LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — A well-known thru-hiker, Scot “Taba” Ward of Lexington made his way into London just in time for Thursday Night Live last week after traveling 85 miles in the Daniel Boone National Forest, bringing light to what the future may hold for the city that hopes to make trails a big deal.

Ward said he sees the potential for London to obtain “Trail Town” status seeing a conservative estimate of 100 thru-hikers within five years.

The Lexington native began this hiking excursion in Pickett State Park, Tenn., and will travel up to northern Rowan County.  After traveling a large portion of the Sheltowee Trace in the Daniel Boone National Forest, London looked like a great place to take a break, he said.

Downtown London offered great opportunities for him to stock up on supplies. At Mike’s Hike and Bike Shop, he picked up some hiking gear and a handsaw to break overgrown limbs on the trail.  

“Thru-hikers will spend a minimum of $100 in a town,” Ward said.

He advised that hikers not only need a shop for gear, but a place to grab a drink and rest their head.

To get out of the heat for a couple days, he decided to rent a motel room, and he also planned to spend money at local restaurants, too.  

“When people see a guy with a backpack on, they automatically assume they’re homeless and not a traveler,” Ward said.

“There’s a difference between hikers and the homeless.  Hikers are goal achievers focused on a mission, rejuvenating our spirits.”

Ward began his adventures in hiking 24 years ago when he gave up the keys to his pricey vehicle, grabbed a backpack, and headed into the woods.

His trail nickname, Taba, was derived from one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional characters, Bilbo Baggins.  The character was a true adventurer himself and wrote a memoir called, “There and Back Again.”  

“I’m supposed to be out here. I’ve made a lot of sacrifices, but I’m getting a lot of benefits in as well,” he said.

In addition to hiking more than 6,000 miles, he’s cycled more than 40,000 miles, traveling to 49 states.  He likes to think of himself as a modern-day American pioneer.  Although the trails he typically uses are well-traveled, he has made it his mission to keep them well maintained when hikers become sparse.  

Just recently, he began maintaining the Sheltowee Trace’s 280-mile backcountry trails for the second time.  After his first visit to the area, he wrote, “The Thru-Hikers Manual for the Sheltowee Trace,” and, this time, he just decided to do a thru-hike for fun.  

In planning to become a “Trail Town,” Ward suggested London offer a shuttle from Sheltowee Trace trail heads in Laurel County to allow hikers the chance to stop and keep them from moving onward.  In addition, it would help the travelers avoid a few miles of road which can prove to be detrimental because of the blister-inducing pavement.   If a shuttle is not financially feasible for the local community, he said he’d be fine with some hospitality.

“I’ve had people throw stuff out the window and spit at me. I don’t expect everybody to pick me up, but be hospitable,” he said.

To find out more about the Sheltowee Trace trail, visit www.sheltoweetrace.com. To find out more about Taba the thru-hiker, visit www.thru-hiker.us.



mmccrarey@sentinel-echo.com