Beginning on March 10, Curtis Penix, an avid hiker from Monroe, Michigan plans to walk in the footsteps of his 5X great grandfather, Joshua Penix, who arrived at Fort Boonesborough in 1779. Curtis plans a 16-day hike along Boone Trace, as did his grandfather, beginning at Kingsport, TN on March 10 and terminating at Fort Boonesborough March 26.

He will walk the entire route, carry his own food and sleep under the stars. Others have traveled the general route of the Trace; but, Penix will hike the Trace using the primitive trails as much as possible. The Boone Trace was the first road ever blazed into Kentucky.

Penix says “I thought it would be interesting to travel the road my ancestor had traveled. Even though this road helped to carry 300,000 pioneers into the land we now know as Kentucky, it does not exist today as a singular route. Much of the old path has been paved

over as residential streets or 2 lane highway. The portions which followed creeks were abandoned for wider roadways and left to grow over. Much has been tilled under for agriculture. Most of the original Boone Trace has been lost the way an artist would paint over the original painting on a canvas. In order to walk with Joshua, I need to peel back the layers of new paint to reveal the original masterpiece that Boone and his men created.”

You can follow the progress of Curtis Penix through his website, facebook and twitter feeds. To get to his website just follow the link below.

We’ll be at the Carter Cabin at Natural Tunnel State Park from 6-9pm every Friday and Saturday until Christmas for the Christmas Lighting of the Tunnel Programs.

After enjoying marshmallows, hot chocolate, Santa Clause, live entertainment and all the other festivities at the mouth of the tunnel walk on over to the Carter Cabin to hear our interpreters talk about the history of the cabin and other local history.

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