Hiking and Backpacking (Outdoor Pursuits)

Provides information and advice on hiking for fun and sport, including what to wear, where to hike, equipment and food to bring, and safety regulations to follow

Eric Seaborg and Ellen Dudley are the two hiking and backpacking experts recruited to scout the route for the country's first ocean-to-ocean trail. This modern-day Lewis and Clark team spent 14 months exploring the American Discovery Trail's 4,800-mile path from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean. For scouting this first transcontinental trail, they were honored by President Bush at the White House and received the 1991 "Enjoy Outdoors America Award." Eric Seaborg is a long-time trails activist, whose experience ranges from testifying before Congress on trails legislation to building and restoring trails as a backcountry ranger at Washington's Olympic National Park.

Eric was president of the American Hiking Society (AHS) for 3 years and a member of the AHS Board of Directors for 6 years. As AHS president, he was a leader in the last successful campaign to amend the National Trails System Act, which resulted in legislation that significantly boosted the number of trails in the United States. He is a member of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) and the AHS, serves on the AHS advisory board, and as a volunteer maintains a mile of the famous Appalachian Trail.

Eric has contributed many articles on hiking and the outdoors for a variety of publications, including the Washington Post, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Sierra, Backpacker, American Hiker, National Parks, Events USA, Resort and Travel, and Recreation News. He was also the first editor of Pathways Across America, a joint publication on long-distance trails by the National Park Service and the AHS.

Ellen Dudley has been hiking and backpacking for 20 years. As a Girl Scout leader she introduced 7- to 17-year-olds to hiking in the woods. In addition to hiking and backpacking throughout the U.S., she has explored trails in Canada, Peru, Norway, and the French and Swiss Alps. Ellen, a 50-year-old grandmother, is living proof that anyone can enjoy hiking and backpacking.

Ellen is a member of the Sierra Club, AHS, and PATC. For several years she covered environmental issues as a magazine editor and media director. She was editor of Pathways Across America and program director for the "Trails for All Americans" project. She has written articles and editorials on trail-related topics for a number of major newspapers.