INSIDE Community groups working to fight hunger in Goochland > page 2
Volume 66 Number 36 • Sept. 16, 2021
Trail blazer
Goochland man completes famed journey from Georgia to Maine in just 141 days
County theater group staging first play since COVID hiatus By Roslyn Ryan Editor
Contributed photo
Goochland’s Evan Smith, pictured here at the summit of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeastern United States, recently finished hiking the Appalachian Trail.
By Roslyn Ryan Editor
F
or nearly 90 percent of the passionate hikers who set out to complete the famed Appalachian Trail every year, a small sign located at Springer Mountain, Georgia marks the beginning of the trip. It’s where the journey of approximately 2,200 miles begins with a single step, where they say farewell to their old lives for the next several months and hope they managed to squeeze
everything they will need — but not an ounce more — into their trusty packs. For Goochland resident Evan Smith, it was also perhaps the one point in his own Appalachian Trail journey that he felt somewhat daunted. “My stomach just kind of dropped,” remembers Smith, 26, of the moment he fully realized just what the months spent preparing had been leading up to. Ahead of him on that morning last February, as he waved goodbye to his mother, lay an expanse of trail covering 14 states and terrain chal-
lenges that have foiled countless attempts since the trail was completed in 1937. Fortunately, Smith didn’t let any initial nerves delay his start, and just 141 days later he reached the northern most point of the trail, Mount Katahdin’s Baxter Peak in Piscataquis County, Maine. In doing so, he became one of the rare people who are able to say they thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail (those who complete the monumental task in stages are referred to as “section hikers”). see Trail > 3
After over a year of forced hibernation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Goochland Community Theatre will once again offer the chance for area residents to enjoy a lively production featuring local talent. Beginning with opening night this Friday at 7 p.m., the group will present “Maids of Honor,” a warm-hearted comedy focused on three sisters and the chaos that unfolds as one of them prepares for a wedding no one thinks is a particularly good idea. Tickets for the show are on sale now and can be purchased at gvatheatre.org/tickets or in person the night of the show. The production is rated PG-13 and parental guidance is suggested. Masks are not required for entry but are strongly encouraged. Tickets range in price from $12 for senior citizens, students, and county employees to $15 for the general public. The second showing will be held on Sept. 18 at 7 p.m., and the show will close on Sept.19 at 2 p.m. The show runs roughly two hours, with one 15 minute intermission, and concessions will be available. The Goochland Community Theatre, located at 2748 Dogtown Rd. in Goochland, was established in 2018 to provide local cultural and educational benefits to residents of Goochland County and surrounding communities. It is run by an all-volunteer staff and a corps of volunteers. For more information, visit the theater’s website at www.gvatheatre.org.
