Hiking in Appalachia $325.00

A Brief Overview...

The group will spend their four days in the Highlands of Appalachia located in southwest Virginia, a region found within the Appalachian mountains. This trip is designed to expose the group to the beauty of Appalachia through day hikes and cultural experiences, while also addressing important issues that these areas face such as mountain top mining, deforestization and culture. The hikes in this region are ranked as some of the most spectacular along the Appalachian range. The group will visit places such as McAfee Knob, Angles Rest and Dragons Tooth.

Understanding the issues during your first few days can provoke opportunities for research and leadership in your classes when it comes to environmental issues, sustainable forestry, economic development, literature and complexity amongst social class. The group will hike 6-9 miles a day in order to see and appreciate how current practices can threaten this incredible culture of people and place. Gettysburg is only east of the Appalachian Mountains, which extends from Georgia through Canada.

General Information

During this trip, the group will camp in tents and will cook their own food on stoves. The group is staying on the grounds of Selu, a retreat center dedicated and developed to promote the understanding of Appalachia culture. The site will provide access to basic facilities and a pavillion. The group will travel from the site to different locations in the region.  

Facilitators

Cat Clarke Senior Japanese Studies Major Wilderness First Responder       BCU 2-Star Award                BCU Lifeguard Cat has a quick wit and an obvious passion for traveling and the outdoors.  Next semester she is traveling abroad to Japan.  She enjoys backpacking and hiking will bring a lot of character to this trip.

Tom Ellison Senior Political Science major Jarretsville, MD BCU 2 Star Kayak Award BCU Lifeguard Wilderness First Responder Tom, or "Big Tom" as we on staff like to call him, spends his summers in the quiet town of Jarretsville. With a unique sense of humor, Tom can turn any backcountry trip into an epic adventure.  He has lead a kayaking expedition in the Florida Everglades this past winer. When he is not watching reruns of Deadliest Catch on Discovery, you can usually find Tom in the outdoors causing some sort of mayhem.

Andrew Clark '10:

Management and Political Science major

Glen Allen, VA

Andrew loves a good challenge and encourages others to think critically and engage in difficult conversations through the example he sets. He has been an active member of eRace: Gettysburg Dialogue for Campus Unity and has motivated his fellow students to be actively involved in issues involving seniors through the Adams County Office for Aging. He is also a wonderful musician, playing Jazz in Dispatch.

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