SPECIAL TO THE NEWS OBSERVER
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Blue Ridge resident Gilbert Treadwell was presented the Benton MacKaye Trail Association (BMTA) Trail Worker of the Year Award at the BMTA Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony November 13 at Unicoi Lodge in Helen, Georgia.
“I was taken aback and humbled when they announced the award,” said Treadwell. “I’m fortunate to be able to live in an area where I can pursue the activities in the forest that I love. That’s why I want to give something back by helping maintain and protect the Benton MacKaye Trail.”
As a section maintainer, Treadwell maintains two sections, encompassing 4.3 miles of the Benton MacKaye Trail. From 2014 to the present, he has turned in 653 hours, including 200.5 for fiscal year 2021.
Treadwell graduated from Emory University and worked as a geologist for three years before switching careers to construction. He eventually started his own company, Gilcraft Construction that specialized in remodeling homes in the Atlanta area.
“My first serious hiking trek was in the Smokies when I was 12. Eventually, my favorite past times became hiking, backpacking, camping, and paddling,” said Treadwell. “That’s why it was so rewarding when my then 23-year-old daughter, Amanda, asked to go backpacking with me – she realized my affinity for backpacking and wanted to be a part of what I love to do.”