Trails that Beckoned

Wayne Newton, hiker since youth, more motivated by retirement, trip leader for many years and story teller for the Appalachian Mountain Club will talk about some of the more than 12000 miles of trails he has followed.

The Long Trail runs south to north for 272 miles, the length of the state of Vermont. It is the oldest long-distance trail in the country, constructed in the early years of the twentieth century by the Green Mountain Club to promote stewardship of Vermont’s mountains. The Long Trail traverses most of the Green Mountains’ major peaks. About a third of it coincides with the AT. Wayne has hiked it.

The John Muir Trail starts in Yosemite National Park, and continues 215 miles through the Ansel Adams Wilderness, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and ends at the highest peak in continental United States, Mount Whitney at 14,496 ft. Yosemite National Park had its beginnings when it was first protected by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864. John Muir himself worked to enlarge and enhance the area and its protection. The park is now a World Heritage Site. Wayne has hiked it.

The Pacific Crest Trail runs from Mexico to Canada along the crest of the mountains in California, Oregon, and Washington. It begins at the Mexican border near Campo, California and ends at Manning Park in British Columbia, Canada. It was formally designated by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 although it had been under construction for thirty years prior to National Trails System Act. Wayne has hiked it.

The Appalachian Trail is our trail. It ends at Katahdin, 2186 miles from its beginning at Springer Mountain in Georgia, and was also formally established by the National Trails System Act. One section has been maintained by Wayne Newton for thirty five years. Wayne has hiked it four times.

Join AMC at 6:30 PM, Thursday, December 10
First Congregational Church, 35 Church St, Brewer ME.
Free and open to the public.