"Trail angels" ease the way for thru hikers all along the A.T., from Georgia to Maine. You can become one of these angels by sharing some "trail magic" with hikers finishing up the long Virginia stretch of the trail. What is “trail magic”? It’s any act of generosity that helps an A.T. thru hiker keep going. 
 
By the time they reach our neck of the woods (Keys Gap, where we’ll offer them a shuttle to the festival), hikers who started at Springer Mountain in Georgia, will have walked 1012 miles. We’d like to “make some magic” for them.

If you'd like to donate something (see the list below for suggestions) to this year's thru hikers, we have collection boxes at the Round Hill Town Office and the Old Stone School in Hillsboro. You can also bring donations for thru hikers on June 10th to the Festival Welcome Tent.
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Here's a list of things hikers have told us they'd appreciate:

• Candy bars and fruit snacks 
• Individual bags of potato chips, Oreos, cookies, rice crispy treats, etc.
• Packets of instant coffee and Gatorade/Propel mix
• Coconut or vitamin waters and caffeine drinks
• Batteries
• Gas canisters for jet boils
• Ramen 
• Tuna packs
• Hiking socks
• Blister first aid
• Small packets of bug repellent
• Small packets of ibuprofen
• Bags of coffee (so trail center caretakers can have it warm and ready for hikers) 
• Fresh fruit*
• Carrot sticks*

(*Please only drop off these fresh items at the festival, 6/10.)
 
We’ll be sharing some of this trail magic with hikers who join us at the festival (for a free lunch and great music); the rest will go to the Bears Den and Blackburn trail centers for other thru hikers as they make their way north.

Today's guest post comes from Carol Lenhart of Birch Hollow Yoga in Hillsboro. Carol will be leading sessions of Yoga for Hikers at 11:45 and 4:15 during the festival.


Six Reasons Hikers Should Do Yoga

We love hiking and being in the woods. Especially the challenge of a long and arduous trek through tough terrain. Or maybe a gentle stroll along a nice, flat scenic trail. Whatever style of hiking you do, yoga can be a great addition to your fitness habits.

Here are some reasons why:

1. Yoga Builds Strength: Many of the yoga asanas (poses) activate and strengthen muscles in a gentle but effective way. Particularly, a well-rounded yoga practice will condition all the muscles used by a hiker – legs, hips, back, arms, core, and shoulders. There are even poses to strengthen feet and ankles! Best of all, yoga can be modified to suit all bodies, regardless of previous injury or disability. Some poses to try: Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Plank, Locust, Boat.
2. Yoga Enhances Flexibility: Dropped your water bottle? Pick it up without straining your back. There are any number of yoga poses that provide gentle stretches for the hiker’s body. From head to toe, yoga stretches can relieve the tension of that heavy pack or steep climb. The stretches can be brought on the trail, to create a “pit stop practice.” Try: Forward folds, One-leg toe touches (foot on a rock or fallen tree), Triangle pose.
3. Yoga Improves Balance: Climbing through rocky terrain? Stepping through a creek? Our balance is crucial in creating stability on our hikes. Not only can yoga strengthen our core, which in turn improves our balance, it also helps create a stronger connection between our bodies and the spaces around us. This is called proprioception. When we move mindfully along (or up or down) the trail, our yoga experience can keep us grounded and centered in our pace. We notice and feel the ground beneath our feet, and create a safer and more enjoyable experience by our ability to meet stability challenges. Try: Tree pose, Dancer, Side Plank.
4. Yoga Increases Stamina: A regular yoga practice involves moving through sometimes difficult poses with control and ease. We use breathing patterns to help build endurance and stamina. We work through the challenging or uncomfortable aspects of our practice. We learn that often a challenge can be met though “mind over matter.” Breathing control and mindful movement are skills that will greatly support your challenging hiking goals. Try this breathing exercise (pranayama): Gently close your lips and breathe through your nose. Breathe in for a count of 5, and out for a count of 5. Repeat for 2-3 minutes or more. Maybe try this on your next uphill climb!
5. Yoga Calms the Mind: The word “yoga” stems from the Sanskrit word meaning “to yoke” or “to connect with.” When we practice the poses, and connect our mind and intentions to what we are feeling in our bodies, we create the mind/body connection. This skill is truly handy on the trail, and can greatly enhance hiking enjoyment. A calm mind also enables us to be less reactive to the events around us, and less distracted by our worries and cares. This mind/body connection allows us to get the absolute most out of our hikes, allowing us to enjoy a peaceful and serene experience. Try a “Woods Meditation:” Sit or stand in the woods and focus on one thing (tree, rock, flower, etc). Keep your attention on that item for 5 minutes. Breathe gently.
6. Yoga is Accessible to Everyone: Yoga can be practiced by anyone who breathes. It requires no mat, special clothing, or particular space. It can be short or long. Plenty of quality instruction can be found in local yoga studios, fitness centers, internet videos, and books. True yoga can be modified to fit any person, and can be done at any time or place. It can be done alone, or with others. It can involve movement, or simply breathing. There are many styles of yoga to fit a multitude of practitioners, and yoga doesn’t care about age, fitness level, or social status. Just like hiking, yoga is for Every-Body.

Carol Lenhart is a yoga teacher in Hillsboro, Virginia. She has been practicing yoga for over 35 years, and has been sharing the practice with others for 10 years. She loves all styles of yoga, and her favorite pose is “feet on the wall.” Carol lives on a farm with her husband Ben, their children, and an assortment of animals. She enjoys hiking, cycling and paddling around the beautiful Virginia countryside and waterways. She can be found on Facebook and Instagram through @birchhollowyoga.

We have Virginia's newest state park, Sweet Run State Park, set to open May 26th. You may have already been there, if you've ever traveled down Harpers Ferry Road to visit the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, which will become the new state park.

How does beautiful rural land like this, much of it a former farm, get protected in perpetuity? That's where our festival's newest sponsor, Old Dominion Land Conservancy (ODLC), plays a part. ODLC assisted arranging the donation of the land to the state, helping protect Potomac River tributaries and the Chesapeake Bay watershed, preserving Appalachian Trail views and conserving the natural habitat for hundreds of animal species in the process.

Under the leadership and guidance of ODLC, more than 18,000 acres of land have been successfully designated and preserved in conservancy. Here's why the ODLC folks do what they do:
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"For us at ODLC, it’s more than just preserving open countryside, habitats and waterways we all love; it’s providing options for landowners and purchasers to maintain family legacies for generations to come."

It takes a village (actually two towns this year) to put on our free, fun-for-all celebration of the A.T. and all the Great Outdoors. If you can give us a couple hours on June 10th, you'll be a most welcome member of our team.

Click here to find our day-of volunteer sign up.

Have a couple hours to help us out? We are stilllooking for day-of volunteers! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0848a4a728a1fa7-appalachian#/

Can you help us spread the word? We're reaching out to any northbound A.T.  thru-hikers who will be in the Round Hill/Hillsboro area June 10th, and who would like a break from our infamous "Roller Coaster" stretch of the Trail. We also invite section hikers headed in either direction to join us at the festival. 

​Here's what we have in store for them: