TAKE THE CHALLENGE - HIKE THE TRACE E2E IN 1 YEAR!

The Sheltowee Trace Association, through its Adventure Program, is sponsoring monthly section hikes of The Trace that at the end of the year, will enable participants to have completed the entire Trace from Tennessee to Lewis County -Rowan County line.

What the Hiker Challenge is:

An opportunity for adults 18 and older, youth must be accompanied by parent, to hike 25 to 30 miles over the course of a weekend and in the end, have completly hiked the entire Trace.

An opportunity for the novice backpacker to team with more experienced hikers and learn the art of survival and conquering your fears and anxieties of being in the forest overnight.

An organized overnight weekend adventure where the STA coordinates start and stop points, campsites, and shuttles to and from the trail for participants for a small fee.

An opportunity to challenge yourself in a demanding environment, to see where your limits or endurance are, to overcome and succeed.


What the Hiker Challenge is not:

This is NOT a guided hike.  The STA Adventure Program enables you to get into the woods, hike at your own pace, seek assistance when needed from experienced backpackers who will hike along the Trace with you.

How many miles will you hike each weekend?  Do the math. 280 miles over 11 months equals about 25 miles each weekend.  But organizing these hikes also requires the Adventure Team to look at locations for getting on and off the Trace - meeting shuttles, parking, overnight camping locations.  So some months it will be almost 30 miles because of the logistics of the hike.
 
Participants will be required to show they have the proper equipment for winter hiking and present a completed equipment checklist to the hike leader. Individuals are responsible for their food, hiking gear, and transport to and from the trailhead.

 
If you missed a section, the STA will organize makeup hikes later in the year to enable you to earn the distinction of being a thruhiker of the Trace.

For more details stay in touch by visiting our Forum site - www.sheltoweetrace.org, our Facebook group or Fanpage, or send an email to the STA office, director@sheltoweetrace.org.

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STA 2013 HIKER CHALLENGE
REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS 
Three things you must do to get registered:

1). Send in the registration form - Click here to go to form!
2). Fill out the release of liability and mail it in or scan and send to                                             director@sheltoweetrace.org . 
3). Download the winter equipment checklist and fill it in as you get your gear together. 
4). Participants must fill out a release of liability to participate in the Hiker Challenge.    
Release of Liability PDF
Release of Liability Word

Hiker Challenge Equipment List for Jan, Feb, Mar

Equipment List PDF
Equipment List Word

You are responsible for your own safety.

Trail use has inherent risks. You may encounter a variety of unexpected and/or dangerous conditions. It is your responsibility to be informed and take precautions. Trail markers are placed to better orient the hiker and should be augmented with maps and guidebooks that are available for purchase from the STA or the DBNF.  Ticks are very abundant; precautions should be taken primarily from mid-March through mid-October. Poison ivy flourishes in many areas in the DBNF, please use caution. Properly treat all trailside water before consuming. Springs and or creeks may not be flowing during July, Aug., & Sept. Plan to bring water with you or cache water north of the I-75 trail crossing at exit 49 during all seasons.