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Our first annual Trail Festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid but is rescheduled for April 2022. Georgia Mountain Trail Fest.

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Considering all things 2020, it was a fairly interesting year in Elkton. Even though Spring 2020 was fairly difficult, community members came out in full force to support small businesses by the summer and have continued to do so through late 2020 and early 2021. in Spring 2021, we received official AT Designation which has already been a huge draw for the community.

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Our year started slow but picked up towards the end of summer. By fall, it was difficult to find parking at some trailheads on weekends. Most all day hikers that I encountered were courteous and would step aside as others approached. Many had face masks in hand and covered up as people neared but very few hiked with masks on their face. Problems continue to be 1) Dogs off leash. 2) ATV's on woods roads leading to the AT. 3) Trash. All my presentations at local library and at service organizations were cancelled due to COVID-19.

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In 2020 we learned that our community can be innovative, with hosting a Virtual Trail Fest. Our Hike Hostel will be reactivated this year for thru hikers. Check out www.barefoothills.com/thruhiking for packages.

In the region as a whole, we have established the North Georgia AT Communities Network to better coordinate events, resources, and practices related to the AT and other trails here. We've had one quarterly meeting so far, and preparing for our next one on Thursday June 3rd, from 7-8pm over Zoom. Anyone involved in trails at any capacity in the region is welcome to join! Contact ATC North Georgia Community Coordinator Sarah Adams (saoyagiadams@gmail.com) for more information.

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Happy to have Sarah Adams in GA as Community coordinator.  We saw heavy day use in 2020 which was a challenge. Our AT Community (designated in 2011) used the downtime of 2020 to focus on planning to revitalize our AT Community Supporter program.  We have also been working on two AT Tag Grant funded programs related to the history of the AT in GA.
Trying to restart out youth outreach - Union County 4-H Club has a trip to the Len Foote Hike Inn scheduled in June. Sarah Adams and Joe Boone have been coordinating on posting trail-related events on Community Calendar.

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Tough year, but I am surprised at the coherence of these community connections and I have total faith that the recovery will be beautiful and fruitful!

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I'm proud of our region for pulling together despite challenges. We held a virtual AT walk and webinar series in lieu of our spring hiker festivals. I'm looking forward to working with Emily and Damascus more in the future. We will also be welcoming a paid intern to help us with Tennessee AT Community support! I'm excited for 2021! Let's go!

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Looking forward to the opening of the Damascus Trail Center and hopeful for Trail Days in 2021!

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Had a great and successful Trail Days 2021. Sold out of all Trail Days Shirts and even some from previous years.

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We work closely with the Giles County Tourism department in our county. We have been an AT Community since 2014. In 2020 I learned about the resilience of this community and how they can come together to make the best of a bad situation. For 2021 we have obtained a vacant creekside property in town and hope to have it rehabbed as an outdoor outfitter to attract more hikers to the area and assist them.

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We had a slow year in 2020 as most did, though it picked up toward the end of the summer. We had lots of section hikers. Looking forward to more hikers and hopefully more events in 2021, though we're in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment. Thank you for organizing this!

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2020 brought a tremendous amount of political controversy and upheaval that resulted in tremendous turnover in the town and county political and administrative landscape. The changes reinforced the need for our AT Community Committee to continually renew and establish relationships. For 2021, I Am looking forward to renewed engagement across the trail community to support and maintain the trail. Two big takeaways from 2020---need to continually build and foster relationships.  Our community has filled a void created by our political upheaval by partnering with other local community organizations.  Also, the Outdoors is ESSENTIAL!  Need to reinvest in the outdoors with education, facilities, staffing. Looking forward to using technology to continue virtual programming to engage the public and our corporate sponsors and realizing that virtual platforms allow us to reach further geographically.  Add to our Quest Shenandoah Program that provides self-guided quests for the public without endangering any of our community hike guides.  Happy trails!
Spring 2021 Update - we've added new Community Supporters including a new hiker hostel, Stumble Inn!  (up to 22 Community Supporters with more on the way!) With our new library partner, Handley Regional Library, our Third Thursdays, Exploring the Outdoors program continues to grow and gain popularity.   While the political upheaval in our town has brought some broken relationships, it has fostered new ones and a new outdoor management organization, Shenandoah Outdoors, has been born and will be working with all the outdoor folks to promote the area as an ODR-- harnessing our trails!!!

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Hope to host a designation in 2021 if it’s safe. Hosting an A.T. art show! Training leaders to lead hikes.

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Working to designate Brunswick officially. There are many trail maintainers who are working on the trail. Are creating educational materials for people and maintain a campsite for hikers with showers and amenities. 

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Working to designate Brunswick officially. There are many trail maintainers who are working on the trail. Are creating educational materials for people and maintain a campsite for hikers with showers and amenities.
We are currently planning to pursue the designation!

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Flip Flop Festival was cancelled. Tea Horse Hostel closed but hopefully will open under new ownership. Day use was very high. C&O Canal Trail turns 50 years old this year!

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Cancelled Mason-Dixon festival and other outdoor events. One person hosted a few local day hikes. Hope to have more outreach with local businesses to help support day hikers and let them know where to hike. Looking toward a festival in 2022.

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Sold “I hiked Hawk Rock” T-shirts and made over $500 in two days to support their festival (which is on hold). Will work with outfitters to match funds for the festival. Thru-hikers mostly don’t stay in the shelter and instead pitch tents next door.

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The trail runs right through our town, so we had so many more day visitors than any other summer. The town was overflowing with hikers. Parking lots were full by 9:00 am. The bus system for the national park and our trail could not run. The road to the parking lot was parked full so it was feared that if there was an emergency responders could not get to residents. Meetings were held and a plan was put in place to use our park and ride lots to park the hikers. Working with the National Park, Pocono Mountain visitors bureau, MCTA and Delaware Water Gap council signs were made and placed through town explaining where to park and how to get to trail head. Maps and guides were placed in the businesses to hand out to people so they would know where to go. This made an inviting situation instead of a contentious one. People felt welcomed in spite of the crowds. We did have to ticket cars unfortunately to keep everyone safe. I do believe that people went home with a positive feeling. We are hoping that people will choose Delaware Water Gap next summer for their hiking. Thru hikers were very few. Our hostel did have to remain closed. We now have a good motel as an alternative to the hostel. The ones that did come thru did get support in town. Our businesses had a busy summer even with the Covid restrictions. We believe that by working together we had a good summer.

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One of their hostels closed, still host hikers at the community center (not this year).

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Became an A.T. Community! Planning a virtual designation ceremony tentatively for June, 2021. Will be reopening rec center this year, to hold events and where hikers can get a shower.

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Saw some hardy thru-hikers, and had crowded trails with day hikers which they continue to educate on best practices. Hoping for some sort of educational, family-oriented event this fall if they can.

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Had a virtual designation ceremony on October 15, 2020 that went really well! An increase in thru-hikers is expected this summer.

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Hopeful for new ideas and people in 2021!

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Usually host hikers in their homes but were unable to this year. Hoping to host people in their homes this fall after everyone is vaccinated.

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Hanover is preparing to begin receiving hikers in about 15-30 days while also gearing up for a very busy Dartmouth graduation event in mid-June.  Everyone here remains nervous about new arrivals as we have been quite locked down for the past year.  It will be very important for hikers to continue to mask when they are in Hanover and maintain distancing as our mask ordinance is likely to remain in effect through the end of the summer.
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