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Trail News: From the NC Mountains to the Sea
November 2009
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11 MILES AT FALLS LAKE DEDICATED AS MST
On October 24, NC State Parks officially dedicated 11 miles of trail built by FMST volunteers as a section of the MST.
 With the opening of the new section, hikers have their first real opportunity in the Triangle area for a two-night backpacking journey. Hikers can camp at the Rolling View State Recreation Area campground, travel 14 miles the next day to the Shinleaf State Recreation Area campground and then hike 20 miles to the Falls Dam. The newly-dedicated section goes from near Highway 50, along the Lake through the Rolling View Recreation Area to Little Lick Creek.
Bill Ross, former Secretary of the NC Department of Environment & Natural Resources, cut the ribbon to dedicate the trail along with Colonel Jefferson Ryscavage of the US Corps of Engineers and FMST Falls Lake Task Force leaders Jeff Brewer and Bruce Wisely.
Earlier in the day, FMST volunteers continued building more trail at Falls Lake in Durham County. The Raleigh News & Observer wrote about their work leading up to the trail dedication. You can also find photos of the event on FMST's facebook page. |
Thanks to all who helped celebrate the 2nd annual MST Month in October! Thirty-six events - hikes, backpacks, paddles, art auctions, bike rides, trail workdays and more - helped people enjoy the trail where it's been built and where it's planned for the future.
Participants explored land newly acquired for the trail in Guilford, Alamance and Johnston counties, and they hiked the new trail route in New Bern. They paddled and pedaled in the Coastal Plain and built new trail in the Mountains, Falls Lake and along the Eno River. They watched the sun set and the moon rise over from Black Balsalm in Haywood County and bought artwork painted on the trail in Clayton.
Almost 400 friends bought raffle tickets to raise money for the trail. Check out the list of lucky winners, and thank Great Outdoor Provision Co., Patagonia and Vasque who donated the great prizes.
Thanks to all who participated in MST Month 2009. We hope you'll join us again in 2010.
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FMST Task Force Leader Fred Dietrich and a hardy band of volunteers began construction of the MST at Eno River State Park in Durham County on Saturday, October 3. Fred and others have worked with State Parks, the NC Division of Water Quality, and Durham and Orange counties to gain approval for the trail. The route will eventually link existing trails into a continuous thread from Durham City's West Point on the Eno to the Town of Hillsborough's growing Riverwalk trail. E-mail 