Appalachian Trail Festival 2009

The Biennial meeting of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) will be held July 17 - 24, 2009 at Castleton State College in Castleton, Vermont. In addition to the membership meeting of the ATC, the 37th biennial gathering of the Appalachian Trail community will features over 60 guided hikes, more than 50 workshops, excursions, bike trips, and a number of family-friendly events suitable for all ages.

Among the guided hikes held throughout the week, there will be several section hikes along the 130 miles of Appalachian Trail that runs through Vermont, as well as two overnight backpacking trips.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy also recently announced that Dayton Duncan, co-producer and writer of the upcoming Ken Burns film, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, will make a presentation at the meeting. He will be sharing stunning footage of the national parks as well as a collection of Untold Stories of those who were instrumental in the creation and protection of America’s parks.

Among the stories is that of George Masa, a Japanese immigrant who served on the ATC’s board of managers in the early 1930s. His wide format photography helped inspire the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and in turn, the 72 miles of the A.T. that runs along its crest.

Finally, the ATC is still looking for volunteers to help throughout the conference if anyone is interested.

For more information and registration, please visit: http://www.vermont2009.org/


Jeff
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