The Salem Museum is inviting the public to learn all about local Appalachian Trail history with “People and Places of the Appalachian Trail in the Roanoke Region,” Saturday, Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. This talk is free and open to the public. The event will be livestreamed on Zoom for those unable to attend in person through a link on SalemMuseum.org.
In her talk, Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) archivist Dr. Diana Christopulos will draw on the organization’s extensive records, which date back to 1932, to explore key questions about the Trail’s history. Why was the Trail relocated from Fort Lewis and Poor Mountains? Who were the Nomads, one of the RATC’s founding groups? What did Carvins Cove look like before the reservoir was built? Why was the McAfee Knob section of the Trail closed between 1978 and 1987, and how was it reopened? These questions and more will be addressed in her presentation.
Dr. Christopulos is a dedicated conservationist who has held leadership roles in numerous environmental and community organizations, including the RATC, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, and the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition. She has also served on the boards of the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and the Council of Community Services, and is a member of the Roanoke Women’s Foundation. She co-founded the McAfee Knob Task Force, a group of about 30 volunteers who, alongside a paid seasonal ridge-runner, work to keep visitors safe and educate them about protecting natural resources. In addition, she has completed a thru-hike of the entire Appalachian Trail.
