News from the Mountains-to-Sea Trail

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Trail News from the Mountains to the Sea February 2021

Join us for the unGathering of Friends!

The full two-day schedule is up and registration open for the unGathering of Friends, Friday and Saturday, March 26th-27th -- our virtual annual meeting.

The unGathering opens Friday evening with a “members-only” Celebration and Happy Hour. We'll thank volunteers, honor recent trail completers and hear from 40 Hike Challenge completer Nashua Hussein. A short concert by musician and MST section-hiker Shay Martin Lovette follows. Clink glasses while toasting the MST with a special pint glass that, for now, is available only to unGathering attendees (snag it with a special link to our online store that you'll get with registration receipt.)

Saturday March 27th, the meeting is open to the public and kicks off with a State of the Trail update from Kate Dixon, Friends of MST’s executive director, and other MST leaders. They’ll share about work to build new trail, develop programs and improve the hiker experience on the MST. We’ll also hear from Dwayne Patterson, the director of North Carolina State Parks.

Our keynote speaker is Jeremy Markovich, who produced a series of podcasts for Our State’s Away Message that told a vivid story of the hikers, trail volunteers, founders and dreamers that make up the MST community. He'll share behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the podcast, plus find out what happened once Jeremy put the microphone down and reflected on the experience.

We'll continue with a panel to discuss the experiences of people of color on the MST, featuring MST 2020 completer Cedric Kopa and others. This roundtable, moderated by Dwayne Patterson, director of State Parks, will explore how we can ensure the MST feels inclusive to all trail users.

Saturday afternoon is full of interesting workshops. Full session summaries are online here (look for the tabs), and include:

Planning your MST hike is half the adventure: Here's how our resources can help (with Joe Miller and Jim Grode)
Off the beaten trail: Exploring MST communities in Ashe, Bladen, Guilford and McDowell Counties
Day hiking and backpacking with kids (of all ages) on the MST: A "Fireside Chat" with the El-Genk and Wilson families, two families who have done it right!
For those who like to go FAST: Fastest Known Times on the MST (with Tara Dower, Tory Grieves and Paul Curtin)
Sustainable Trails as habitats: Leave No Trace and ecological repair along the MST (with Trevor Flannery and Ben Jones)
For those who like to go SLOW: Natural history and ecosystems on the MST (with Julie Moore and Ken Bridle)
Want to hike the whole thing?: Learn from MST Completers - Classes of 2019 & 2020 (moderated by Julie "Jester" Gayheart)

After sitting in front of your screen, get out and find joy on the MST! Hike on Friday afternoon, Saturday prior to or after the sessions and Sunday. Then share photos on Facebook and Instagram with hashtag #MSTunGathering and #mountainstoseatrail.

Registration is open now! The annual meeting and workshops on Saturday are open to all for an early bird registration fee of $30 through March 7 and $35 after.

DETAILS AND REGISTRATION

Thanks to our sponsor Duke Energy for making this event possible.

A Trail Buzzing with Activity

By Kate Dixon, Executive Director

I am growing more and more excited about the upcoming “unGathering” of Friends. Betsy Brown and her committee have pulled together such an interesting program – great speakers and topics. And I look forward to chatting with lots of members and hearing all the questions and ideas. I hope you’ll join us!

As always, the MST is buzzing with activity. Our trail volunteers deserve so much thanks and recognition for their work over the last year. They figured out how to hold socially-distanced trail workdays, and that often requires a lot more coordination ahead of time and at the workdays. And layer heavy rains and higher-than-ever trail use on top. The trail has taken a beating, but these heroes keep rising to the challenge – keeping the trail safe and beautiful for all.

We’ve welcomed so many new people to the trail this year, and one delightful side effect has been an explosion of podcasts and videos – all created by very talented people. Through their voices and eyes, you can live the trail life, even when you’re in your car or on your couch. Jeremy Markovich, Julie “Jester” Gayheart, and Joe Miller are podcasting. Austin DuFresne of Side Trail Adventures has started a special video series: #MyFavoriteTrail, aka as the MST!

I also want to give a special shout-out to Josh “PBS” Smith who has built a great app for the MST that is available for Android phones now. Josh has pursued this vision for a couple of years, and people are raving about what he’s built. You can find The MST Guide wherever you shop for apps, and he’ll be releasing a version for iPhones soon.

One of my biggest projects in the last year has been launching the Great Trails State Coalition with a group of other trail nonprofit leaders. We’ve crafted a proposal for how North Carolina can build more trails all over the state. In the next few months, we’ll be seeking support from the NC General Assembly for funding. If you’d like to get involved, please e-mail to let me know.

