Mike Wurman joins the festival this year to give an "Eat, Drink and be Literary" author's talk on Friday night, June 7, at the Old Stone School in Hillsboro, VA (a ticketed event). His work will be featured at the festival in our "Art of the Trail" invitational show, with a free opening reception on June 7th at 6 p.m. 

Completed in journal fashion, Mike's book A Sketch & A Prayer chronicles the miles and stories of his journey along the Appalachian Trail in search of inspiration. Filled with stories, drawings, pictures, tips and tricks, the book shows, firsthand, the ups and downs of a long-distance hiker. These days, Mike is at work on his fourth book. We asked him to tell us how hiking the Appalachian Trail changed him and his art. 

After I moved to Asheville, North Carolina, to pursue a career as a pencil artist, I began to feel uncertain about my abilities as an artist—and as an individual. I had lost my passion for creating, and I stopped drawing.

In 2014, I went hiking across the summit of a nearby, bald mountain named Max Patch, where I literally crossed paths with the Appalachian Trail. I was immediately inspired to draw again, but I also knew immediately the Trail was calling me to make the 2,200-mile pilgrimage from Georgia to Maine.

Despite having no backpacking experience, two months later I left from Springer Mountain, Georgia, carrying two sketchbooks and an assortment of pencils, and I headed north. It often wasn't easy, but my journey on the Trail strengthened my belief in myself and my love for nature. I realized I wanted to share that with others through my art.

While I still work in pencil, I realized it was time to branch out beyond the black-and-white world of graphite so that I could truly convey the vivid imagery I experienced on the Trail each day. And so, I taught myself to draw with pastels, adding color to my art so I could better capture the wonders of nature.

I've continued to be inspired to explore new adventures and landscapes. After the A.T., I thru-hiked the Colorado Trail and the West Highland Way in Scotland. With a sketchbook in hand, I'm always looking for my next great adventure.

—Mike Wurman

One hundred years ago, Benton MacKaye was a bit lost. He had lost his job and, more tragically, had just lost his wife to suicide. MacKaye turned to the Appalachian woods he loved for solace.

In an essay published in The Journal of the American Institute of Architects in 1921, Benton MacKaye gave voice to his vision of "An Appalachian Trail." He spoke of the "vast areas of secluded forests, pastoral lands, and water courses, which, with proper facilities and protection, could be made to serve as the breath of a real life for the toilers in the bee-hive cities along the Atlantic seaboard and elsewhere."

Along the spine of the Appalachian mountains, he believed, "There would be a chance to catch a breath, to study the dynamic forces of nature and the possibilities of shifting to them the burdens now carried on the backs of men." MacKaye envisioned "a walking trail" that would connect communities from New England to Georgia.

Though it wasn't completed until 1937, the Appalachian Trail was born in MacKaye's vision. Less than 16 years after his article was published, his "long trail over the full length of the Appalachian skyline" became a reality.

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Want to know more about the Trail's origin story?  Check out festival speaker Jeffrey H. Ryan's book, Blazing Ahead: Benton MacKaye, Myron Avery and the Rivalry that Built the Appalachian Trail. 

First published in 1982, A Woman's Journey recounts an A.T. trek in words and pictures. The book, still in print, continues to inspire hikers. Since penning her first book, Cindy Ross has gone on to write about her journeys on the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail (with children!) and other wild spots around the world.

We are pleased to announce that author/speaker/hiker extraordinaire Cindy Ross will be joining us at the 2020 Round Hill Appalachian Trail Festival. On Saturday, Cindy will talk about "Life-long Learning on the Trail," sharing her experiences hiking, cycling and paddling long-distance trails over the past four decades. On Sunday, Cindy will lead a workshop, "Bringing Back the Experience," where participants will join Cindy for "a little journal writing, photography and sketching in the field."

Cindy's seventh book, The World Is Our Classroom: How One Family Used Nature and Travel to Shape an Extraordinary Education, came out in 2018. She is at work on her next book, Walking Towards Peace: The Healing Journeys of 20+ Veterans, based on her nonprofit's work to help veterans recover from the trauma of war by taking them out into nature.