National Trails Day Theme Announced by AHS

a news release of American Hiking Society

On June 4, 2011, American Hiking Society's National Trails Day will bring together outdoor enthusiasts across the country for the 19th annual celebration of America's magnificent trail system and its countless supporters and volunteers. Two thousand events will take place around the country including trail maintenance, hiking, paddling, biking, horseback riding, bird watching, running, trail celebrations and more!

Our earth is made up of natural ingredients like rivers, mountains, lakes, deserts, and plains and National Trails Day is a time to get outside and celebrate those natural surroundings. The theme for National Trails Day 2011, Made With All Natural Ingredients, encourages all Americans to get outside, connect with local outdoor clubs, businesses, community groups, and parks and recreation departments as well as federal land managing agencies to experience, appreciate and celebrate the natural places where we can find a spread of scenery, a plateful of peace, and a heap of happiness and health.

"Dedicated volunteers, outdoor enthusiasts, trail lovers, and those new to the outdoors are truly the key ingredients to National Trails Day. Naturally, it's a time to give back to trails and pay it forward by introducing someone new to the outdoors," said Gregory Miller, American Hiking Society president.

Since 1993, National Trails Day has inspired thousands of individuals and community groups to take part in activities that promote healthy living and mental well being, protect green space, educate youth and adults on the importance of trails, and instill excitement for the outdoors. Plan now to host or attend an event in your area. If you want to get happy, healthy, active, fit, and have some fun, National Trails Day is your recipe to success. The only ingredient missing is YOU.

If your community organization would like to host an event or to find out more about NTD 2011, contact Heather Sable, Trail Programs Manager, at hsable@AmericanHiking.org or (800) 972-8608 x 208 or visit American Hiking Society
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Owasippe Trails Reopen to the Public

from MMBA

from theScarlett Sasafrass, originally from WZZM-TV, and the White Lake Beacon

The public trails at Camp Owasippe in Blue Lake Township, east of Muskegon, have been closed since last year. The Chicago Area Scouting Council closed the trails because of liability concerns. The property has been in the news a lot over the past few years as the Council has sought to sell, and the Scouters and the Township have fought to preserve the camp.

A Muskegon Man, Matt Vander Sys, has set up a non-profit organization and removed the liability issue from the council's list of problems. Users now must sign a liability waiver, and pay a $6 daily fee to use the trails. The fee also covers fishing in the camp lakes. A $60 yearly pass is also available but includes blackout dates for Scout camp season and hunting season.

"'It is a great piece of property,' says Matt Vander Sys of Endurance Adventure." There are over 30 miles of trails, and they are very popular with the mountain bikers. Recently the bicycling community came together and cleaned the trails at Owasippe. They are thrilled that these great trail miles will be open again.

"Michigan's Most Difficult Offroad Triathlon" was held August 23 on the trail system. The event included a 1000-meter swim on Big Blue Lake, a 14-mile run and 10-mile bike ride on Owasippe's trails. "Montague resident Stu Scholl has participated in triathlons around the country and said the late August event was outstanding. 'It truly was one of the best I’ve competed in,' he said. “Where can you get this kind of usable space in Michigan?'"

See Endurance Sports
See WZZM-TV
See MMBA Trail Guide
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Read A Summer Odyssey the Origin of the Great Western Trail

from HikingPress

Over the course of a long, hard summer, two men hiked in the Rockies from Canada to Mexico. The journey through Idaho, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico would change their lives and help create a new national trail.

This is their story...

Twenty-nine-year-old James Mayberger, of New York, launches the greatest journey of his life when he attempts to conquer the Great Western Trail in five grueling months of backpacking. His companion is Simon Cordial, an Englishman with an equally adventurous spirit. With only bare necessities on their backs they embark upon the unprecedented 2,400-mile journey through mountains and deserts from Canada to Mexico. In this vivid account that pits Man against Nature, they experience the physical, emotional, and psychological extremes of the human condition.

A Summer Odyssey: Forging America's Great Western Trail is now available as either an electronic book (E-book) or trade paperback. Both formats include over one hundred color photographs of the actual trek.

Little, Brown and Company writes, "It is wonderfully written, and it serves as both an education in the wilderness, a sort of "Back to Basics," Emersonian notion of Romanticism, as well as an education in self-discipline, self-sacrifice, and on the most basic level, friendship." ,

Either in e-book or paperback format, A Summer Odyssey is available at HikingPress.com. The first two chapters can be read for free!

See HikingPress
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AHS Provides Form Letter to Sec Kempthorne

American Hiking Society logo

from American Hiking Society

Take Action to Ensure that the National Park Service Maintains its Current Regulation on Bicycle Route Designation

Hikers, the National Park Service is considering a plan to relax their regulations that govern bicycles on trails - a change potentially made without public notice, review or comment. This could allow Park Superintendents to discriminately designate trails and trail use.

American Hiking Society supports the full involvement of hikers in policy development, funding, and planning and management decisions that potentially impact access to and the conservation of public recreation lands and the hiking experience.

Contact Secretary of the Interior Kempthorne and let him know that the hiking community's steadfast support and commitment to the National Park System is built on trust, transparency and full public engagement in their planning and regulatory decision-making processes.

Take action by using this form
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Vote to Fund North Country Trail Projects

by Joan H. Young

You can help raise $5000 to improve the North Country Trail with the click of a mouse!

Through the Save the Trails effort, you can vote for one of 20 trail projects. Ten of these projects will be funded at the $5000 level. Over 70 nominations were received, and 20 finalists from around the United States were selected.

Finalists this year include two projects on the North Country National Scenic Trail. The Nemadji River Valley in northwest Wisconsin is a beautiful deep gorge. Efforts to complete the NCT in Wisconsin are being pressed forward by Bill Menke and his Roving Trail Crew. This project will create about 5.3 miles of new, off-road trail

The other NCT project is found in the state of Ohio. The funds here will help purchase and deliver native sandstone barricades to the Wayne National Forest in southeast Ohio. The trail here has been heavily impacted by illegal off-road vehicle use. Andrew Bashaw is heading the efforts to mitigate this damage

Nature Valley Save the Trails program is a partnership between Nature Valley, the American Hiking Society (AHS), and the Student Conservation Association (SCA) that restores trails in our National Parks. Since 2005, Nature Valley has donated over half a million dollars for trail work. These dollars support the SCA teams, as they live on site for a week at a time to build and maintain trails.

You can see pictures of these project areas, and vote at the Nature Valley Where's Yours web site. Winners will be announced April 30, 2009.

See Where's Yours
See North Country Trail Association
See American Hiking Society
See Student Conservation Association
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Vacations Blend Public Service, Hiking

The following is an excerpt from a story which we believe is worthy of reading, but would lose too much of its value if it were re-written for presentation on this blog. Please link through for the rest of the story, but hurry back! ... Editor

by Howard Meyerson

An American Hiking Society volunteer enjoys the views on the Damfino Lakes trail in Washington

"Ted Siereveld was 61 years old when he signed up with the American Hiking Society for his first volunteer vacation, a week spent doing trail maintenance on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont.

The retired tool and die supervisor from Grand Rapids simply loved it. So much so that he has signed up for one or more trips almost every year since.

This summer he returns to Arkansas's Buffalo National River which was dedicated by Congress in 1972. It will be his seventh year... "

finish the story at the Grand Rapids Press - see FAIR USE notice.
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