Hi Trail Fans This month's Spotlight is a divergence from my usual history and trail sites. This one is history in the making, and one that I feel definitely embodies the spirit of the Westward Movement. The American Frontier: A Public Lands Journey http://www.americanfrontiers.net/ It involves two teams of adventurers who embarked on a first-of-its-kind trip across the nation's majestic parks and open lands on July 31 as part of a campaign to introduce Americans to the vast public lands throughout the country. This is a celebration of the national treasure that we have in abundance in the western United States. Sponsored by the Public Lands Interpretive Association, in partnership with The National Geographic, and many other agencies, eight people in two teams are trekking from the Mexican border to the Canadian border, through six western states by foot and horse, bike and canoe, ATV and boat some 3,000 miles, never setting foot on private land. Their entire route will be on public lands-- national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, BLM lands, and more-- and they will tell their story on the American Frontier website, through pictures, diaries, interactive maps, and multimedia exhibits. The final event of the trek, when the two teams meet at This Is The Place State Park near Salt Lake City on September 28, will be a festive patriotic event, where the American West, American Lands, and American Freedom will be celebrated in high-energy, dramatic fashion. The complete itinerary, including public events, is on the website. If you are vacationing or live near any of the public events, plan to participate. Although only eight men and women are actually following the entire route of the American Frontiers Journey, an incredible array of people are helping them out with mapping, equipment, public relations, education outreach, cooking, medical support, and general logistics. Read about technical support by "techie" Amanda (GIS Specialist) http://www.frii.com/~geomanda/AFTrek/ setting up the satellite Internet connection for the mobile "tech trailer," making maps of the upcoming routes, getting route information into and out of the GPS units the trekkers carry with them, and uploading images and journal entries to the Trek's website. Bookmark this site as new information is added daily, including history, educational exhibits, first hand observations on the aftermath of the fires in the west, photos, media events, and GPS and GIS mapping information. ESRI, a leader in geographic information systems (GIS) software, is mapping the American Frontiers trek with newly-developed software and technology. Visit previous Spotlights at: www.over-land.com/spotlite.html Thanks Elizabeth