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Tales from the Trail: January 2012
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Your monthly news from PCF
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January Quote
 "If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere."
-Vincent Van Gogh
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 If you have pictures of the trail that you would like to share, please email them to us or post them on our Facebook page. |
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Wish List
Maintaining the Palmetto Trail is a huge task and our trail coordinators do a great job. Having the proper tools, however, makes their work much easier. If you would like to donate anything on our wishlist, please contact our office at (803) 771-0870. We appreciate your help!
Wish List:
Chain Saw Winch
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Where's Scot? Help us track the Palmetto Trail thru-hiker!
 Thru-hiker and outdoor enthusiast Scot Ward is currently hiking the entire Palmetto Trail and creating a manual for thru-hikers.
Despite the Palmetto Trail's disconnected sections, Ward is determined to make it across the state and fill in the gaps with alternate, back-road routes. He will use his experiences to write a guide which will help those interested in thru-hiking the trail before it is completed. The guide will include detailed route information with places to stay, eat and stock up on supplies.
The Spartanburg Herald-Journal recently published an excellent article about Scot and his journey. You can read that article here.
Scot began his trip on Nov. 8, 2012 at the Upstate trail terminus in Oconee State Park. You can see his progress under the "Where is Scot?" feature on PCF's website here.
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Scot has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Colorado Trail. He has even completed N.C.'s Mountains to Sea Trail five times, including once on a skateboard.
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In support of Scot's journey, we encourage you to put on your hiking boots and find Scot on the trail. We'd love to hear your stories about your experiences hiking and see the pictures you take. If you'd like to submit pictures and stories, please do so on PCF's Facebook page.
Scot just made it to the Awendaw Passage and should be finishing up his journey shortly.
If you'd like to hike with Scot, even just a short distance, he would love the company. For more information about how to join up with him, please contact Katherine Anderson at (803) 771-0870 or via email at kanderson@palmettoconservation.org.
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The next Handlebar Happy
Hour is January 9th
Meet and mingle with other bicyclists while discussing ways to make Columbia more bicycle and pedestrian friendly
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) and PCF have organized Handlebar Happy Hour, a series of family friendly gatherings meant to foster open, relaxed discussion about topics the bicycling and pedestrian community faces on a local and statewide level.
This ongoing program, held the second Wednesday of the month, provides a place for anyone to openly voice their thoughts on the topics concerning bicyclists and pedestrians in the Columbia community. Publick House Restaurant will host the next of these events on Wednesday, Jan. 9 from 6-8 p.m.
Publick House, located at 2307 Devine Street, will offer free raw fries, wings, and celery with blue cheese for any participants who arrive on bicycle or foot. Free drinks will also be available while supplies last.
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Publick House has generously offered to let us host Handlebar Happy Hour at the Devine Street location.
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This month, Jeremy Grant from Green Drinks Columbia, a program of Keep the Midlands Beautiful, will be on hand to discuss the mission of the Green Drinks program.
 Bicyclists and pedestrians are encouraged to travel individually or in groups, and for those interested in riding with others to the event, there are several group rides available to choose from. Please check PCF's website and Facebook page for information about these rides. For any questions about this event, please contact Meredith Walker at PCF's office at (803) 771-0870 or via email at mwalker@palmettoconservation.org.
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Learn about wilderness
first aid at GOLS
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Participants of last year's class came away with a wide array of wilderness first aid skills.
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Wilderness First Aid Course
Glendale Outdoor Leadership School
Thursday, Jan. 10 & Friday, Jan. 11, 2013
GOLS is once again holding the popular 16-hour Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course. This class provides entry-level training for outdoor enthusiasts in preparation of outdoor trips. This is the perfect course for the outdoor enthusiast or trip leader who wants a basic level of first aid training for short trips with family, friends and outdoor groups. It also meets the ACA guidelines. The WFA course covers topics ranging from preparation and prevention of injuries to assessment and treatment.
The course will be taught by Nantahala Outdoor Center/SOLO Southeast staff. Each instructor has extensive outdoor experience and has been selected for his or her teaching skills and expertise in emergency medicine and rescue.
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Skills taught in this course will range from injury prevention and simple wounds to treatment of orthopedic injuries like breaks and fractures.
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The class will cost $185 which includes 16 hours of training, class materials and lunch. It's $20 extra for the CPR class. Lodging is available at GOLS for $15/person/night.
For more information, look online here.
The course will be held at the Glendale Outdoor Leadership School (GOLS) in Glendale, S.C. GOLS is located seven miles outside of Spartanburg. Click here for directions. Class space is limited. To sign up for this class, please call (803) 771-0870.
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PCF executive director nominated for TWIN Award
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Pictured (left to right): Sharon Bramlett, president of Palmetto Center for Women; Wendy Broderick, executive director of Palmetto Center for Women; Natalie Britt, executive director of PCF; S.C. Governor Nikki Haley.
