`Smiles, not miles`: Valle Crucis 8-year-old hikes 76-mile Foothills Trail
(World News USA)

VALLE CRUCIS — After a cross-country trip and a vacation to Australia and New Zealand were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, rising fourth-grader Ayla Crawley, age 8, took to the 76-mile Foothills Trail to have a summer adventure with her parents, Ryan and Jenna Crawley. The idea of the hike came about in May as the family was searching for new summer plans and found that the Foothills Trail was still open for recreation, while other trails, including the Appalachian Trail at the time, had been closed due to COVID-19. Ayla`s mother, Jenna, said that the 8-year-old has “hiking in her genetics,” as both Jenna and Ryan have several years` experience working at a wilderness school and...