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Trail Days in Damascus, VA: May 18-20th
To a thru-hiker, Trails Days in Damascus is like walking across a mountainous, wooded planet and finding real, live people who want to feed you, help you fix your gear, feed you some more, give you free medical screenings — and make you their king and/or queen for a couple of days.
Trail Days isn’t just for hikers — although they are treated like heroes for living out the dreams of everyone at Trail Days — it’s for everyone who loves the outdoors, food, music, hiking, camping, dancing and being with a bunch of cool people.
There’s free music, a talent show for thru-hikers, and a contra dance on Saturday.
There’s nothing quite like Trails Days festival in Damascus on the entire Appalachian Trail.
Trail Days takes place the weekend after Mother’s Day. This year it begins on Friday, May 18, 2012.
Information
Click Here for the Trail Days Website
Click Here for the Trail Days Schedule
Click Here for First Baptist Church — Sponsor of Shuttle Rides
Sign up is required for the free shuttle pick-up at Route 11 & I-81 — mile 534 on the AT.
Vogel State Park — One of Georgia’s Jewels
All Roads Lead to Vogel State Park -- (Photo: Robert Sutherland)
Hopefully, you have a few Happy Places where you can hide, hang out or simply get happy.
The Golden Gate Bridge is wonderful, but it’s a long walk from the Appalachian Trail.
The Lincoln Memorial is blissful for some, but parking is horrendous.
Niagara Falls is spectacular, but you have to keep an eye on the kids — and your spouse, if things aren’t going all that well.
That makes Vogel State Park in Northeast Georgia’s mountains (yes, mountains — deal with it) the most perfect Happy Place this side of the Eiffel Tower.
Take a minute for a quick tour. Then book a cabin or a campsite at your newest Happy Place.
Click Here for Vogel State Park Pictures and Stuff
Other Stuff
No doubt clever writers — Dickens, Dave Barry, Carolyn Hax, John Grisham and Allie Lousch are a few that probably come to mind — could easily come up with a menu title WAY more clever than “Other Stuff.” (Too bad my boss cannot afford them.)
As you might have guessed by now — brilliant sort that you are – AppalachianTrail.com is about … the Appalachian Trail!
Ergo, we have zillions of stories, news items, factoids and tales of human struggle and/or achievements to offer you. We cannot, however, have zillions of drop-down menus.
We racked my brain to come up with a title for other stuff. Finally, we settled on “Other Stuff.”
(I am a professional writer. Please do not try this at home.)
You can find Other Stuff when you click on “Attractions.”
Our initial offering is worthy of your time: the online journals — historical “registers” — filled with the writings of thru-hikers while they were on the trail.
We’re thankful, once again, for the Appalachian Trail Museum that has made these treasures available for us all to enjoy.
So, put down the comics and stop looking at the ingredients listed on your cereal box. Experience what it’s like to hike the Appalachian Trail by reading the Shelter Registers posted at our new Other Stuff section.
Click Here for Other Stuff
Rural Post Offices Get Reprieve — Maybe
Post offices along the Appalachian Trail might remain open, according to a news release from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced on May 9, 2012.
The new strategy would adjust “window hours” for existing post offices by matching hours to customer use. PO Box and retail lobby hours would remain the same — as would each post office’s ZIP Code identity.
This is not a “done deal,” however. The new plan would be implemented over a two-year, multi-phased approach and would not be completed until September 2014. Once implemented, the USPS hopes to save a half-billion dollars annually.
Here’s the fine print: The USPS will provide an opportunity for the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to review this plan prior to making any changes. The USPS intends to file a request for an advisory opinion on the plan with the PRC later this month. Community meetings would then be conducted to review options in greater detail. Communities will be notified by mail of the date, time and location of these meetings.
“The Postal Service is committed to serving America’s communities and providing a responsible and fair approach for our employees and customers,” said Postal Service Chief Operating Officer Megan Brennan, and “The Post Offices in rural America will remain open unless a community has a strong preference for one of the other options. We will not close any of these rural Post Offices without having provided a viable solution.”
A voluntary early retirement incentive for the nation’s more than 21,000 non-executive postmasters was also announced.
If you’d like to take a stab at figuring out the USPS press release for yourself, Click Here. Good luck.
Click Here for a List of Post Offices Affected
Aspen Matis: A Hiker’s Guide to Healing
AppalachianTrail.com is on a constant quest to provide you with vital information pertaining to the AT.
We pop stories online all the time — 100+ words and a picture. Best job in the world, frankly.
As a father of two beautiful daughters and the grandfather of “The Princess,” the tale of Aspen Matis profoundly struck me. Full Story
Hiking Season Kickoff at the ATC
Julie Judkins from Appalachian Trail Conservancy- (photo: Robert Sutherland)
Appalachian Trail Conservancy celebrates Hiking Season Kickoff on Saturday, May 5, 2012, at its visitor center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
Northbound Appalachian Trail (AT) hikers begin to arrive in Harpers Ferry — known as the psychological midway point of the trail — in early May. Day-hikers and overnight hikers (whom thru-hikers sometimes call “fraidy cats”) are also taking advantage of the warmer temperatures.
(No, I don’t know why Harpers Ferry is called the “psychological” mid-point, but it would be fun to make up bogus reasons, wouldn’t it? How about this: “If you don’t push your annoying hiking companions off a cliff by now, you probably won’t”?)
Lauralee “Blissful” Bliss completed an AT thru-hike, a section hike and is an avid day-hiker. She will blissfully give tips, tactics and advice for women hikers; including how to face mental, physical, and emotional challenges on the AT.
