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Segment 3, May 13th, 2023
For over thirty-five years-Fix It Man-has held court in Damascus, VA, the week after Mother’s Day, to help AT Thru-Hikers patch, fix, & encourage their outdoor gear to continue the trek to the end.
Allyn Morton is with Eastern Outdoor Sales representing Big Agnes, Crazy Creek, & Bertucci watches but he is also the unofficial mayor of Appalachian Trail Days. His endearing trail names comes from his volunteering to help the hikers that come to the festival.
He’s seen outdoor equipment change from heavier canvases & steel frames on backpacks to lightweight nylons & carbon fiber. He’s also seen hiking boots go from being 4 pounds of heavy leather to now being practically outdoor running shoes.
There are over twenty-thousand people in the hiking community that descend on Damascus on May 18-21, 2023. The visitors are made up of people that are attempting a 2023 Thru-Hike, a reunion of those who have hiked it before, & thousands of AT volunteers and supporters of the trail.
Games, speakers, raffles, performances, & games are all a part of this festival. Although Morton states that the stars (Robert Redford & Nick Nolte) of the feature film, A Walk in the Woods, based on the Bill Bryson book of the same name, haven’t made an appearance.
Here’s the full schedule of events at Appalachian Trail Days 2023
The Carolina Outdoors host wore his On Cloud shoes in Charlotte during this interview to represent the fast hikers & then changed over to Asolo Hiking boots in Charlotte half-way through the interview.