We are excited again to be offering a chance to get out in nature with the Covenant community. Two years ago we organized the inaugural Hike the Valley. It’s back this year as The Great Appalachian Trail Hike with some options for all! You may choose from 3 distances – 16 miles, 8 miles, or 3 miles along the Appalachian Trail through the Cumberland Valley – all terminating in Boiling Springs at Anile’s Pizza for some good food and fellowship.
Who? Anyone who wants to get a good night sleep!
What? A great opportunity to spend the day getting to know others in the Covenant community!
When? Saturday, October 28, 2017 – starting time will depend on your distance
Why? To raise money for Covenant and build community!
How? To sign up, email Jon Yawger.
We have an established link through Crowdrise.com for each family to create an account and seek donations to support Covenant Christian Academy. Our goal this year is to raise $3,500 to provide something for our students to make their school day more enjoyable!
What should you do next?
- Choose a distance. The 8 mile and 3 mile distances are much easier in terms of elevation change. The 16 mile distance has a significant climb. Scroll down to view the attached map of the distances. Once you have chosen a distance, please communicate your intent to Jon Yawger, and you will receive more specific directions about where to meet and begin your hike.
- Set up your fundraising page on Crowdrise.com.
- Consider who you will invite to support you in The Great Appalachian Trail Hike and encourage a pledge through your Crowdrise page or directly to Covenant, earmarking it for the hike.
What to plan and prepare?
Please note: While there will be aid stations and water stops along the way, this is a non-supervised activity over long stretches of trail. Each participant must consider their own ability and be responsible for their own health and safety. Grammar school students must hike with a responsible adult.
- We will have aid stations/water stops approximately every 5 miles to allow you to refill your bottle(s) and pick up some fun treats.
- Depending on your distance, planning to carry some food (granola bars, PB&J, trail mix, etc.) would serve you well in fueling your body along the way.
- The weather has the potential to be pretty chilly in late October, but could also warm up as the sun rises. We recommend that you dress in layers of clothing made of synthetic material (synthetic materials maintain thermal properties even if they get wet). This will allow you to remove layers as you warm up.
- Depending on the weather, light rain gear is recommended.
- The trail is pretty rocky in some sections (particularly if you are planning to do the 16 miles), so sturdy shoes are recommended. Hiking boots would work best, but supportive sneakers would also be fine. The shorter two distances are mostly dirt and leaf covered trails.
- We hope for each family/group to be carrying a cell phone. In the event of an emergency or if the distance chosen proves to be too much, we can make arrangements to shuttle you to Boiling Springs.
- You will be responsible for shuttling to your starting point to recover your own vehicle. As we determine who is signed up, we can assist in the process of connecting with others hiking the same distance to aid in this process.
Distance Options
Click here to view maps and elevation changes for the following distance options.
16 Mile Route — Along the AT from Rt. 850 (Valley Rd.) to Boiling Springs
This will be a 7:00AM start time – hoping to arrive in Boiling Springs at approximately 1:30PM.
8 Mile Route — Along the AT from Stoney Ridge Park (50 Bernheisel Bridge Rd. Carlisle, PA) to Boiling Springs
This will be a 10:00AM start time – hoping to arrive in Boiling Springs at approximately 1:30PM.
3 Mile Route — Along the AT from Lisburn Rd. (Mechanicsburg) to Boiling Springs
This will be a 12:00PM start time – hoping to arrive in Boiling Springs at approximately 1:30PM.
Thank you in advance for joining in this opportunity for community building!
Any questions that you have, contact Jon Yawger at jyawger@hotmail.com.
