by Dan Glass
In 1921, Benton Mackaye -- a forester, government analyst, and newspaper editor-- came up with a grand idea for a trail extending from New Hampshire to North Carolina, when he wrote the article “An Appalachian Trail: A Project in Regional Planning” in the Journal of the American Institute of Architects.
On March 3, 1925, the trail committee that was influenced by this work had enough steam to start a trail that would eventually be completed on August 14, 1937. The finished trail was slightly different than the one Mackaye proposed, as it went from Mount Oglethorpe, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. Nevertheless, its 2,000 miles offered many regional playgrounds until 1948, when Earl Shaffer of York, PA, walked WWII out of his system with the trail’s first reported thru-hike. Since that time, thousands of hikers of every gender, race, age, and ability have followed in his footsteps, in what has become a rite of passage for so many.
This March, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) will celebrate the trail’s 90th anniversary by inviting the public to bake Appalachian Trail (A.T.)-themed cakes! Cakes should relate to the A.T.; for example, participants may incorporate a particular scene on the Trail that inspires them, or include elements commonly found on the A.T. like shelters or wildlife.
Entries may be submitted virtually or in person during an event on Saturday, March 7 at the ATC Visitor Center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. To submit a virtual cake, upload a photo of the cake to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #ATC90th, or bring your cake to the ATC’s Visitor Center between 9 AM and 10 AM on March 7. To enter a cake in person, e-mail Anne Baker at abaker@appalachiantrail.org by March 5 with your full name, type of cake, and cake dimensions.
On March 7, the public will be invited to taste these delicious culinary delights at 2:30 PM. Cakes will be evaluated based on the categories of Best Tasting, Most Creative, and People's Choice, and prizes will be awarded at 3:30 PM.
“This fun opportunity allows everyone to participate as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy celebrates 90 years of protecting and managing the Appalachian Trail, one of the longest continually marked footpaths in the world," said Javier Folgar, director of Marketing and Communications for the ATC. "Together with our supporters and partners, we look forward to building on our successes and looking ahead to the future.”