The Cyber Trail Is Filling Up

A big Howdy and Hey Y’all to a large batch of new followers. In the past week my list of cyber hikers has nearly doubled and more are signing up every day. Newspaper articles are hitting local Virginia and Kentucky towns and my little walk is turning into quite the spectator sport.

I want to address an issue that has come up with my facebook page.  Facebook’s algorithms do not always allow my posts to be seen by everyone who has “liked” my page. A few have told me that they hit “like” on everything I post but facebook does not always notify them when a new post is available. The best solution is to sign up for email. I know not everyone wants to add another email to an already overflowing in-box, so the next best route is to check LostInTheWander.com often, especially starting March 9th.

With that business out of the way…..

I have received numerous messages from people who have ancestors that were pioneers somewhere along Boone Trace and they are having thoughts of walking in those bygone foot steps. I am confident that very soon a time will come where that can be done. Many organizations and towns are working behind the scenes and joining resources.  Boone Trace and the Wilderness Road will become a destination for approximately 47 million Americans to rediscover their family’s role in building our great country.   But we’re not there quite yet.

What will be happening beginning March 10th is a pilot project to rediscover portions of the trace that have been forgotten and see how they can be joined again as one continuous walk-able route. Givan Fox and my self are simply the “crash test dummies” who are taking the research from The Friends of Boone Trace and others to find some answers. Answers that only come with a backpack and many miles under foot.

It’s true that not every descendant of the pioneers have a desire to strap on a pack and get that close to nature, but the vision of preserving Boone Trace is to make opportunities for all levels of explorers. By following along with this journey I sense you folks have that spirit of rediscovery and hope to see you on the trace,  not in March, but when the preservation work is complete.

Many of you, my cyber hikers, don’t have a direct ancestral connection to the Appalachian area and are following for no other reason than a sense of adventure (or to see if I live). I want to encourage you to not just live vicariously through me but do some research yourself and discover where you came from. Begin somewhere like ancestory.com* and finish with your feet on a piece of ground where you have never been, but your DNA has.

In the meantime, keep an eye on your email, Facebook, Twitter and LostInTheWander.com so you can be with me through every rain storm and sunny day, every mountain ascent and river ford, and finally to that time when 200 miles are behind me and only a fort and my family are ahead of me.

Walk On,

Curtis

*promotional consideration has NOT been paid.