[Tennessee Trails News] Reminder about the Southeast Foot Trails Conference in Pineville, KY, on May 7-9

[The Tennessee Trails List]

From: Carolyn Miller, Plateau Chapter

This is a reminder about the Southeast Foot Trails Conference in
Pineville, KY on May 7-9.

We really need people to get interested in this event.  Both TTA and CTC
will be involved and we really need a good turn out in order for the
event to be successful.

Deadline for room reservations (before they are released to the general
public) is April 8.

Here is some information about the event. More details available are
available at www.southeastfoottrails.org.

This biennial conference of the Southeastern Foot Trails Coalition will
be held in Kentucky over the weekend of May 7 - 10, 2009.  The
conference will be based at Pine Mountain State Resort Park near
Pineville, KY with some activities at Cumberland Gap National Historical
Park in Middlesboro, KY.

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

Members of hiking and trail building organizations from across the
southeastern United States and partners of the coalition will gather in
Kentucky for a weekend of hiking, education, fun and celebration of the
foot trails experience. Several guided hikes of varying length and
difficulty will be offered in both locations.  Simultaneously, at Pine
Mountain SRP, there will be a series of educational sessions of varying
length on tracks which address needs and interests of the coalition and
its members.  Social activities will provide opportunities to share in
fun with other participants and make new friends in the "trails
community".  Finally, we will celebrate "connections" with a ceremony
connecting two trails in the southeastern foot trails network.

HIKES

Follow the "Hiking Program" link on the SEFTC conference website to see
the hikes scheduled for the conference.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

Follow the "Educational Program" link on the SEFTC conference website to
see the Educational Tracks and individual sessions.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Time has been reserved in the evenings for social activities.  A square
dance is planned at Pine Mountain SRP on Friday evening.  Bobby Fulcher,
Manager of Cumberland Trail State Park will call the square dance with
music by local musicians. A cookout is planned at Hensley Settlement at
Cumberland Gap NHP on Saturday evening. This will be catered by
Cumberland Avenue Cafe. Tours and storytelling of the settlement and
Appalachian culture will be conducted by National Park Service staff and
volunteers.

TRAIL CEREMONY

A ceremony will be held at The Pinnacle Overlook at Cumberland Gap NHP
at 10 am on Friday, May 8th to recognize the collaborative efforts to
form a system of diverse trails in the southeast.  A trail project will
be performed during the conference to place an informational sign at
Tri-State Knob at the point where the Cumberland and Pine Mountain
trails meet.