Sheltowee Questions

[Lyle]

No, the precursor route to the ADT was a hike called Hikanation, which was accomplished in 1980/81. Started in San Francisco, ended in Lewes, Delaware. It crossed Kentucky from Cave In Rock, through Summerset, Cumberland Falls, then into Virginia to pick up the AT in Damascus. The hike was sponsored by the American Hiking Society, Backpacker Magazine, and US Department of Interior. General Foods and Coleman also make contributions to the success of the hike. I believe it was 37 people who hiked at least 3/4 of the miles that year, 7 people hiked every step of the way.

The actual later developed ADT route was moved north in order to avoid following the AT through Virginia. Reese Lukei, who is on the Board of ADT, was our Virginia Coordinator for Hikanation, Eric Seaborg, the President of the ADT organization is the son of Glen Seaborg, who was our California Coordinator. Butch Henley (now deceased), long-time volunteer Executive Director of the ADT, was one of the Hikanation hikers, and a very good friend of mine.

Backpacker Magazine and American Hiking generally fail to recognize publicly the role Hikanation played, but it WAS the precursor hike.

[10-K]

I'm 138 miles into my sheltowee thru.... Sitting in McKee right now!

[Lyle]

Don't mean to belabor the point, but here is an article, written by a local Cumberland Falls reporter around the time that we had our 20th anniversary reunion at Cumberland Falls State Park. I just came across it today, and thought some of you may find it interesting.

http://hikanation.com/hikanation_art...imes-news.html

Over the years, I have hiked some other significant portions of the Sheltowhee Trace, and always found it extremely enjoyable and a worthwhile hike. Many thanks to those who continue to maintain and improve it.

[Siestita]

Thanks Lyle for the background concerning Hikanation. I remember reading about that at the time.

[Captain Bluebird]

My son and I trekked the ST through the Daniel Boone National Forrest last June. We could not have picked a hotter weekend for the excursion. We got off course twice. One was right after coming down Comer Ridge. The blaze was covered with ivy on the tree. The other was crossing the foot bridge over the Red River. We continued to follow the worn path up the steep hill. We returned to the bridge and noticed another obscured blaze indicating a sharp right turn. From the footbridge on, the ST was well marked!

[traildust]

the sheltowee runs basically north south. The great eastern route is hugging the cumberland gap / pine mountain corridor. We are in the constant process of attempting to connect the trace in the south to the Cumberland Trail in Tennessee which is a part of the Great Eastern Trail network. one day we envision folks on the GET able to head north on the Trace and connect in the North at Portsmouth with the North Country Trail.

[traildust]

Just to correct the record the Trace is now 319 miles ending now and for the foreseeable future at Burnt Mill Bridge in the Big South Fork.