🌟 What an amazing day we had on May 10th at the Grand Hike! 🌲 It was such a fun gathering, bringing together old friends and new faces on the beautiful trails made by Champlain Area Trails. After the hike, we celebrated with amazing our partner Whallonsburg Grange Hall at Whitcomb's Arts with great food and even better company. A HUGE shoutout to the 450+ participants! Whether you walked 2 miles or went for the full 16, your energy and passion really brought our vision of connecting communities through trails to life. And we were lucky the rain held off—perfect hiking weather! ☀️ Thanks to all of you, we raised over $25,000 for trail building & maintenance, and land conservation. A big thank you to the towns of Lewis and Essex for welcoming our hikers, visitors, and locals from all over—NY, VT, MA, CT, FL, MT, CO, and even Hawaii! Your hospitality made everyone feel right at home. 🏡❤️ 📅 Save the date for next year’s Grand Hike on May 9th, 2026! We can’t wait for another adventure together! A massive THANK YOU to all our volunteers, sponsors, partners, and the generous landowners who helped make this event such a success. We couldn’t have done it without you! 💚 Special shoutout to these amazing sponsors and partners: - BearCom - Camp Dudley - Champlain National Bank - Chazy Westport Communications - College Auxiliary Services Valcour Inn & Boathouse - DaCy Meadow Farm - Dak Bar - Dannemora Federal Credit Union - Denton Bear Necessities - Dogwood Bread Company - The University of Vermont Health Network - Elizabethtown Community Hospital - Essex County, NY Fairgrounds - Essex Initiatives - Farmstead Catering at Echo Farm - Hudson Headwaters Health Network - Lomanto Provost Financial Advisors - OnPoint Bookkeeping - Pok-O-MacCready Camps - Pribble Excavating - River & Rails Market & Deli - Solace Cycles - Stewart's Shops - Strictly Business - The Mill - ADK - Triple Green Jade Farm - Village Meat Market - Waldron - Westport-Wadhams Community Alliance, NY - WWCA (fb)

🌄 Excited for the Grand Hike tomorrow! 🌧️ Rain or shine, it's going to be an incredible day on the trails! 🚨 IMPORTANT: Online registration is closed, but you can still sign up in person starting at 8:30 AM at Essex County Fairgrounds (3 Sisco Street, Westport, NY). Just swing by the CATS tent to sign your waiver and grab your t-shirt! 🕗 After check-in, we’ll shuttle you to the Twin Valleys Outdoor Education Center, where the hike kicks off at 10 AM. Dress in layers, wear waterproof boots, and bring some extra socks for comfort! ☕ Don’t forget to fuel up with coffee and breakfast sandwiches available for purchase at Twin Valleys—bring cash for convenience! 🎉 Celebrate your achievement at our Post-Hike Celebration at The Whallonsburg Grange from 2 PM to 7 PM. Enjoy delicious food from River and Rails Market & Deli and Farmstead Catering, check out art exhibits, and groove to live music from local artists until 7 PM. Buses will be running back to your car until then! 🌈 Can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow! The rain is clearing up, so get ready for a fantastic day outdoors! Thanks for being part of this amazing event! - The Crew at Champlain Area Trails #GrandHike #ChamplainAreaTrails #OutdoorAdventure #HikingFun (fb)