Sunday, December 28, 2014

Tom Thwaites

Trails don't just happen; they need people to nurture them into existence. Tom Thwaites, Father of the Mid State Trail, died on Christmas. The Mid State Trail is the wildest trail in Pennsylvania and is an integral part of the Great Eastern Trail.

I never met Tom Thwaites in real life, but hiking the Mid State Trail felt a little bit like meeting him.  Trail creators, builders, and maintainers leave their fingerprints on their trails; they weave their hearts into the trails they love.  No, I never met him, but nevertheless, maybe I knew him.

Hike his Mid State Trail.  Better yet, volunteer on the trail to help maintain his legacy. Best still, volunteer and join the organization for just $12/year.  And if you live nowhere near Pennsylvania, find your local trail and spend a day improving it. Please give back to the trails you love so that others may discover them too.

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