T. Kelly

Mills Kelly (Col ’82 CM) has published Virginia’s Lost Appalachian Trail, a history of the original route of the Appalachian Trail in Virginia. The book tells the story of the founding of the trail, why 300 miles of trail moved 50 miles west to its current location, and how losing access to the trail impacted local communities on the Great Plateau of Southwest Virginia. When the trail moved, hikers lost the opportunity to hike over the Pinnacles of Dan, through Rock Castle Gorge, and to the summit of Farmer Mountain with its 360 degree views of the New River Valley. But they also lost the opportunity to cross the New River on a flat bottomed pole ferry named Redbird, to pass through the heartland of old time music in Virginia, and to stop for a while at events like Floyd Fest and the Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention. And the residents of the region missed the opportunity to meet those hikers from around the world — something they regret very much.