Another big project has been working with Board and staff to develop of a “priority action plan” for the next three years. Somehow we’ve done all this work over Zoom – assessing the biggest needs and opportunities and figuring out next steps. Our plans include better signage, engaging people of color, acquiring land and easements, recruiting volunteers for new roles, advocating in the General Assembly, and raising needed dollars to make this all happen. We’ll share our vision and these goals at the unGathering of Friends. I hope to see you then.

44 Years Ago: A look back and a push forward

By Howard Lee

Sometimes, the most successful outcomes are more accidental than planned. That happens to be the case with the initiation of the Mountains-to Sea-Trail. In 1977, as Secretary of the Department of Natural and Economic Resources which housed North Carolina Parks, I was invited to speak at an International Trails gathering at Lake Junaluska, near Waynesville. Jim Hallsey, then state trails coordinator, convinced me to insert a line in my speech, calling for the development of a hiking trail that would stretch across the state.

I was wary of committing to such a big project, but Jim Hallsey won me over. I used the economic development potential of the trail as a way to persuade Governor Jim Hunt to approve the initiative.

Early leaders included Drs. Doris Hammett and Allen de Hart, who founded Friends of the Mountain-to-Sea Trail, which has become the trail's sustaining force through the years. Jim Hallsey has helped keep the vision in focus to this day.

Today, forty-four years later, the MST has met all the objectives for its creation; (1) as an economic development tool—it has attracted hikers from all over America and many foreign countries, (2) it has connected communities, (3) the trail allows hikers of different levels to enjoy the beauty of communing with nature, and (4) the MST was anointed by a US President when President Obama hiked a portion near Asheville.

Over the years, State Parks has embraced the MST, but it has really been local communities, organizations, governments, and individuals who have built it. And this coalition will be the ones to guard it in the future.

When we began the journey to create the MST, it often felt like we were in a dark room trying to corner a black cat. But now, as I look forward, the future is bright because hundreds of volunteers continue to build and maintain the MST. The future of the MST is not dependent on luck but on the backs of dedicated and hard-working volunteers and people like you who support it.

Howard Lee: Visionary

To learn more about the extraordinary Howard Lee, watch this short YouTube video produced by his daughter Angela Lee, a current Friends of the MST board member and executive director of Durham's Hayti Heritage Center.

Anchored on the MST: News from Jim Grode, Trail Resource Manager

As it was for so many people, 2020 was a topsy-turvy year for me. And, as it was for so many people, the MST continued to be a solace. Whether for a quick trail run on my hometown stretch or a longer hike in a new part of the state, the MST has been there for me. Not a day goes by that I’m not thankful to have this amazing resource in our state and to have the opportunity to help improve it and bring it to more people.

Since the middle of 2020, much of my time has been occupied creating our new trail guides, and we’re now seeing the fruits of that work. The guides for the Piedmont and coastal segments are published, with the mountain segments coming soon, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

We’re also making progress on our new trailhead kiosk designs. Last fall, we installed our first example at Raven Ridge Road in Segment 10, and I’ve been developing plans for future installations on Falls Lake and throughout the state. We are well on the way to having content for the next one to go into a new structure designed by Ben Jones (see more below).

The new year has also brought personal changes. In mid-January, I moved to New Bern to begin my new life aboard a sailboat. Despite the incessant cold and rain, I’ve already spent more time on the Neusiok Trail portion of the MST this year than in all the previous years combined, and when spring comes I’m looking forward to exploring the Neuse River Paddle Route that runs right past my “front door." Whether powered by foot, sail or paddle, I’ll continue to feel the connection to and be inspired by the MST and our wonderful trail community.

Big Solutions: News From Ben Jones,

Coastal Crescent Project Manager

Obviously, this has been a winter like no other. I feel blessed to be anchored by my work on the trail. It grounds me, literally… Sometimes working on such a massive and ever-expanding project can feel daunting, but I always gravitate back to a mantra of mine: Big Problems are just opportunities for Big Solutions. And big solutions, like building the MST, propel society forward through meaningful work and creative problem solving.

My major focus in recent months has been developing maps and cost estimates for the MST in seven special places along the Coastal Crescent route in Southeastern NC. Now I'm seeking feedback from land managing agencies and local stakeholders so we can begin implementing these plans. We're making particular progress with the NC Plant Conservation Program on a trail plan for the Pondberry Bay Preserve near Roseboro in Sampson County, on a new kiosk design for Bentonville Battlefield in Johnston County, and two bridges that will allow us to extend the trail in Turnbull and Bladen Lake State Forests near White Lake in Bladen County. We're also supporting the NC Wildlife Resources Commission and The Nature Conservancy efforts to acquire land needed for the trail in Holly Shelter Game Land in Pender County.

