“A Walk in the Woods” movie hits theaters
A movie chronicling the adventure of a pair of middle-aged men attempting to hike the Appalachian Trail hits the theaters this week (Sept. 2), and Western North Carolina’s tourism and environmental groups are preparing for the impact.
The movie, “A Walk in the Woods,” stars Robert Redford and is based on a first-person book of the same name by Bill Bryson. It’s expected to produce a bumper crop of A.T. thru-hikers in 2016 and to spur tourism to the places mentioned in the book — Franklin, Fontana Lake and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park among them.
• A special screening of the movie will be held at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Carolina Cinemas in Asheville. Co-hosted by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Carolina Mountain Club, the showing will feature presentations from Morgan Sommerville, regional ATC director, and Lenny Bernstein, CMC president. Advance purchase of the $7 tickets is required. 828.254.3709.
• The Swain County Chamber of Commerce has launched a new web page showcasing some of the best area day hikes for visitors wanting their own “walk in the woods.” www.greatsmokies.com/appalachian-trail.html.
• The Appalachian Trail Club has posted a series of funny, one-minute videos promoting low-impact enjoyment of the outdoors, a set of ethics known as Leave No Trace. The reel of 17 videos is online at http://bit.ly/1Ubwhmp.
• A social media movement called #ProtectYourTrail is designed to encourage trail users to show how they’re helping to preserve the A.T. The idea is to use the hashtag to mark photos on social media showing trail protection.
