AT Mentioned to Blacksburg Students

Something or other calling itself the Collegiate Times has an article by Drew Jackson titled "What to do outdoors, and where to do it!" under date of 30 March 2007.

It's written as if all the readers were at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, VA. Maybe they are.

Anyway, according to the article, "Teresa Martinez, trail programs manager for the Appalachian Trail Services, also described the Cascades National Recreation Trail as one of students' favorite outdoor destinations. The trail is part of the Jefferson National Forest and is accessed off 460 in Pembroke."

And: "The most accessible and most popular of all outdoor attractions is the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, the famous trail that stretches 2,170 miles from Maine to Georgia. 'The trail goes through 14 states and is maintained solely by volunteers,' Martinez said. Virginia possesses roughly a quarter of the Appalachian Trail, which is over 500 miles of the trail. However, none of these miles are in Montgomery County.

"'In our area the trail is in Giles, Bland, Craig, Botetourt and Roanoke counties,' Martinez said.

"'The AT offers folks an opportunity to get away from all the pressures of living as a student in town, the pressure of classes and classwork … You would basically get back to what was really fundamental in life, like walking, community and being in a natural place that helps you kind of ground yourself, and stay sane,' Martinez said. 'When you get out there, you have an opportunity to relax and do so in a way where you're not chained to your computer or cell phone.'"

Well!