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Sumer Paige Newport, TNMLF Photo Event Coordinator, presents Bill Rogers with a certificate and $25.00!!! Great job Sumer with the contest and maintaining the 6 feet social distancing rule in presenting the prize to Bill! Congratulations Bill on a beautiful photo!
Many of you know Bill and hike with him, but for those of you who don't, we asked Bill to give us a little info about himself and how he came to win the photo contest. This is what he had to say:
"I grew up in west Texas. I came to this area for graduate school, met my wife, and after a 35-year career elsewhere, we have ended up moving back and working in Oak Ridge. I had heard about the wonderful state parks in this area and heard that Frozen Head was the best. On my first hike in Frozen Head in 2017, I met Cathy Howard and learned from her about the Mountain Laurel Hiking Marathon. I have participated in the marathon every year since. My hobbies are birdwatching, watercolor painting, and hiking with the Hike MoCo Facebook group. I have some watercolors of buildings in Rugby for sale at R. M. Brooks store.
The great thing about the Mountain Laurel Hiking Marathon is that it has taken me to places in and around Morgan county that I would not have discovered alone. My friends in Morgan county have been tremendously warm, funny, and challenging in the hiking department.
As for the perfect mountain laurel photo: Two years in a row I struck out on finding decent mountain laurels to photograph. I complained about it, so George Hawver took me to his place up above Potter's falls and they were magnificent. I put a few photos from that day on the Hike MoCo page and kind folks encouraged me to enter the contest."
Thanks so much Bill for sharing this with us. If you see Bill, ask him to tell you about the little mountain laurel bloom and how it distributes seeds. Amazing!
Sumer Paige Newport, Event Coordinator for the photo contest presents Bill his certificate and $25.00 at Tanners and manages to do this and abide by the current social distancing rules! Thanks Sumer, great job! And many thanks to George Hawver for showing Bill the perfect mountain laurel and for all your help with MCTA! Welcome aboard!
Bill was very proud to be the 2020 winner!!
This is how many of you know Bill, outfitted in his hiking gear!