W
hile working at
Georgia’s Clayton State
University near Atlanta, Joyce
Swofford and Martha Wicker
found they had a lot in com-
mon: Both enjoy biking, hik-
ing and skiing. In 2011, their
friendship and passion for the
outdoors blossomed into one
of the biggest undertakings of
their lives—to bike all 27 trails
in the Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy (RTC) Rail-Trail
Hall of Fame.
As these exemplary rail-
trails are located all around the
country, and several stretch
100 miles or more, this was
no easy feat. Says Swofford,
“When I get tired, I just think
of what my son, also a biker,
says: ‘Just push and pedal, push
and pedal; you can do it!’”
And indeed they can. By
the end of September, the two
friends, one turning 60 this
year and the other 69, will
have crossed off the last trail on
their list.
Both women had been
on some of the Hall of Fame
trails independently before,
but a chance conversation in
late 2010 set in motion the
concerted effort to do them all.
“While attending my uncle’s
funeral in West Virginia, my
cousin introduced me to a
member of her church who
told me about the Hall of
Fame trails,” Wicker says. “I
was so inspired
by his stories that
I researched the
trails when I got
back home and
convinced my
friend Joyce that
we should bike
all the Hall of
Fame trails in the
country.”
Unbeknownst
to the two friends,
the church-
member—Chris
Bracknell,
a 20-year
RTC member who lives in
Virginia—also wrote a letter to
RTC to announce the comple-
tion of his Hall of Fame trail
goal. During the interview pro-
cess for this story, the connec-
tion among the three of them
was revealed, and the trio hope
one day to meet for a ride.
With such diversity—
from New York City’s famed
High Line to the George S.
Mickelson Trail through South
Dakota’s Black Hills—the list
offers something for everyone.
Swofford, who favors rural
trails, especially liked the
Virginia Creeper Trail and
Missouri’s Katy Trail, which
transverses nearly the entire
state. Wicker, who loves tun-
nels, got a kick out of Idaho’s
Route of the Hiawatha, which
has nearly a dozen of them,
including the 1.6-mile-long
Taft Tunnel in the Bitterroot
Mountains.
“One thing about crossing
the country doing rail-trails is
that you see parts of the coun-
try that lots of people don’t
see,” Bracknell says. “Rail-trails
take you into these little towns
and away from big tourist
areas. You really get the feel of
where you are.”
For those who want to fol-
low in their footsteps, Swofford
recommends, “Plan in
advance, at least two months
ahead. Get trail maps, and find
out what hotels there are. Plan
your logistics and know where
you’re going. See how you can
group trails together, and do a
bunch at once.”
Bracknell seconds the need
for research and notes that he
uses
TrailLink.com
to plan
his trips, finding the firsthand
reviews from other travelers
especially helpful.
“We read a lot of blogs
from people who have ridden
on those trails,” Wicker adds.
“We like to mix ice cream
places with our trail riding, and
we find out about those on
blogs. One time we heard
about a creamery that was a
mile from the Little Miami
Scenic Trail, but we almost
missed that turn.” She says
with a laugh, “If we had, we
would have been devastated!”
The friends have their own
blog of their trail adventures at
georgiapedalpushers.word
press.com
.
“When you’re riding these
Hall of Fame trails, you see the
U.S. in a way that you couldn’t
in a car,” Wicker says. “It’s like
the whole rest of the world has
stopped, and you’re just back
to nature.”
When asked what he
would recommend travel-
ers pack for their trail trips,
Bracknell is quick to say,
“Definitely a camera!”
For more information
about RTC’s Rail-Trail Hall
of Fame, visit:
railstotrails.
org/halloffame
.
Share Your Trail Taleswith RTC
Facebook.com/railstotrails
Pinterest.com/railstotrails
Instagram.com/railstotrails
Twitter.com/railstotrails
Tackling the Rail-Trail Hall of Fame
By Laura Stark
courtesy chris bracknell
Courtesy martha wicker and joyce swofford
Chris Bracknell (right) explores
Alabama’s Chief Ladiga Trail.
Joyce Swofford (left) and MarthaWicker
(right) enjoy Vermont’s Island Line Rail Trail.
rails
to
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