and he liked the idea that the trail would be accessible to many via the towns and roads it would pass by. After more than a decade of work, the AT was completed in 1937 and currently stretches 2,190 miles (give or take a few) from Georgia to Maine and 12 states in between. Today we raise a birthday toast to nearly 100 years of hiking and the millions of people from all over the world who have trekked at least a portion of this trail. Cheers!
Guess whose thinking about the Appalachian Trail aside from all of the amazing day and through hikers, their support teams and communities along the way? Yes, that'd be me since I got to chat with a few the other day in Sailsbury CT. All amazing folks and they filled me in on some pointers about how people can set up a camp and get a ride to hike back to where they set up, then I assume get a ride to that next point and either repeat or carry their gear from there.)
I have a few other posts on this blog about the AT And Shout Outs to them so here's one deluxe one since it's the 100th Birthday of the AT!! Whoo--who! Hats off to forester Benton MacKaye...has a nice ring to it and wonderful it started with such an organically farm-friendly idea.
I recall running through the woods from one house to the next rather than go out on the road, and I imagined Native people did just that in the area I grew up in, literarlly on that ground near the Housatonic River. We have Railroad Days in Canaan happening so I'll make note of this occassion and do some outreach along the AT lines as we also talk up having the train back in action, or begun anew from NY to CT and MA.
Happy Hiking, Biking, Walking, Talking, Dreaming and Teaming up with more cool ways to say howdy and join in Trail Magic to help one another through the day and along the way. I invited those three to circle back and help some folks with housing projects so I'll see who turns up in September to knock down walls and such... Til then find a friend to say hello to and think about getting 'just one thing done' (at a time, but starting has magic in it too...) We were saying the Trail Magic can go both ways...with hikers helping as well as communities opening doors and assisting.
Always use common sense and doublecheck with others to have support for giving help, rides, places to stay and so forth...mostly fellows helping fellows and gals helping gals or with a team of support to keep things 'easy does it...' Best to all and let's have a ball as the journey continues to unfold. See a bit more of what I offer on Instagram at @chngwrld2gd which I have to use more too in these modern times and join with Clubhouse and so on...
Also I'm wishing some friends who have this July 15th birthday whose 'birth angels' (from Terah Cox books) are about healing. One is a doctor and another a teacher with fitness in mind...so they've touched thousands of lives over many years...and it was a pleasure having them coach me through life as student, parent and caregiver and more... very interesting how our lives connect. Also each have kids in the healing and connecting with folks circles so the good vibes continue...