Folks from the ATC will give day-hike and backpacking suggestions, and provide maps and guides. There’s no charge for Hiking Season Kickoff, but there are many valuable benefits:
- Experienced hikers will give presentations on long distance hiking.
- Kids can get cool AT tattoos. (Lighten up, the tattoos are temporary.)
- Gear displays for day-hiking
- Backpacking basics, including “the Ten Essentials”
Be sure to tell Julie we said hello.
Thanks.
Click Here for Hiking Season Kickoff Celebration Details
Bland County, VA’s Festival of Trails
Bland County, Virginia, will be anything BUT bland when they celebrate being named an Appalachian Trail Community on Saturday, May 26, 2012.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy honored Bland County — which proudly preserves 56 miles of the Appalachian Trail — as the 9th community in Virginia to earn this distinction.
“The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is proud to celebrate communities that are helping to protect and promote the Appalachian Trail,” stated Community Program Manager Julie Judkins of the ATC. “These new partnerships will increase local stewardship of public lands, support community initiatives for sustainable economic development and conservation planning, as well as support healthy lifestyles for community citizens.”
To celebrate the designation, the Festival of Trails will be held on Saturday, May 26. Join the celebration at the Bland County Fairgrounds. Here’s part of what you can expect:
- 10:00 AM: Guided Hikes
- 1:00 PM: Tour de Bland Bicycle Race
- 2:00 PM: Allen Ashworth – Music
- 3:00 PM: Native American Drum Group – Call of the People
- 4:30 PM: Bland Dance Team
- 5:00 PM: Race Awards
- 5:30 PM: Appalachian Trail Designation Ceremony
- 6:00 PM: Street Dance – Hollybrook Band
We’ll see you there!
Click Here for Bland County’s Festival of Trails Website
Click Here for Bland County: An Appalachian Trail Community
Trail Days 2012 in Damascus, VA
Ya snooze, ya lose.
That’s why we’re telling you in advance about the biggest Appalachian Trail festival of 2012: Trail Days in Damascus, VA.
They do it right in Damascus. The festivities begin on Saturday, May 12th with a town-wide yard sale. That evening at 5 PM, the Miss Appalachian Trail Days Pageant will be held. On Thursday, May 17th, Trail Days gets rolling with vendors set up in the park and [I know you're busy, but you might want to pay attention here for a moment] free food. [What'd I tell you?]
If you can only make it to one AT festival in 2012 … make it to Trail Days.
Click Here for Trail Days Information
Dahlonega, GA’s Bear on the Square
The Coolest Kid at Bear on the Square 2012 -- (Photo: Robert Sutherland)
In my humble opinion, the Bear on the Square Mountain Festival held last weekend in the Appalachian Trail Community of Dahlonega was the best yet.
There was more music than you could shake a banjo at, and plenty of seriously cool doodads to purchase and marvel over for years to come. Fried Oreos, “gator on a stick,” fresh-squeezed lemonade, cotton candy and fudge supplemented the less frivolous fare served to diners all around the square.
Weavers, spinners, potters, a woodworker wielding a hand adz, a master leatherworker, and a blacksmith or two gave us a fascinating glimpse of what it’s like to be an artist. The products on display were true Mountain Festival treasures.
If you didn’t make it this year, save the weekend of April 19, 2013 for next year’s Bear on the Square Mountain Festival!
We’re thankful that so many friendly folks allowed us to share a few pictures with you.
People who don’t take themselves too seriously are the most fun.
Sponsors, such as BB&T, help make the Mountain Festival possible.
Gary Vaughters, Rita Ricketts, Kay Barfield (L-R) -- (Photo: Robert Sutherland)
Blacksmith Dave Custer from Columbia, KY — CusterFamilyFarm.com.
Finally, a silver spoon worthy of my granddaughter!
A picture might be worth a thousand words, but a camera cannot capture the ingenuity of this artist.
TheWoodscrollers.com -- (Picture: Robert Sutherland)
Many thanks go to Home Depot for their help and sponsorship.
Tiger Mountain Vineyards has pet-friendly wine? Ha! Take that, California!
Tom “Carver” Zarle from Mineral Bluff, GA — FolkCarving.com.
We’ll be sure to let you know about next year’s Bear on the Square.
Click Here for Bear on the Square’s Website
Duncannon, PA’s Trail Festival, June 2, 2012
The Borough of Duncannon was designated by The Appalachian Trail Conservancy™ as an Appalachian Trail Community™ in October 2011.
In celebration, the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community™ (DATC) Advisory Committee is throwing a party on Saturday, June 2, 2012. The theme is “Saving Our Community from Nature Deficit Disorder.”
Great stuff made by local artists will be for sale and local environmental organizations will tell you about how you can help them make a difference.
Enjoy live music by Antonio Andrade, Morgan “Folksinger” Evans, Brian “Nimble” McPherson, Native American flute with Randy “Windtalker” Motz, David Snyder, and Susquenita School groups.
Learn something new at the outdoor related presentations, such as: Native American and Appalachian Trail Storytelling, Leave No Trace, Landscaping for Birds and Wildlife using native plants, and map & compass use.
Come and meet A.T. Museum Founder and President Larry Luxenberg, Perry County Commissioner Brenda Benner, President and CEO Lancaster County Conservancy Ralph Goodno, among other outstandlingly famous and cool people.
Appalachian Trail Community™ is a new program created by the ATC to recognize communities for their part in promoting awareness of the Appalachian Trail as an important national and local resource. The program is designed to increase local stewardship of public lands, support community initiatives for sustainable economic development, conservation planning and support healthy lifestyles for local residents.
Click Here for Program Details from Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community.com
Click Here for Details on the AT Community of Duncannon, PA