Media Room
Thank you for your interest in the xTexas trail! Members of the media interested in scheduling an interview with Charlie Gandy, please call or text his cell at (562)298-7681 or email him at gandy(dot)charles(at)gmail.com.
For the press: Both print and digital images of the regions associated with the trail and Charlie are available.
Find images for news stories in this Google Drive folder. Please make sure to give photo credits.
For any questions on images, email Melissa(at)PedalLove.org or text (360)265-2883.
Recent Stories
Fox News Lifestyle 10/16/24
"As a native Texan, I’m a 66-year-old guy who likes to challenge myself to big, hairy goals and adventures — and it seemed to me like it was time for Texas to have its own Pacific Crest-type adventure route.”
Gandy and some buddies got together with Bike Texas, a non-profit bicycle advocacy and education organization, to plan a rough but scenic back road, gravel, single track route that stretches all the way from Orange to El Paso.
"It meanders through the bayous and lowlands and the Big Thicket [National] Preserve," Gandy said.
"It goes from the rolling hills around Navasota up to Luling and New Braunfels and into Hill Country, past Fredericksburg. It goes down towards Concan, out west into Big Bend National Park, and then up through Big Bend Ranch to Marfa and Fort Davis.”
The Trek 9/30/24
For hikers dreaming of a new challenge traversing Texas’ vast landscapes on foot, bike, or horseback, a new long-distance trail across Texas may soon become a reality. Known as the Cross Texas Trail, or XTX, this proposed 1,500-mile route promises to showcase the diversity of the Lone Star State, from pine forests of East Texas to the rugged deserts of the West.
Spearheaded by bike advocate, former community design consultant, and state representative Charlie Gandy, this trail could place Texas on the map as a premier destination for long-distance hiking.
Texas Monthly 9/24/24
The Pacific Crest Trail winds for 2,650 miles through deserts, mountain passes, and canyons on the West Coast. The Appalachian Trail, its counterpart to the east, traverses dappled forests and river gorges for 2,200 miles. Somewhere in the middle, the Continental Divide Trail follows the spine of the Rocky Mountains for 3,100 miles.
Along those three trails, dubbed the Triple Crown of Hiking, long-distance hikers blister their toes, wear clothing to a frazzle, whip their bodies into shape, and learn all about themselves. As anyone who’s read the books Wild or A Walk in the Woods, or seen their movie adaptations, can attest, finding yourself and pushing your limits on a through hike has become a time-honored American tradition. And now, trail advocates say, it’s time for Texas to get its own long-distance route worthy of bragging rights.
KUT Austin March 24, 2022
Available Images for News Stories (click here for the Google Drive folder)
