3/4/25 Media Advisory: The first Texas cross-state trail beings phase 2 with group ground-proofing
For Immediate Release March 4, 2025
The first Texas cross-state trail begins phase 2: group ground-proofing
Media Contact: Melissa Balmer Email: Melissa@PedalLove.org, text (360) 265-2883
Images, video, and maps of the trail are available upon request
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Austin TX – On Monday, March 10th at 7 am, a team of tough, talented, generous people will depart from Quicksand Creek on the Sabine River at 190 near Bon Wier and the Louisiana border. They’re adventuring forth on the first group ground-proofing for the xTexas Trail Project. The media is invited to see them off (and for the tough few) invited to join them for an hour, a day, or the full adventure.
Nicknamed the xTx, it’s the state’s first cross-state hiking, biking, and equestrian trail. It’s tough and target-rich. As mapped out by founder Charlie Gandy, the xTx rambles through quiet public backcountry paved and gravel roads, public trails, state, and national parks, and will eventually cross private ranch land, and farms once permission has been established. It ends in El Paso, and includes Big Bend and the Guadalupe Mountains.
The Group Ground-proofers
Moondog Roop (thruskating and hiking) and Rhea Wallace (biking) will travel the full 1,500-mile route during March and April.
xTx founder Charlie Gandy will lead the rest of the self-supporting team (including journalists) to hike, bike, and ride horses for the first hundred miles over seven days. They’ll end in Livingston. The event is called, “The Sweaty Taste of the xTx: The first 100 miles.”
Thus far the 100-mile team includes endurance equestrian Tracy Kelly and her horse Vandy, her husband cyclist Stewart Kelly, of Waco; hiker Kevin Pare of Killeen; cyclist John Ellerston of Mission; endurance equestrian Devan Horn of Spring; hiker Lloyd Segler of Plano, and hiker Joshua Aaron of Leander.
All of the ground-proofers will be gathering information on the trail’s conditions, water sources, camping locations, resupply, and more.
Media interested in interviewing any of the ground-proofers in advance should contact Melissa Balmer to set that up: Melissa@pedallove.org, Cell (360)265-2883 (text is best).
About the xTexas Trail Project
While Charlie Gandy was hiking California’s Tahoe Rim Trail in June of 2024, he wondered why his home state of Texas didn’t have its own cross-state, long-distance trail. He realized Texas is perfect to hike in the winter and early spring when many other popular long-distance hiking trails in the U.S. are unavailable. He decided to do something about it. By August, the xTexas.org website was launched, and Charlie had begun ground-proofing a route that would share the wonders of Texas with other trail enthusiasts.
The xTexas Trail Project exceeded its launch fundraising goals and has garnered the interest of over 200 volunteers thus far, eager to share their time and talent. The xTx has been featured in CNN’s 5 Good Things Podcast, Condé Nast Traveller.com, the Houston Chronicle, Texas Monthly, The Texas Standard, and Texas Public Radio, among others. Find out more at xTexas.org.
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