Shelton's "Hank the Hiker"

"Hank the Hiker" before installation

Have you see this guy? He's been living at the Trails Barn, the newish one over at the Dog Park. The style of the barn begged for a weather vane, and what better than a hiker for a Trails Barn. There didn't seem to be any hiker weather vanes on sale, so it was custom made in Vermont. 

Hank can be hard to see.

Prior to installation, the copper hiker was leaning up against the walls of the barn while Trails Committee members held their monthly meetings there. Joining in, so to speak, although he didn't have much to say. Eventually, the committee members decided to name him Hank the Hiker. 

There he is.

So next time you're at the Shelton Dog Park, give him a wave. People will wonder what you're up to.  We're introducing you to Hank because he's involved with our next trails challenge, the 2024 Shelton Trails Marathon, starting with the logo:

The logo for our next trails challenge. 

For the challenge, hikers need to complete a specific set of hikes that total 26.2 miles, the length of a marathon (since it's an Olympics year). You'll have all year to do it. We've set up two levels of difficulty, so everyone can choose a level that works best for them. The challenge preparations are almost complete and will be done by March 1. Check back here on the Shelton Trails blog for more info this spring. Happy Trails!