This guest blog comes to us from one of our returning "Trailblazer" sponsors: Old Dominion Land Conservancy. We thank ODLC for their continued support of our festival—and for their work to protect our green spaces.

Scenic open space and farmland are constantly under threat of development throughout Northern Virginia. Land trusts, like Old Dominion Land Conservancy (ODLC), seek to work with landowners to protect these imperiled lands in perpetuity via conservation easement or land donations. We look to protect arable farmland, forests, riparian and wetland habitat, historic or heritage properties and scenic assets such as the Appalachian Trail viewshed. ODLC partners with landowners who are interested in preserving these vital resources not just for their benefit, but for future generations to enjoy. 

“We are blessed to have the Appalachian Trail in our backyard, and protecting the view from the trail is vitally important. This makes the work of conserving land along the trail one of our highest priorities," explains ODLC Executive Director Henry Stribling.

Last year, ODLC worked with landowners to protect 436 acres of land in Northern Virginia with conservation easements. This included more than 110 acres of hardwood forest and 100 acres of active farmland within Loudoun County. Over the years ODLC has worked to protect close to 40 properties within the Appalachian Trail viewshed or with direct access to the trail. In addition to this, many of our projects have enabled ODLC to protect in perpetuity almost seven miles of Potomac River frontage and portions of many key tributaries within Chesapeake Bay watershed throughout Northern Virginia. Since 2008, ODLC has partnered with landowners to preserve over 21,000 acres of land via conservation easement. 

2025 also offers ODLC the opportunity to begin management of a donated 58-acre property bordering the G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area. This property was neglected for many years and has been overwhelmed by invasive species. Additionally, much of the forest on the property is filled with dying ash and oak trees while the underbrush and trails have been taken over by green briar. We have work planned with our summer interns and local volunteers to reestablish the trails present on the property and establish a pollinator garden with bee hives. We look forward to improving this property for the benefit of the local community and future generations. 
 
--Geoffrey Nichols, Old Dominion Land Conservancy

Our guest blog comes from friend of the fest/sponsor Rick Oxner, founder and owner of Warm Peet, the sock company with a heart. 100% of Warm Peet's profits go to mental health and nature conservation nonprofits (like ours!). Rick and Warm Peet will be joining us at the festival again this year.

Here we are, just days from Tax Day—and I am just getting started! The phrase, "I’d rather be hiking," has never been more relevant.

Speaking of hiking, last September–October, I section hiked on the Appalachian Trail from Great Barrington, MA, to Phillipstown, NY, approximately 110 miles, as part of my “Filling the Gaps” hiking tour. This tour is where I am going back and hiking small sections I skipped on my 2017 SOBO adventure for one reason or another. So, this one hike completed MA, CT and NY for me. Check!

Joining me was a friend from my Air Force days, Mike, and this was his first section of the A.T. It was great catching up with him, sharing my love of the A.T. and the outdoors, and learning more about him and his family. 

​This stretch was more difficult than I imagined, especially Connecticut—roughly one-half of the planned hike. This was probably due to the seven years that had passed, zero training and, well, it was hard…but stunning, none the less. The end of Massachusetts, southbound, seemed to lull me into thinking: OK, this is going to be an easy ten days out, then Connecticut, WHAM! Right in the forehead!

Some parts of this short section challenged me and would have seven years ago, as well. It was rugged with some climbs seeming to be vertical; many required all four extremities, and a few caused some expletives to make their way into nature's silence. Still, the views this time of year were stunning as the leaves were changing from their lush green summer hues to the kaleidoscope of a northeast fall. Stunning!
 
Part of my difficulties, I learned and acknowledged eventually, were my boots. I have worn the same make and model for many years and knew this pair were on their last leg. I had worn them extensively prior to this—both hiking and volunteering at a farm. But I told myself for that last 100 miles, eh, they would be fine.

By the time we made Pawling, NY, (our shower day and overnight), I knew they had to go, because my brain was focused on being finished and taking my boots off, spoiling any chance to really enjoy the hike. At Pawling, I got my Brooks Adrenaline 23s back and immediately felt like a new hiker!

We finished on October 2. It all seemed too short, a mere 10 days. This was an incredible stretch of the A.T. and I would highly recommend it, especially in the fall. Afterwards, I remained a little secluded at home trying to immerse myself back into the world that we were never far away from physically, but millions of miles away from mentally and emotionally. I can't wait for the next one. Maybe Mike will join me again, and we will continue the journey.

Oh, and if anyone was wondering, I wore one pair of Warm Peet OG Hiker Crew socks the entire time! Hope to see you out there someday—or at the festival on June 7th!