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Congratulations to PCF Executive Director Natalie Cappuccio Britt on her recent nomination for the Palmetto Center for Women's Tribute to Women in Industry (TWIN) Award. Her hard work and determination have distinguished her as a leader and role model in the Columbia community. Bravo, Natalie!
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Meredith Walker joins PCF as communications director
 We are pleased to announce that Meredith Walker will be joining PCF this month as our new communications director. Meredith has been interning with PCF since summer 2011 and just graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in public relations. Meredith is an Aiken, SC native who grew up hiking, camping and enjoying the great outdoors with her family. She is also newly engaged to Patrick, a staff geologist for Midlands Environmental Consultants in Lexington. Welcome, Meredith! We're glad to have you on board. A note from Meredith: "My work at PCF so far has been very rewarding, and I look forward to continuing to make a difference in our state with the Palmetto Trail and all of the other amazing things we do here. 2012 was a big year for me, and I'm very excited to start this new chapter in my life." |
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June 1 is National Trails Day
 According to American Hiking Society's website, "Trails do not just magically appear for our enjoyment; it takes many hours of planning, labor and negotiating to develop them. National Trails Day, the only nationwide celebration of trails, increases awareness of trails and celebrates the hard work and support of many people and partners -- including volunteers, land agencies and outdoor minded businesses. It is also a day to introduce people to the many joys and benefits of trails."
Celebrate the Palmetto Trail with PCF on June 1, 2013 as we hike, bike, paddle and camp at Poinsett State Park in Sumter, SC. Look for more details about this year's festivities in future newsletters.
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Stop by the PCF booth at SEWE 2013 this February
 Feb. 15-17, PCF will host a booth at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) in Charleston, S.C. Now in its 31st year, SEWE has grown to be the largest event of its kind in the nation, attracting over 500 artists and exhibitors from around the globe who present their offerings to over 40,000 attendees. A three-day celebration of nature that has earned a reputation for excellence, SEWE now hosts the world's foremost experts in wildlife and nature art, as well as conservation research and environmental education SEWE has always been a great experience for PCF and our staff, and we look forward to seeing some of you there! For more information about SEWE 2013, click here. |
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Mark your calendars for the 2013 Palmetto Trail Challenge!
 The annual Palmetto Trail Challenge is a walking/biking contest designed to get people active and healthy. Partners team up and log as many miles as they can during the 15 week period. Teams compete against one another in the same category, and team miles are logged and turned in each week. The 2013 dates for the challenge are March 4 - June 16. Look for rules and more information about how to sign up for the 2013 Palmetto Trail Challenge in next month's newsletter. |
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PCF to celebrate 20 years of the Palmetto Trail in 2014
 In 2014, PCF will celebrate 20 years of the Palmetto Trail. To mark this milestone, we are hosting a celebration of the trail on Facebook. In order to start the celebration early, every other week we will feature a different passage of the Trail with fun facts, trip suggestions, pictures and more to highlight the unique qualities of every section. We will also ask our Facebook friends to submit their pictures of the featured section as part of an ongoing photo contest. Our staff will vote on the best picture for each section and the winner will receive a free PCF membership. At the end of the year, all the winning photos will be entered into a larger photo contest, and that winner will receive a special prize pack. You can find PCF's Facebook page here. Get your best photos ready as we prepare to celebrate 20 years of the Palmetto Trail! |
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Outings this month
 Ladies' Hike with Rock Climbing
Saturday, Jan. 12
10:30 am
Glendale Outdoor Leadership School (GOLS)
Enjoy the New Year in Spartanburg with a full morning of rock climbing at GOLS followed by a picnic lunch and hike on the Mary Black Rail Trail. This outing will be perfect for rock climbing newcomers as we will have trained staff available to guide participants. After climbing and lunch, we will shuttle to the Hub City Connector to hike the Mary Black Rail Trail. We will meet at GOLS at 10:30 a.m., and lunch will be served at 1 p.m. Click here for directions to GOLS.
The cost for this trip is $15, which includes rock climbing and lunch. Please pay by check or cash. To sign up for this trip, contact Katherine Anderson at kanderson@palmettoconservation.org or via phone at (803) 771-0870.
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Pinterest Picks
Check out some of our favorite pins this month. | |
A great mantra to start 2013!
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One of the best parts of winter is seeing those beautiful red cardinals perched in the trees.
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Beautiful winter hike in Scotland.
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Become a PCF Member Today!
A membership to PCF comes with great benefits, including discounts at local outfitters and special rates on PCF events. Your membership dollars will go towards building and maintaining the Palmetto Trail. Click here to become a member!
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Contact Info
722 King Street
Columbia, SC 29205
(803) 771-0870
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