My Adventure Story
We are slightly sleep deprived, drying out wet gear, and still hearing the sounds of beating drums in our ears…must mean we have been playing hard at Trail Days! Trail Days 2009 was another amazing event for the Get Out More Tour! As a matter of fact every event involved with this year’s Get Out More Tour has been Amazing! Before heading to Damascus, Virginia for five days of Appalachian Trail style celebration we had unbelievable turn outs at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports in Nashville, Tennessee, Nat’s Outdoor Store in Bowling Green, Kentucky, The Trail Store in Louisville, Kentucky and Benchmark Outfitters in Cincinnati, Ohio. 65 people at Blue Ridge Mountain Sports, 128 people at Nat’s, 150 at The Trail Store and 100 people at Benchmark came out to here all of our trail tested tips and techniques and take in the passion filled inspiration we attempt to offer at each event. We started this swing of the Get Out More Tour off with some great camping in Bledsoe Creek State Park and did our best to dodge puddles during our hikes on the Shoreline Trail. While in Nashville we took advantage of the opportunity to get in some urban hiking as we explored the sights and sounds of the "Music City". We let Elvis get involved with our Spot Adventure near Legend's Corner, took in some history at Fort Nashborough, stopped by B.B. King's Blues Club and explored Painter's Alley while making our way around town. We want to thank Nat and his staff for being so welcoming and making our stop a wonderful event for the backpacking community in Bowling Green. A special Thanks goes out to the Scouts and their families who utilized our event for their weekly meeting, it was great to see you all there! The Trail Store in Louisville is a very special place and their super staff greets us with such enthusiasm they make us feel as though we are visiting members of our own family. Thanks for another wonderful day in Louisville guys and we can’t wait to see you again. We also enjoyed seeing some familiar faces at our stop in Cincinnati and we had the pleasure of visiting with one of the world’s greatest Trail Angels, thanks for making the drive from Columbus dear friend! We couldn't possible visit this region without stopping in to visit our family at Woodline Farm in the heart of Thoroughbred race horse country. The power and beauty of these amazingly athletic animals is always a joy to experience. If you have ever experienced the Appalachian Trail, we are sure you have a sacred place in your heart for the rugged beauty of the green tunnel that runs from ridge line to flower filled gap with every type of physical and emotional up and down you can imagine along the way. Now imagine filling a small Virginia town with thousands and thousands of likeminded individuals who all cherish the Appalachian Trail for its immeasurable impact on their lives. Now to get the full picture you will need to imagine spending five days living in a tent city on the edge of town with a huge fire pit for nightly drum circles, days filled with trail magic and free gear repair thanks to top notch manufacturers, the comedy of a parade of hikers that turns into one of the biggest and best water wars you’ve ever witnessed, a huge gear giveaway at our Backpacker Booth and an opportunity to talk passionately about all of the gear, terrain, weather, mental and physical challenges and one of a kind personalities that make up the community of the Appalachian Trail. Sound like a good time? Can you say, “Heck Yeah”! We met so many fabulous backpackers and reunited with countless others as we all let loose while embracing this year’s theme of “Giving Back to the Trail”. The Town of Damascus is a special place and a must visit when it comes to the best of the best in trail towns. We definitely want to thank all of the Damascus locals for allowing us to celebrate their trail with them for the week. We must also thank all of our awesome sponsors who donated tons of great gear for this year’s Gear Giveaway, and thank everyone who attended for creating an atmosphere that truly is a must see it to believe it experience. The Tour rolls on with stops in North Carolina over the next few weeks so be sure to check the schedule at
www.backpacker.com/getoutmore for a location near you. Also, check out our Facebook Group (facebook search: Get Out More) for additional photos and video clips from our Trail Days experience. We are also tweeting daily with fun backpacking tips at
www.twitter.com/getoutmore .
Stay posted, the Get Out More Tour is off to search out another adventure.
See You Outside,
Randy and Sheri
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