--Rick Oxner, Warm Peet

Thanks to Visit Loudoun, festival "Trailblazer" sponsor, for this shoutout in its  Loudoun "Must-Do Experiences" article:

Hike the Appalachian Trail
in its Centenary Year
2025 marks the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the non-profit that oversees the maintenance and conservation of the world-famous 2,200-mile trail that runs from Maine to Georgia. Loudoun is home to a spectacular 13-mile stretch of the AT known as The Rollercoaster, a swooping, rocky hike along the spine of the Blue Ridge on the western border of the county.

Celebrate the 100th Anniversary with a short hike from Bears Den Overlook above historic Bluemont, opposite Bear Chase Brewing Co. The northern stretch from Bears Den across Route 7 takes you up and over rocky outcrops and boulders to the Blackburn Trail Center, a rustic 1910-built lodge and refreshment station north of the Town of Round Hill.

You can hike the trail year-round but a good time to visit in 2025 is June 7 for the Loudoun Appalachian Trail Festival. The festival celebrates the “trail towns” of Hillsboro, Round Hill and Bluemont.

Visit Loudoun article by Douglas Rogers.

We have great bands lined up! (More on this soon.) We have great speakers on board! (More on that, too.) We have another art show in the works! 

And, of course, all those family friendly activities: climbing wall, nature crafts, camping demos, pony rides and ice cream!

Also joining us as the festival: Appalachian Trail Conservancy, A.T. Museum, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, Virginia Master Naturalists and Gardeners, Blue Ridge PRISM, Sweet Run State Park, American Chestnut Foundation, Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains...and more great organizations working to protect all our green spaces.

To make all this happen, we count on volunteers (that could be you), sponsors (ISO more sponsors) and our online auction (now collecting donations). We would love to have you help with any of these—and we hope to see you all on June 7th at the Old Stone School grounds in Hillsboro, VA. 

Please send us all questions and suggestions—and get ready for Loudoun's biggest celebration of the A.T. and all the Great Outdoors. 

On October 5, we hosted a work day at Bears Den.  Caretaker Glen lined up projects and a happy band of volunteers came to get the work done. Together, we fixed up the entrance driveway, cleaned up trails and the overlook, stacked firewood, and repaired privy roofs and vents. And we got to connect with dozens of A.T. hikers and scouts to talk about the A.T. and the work of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC.) (Sad you missed this? Visit www.patc.net for more opportunities to get out and do some trail work!)

Hard to believe it's been almost four months since our fabulous fifth fest celebrating the Appalachian Trail here in Loudoun County, VA. And it's hard to believe, as well, that we haven't yet posted our thanks to all the attendees (some 2,000 of you), volunteers, sponsors, vendors, artists, musicians and eco-minded nonprofits who joined us. A belated, heartfelt thanks to you all.

It was such a feel-good time that we're going to do it again on June 7th, 2025. Want to get involved? We're a 100% volunteer team that puts on this celebration, and we'd love to have you join our team. Please get in touch; we'll find something fun for you to do.

What's in store for 2025? More tunes and trail talks. More nature crafts and family fun. You can meet professionals who oversee the A.T., volunteers who maintain the Trail and folks who hike it. Enjoy some brews and bites. Do a little shopping. Bid in the auction. Get inspired by A.T.-inspired art. We hope you'll join our 2025 celebration of the Appalachian Trail and all the Great Outdoors!

Pictures below courtesy of Kim Ramsey.

Long-distance hikers get hungry. They get blisters. They get thirsty (and not just for water). At some point during their hikes they're likely to yearn for breaks from backpacking, and they might want a ride into town to do laundry or charge a phone or eat a meal that someone else cooks or sleep in a nice, soft bed. 

People who reach out to thru-hikers are often called "trail angels," and they provide all sorts of "trail magic" to these hikers. That magic could come in the form of encouragement, a candy bar, a hotdog, a water refill, a bandaid and ibuprofen, a fresh apple or a ride.

Though well-intentioned, not all "trail magic" is truly magical. There can be unintended negative consequences when a good soul leaves an unattended cooler by the side of the trail. It's just as likely (more likely, actually) that wildlife will raid the cooler before a hiker finds it. Trash can be left on the trail, trash that volunteers have to haul out. Too many hikers congregating in one spot can be unhealthy and over-tax trail resources.

So, when we collect "trail magic" donations at the festival, we share all that magic with this year's crew of thru-hikers thoughtfully. We offer our collected donations directly to the hikers who choose to take a shuttle from Keys Gap, VA (Rte. 9) to join us at the festival on June 8th. And the rest goes to the caretakers of the Bears Den and Blackburn trail centers for safekeeping and distribution.

What could you donate to our festival to share with a thru-hiker?

