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) or Harpers Ferry to join us at the festival. 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 7th—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.)

​








This guest blog comes from Visit Loudoun, sponsor and long-time friend of the fest. 

​TEN THINGS TO DO IN LOUDOUN
Loudoun is lucky to be home to a spectacular 13-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail, arguably the greatest hiking trail on earth. The fifth annual Loudoun Appalachian Trail Festival hosted by the “trail towns” of Hillsboro, Round Hill and Bluemont celebrates all-things A.T. in Loudoun. But while here for the fun, free event, why not explore a little further? Don’t miss these ten activities to do while in Loudoun.

VISIT A WINERY
Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Loudoun’s wine industry with a visit to one of our 50-plus wineries and tasting rooms. Venues close to the A.T. Festival include 2020 Governor’s Cup winner 868 Estate Vineyards and the scenic 400-acre  Doukénie Winery. On the slopes facing the Blue Ridge a little further west, you will find Hillsborough Winery, Brewery and Vineyard and the French Louisiana-style Breaux Vineyards. Closer to Purcellville is the modish tasting room of Walsh Family Wine and the rustic-chic tasting barn of Sunset Hills Vineyard.

GREAT COUNTRY FARMS
Featuring wagon rides, pick-your-own opportunities, putt-putt, farm animals, mining sluice, farm store and ‘roosteraunt’, Great Country Farms in the foothills of the Blue Ridge outside historic Bluemont immerses kids in Loudoun’s rich agricultural roots. For grown-ups, Henway Hard Cider artisanal cidery is right next door, while the same family also operates Bluemont Vineyard and Dirt Farm Brewing just up the hill.
​
VISIT HISTORIC TOWNS
Loudoun is home to several historic towns and villages that date back centuries. A short drive from Hillsboro on the banks of the Catoctin Creek is Waterford, founded by Quakers in 1733 and now a National Historic Landmark. Explore its immaculately preserved homes on a self-guided walking tour.

In southwest Loudoun, picturesque Middleburg, America’s horse and hunt country capital, dates back to 1728 when a fieldstone tavern was established by a cousin of George Washington. That tavern became the Red Fox Inn, still going strong today.

County seat Leesburg meanwhile was founded in 1758 at the crossroads of two Native American trails near the Potomac River. Its historic downtown is lined with handsome 18th- and 19th-century buildings repurposed as bars, breweries, shops and restaurants. The town is bookended by the historic mansions and grounds of Morven Park to the north and Oatlands Historic House and Gardens to the south.

GET AN ICE CREAM
It’s June and it’s hot—time to cool down with ice cream. Purcellville is home to the original Gruto’s Soft Serve, a buzzing hole-in-the-wall popular with local school kids, while Tipped Cow Creamery down the street features a dozen farm-fresh, artisanal flavors to suit purists. Further afield, Leesburg has its own branch of Gruto’s for soft serve, while European-style dessert house Mocatinas does craft ice cream in cones, cups, shakes and spectacular sundaes.

GO FOR A SWIM
If the ice cream doesn’t cool you down, a dip in cold water will. Among several wonderful public pools in Loudoun, Sterling’s Volcano Island Waterpark with its twisting slides connected to a huge central pool is chief among them. Your kids will also love the AV Symington Aquatics Center at Ida Lee Park and the slides and rides at Franklin Park pool in Purcellville. For something quieter and fairly close to the Festival, the Lovettsville Community Center pool has clear refreshing water, deck chairs to lounge on and a playground and tennis courts. Dive in!

BREWS WITH A VIEW
Hiking can make you thirsty. Among Loudoun’s 30+ craft breweries on the LoCo Ale Trail are a slate of gorgeous beer gardens with views as good as the brews. Bear Chase Brewing Co. on the crest of the Blue Ridge is a wildly popular tap room near the A.T. with acres of lawn dotted with firepits and Adirondack chairs.  Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery in Waterford is surrounded by farm fields. The owners make crisp clean European-style beers using almost all local ingredients. Out west, hilltop Harpers Ferry Brewing in far northwest Loudoun has spectacular views across the Potomac River of Harpers Ferry, WV. Try the summery, citrus-forward Potomac Pale Ale.

EXPLORE A MUSEUM
Loudoun has several landmark museums. The National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg is the nation’s leading resource on equestrian and outdoor pursuits. The Loudoun Museum, located in a log cabin in downtown Leesburg, tells the story of the county from its founding to the present day.  A short walk away, the George C. Marshall House at Dodona Manor is the home-turned-museum of the great statesman-general who drafted the Marshall Plan that rescued Europe after the war. Over in Sterling, eastern Loudoun, the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum tells the story of Loudoun’s rich agricultural heritage. Learn about “Bull of the Century”, Round Oak Apple Rag Elevation, and find out why George Washington called Loudoun “The Breadbasket of the Revolution.”

ANTIQUING IN LUCKETTS
Famous for its antique emporiums, little Lucketts on a stretch of Route 15 in northern Loudoun is bursting with eclectic treasures at its roadside vintage stores. Sift through rare antiques at tumbledown, multi-story curiosity shop Lucketts Store, pick up cool vintage home décor items at Rust & Feathers and browse eclectic furniture at On A Whim antique store.

VISIT A SPA
If a day hearing about hiking makes you tired, how about some rest and rejuvenation? Loudoun has its share of spas to get you feeling right. OmFLOAT in Ashburn specializes in therapeutic flotation therapy that assists sleep and relaxation, while King Spa in eastern Loudoun is a luxurious three-story complex (with heated rooftop pool) modeled on the traditional Jjim-Jil Bang spas of South Korea. Salamander Middleburg offers a unique range of treatments from water therapy to basalt steam rooms and hot stone massages. Then there’s Lansdowne Resort’s Asian-themed Spa Minérale, which offers therapeutic massages and bodywork including acupuncture and cupping.

BUSH TABERNACLE ROLLER RINK
If your hiking boots hurt your feet, why not try roller skates? This classic roller rink in nearby Purcellville is a throwback to the retro roller rinks of the 1950s. Rent a pair of skates or blades for a fun blast from the past. If skating is not your thing, check out if there’s a game at Fireman’s Field right next door, home to local collegiate strivers the Purcellville Cannons of the North Valley Baseball League.

Come to our festival to celebrate the A.T.—and stay to explore Loudoun County.