The Sentinel Landscapes Project, a coalition to advance troop readiness and sustainable land management around military installations, approached us recently because of its growing interest in recreation opportunities near North Carolina's bases. The MST runs close to Camp LeJeune, Cherry Point, and Seymour Johnson, and about 30 miles from Fort Bragg. We had much to share about our plans, and we look forward to partnering with them in the future.

With the help of State Park rangers, I constructed the first kiosk of a new design that incorporates the MST logo into the structure. The photo below shows the kiosk which is located at the Bayleaf Church Road trailhead at Falls Lake. Jim Grode is finalizing the maps and information that will be mounted in it soon. Our plan is to build a second prototype and create an instruction manual so volunteers can easily replicate the design across the trail.

I've been busy with other MST planning projects as well for: the City of Goldsboro; the NC Coastal Federation's North River Wetlands Preserve near Beaufort; and Belew's Lake north of Greensboro and Winston-Salem. At Jockey's Ridge State Park, I've been working with State Parks on a design for a unique sign to demark the eastern terminus of the MST. There is so much going on with the MST, and I look forward to updating you on all these projects as we move through 2021!

Staying on the Rails: News from Operations Manager Elizabeth Hipps

As Operations Manager at Friends of MST, I make sure the figurative trains run on-time and stay on the rails. I process payment requests for trail tools and bridge repairs. And I maintain the new donor database Friends adopted right before I started.

As with any new system, we have had some growing pains with our donor database but they are starting to abate. And the new system has made it possible to offer the trail guides to members and streamlined registration for the Ungathering. These improvements are very exciting as they will help the trail grow.

I would also like to thank every member I have talked to on the phone about changing their address, membership status, or requesting our tax id for donations. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming.

Outside of MST, I just completed the 8th out of 10 phases in the Japanese Embroidery Center’s curriculum. This is traditional embroidery typically used for Kimonos that has been around for 1600 years. This last piece was all done over the past 8 months via Zoom instruction. (Editor's note: the photo barely does this beautiful work justice.)

Exhilarated and Inspired: News from Outreach Manager Betsy Brown

This time of year for me is all about the unGathering (with a sprinkle of newsletter-writing and strategic planning tossed in). Just a year ago, I was organizing a 3-day, in-person event that was planned for Surf City. This year, it's a 2-day virtual event. Either way, it's exhilarating and inspiring to work with volunteers and trail partners to plan and produce this yearly event. Once the weekend is over, I'll be ready to drop, but creating space for trail friends to come together is my favorite part of the job.

Fingers crossed, this will be our one and only virtual Gathering, and I'm so thankful for our tech consultant Will King who will run the production behind-the-scenes. I hope that during the Happy Hour on Friday night, we can rekindle some of the in-person joy that happens when we are together. Also, for the first time ever, we're opening the event Saturday to the public, so even more folks can learn about this amazing trail and community.

I'm really excited about the afternoon sessions on Saturday too. I've learned so much as we've held planning calls with all these experts. The sessions will be recorded so you can go back later and watch any that you can't catch live.

We will also be announcing our 2022 Gathering of Friends plans. I don't want to jinx anything, but we're planning to be together next spring in a very special place! And huge thanks to those who have served on the unGathering planning committee - your insight has been so helpful.

Aside from event planning, I'm focused on keeping our kids learning and fed - they eat all day long! Our 10th grader will stay virtual for the rest of the year and the 6th grader will head back into the classroom on March 16th, a year and three days since he was last there. In search of indoor entertainment during these gloomy, rainy days, we're rewatching the Marvel movies in chronological order, which clears up a few things. I had some foot issues, and I am thrilled to finally be out of a boot and nearly out of a brace, and hope to be hiking again soon. It's really hard to stay still when the most peaceful and restorative place is on the trail.

Other Ways to Support the MST

ONE: Become a member. Join online or print and mail your membership form today.

TWO: Buy an MST license plate. For $30 per year, you can show the world your love of the trail and help financially too. $20 of your annual fee will come back to Friends of MST to build, protect, and promote the trail. Order your plate directly from NC DMV.

THREE: If your employer hosts a workplace-giving campaign, look for Friends of MST as a giving option. We are a member of EarthShare NC which promotes workplace giving for conservation and environmental groups. We are a giving option in the North Carolina state employee campaign and in many local government and corporate campaigns too. Friends code numbers are: State employee campaign -- 1102; United Way of the Triangle - 60001159.

FOUR: Link your AmazonSmile account. Simply shop at smile.amazon.com/ch/52-2204330 and Amazon will donate half a percent back to us at no cost to you.