Join FreeWalkers on Oct. 11 on Lenape Trail
FREEWALKERS TO WALK 34 MILES ON COLUMBUS DAY
Public Invited to Join “The Origins Walk – LENAPE34” from Millburn to Penn Station Newark on October 11th
The long distance walking group called the FreeWalkers has declared its next challenge – hiking the entire 34 miles of the Lenape Trail from Millburn to Newark on Monday, October 11, the official Columbus Day holiday this year. This natural-to-urban walk goes through three reservations, several county parks, and nearly a dozen towns. The walk supports both the Essex County trail revitalization effort, as well as the project to complete the Liberty Water Gap Trail (LGWT) – a 130-mile public accessible trail across the entire state. The Columbus Day walk was themed “The Origins Walk” because it commemorates our true origins – both the discovery of our land and the original natives who inhabited it for centuries before.
The Lenape Trail was established over 30 years ago by Al Kent, a now-retired trail coordinator who wanted the public to experience as many natural resources and points of interest in Essex County as he could by connecting them through a trail that traverses towns, parks, woodlands, residential areas and cities along the way. Steve Marano, the revitalization Project Director, has led recent efforts to improve both the Lenape and the LGWT, working closely with Essex County Parks and the NY-NJ Trail Conference. Marano sees a unique opportunity to promote existing recreational resources, while helping Al Kent achieve his goal. “For both projects, we have existing land and trail resources,” noted Marano. “All we need is a concerted effort to manage what we have and make the public more aware of these unique resources.”
Paul Kiczek, of Morristown, NJ, recently formed the FreeWalkers based on the success of “The Big Walk NJ2NY50” which was a one-day 50-mile walk from Iselin to New York City last May 23rd in support of the East Coast Greenway (ECG) trail. “We had over 70 participants walking that day and helped raise funds for the ECG. While not all walkers completed the full 50 miles, the feedback we got was that it was a tremendously rewarding experience for everyone on
a personal level.”, said Kiczek.
The FreeWalkers promote long distance walks that are open to the general public. While the walks are usually of a challenging distance, there are always opportunities to walk shorter segments. All walkers are encouraged to walk with the group, regardless of the number of miles they choose to walk. Events are free, and participants are encouraged to learn more at the event’s website http://lenape34.org or by signing up for the event online at http://freewalkers.org.
Contact: Paul Kiczek, FreeWalkers Project Leader
Cell Phone: 973-214-1811 Aug. 22, 2010
Email: paul@LENAPE34.org
###
The Origins Walk – LENAPE34 is an independently organized distance walking event which is supported by the Liberty Water Gap Trail (http://libertygap.org). For more info on LWGT, contact Steve Marano, Lenape Trail Revitalization Project Director, 973-768-1095, steve@libertygap.org.