Appalachian Trail Festival and Biennial Meeting - An introduction

Danny Bernstein

            SAVE THE DATE:  Friday, July 1 to Friday July 8 2011

            Every two years, we have a chance to spend a week with fellow hikers and outdoor enthusiasts at an Appalachian Trail Conservancy Conference. These meetings are held up and down the east coast and hosted by ATC member clubs. This July, the conference will be held at Emery & Henry College, in Southwest Virginia, a two-hour drive from Asheville. It couldn't get much closer for CMC members. All the details are at www.virginia2011.org

            If you know all about the conference and don't need to read further, note that online registration opens on March 1. There is a nice discount for those who register early and register online. See the registration site

Hikes, Workshops, Excursions, Entertainment ... You don't have to spend the whole week at the conference. But here's a primer of what actually happens during the week.

Hikes - Offered Saturday to Friday
            More than 190 miles of the Appalachian Trail are featured in a series of section hikes from Dennis Cove Road in Tennessee to Kimberling Creek in Virginia. They range from easy (Geology hike of 1.4 miles) to very strenuous (A.T., Iron Mountain and Feathercamp Trails Loop - 13.5, 2,800 ft. ascent).

            Lenny and I are leadinga hike through a magnificent section of the A.T. from Massie Gap to Elk Garden including climbing to the top of Mt Rogers, the highest mountain in Virginia. We'll hike through a spruce/fir forest with open balds and wild ponies.

            You can hike to the Settlers Museum [#42] which tells the story of people who settled in Southwest Virginia. Some easy hikes end with swimming.
 
Workshops - Saturday to Monday
            Workshops are slotted in different tracks. This way, people interested in a particular subject can attend several workshops in the same track and not have a conflict. Examples of tracks include Natural Wonders with workshops on Birding by Ear and Digital Nature Photography. The Trail Management Track will interest trail maintainers and builders. If you ever thought about thru-hiking the A.T., there's a Hiking and Backpacking Skills track for you.
           
            I will be presenting  A Hike through the Cultural History of the Carolina Mountains in the Cultural History along the A.T. track. Lenny Bernstein will be leading a workshop on implementation of the climate change resolution which committed ATC to reducing its carbon footprint. Julie Judkins of ATC's Southern Region office will be participating in several workshops in the Appalachian Trail Community track.

Excursions - Saturday to Thursday
            Excursions are trips that show off the area but are not hiking trips. This includes kayaking on the New River and biking on the Virginia Creeper trail. Less physical excursions will be led to the Barter Theater and Abington Vineyards.

Trail Work Trip
            Two opportunities to work on the trail. Beginners are encouraged and will be guided by experienced trail maintainers. Tools are provided.

Entertainment
            There's a major activity planned for each evening. On Saturday evening, Wayne Henderson, a master guitar builder and musician will share the program with Jeff Little, a fantastic piano player. I heard Little live and he is great.
July 4 fireworks in Abingdon and an ice cream social are examples of other evening activities.

ATC Meeting
            This one week trail fest is also the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Biennial meeting. This is where you get to hear about how ATC works, meet the key players including the National Park Service staff. The A.T. is a National Scenic Trail, under the National Park Service umbrella.

But where do you stay?
            You can stay in the campus residence halls, which is where most CMC'ers usually stay. You camp on or off campus or stay in a motel in Abington, Virginia. Emory & Henry has a new dorm with private bathrooms for every room. The first people who register for the conference and request an air conditioned double will be assigned to this new dorm, so register early. There are a very limited number of single rooms available. You can request a roommate for a double room or a roommate will be assigned.
            Meals will be served on campus and picnic lunches.
            Emery and Henry College is a small, historic college dating back to before the Civil War. The whole college is on the National Historic Register.

Register early
            If the air conditioned rooms don't get you to register early, an excursion through the pits and backrooms of the Bristol Speedway will. There's only room for 20 and I hope to be one of them.