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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.
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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.

Tents aren't the only way to camp. Just ask friend-of-the-fest Don Gravatt of Jacks R Better, purveyor of camping hammocks, hammock quilts and other  backpacking gear. Hammocks have the advantage of being light-weight and easily packable, and they get you off the ground.

Key to comfort, Don says, is picking the right sleeping quilt. (And these quilts perform whether you're hammock or tent camping.)

"Quilts offer a unique way to stay cozy while sleeping outdoors," Don explains. "They are lighter and more compact than sleeping bags, making them easier to carry on long hikes and backpacking trips. They also allow for more customization, as users can adjust the amount of insulation based on their personal preferences and the weather conditions."

Don practices what he preaches. An experienced backpacker, his recent hammock camping trips have included section hiking the A.T. in Pennsylvania, camping in Ohio to view the eclipse and attending HangCon in Florida.
 
Jacks R Better will showcase some new products at the festival, including:

• 1000-Fill Power Ultralight Backpacking Quilts designed for thru-hikers.  
• Alpha Direct Summer Blanket/Quilt Liner. Stand-alone warmth down to 50° weighing only 7 ounces! 

And you can support the festival by bidding on a Jacks R Better Shenandoah Summer Quilt in our auction.

​Old Dominion Land Conservancy returns this year as a sponsor of our festival. (Thanks!) In this guest blog, ODLC's Geoffrey Nichols tells us about their work to protect Virginia’s land and waterways for future generations.


Are you looking to conserve rural land in Virginia? That's where Old Dominion Land Conservancy (ODLC) plays a part. ODLC works with landowners to protect important Virginia resources in perpetuity via conservation easement or land donations. ODLC partners with landowners who are interested in preserving their farmland, forest, wetlands and scenic assets—such as the Appalachian Trail viewshed. 

“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 more than 2,000 acres of land in Loudoun County with conservation easements. More than 1,100 acres of that land was in active agricultural use, helping to support everything from legacy cattle farms to the growing wineries in Loudoun. In addition to this, projects completed in 2023 have enabled ODLC to protect in perpetuity almost seven miles of Potomac River frontage and portions of many key tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay watershed throughout Northern Virginia.
 
Under the leadership and guidance of ODLC, more than 20,000 acres of land have been successfully designated and preserved in conservancy.

Today's guest post comes from Carol Lenhart of Birch Hollow Yoga in Hillsboro. Birch Hollow is a sponsor of the festival—and you can bid on a package in our auction to get yourself set up to begin your own yoga practice!


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.

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

Meadows Farms Nurseries has been a major sponsor of our A.T. Festival from the start. We asked owner Jay Meadows about his connection to Loudoun and our A.T. Festival. Here's what he had to say:

I have lived in Loudoun since 1972. I grew up in Sterling and graduated from Broad Run High School in 1979. We raised our kids in Ashburn—and, now, my wife Doreen and I are empty nesters in Round Hill. So, I have worked my way across the county over the last 50 years. My family owns Meadows Farms Nurseries, and we've been doing business in Loudoun all that time.

I love the county and have enjoyed all it offers over the years. Great commerce, great sports, great schools, great people and wonderful opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. I love western Loudoun with its open spaces allowing me to own a little bit of land for hunting, fishing and gardening. 

Beyond my own home, I have a great appreciation for our local mountains and waterways. I love to kayak fish for smallmouth bass on the Shenandoah. Doreen and I like to hike—most notably we get out to the Thompson Wildlife Area every spring to view the trillium bloom. It is wonderful.

We got involved with the original Round Hill Appalachian Trail Festival because it sounded like a worthwhile event to us. Living in Round Hill, we are interested in preserving the countryside all around us. The A.T. is a big part of that.
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In addition to being sponsors, we've been able to attend the festival most years. It's fun running into people we know, listening to the music, checking out the vendors and soaking up all the cool vibe.

• Thru-hikers Devin and Di know what they wished they'd had on the trail: a tasty, protein-packed, energy-boosting, light-weight snack. So, they're making their dream a reality for this year's long-distance hikers by introducing "Double D's DIRT," a shredded pork jerky. Double D's DIRT joins us at our A.T. Festival as a sponsor and vendor. We asked them about their A.T. experience and their new business.

​What inspired you two to thru-hike the A.T.?
We both grew up in the Carolinas, and the Appalachian Trail was on each of our bucket lists for a long time. Devin is an Eagle Scout who grew up hiking sections of the A.T. with scouts and friends. While attending school in NY he hiked the PA, NJ and NY sections of the Trail and vowed to thru-hike one-day. Di hiked sections of NC/TN as a student and parts of NY when she was living in the city. The opportunity to thru-hike presented itself in 2022, and we jumped on the adventure!

Trail names?
Our joint trail name is "Double Ds." It was given to us by a shuttle driver and retired Amicalola ranger, Ron, who saved us from a snow storm the first week of our hike.

A trail story to share?
We were the beneficiaries of trail magic in the middle of Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness—TWICE!

We were really low on food about five days into the wilderness. We weren’t sure how we were going to make it to the other side. As we were walking, really hungry and trying to ration what little food we had left, we crossed paths with a ridge runner who was out for her last hike of the season. We told her about our situation and admitted we should have known better by this point in our hike. She was super understanding and just happened to have her truck parked a mile down the road full of food! She hooked us up with a big lunch and sent us on our way with a couple days' worth of food.

The next day we walked into a shelter for a lunch break. Two older couples sitting there immediately perked up and asked if we were thru-hikers. When we said yes, they were overjoyed. They had recently watched an A.T. documentary  and wanted to become "trail angels." They’d been waiting at the shelter all day, and we were the first hikers they’d seen! It was early October and they had decked out the shelter with jack-o’-lanterns full of candy. When we pointed out that the critters in the 100-Mile Wildness might be attracted by the candy, they decided we needed to pack it all out with us. So, we walked out of there with about ten pounds of candy, snacks, beer and TP. We forced all the hikers we saw to take all the candy they could carry!

In two days we went from almost no food to more than we could eat! Just more evidence that the Trail really does provide.

How has your time on the A.T. impacted your life in the two years since you hiked?
This experience will change you in ways you cannot prepare for. Post-trail depression is real, and our experience with it was severe. We found we're really over society. All we want to do is spend time outside with other folks who want to spend time outside. It feels great to return to the Trail and the community surrounding it. We’re weaving ourselves into the A.T. tapestry again this year, and it’s an incredible feeling.

What inspired you to start up Nomadd Life, your company behind Double Ds DIRT?
Nomadd Life actually started a couple years before our thru-hike when we were adventuring across the US and Mexico in our van, Lady.

Why is your product called DIRT? Will you be adding new products?
When you see it, you’ll get it! It looks a bit like dirt. But, we can guarantee that it’s the best DIRT you’ll find anywhere on Trail!

We didn’t officially introduce DIRT until mid-April this year. We hope to add new products next year including dried mushrooms, shrimp and a veggie blend. We're thinking about calling the veggie medley "Wabbit Food." 
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How are you getting DIRT in the hands of this year's hikers?
We’ve been doing trail magic up and down the trail, giving hikers “DIRTy” quesadillas. We’re also partnering with trail town restaurants to add a limited-time special on their menu, and we're working on getting into outfitters and hostels so hikers can pick up DIRT in their resupplies.

"Dig" some DIRT at the festival, and find more info on their new website: https://eatdddirt.com/.