We have some fabulous winners in the first Champlain Area Trails Travel Writers Contest! 

The contest, underwritten with a grant from the J.C. Kellogg Foundation, advances a CATS goal of promoting economic vitality in New York’s Champlain Valley.  And how does the contest do that?  In these computer-filled days, when people think about visiting somewhere, they do their research online.  So, we are collecting and making available travel articles describing the Champlain Valley so people will read them and say, “Let’s go!”   Now, on to the winners…

The $500 first prize goes to writing partners, David Thomas Train and his student, Westport ninth-grader Peter Hartwell.  They co-wrote “Wildlife, Connected In and Out of Town,” about their travels and observations on trails around Westport.  Contest-judge Phil Brown, the editor of the Adirondack Explorer, said “David and Peter make us realize that we are surrounded by fascinating wildlife and that we can learn much about our wild neighbors if we just pay attention. Their article was infused with the greatest familiarity with the region and its inhabitants.”  If you have wondered how many efts (the orange colored “salamander”) are in the Adirondack Park, you need to read their story.  And to quote the final line in David and Peter’s article:  “It’s a lively neighborhood for all who walk, hop, paddle, fly, crawl, swim, bound, run, waddle, slither, or put out seeds.”

The winner of the $250 People’s Choice prize is Jessica Wimett, of Wadhams who received the most number of online votes.  Her article, “A Great Resolution,” tells the poignant story of how she named her baby during a hike on a CATS trail. She writes how CATS trails are made for families and parents with young children plus she describes the sense of community found at one of our local businesses, Dogwood Bakery.  And what did she name her little girl?  “Amaya” which means “a great resolution” in the Basque language.  She ended her article with her own resolution to “Slow down and be present to the scores of interconnected details working in harmony to create the whole.”  

You can read the Valley News article about the winners and see their pictures at http://www.thevalleynews.org/news/2012/jan/24/champlain-area-trails-name....  To read the winning entrees and other fine articles along with cool photos, click on http://champlainareatrails.com/winners.  You’ll love the picture of Amaya’s little feet walking on a trail.

The next CATS Travel Writing Contest will begin in February.  We invite you to enter—just write about trails you like, a favorite restaurant, lodging you’ve enjoyed, historic sites you’ve walked through, people you’ve met, back roads you’ve biked on, beautiful display seen at farmers’ markets…You can win a prize and help the local economy.  For details, visit the CATS website www.champlainareatrails.com.