Long Trail Panel with Fjallraven and Halyard Brewing Co.

50 Church Street,Burlington VT 05401

05 November, 2021

Description

Come join us and meet local backpackers for a Q&A panel about through and section hiking the Long Trail! The Long Trail is a hiking trail located right here in Vermont, running the length of the state. It is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States, constructed between 1910 and 1930 by the Green Mountain Club. On the Long Trail, hikers encounter the best natural features Vermont has to offer, including pristine ponds, alpine sedge, hardwood forests, and swift streams. Known as the “footpath in the wilderness,” it is easy in few sections and rugged in most but a welcoming trail to all levels of hikers. Our panel will consist of 4 local backpackers who will share their tips, tricks, and experience hiking the Long Trail. We will go over a variety of questions including gear to bring, trail etiquette, and how to plan your own Long Trail adventure! The first portion of our event will focus on Q&A and getting to know our backpackers. For the second half we will have a mingling hour sponsored by Halyard Brewing. Attendees can engage with our backpackers, ask specific questions, and check out the gear Fjallraven has in store to assist in future adventures! In an effort to keep nature accessible to all all, donations for beverages will go directly to Green Mountain Club to keep the Long Trail maintained and protected. As a thank you for donating and participating Fjallraven will be offering a special discount in store to all attendees, just in time for the Holidays! We look forward to seeing your there! Learn a little about our backpackers before the event: Lizz Lach (she/her) hiked the Long Trail in July of 2018. It was an amazing challenge and opportunity to explore the place I call home and get to know the Green Mountains in a new way. My through-hike was my longest American-based backpacking adventure to date, a time when I could hone my skills and develop my own personal "style". I learned my hard skills from my time at UVM and during a NOLS course and appreciated the opportunity to adapt those skills to suit my trip. Hiking the Long Trail increased my love of Vermont and outdoor adventures, as well as increased my own confidence in myself. Sam Yang (he/him) started prepping for the Long Trail in Feb 2021 after falling in love with it on shorter hikes in COVID summer. I didn't grow up hiking, in fact, I am a typical city guy turned-into-hiker. Vermont dug out my love for hiking and backpacking. I came to the States 10 years ago from China. Besides working in education I am also a freelance photographer, commercial drone operator, personal trainer, and dog and cat dad. I am currently working at UVM as a student services coordinator. I NOBOed all the way to Rt 9 in June and sectioned another 50 miles or so in Central VT and Stowe over the summer. I enjoyed every minute on the trail and the peace it brought me." Jillian Leikauskas( she/her) is an epidemiologist and EMT who hiked the long trail before going back to school to become a nurse practitioner. She has been on the Camel's Hump Backcountry Rescue team for 6 years, and has served as captain and lieutenant. Her giant first aid kit on the Long Trail earned her the trail name eagle scout. Phil LaCroix (he/him) through “Ran” the Long Trail over 10 days in 2018 as part of a fundraising effort for a non-profit he helped create called Enough is Enough. They aim to raise awareness and funds for opioid sober housing and treatment centers in the state of Vermont, which has raised over $34,000 to date! I am a lover of all things mechanical and pretty much anything to do with the outdoors. I live in West Bolton with my wife Morgen, and 2 kiddos age 11 and soon to be 7. I am currently a Service Supervisor at The Outdoor Gear Exchange where I am able to keep people doing what I love to do which is stay active, and have fun doing so. Fjällräven was established in Sweden in 1960. For more than 60 years, Fjällräven has been inspiring folks to get outside and protect the environment we live in.