If you know me, then you know the Mountains-to-Sea Trail has a special place in my heart. 

What you may not know is that the MST is celebrating its 43rd birthday this year! All throughout the month of September, we have been celebrating in a lots of fun and exciting ways! One of the"Birthday Challenges" this year was to complete the 43-Kilometer Challenge (approximately 26.7 miles to us non-metric types)- hiking 43k in a single day. Since I'm a glutton for punishment, I decided that it would be a good idea to hike 43-miles in a single day instead. And, while I'm at it, why not turn it into a fundraiser for the MST?

So, this Sunday, September 27, I am going to potentially hike 43-miles on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail from Beacon Heights to Highway 421 in Segment 5. This hike will take me through some of the most beautiful parts of the High Country- Beacon Heights, Stack Rock Creek, the Viaduct, Rough Ridge, Holloway Mountain, Price Park, Boone Fork, Trout Lake, Cone Manor, Thunderhill, Goshen Creek, the Enchanted Forest, Grandview, and Osborne Mountain (to name a few). My goal is to hike 1 mile for every $10 raised ($430 = 43 miles total). If ten of you fine folks chipped in $1 for every mile I'm hiking, then I'd hit that goal! Or, if 43 people each donated $10- goal reached!

There are two catches to this hike and fundraiser. 

The first catch (and you're going to like this one) is that every person who makes a donation will receive a free print of this image that I captured at sunrise on Monday along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail about 1/2 mile from my house.

The second catch (and this is just me being real) the thought of getting out and hiking 43-miles in a single day kind of scares me. I'm probably not in 43-mile shape. I'm tired. I'm unprepared. Etc. So, I'm going to hike 1 mile for every $10 raised. If we hit that $430 goal by Sunday morning, then I'll hike the full 43 miles! I know this is last minute and that doesn't leave much time, but as they say- nothing makes a person more productive than the last minute!

So, let's hit that goal so you all can watch me suffer my way through 43-miles on Sunday, September 27! I'll be posting hike updates throughout the day on the Mountains-to-Sea Trail Instagram Page

The Mountains-to-Sea Trail spans 1175 miles across North Carolina—meandering through small towns and historic sites, within national and state parks and on footpaths through places of astounding natural beauty.  From Clingmans Dome in the Smokies to Jockey's Ridge on the Outer Banks, the trail connects many natural and cultural gems.  Walking any or all of the MST is a path to experiencing the state in a whole new way.  

I ask you to help me give the MST a 43rd birthday gift that will support the ongoing work to build, maintain, protect and promote this special path.

You can give directly to my campaign by clicking on the donate button on the right side of this page. No gift is too big or too small!  

This year, the trail has provided respite and safe recreation when we needed it most,  and I invite you to experience the MST as a place of rejuvenation and exploration.  Learn about the MST and how to hike it here, or ask me about it.  

Happy 43rd to this wonderful community of trail stewards, volunteers, hikers, trail angels, dreamers and trailblazers!  Thank you for supporting my appreciation of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.