October’s Hurricane Helene laid waste to portions of the southeastern United States. Its sheer wind force and deadly floods left behind a path of destruction stretching more than 500 miles from Florida to the Southern Appalachians. Many of you reading this may have been personally affected by this enormous storm. But the majority of us watched spellbound to news reports about people in that region enduring the destruction. Months later, our attention has been turned to other dramatic news items and the plight of those in Helene’s wake is all but forgotten. My husband and I are fortunate enough to live within a few miles of the famed Appalachian National Scenic Trail—commonly known as the Appalachian Trail or simply “the A.T.” Completed in 1937, the A.T. is the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, measuring roughly 2,190 miles in length, which travels through 14 states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian Mountain Range. Being so close to the trail, our small town of Front Royal, Virginia, often plays host to thru-hikers— people who attempt to hike the entire footpath in Appalachian National Scenic Trail The aftermath of Hurricane Helene and beyond By Dixie Dee Whited
Hiker on the Appalachian Trail Shenandoah National Park
a single year. The town welcomes those intrepid hikers with open arms offering showers, lockers, mail drop, boot dryers, and laundry facilities, according to Kerry Barnhart, president of Vibrissa Beer, who spearheaded the creation of the Base Camp along with Mountain Trails, Down Home Bakery, and Vibrissa Beer. Front Royal has even been named the nation’s 15th official Appalachian Trail Community. According to Lizi Lewis, director of Tourism for Front Royal, in 2023, more than 1,000 thru-hikers formally checked in. Of course, that doesn’t count the number of hikers who failed to check in. During peak hiking times, the town trolley makes several round trips to the trail head daily. Because the trail is internationally known, it’s not surprising that there have been thru-hikers from 16 different countries and 45 U.S. states, says Barnhart. Her interest in the A.T. rubbed off on daughter Jenna Carroll, trail name Coach,
Fabulous view from the Trail in New Hampshire
APPALACHIAN NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SPRING 2025 | 7
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