Come On Down to L.A.

Come on down to L.A. (lower Alabama) in March for the annual AHTS conference! This is one of the largest gatherings of hikers, backpackers, and outdoor enthusiasts in the southeast and this year will be no exception.

All of us in the Gulf Coast chapter of the Alabama Hiking Trail Society are excited to be hosting the event this year at the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center in Spanish Fort, AL, right on the banks of the second largest river delta in the country - the Mobile-Tensaw Delta! The Delta is simply beautiful with its many bayous and remains virtually unchanged since botantist to the Queen William Bartram explored it in the 1700's!

The weekend is filling up with speakers on a wide variety of topics. Cliff Hardin (one of the nation's few Triple Crown hikers) will be there as will the founder of the International A.T. Dick Anderson. There will be hands-on demonstrations on orienteering, Leave No Trace, hikes, and much more (oh, and LOTS of food!)

We're also doing something different this year. We've added an Outdoor Writer's Round Table. Several authors will join us including two of the best (if not most prolific) writers Sandra Friend and Johnny Molloy, Curt Burdick ("Paddling Alabama"), Roger Reid ("Longleaf"), and Bob Pasquall (History of the CCC in Alabama.) They will talk about their books and the business of writing, answer questions, and sell and sign copies of their books.

It all happens March 6-7. All the information and registration info is on the conference website, www.hikealabama.org/conference.html. We hope to see you in L.A.!