NC Mountain to the Sea Trail News

Please see below, information on the continuing efforts to build and improve the NC Mountains to Sea Trail. There will be a meeting on Sept 21 in Stokes County. Read below for more details.
NC Mountains to the Sea
See article below for dates in your area: Triad Begins Trail Planning Process

Be a part of the Mountain-To-Sea-Trail Planning Process ---


Trail News: From the NC Mountains to the Sea
September 2009


Celebrate October on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail - where the trail is already built or where it is planned for the future. We've organized guided dayhikes, overnight backpacks, paddles, bike rides, trail workdays, and more to help you get out to explore the trail during a beautiful time of the year. Search our calendar of events to find one that's right for you. You can also help support the trail this October by buying a raffle ticket at any Great Outdoor Provision Co. store, located in seven cities across North Carolina. Prizes include a chance to win a $300 gift certificate from each of the Great Outdoor Provision Co.'s seven stores. A grand prize drawing will also be held for a $500 gift certificate and other prizes from Patagonia and Vasque!

THREE MORE HIKERS COMPLETE THE TRAIL
In the last newsletter, we reported that Frank Potter and Jim Walters of Charlotte completed the trail in May.

Now three more hikers - Charlie Young of Conover, Jonathan Felts of Florida, and Scot Ward of Kentucky - have finished, making 2009 our busiest hiking year to date.

Scot is the first person to hike the trail twice, and when he reached Jockey's Ridge on August 8th, he turned west to hike the trail a third time. He told The Coastland Times: "I don't do trails twice, but this one is different. It's special."
WATAUGA COUNTY TOURISM STEPS UP FOR THE MST The Watauga Task Force of MST trail building volunteers has been working hard for two years to build their 16-mile section of trail near Boone and Blowing Rock. Shelton Wilder's poetic blog tracks their progress and the beauty of the land. If you'd like to help, the Task Force is planning a "Big Dig" weekend of trail work and felllowship from Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 4.

A particularly dangerous section of steep hillsides and fear of rock falling onto the Blue Ridge Parkway led the Task Force to turn for help to the Watauga Tourism Development Authority. Thanks to two grants totaling $20,000, FMST has been able to hire professional crews to help build this difficult section and bring the trail closer to completion.

TRIAD BEGINS TRAIL PLANNING PROCESS The Piedmont Triad Council of Governments is starting work on a conceptual trail plan for ten counties in the Triad area. If you'd to get involved, please join them at one of the following public meetings which run from 6 to 8 pm: o Stokes and Surry County; Location: Pilot Mountain, Armfield Center, Sept. 21o Davie and Davidson County; Location: Lexington, DC Government Center, October 8o Forsyth and Yadkin County; Location: Lewisville, TBA, October 27o Guilford and Alamance County; Location: Elon, TBA, October 29o Randolph and Montgomery County; Location: Seagrove Public Library, November 10o Rockingham and Caswell County; Location: TBA, November 19 The goal of the meetings is to revise existing-conditions maps, identify proposed trail locations & uses and garner support from stakeholders & property owners for the plan. Each meeting will focus on two counties, however, maps of the entire region will be available at each meeting. You can also get involved by visiting the website which provides a place where anyone can provide feedback on the planning process, comment on maps and documents and stay up to date with plan developments.

NEW BERN ALDERMEN APPROVE NEW MST ROUTEOn September 8, the New Bern Board of Aldermen approved a pedestrian plan which establishes a beautiful new route for the MST through the City. The route is to include a section of natural-surface trail along the city's reclamation lake near the Neuse River before it heads into historic downtown New Bern. If you'd like to explore the new route, join FMST Board Member John Jaskolka on his MST Month hike on Saturday, October 24th, sponsored by One World Shoppe. Search our calendar to find details of this hike and other MST Month events.


PLEASE BECOME A MEMBER OF FMST TODAY

Financial donations make this trail possible. You can join FMST online (or print and mail your membership form).

Your donation will leave a legacy for future generations.

Thanks for your support of the trail!


Photo credits: Charlie Young on trail (unknown photographer), writing in snow by Becka Walling. Photos in banner by Becka Walling and Glenn Strouhal.

Contact InfoKate Dixon
Executive Director
Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail
kdixon@ncmst.org



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Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail P.O. Box 10431 Raleigh NC 27605