Through the end of the year, we'll be keeping you updated in this weekly enewsletter on two main events celebrating our 40th Anniversary: Mountains-to-Sea Trail in a Day and Jennifer Pharr Davis Hikes the MST. Learn more about our 40th Anniversary here.

40th Anniversary Weekly Coverage

No. 1, August 3, 2017

This special enewsletter will be sent weekly through the end of the anniversary celebrations. To sign up to continue getting updates about MST in a Day and Jennifer Pharr Davis' hike, just click right here.

Sign up to hike the MST in a Day!

On September 9, we're planning to have people hiking on the entire 1,175-mile Mountains-to-Sea Trail in a day! Hikers have been signing up for their choice of the 300 legs of the trail. Many legs are covered, but many remain open, and we could use your help on those legs. 

Check out our Facebook page to find legs that need hikers. Also, our friends at the Great Outdoor Provision Co. have been describing the legs that remain on their blog, which you may find here

Check out the MST in a Day page coverage on our website.
Jen, Brew and crew
Jennifer Pharr Davis hits the trail August 15th

Jennifer Pharr Davis first hiked the Appalachian Trail right out of college, in 2005. Then she hiked it again, in 2008. And, what the heck, one more time, in 2011, this time setting the record for fastest hike, covering the 2,175-mile trail in just 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes. (That's averaging 47 miler per day, if you were reaching for your calculator.)

Now, Jen will hike the entire 1,175-mile MST, and her family - husband Brew, 4-year-old daughter Charley and newly toddling Gus - will accompany her on parts. Jen and family will depart from Clingman's Dome on August 15 and spend the next three months on the trail. Jen and Brew plan to write about their experience along the way; you'll be able to access their every post and blog through our Jennifer Pharr Davis Hikes the MST page on our website. 

In the meantime, learn more about Jen and her travels on her website, where you'll also find information on the three books resulting from her AT adventures. 

Get your MST in a Day T-shirt!

They're in! Our special edition T-shirts commemorating MST in a Day are now available. Greensboro-based Home State Apparel, which brought us the popular line of "Home" Ts, had a hand in their design.

The shirt is $20, including shipping. If you aren't yet a member of the Friends of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, it's a great incentive to join: annual membership and shirt, just $55.

Learn more here.
Hiking tip: Look for the blaze

We're pretty proud of how easy it is to follow the Mountains-to-Sea Trail: the three-inch diameter white dot is your guiding light from Clingman's Dome to Jockey's Ridge.

Every once in a while, though, other trails bisect the MST. Sometimes they're big trails, such as the Bartram Trail meeting atop Wayah Bald, more often they're little connector trails, from nearby neighborhoods or down to popular fishing or swimming holes. 

Sometimes these crossings can cause confusion. But they needn't. When you reach such an intersection stop and check out your options: not far down one of them you will almost always spot the MST white-dot blaze. 
Blazes! Look, a beer of our own!

Appalachian Mountain Brewery has crafted a beer in honor of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, the White Dot Session IPA!

White Dot Session IPA is made from locally grown and malted Riverbend wheat and barley with Galaxy and Citra hops; with an alcohol content of 4.8 percent, it's the perfect beer to enjoy after a beautiful day of hiking or trail work.

Intrigued? Come to one of the tastings scheduled for August at Total Wine stores throughout the state. Find the event nearest you on our Facebook page.
Great Outdoor Provision Co.
Thanks to our sponsors!

There would be no Mountains-to-Sea Trail, no reason to celebrate a 40th anniversary, without the generous support of our many sponsors, including  BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, Great Outdoor Provision Co., REI, Duke Energy, Farm to Feet, First Citizens Bank, Mast General Store, Rostan Family Foundation, New Morning Gallery, AntiGravity Gear, Prestage Farms and Wyrick Robbins.
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