Here's some of what hikers have told us they would love:

• Fresh fruit and veggies: clementines, apples, carrots, etc.
• Protein: small pouches of tuna, chicken or jerky
• Candy: Snickers Bars, Starburst and Skittles, etc.
• Foot/pain care: fresh socks, blister care, ibuprofen
• Cold drinks
• Small fuel cans and batteries
• Duck tape or tenacious tape
• Money for a meal in a trail town​ (maybe $20 in an envelope with a note)

Want to be an "angel"? You can drop off "trail magic" at the Loudoun A.T. Festival on June 8th—or anytime before then at the Round Hill Town Office (23 Main St.) or the Old Stone School in Hillsboro (37098 Charlestown Pike) during office hours.

Want to know how you can best be a "trail angel" year round? Here's advice from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy on trail magic best practices:

How to Support Hikers, the Trail, and Local Communities
There are many ways to offer trail magic while supporting hikers, Trail communities, and protecting the Trail we all love. 

• Volunteer with an A.T. Trail-Maintaining Club or Trail Crew. The existence and health of the A.T. depends on volunteers. The most valuable and essential gift you can give to hikers is to help with Trail maintenance and volunteer recruitment.
• Hike the Trail carrying a bit of extra food, first aid supplies, and water (in sealed containers) to offer to hikers you may encounter on your hike (again, never leave food or drinks unattended). Novice hikers particularly may underestimate the amount of water they will need or forget to bring it altogether. 
• Pack out trash, which accumulates most at trailheads and shelters. Offer to take out a hiker’s trash, which helps lighten their packs (trash cans are rarely found along the A.T., and hikers often have to carry an ever-larger bag for days).
• Learn best Leave No Trace practices to help conserve the Trail.
• Patronize hiker-friendly businesses in A.T. Communities, especially those that are designated A.T. Community Supporters, to help keep the services they offer available for future hikers.
• Get involved with your local A.T. Community to help the town become more hiker-friendly or work with others in your town to set up a network of drivers to get hikers into and out of town.

P.S. from the Loudoun A.T. Festival: Three of those A.T. Communities you can get involved with are the communities that put on this festival--Round Hill, Hillsboro and Bluemont, VA.

Melinda Irby is one of five artists invited to share A.T. inspirations in our "Art of the Trail" show. As a child, Melinda grew up just miles from the A.T. in Bedford, Virginia, and her designs are inspired by hikes on the Trail. Melinda has section hiked all of the Trail in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. She's now a full-time artist, who still makes time to section hike and take her daughter on shorter hikes in the mountains. Here's a guest blog from Melinda:

The A.T. has opened my eyes up to all the small things in nature, especially the diversity of the Appalachian Mountains. Amazing summit views are definitely fantastic. But I've come to appreciate things like mosses, lichens, moths, butterflies, mushrooms and wildflowers—just as much as vistas. 
​
I’m still section hiking my way north. I’ve hiked half of the trail from Georgia to Harper’s Ferry. I hope to be a 2000-miler within the next five years. The most inspiring place on the trail for me so far is the Roan Highlands, where the 360-degree views, rhododendron and Grey’s lilies are like a magical paradise. 

My latest A.T.-inspired art creation is a 14x14" colored-pencil drawing of Charlie’s Bunion, a picturesque stone outcropping along the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina. I worked on it for three months, and I’m happy to say I'll have it on display at the festival.

My tips for drawing and hiking include keeping a nature journal. Journal art is meant to be done in an hour or two on trail—not a perfect masterpiece. You can do a more detailed piece of art at home. Be sure to include the time, date and location of all things observed on trail in your journal, too. It has become a valuable tool for my memory and identifying wildflowers. 

Meet Melinda at the festival; she'll be in the "Art of the Trail" gallery space from 12:30–1:30 on June 8th.

Welcome to new festival sponsor Catoctin Creek®. Founded by Becky and Scott Harris in 2009, Catoctin Creek was the first legal distillery in Loudoun County since before Prohibition. Virginia is the birthplace of American whiskey, and Becky and Scott faithfully dedicate themselves to that tradition, producing Virginia's most awarded whisky: Roundstone Rye!

"At Catoctin Creek, sustainability and supporting our local community have been baked into our company since day one," explains Scott. Their Catoctin Creek Hot Honey Rye, for instance, uses local honey from the Shenandoah Valley, and $1 from each bottle purchased is donated to local and national charities (like the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy) to protect the bees and foster natural habitats.

​Scott and Becky are no strangers to the Appalachian Trail. They've hiked sections of the A.T. since moving to the area 27 years ago. Their home is only five minutes from Bears Den, which is a favorite hiking spot for them. They also enjoy the hike to Raven's Rocks across Rte. 7. 

Thanks for supporting our festival and the A.T., Catoctin Creek®! (P.S. You can support the festival by bidding on a gift card for Catoctin Creek in our auction.)